The Town of Cutler Bay’s Public Works Department hosted the Traffic Calming Master Plan Kick-Off workshop on Sept. 8, part of a series of such meetings developed to involve the public as the town works on a way to improve the safety of its roadways.
“The town’s population has grown by 27 percent since our incorporation and is estimated to be over 55,000 by 2020,” said Rafael Casals, town manager. “Our goal is to proactively implement roadway improvements and transportation options that will support our growth.”
According to staff, the main focus of the study is to identify residential areas with excessive speeding, cut-through streets, and restricting of commercial truck traffic. For planning purposes, the town will be divided into three corridors that will be studied independently and then collectively in the final master plan.
The town will host one Public Involvement Workshop in each of the three additional corridors, and all residents are encouraged to participate and attend.
“This is an important first step in making town streets safer for pedestrians and commuters alike,” said Mayor Peggy Bell. “The master plan will guide the town as we work to alleviate traffic intrusion, improve pedestrian safety, and preserve our quality of life. Additionally, I look forward to working with our friends at the Village of Palmetto Bay, Village of Pinecrest and Miami-Dade County collectively to coordinate our traffic calming efforts.”
The town is requesting feedback from residents regarding areas of concern such as high traffic areas, need for additional signage or traffic lights, opportunities for additional traffic circles, speeding, dangerous intersections and more. Town resident concerns and crash data reports, which will include traffic and speed counts, will be analyzed and the recommended traffic calming treatments will be identified in the Town-wide Traffic Calming Master Plan.
“If the community wants a traffic calming treatment but the traffic data collected shows it does not warrant it, it would not be an ideal project,” said Alfredo Quintero, Public Works director. “If the traffic data collected shows the need for a traffic calming treatment but the community does not want it, it would also not be an ideal project, which is why the town residents participation is very important.”
The next Public Involvement Workshop will take place on Sept. 28, 7 p.m., at Cutler Ridge Park. Residents who are unable to attend may also submit their suggestions via email at Trafficcalming@cutlerbay-fl.gov.
For information on the workshops, contact the Public Works Department at 305-234-4262 or visit www.cutlerbay-fl.gov.
