port miami tunnel impact on downtown miami traffic

EVALUATION OF EXISTING, FUTURE CONGESTIONDEFICIENCIES, AND IMPROVEMENTS

Agenda

• Existing Conditions• Future Year 2035 Conditions• Downtown Truck Percentages• Loading Zones (Constrained Capacity Locations)• Improvements• Next Steps

Existing Conditions

• Evaluation of multimodal traffic conditions• Analyzed existing (year 2015) intersection capacity

conditions• Analysis included:

• Automobile• Truck• Transit• Bicyclists• Pedestrian

• Identified constrained capacity locations

Existing Conditions: Traffic DataGathering and Collection

• Intersection traffic data gathered from thesestudies:• City of Miami’s Downtown Miami Transportation

Analysis, 2013• All Aboard Florida – Miami Station, 2014• Miami Worldcenter, 2014

• Traffic collected at 13 additional intersections• Downtown wide annual growth rate of 1.86%

(SERPM 2005 compared to 2035)• Growth rate applied to establish 2015 conditions

Year 2015 Intersection Level of Service

Figure 1 – Downtown AM Intersection Level of Service


Figure 2 – Downtown PM Intersection Level of Service

Future 2035 Conditions: FutureTraffic Volumes

• PortMiami growth/future forecasts for freight and cruisepassengers expected to grow significantly by 2035

• Downtown wide annual growth rate of 1.86% applied to2015 volumes to develop 2035 volumes

• Identified committed developments included inanalysis:• All Aboard Florida – Miami

Station• Miami Worldcenter

• 7th Street closure• Miami River Development SAP• I-395 Reconstruction• Children’s Courthouse• Brickell CitiCentre

• Miami Science Museum• Element• 1400 Biscayne Boulevard• 1700 Biscayne Boulevard• 888 Biscayne Boulevard• Riverside Tower• The Chelsea


- Intersection fails from 2015 to 2035

Year 2035 Optimized Intersection Levelof Service

- Signal timing optimization mitigates failure


- Intersection fails from 2015 to 2035

Year 2035 Optimized Intersection Levelof Service

- Signal timing optimization mitigates failure

Downtown Truck Loading

• The PortMiami Tunnel largely successful inalleviating freight and goods movement withinDowntown Miami

• Right-of-way in Downtown Miami is limited andvacant property is selling at a premium

• Transportation improvements must be examinedfrom a multimodal perspective

• Optimizing existing transportation network needs tobe examined

• Existing on-street freight loading activities is a focus.On-street freight loading activities exacerbatecongestion in Downtown Miami

Downtown Truck Percentages

• FDOT study• Examined truck percentages on Port Boulevard east

of Biscayne Boulevard before and after PortMiamiTunnel opening

• Overall weekly traffic volumes reduced by 35 percenton Port Boulevard

• Average weekly truck volume reduced by 77 percenton Port Boulevard

Truck Loading/Delivery Observations

• Large truck (tractor trailer) loading more significant inA.M. period

• Smaller truck (single-unit) loading more significant inP.M. period

• Majority of truck loading activity bounded by NE/NW 2nd

Street to the north, SE/SW 2nd Street to the south,Biscayne Boulevard to the east, and NW/SW 2nd Avenueto the west

• Many trucks utilize designated truck loading zones• Loading zones not always large enough to accommodate trucks

• Trucks block sidewalks partially/fully to avoid blockingtravel lanes at several locations

• Specific locations where truck loading interferes withtravel lanes noted in critical multimodal constrainedlocations

Downtown Congestion Improvements

• Programmed Improvements:• FDOT I-395 Reconstruction• FDOT Downtown Distributor Improvements

• Conceptual Improvements:• City’s improvements on SE 3rd Avenue

• Potential Improvements:• I-95 Ramps at NW 8th Street & NW 3rd Court/NW 3rd Avenue• Roadway reconfiguration at SE 1st Street and Biscayne Boulevard

to accommodate loading zones• Loading Zone Improvements:

• Policy• Physical loading zone improvements

• Other Improvement Considerations:• Haz-mat routing accounting for Miami World Center (Existing route

information to be provided by FDOT)• Bus-only lanes on select corridors (GPC V-29 Scope of Services)

Programmed Improvement

• FDOT District 6 I-395 Reconstruction Plans• Improve local access to and from I-395

• North Miami Avenue and SE 2nd Avenue

• Reduces weaving along I-395 Mainline for north/south I-95• Increases capacity to prevent future traffic congestion


• FDOT District 6 Downtown Distributor Improvements• Additional I-95 on-ramp lane on southbound SE 2nd Avenue


• FDOT District 6 Downtown Distributor Improvements• Additional I-95 on-ramp lane on southbound SE 2nd Avenue

Contemplated Improvement• City of Miami SE 3rd Avenue Contemplated

Improvements• Option 1

• One-way SE 3rd Avenue northbound (NB) between SE 2nd Street andBiscayne Boulevard Way

• Option 2• One-way SE 3rd Avenue NB between SE 2nd Street and SE 3rd Street• Signalizes intersection of SE 3rd Street and Biscayne Boulevard• Fully signalizes SE 2nd Street and SE 2nd Avenue

• Option 3• One-way SE 3rd Avenue NB north of SE 2nd Street and one-way SE 3rd

Avenue SB between SE 2nd Street and Biscayne Boulevard Way• Removes lane between SE 2nd Street and Biscayne Boulevard Way for on-

street parking• Provides third lane from NB Biscayne Boulevard to WB SE 2nd Street

• All options provide additional lane to I-95 on-ramp

Conceptual Improvements• City of Miami Potential Improvement Plans (Alternative 1)



Potential Improvement

• I-95 on/off ramps/NW 3rd Avenue/NW 3rd Courtat NW 8th Street• Re-designate southbound shared left-turn/through

lane as left-turn lane• Extend southbound left-turn lane• Add a second lane to I-95 on-ramp and re-designate

the outer through lane at the northbound approach ofNW 8th Street as a “choice” lane for I-95 on-ramp orNW 3rd Avenue

Ramp Only Choice Lane

Exclusive Left-turn Lane

Exclusive Left-turn Lane

Ramp Only Choice Lane

Extend Left-turn LaneAdditional I-95 On-Ramp

Potential Improvement

Loading Zone Improvements• Loading Zone Policy

• Policies for truck loading/delivery capacity and livability improvements will bedeveloped

• Many metropolitan areas nationwide have implemented ordinances for loadingrestriction policies

Nationwide City Loading Zone Regulations

City Loading Zone Regulation Loading Zone Operational Hours

Miami Beach Permit Required 30 and 60 minute maximum

Chicago Permit Required 30 minute maximum

Houston Permit Required 30 minute to 2 hour maximum

New York Posted Sign 3 hour maximum

Orlando Permit Required 30 minute maximum

PensacolaCommercial Loading Zone/General

Loading ZoneCommercial Loading Zone no time limit

General Loading Zone 15 minute maximum

Portland Permit Required 30 minute maximum

Salt Lake City Permit Required 30 minute maximum

San Jose Permit Required 1 hour maximum

Seattle Permit Required 30 minute maximum

Loading Zone Improvements• Loading Zone Policy:

• Proposed freight loading zone regulations/program• Permit Program• Clearly define loading areas

• High-emphasis loading zones• Larger loading bays

• Define loading hours and maximum loading time periods• Enforcement

• City of Miami Police Department• City of Miami Code Compliance Department• Miami Parking Authority• Enforcement Fine Schedule

• Public Awareness Program• Delivery purveyors• Businesses• Agency coordination• Residents

Loading Zone Physical Improvements

• Define required length of loading zone• Maneuverability analysis prepared to determine

required length of loading zones• High emphasis loading zones proposed• Improvements proposed at multimodal

constrained locations

Loading Zone Improvements

Loading Zone Length for Head-in Truck Maneuver

Truck Type Truck Length

Approximate RequiredLoading Zone Lengthfor Head-in with back-

in Maneuver

Approximate RequiredLoading Zone Length

for Head-in OnlyManeuver

Scenario 1 Scenario 2

Single-unit truck(SU-30)

30 feet 45 feet 60 feet

Single-unit dual-rear axle truck(SU-40)


Intermediate semitrailer truck(WB-50)


Interstate semitrailer truck(WB-62)


High Emphasis Loading Zone Alternative 1




Next Steps

• Refine Development of Downtown CongestionImprovement Scenarios• Haz-mat routing accounting for Miami World Center (Existing

route information to be provided by FDOT)

• Development of Recommendations forImplementation and Further Study

• Final Report

Government & Nonprofit

port miami tunnel impact on downtown miami traffic