Item N2 I�`�
County of Monroe
�y,4 ' '�, "tr, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
County �a� Mayor Heather Carruthers,District 3
�1 `_ll Mayor Pro Tem Michelle Coldiron,District 2
The Florida.Keys` )-.�ff` Craig Cates,District 1
David Rice,District 4
w � Sylvia J.Murphy,District 5
County Commission Meeting
October 213, 2020
Agenda Item Number: N.2
Agenda Item Summary #7499
BULK ITEM: No DEPARTMENT: BOCC District 4
TIME APPROXIMATE: STAFF CONTACT: Tamara Lamarche (305) 289-6000
N/A
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: A Resolution by the Monroe County Board of County
Commissioners in support of a three mile extension to the Monroe-Dade Express Bus route
relocating the southern terminus of the bus route to Knights Key Boulevard at approximately MM
47.
ITEM BACKGROUND: This proposal was reported to and discussed with the Florida Keys
Transportation Coordination Committee at their January 17, 2020 meeting. There was no vote
taken, but it was agreed by the group to be an enhancement for our workers commuting from out of
county worth pursuing with Miami-Dade Transportation.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
DOCUMENTATION:
113 KKBLVD Bus Site Plan
Resolution - in support of Monroe-Dade Express bus route extension - stamped
1.17.20 Meeting Minutes—Final
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Effective Date:
Expiration Date:
Total Dollar Value of Contract:
Total Cost to County:
Current Year Portion:
Budgeted:
Source of Funds:
CPI:
Indirect Costs:
Estimated Ongoing Costs Not Included in above dollar amounts:
Revenue Producing: If yes, amount:
Grant:
County Match:
Insurance Required:
Additional Details:
None known at this time
REVIEWED BY:
David Rice Skipped 10/20/2020 11:57 AM
Bob Shillinger Completed 10/20/2020 2:56 PM
Liz Yongue Completed 10/20/2020 3:00 PM
Board of County Commissioners Pending 10/21/2020 9:00 AM
RESOLUTION NO. -2020
A RESOLUTION BY THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD
OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN SUPPORT OF A
THREE MILE EXTENSION TO THE MONROE-DADE
EXPRESS BUS ROUTE RELOCATING THE SOUTHERN
TERMINUS OF THE BUS ROUTE TO KNIGHTS KEY
BOULEVARD AT APPROXIMATELY THE 47 MILE
MARKER OF U.S.l
WHEREAS, the Monroe-Dade Express Bus provides a reliable and economical
mass transit connection for residents, visitors and others wishing to travel from Miami-
Dade to Monroe County; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County has numerous restaurants, hotels, resorts and
attractions which support Monroe county's tourism industry; and
WHEREAS, Monroe county's tourism industry attracts employees from Miami-
Dade County that utilize the Monroe-Dade Express Bus as their primary form of
transportation to and from work; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe-Dade Express Bus southern terminus is in the City of
Marathon at the K-mart shopping plaza at approximately the 50 mile marker of U.S. l;
and
WHEREAS, the City of Marathon has three large resorts between Mile marker
50 and Mile Marker 47 at the foot of the seven mile bridge; and
WHEREAS, the employees of these resorts have to walk or seek other forms of
transportation to bridge the, as much as 3 mile, gap from the current southern terminus of
the Monroe-Dade Express Bus and their place of employment; and
WHEREAS, all 3 resorts support extending the Monroe-Dade Express Bus route
and the southern most of these three resorts, Isla Bella, has agreed to provide the use of
the Isla Bella frontage property as a bus turnaround;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA,that:
1. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners strongly supports
extending the southern terminus of the Monroe-Dade Express Bus route from
its current terminus located in the City of Marathon at the K-mart shopping
plaza at approximately the 50 mile marker of U.S. 1 an additional three miles
to the Isla Bella frontage property located in the City of Marathon on Knights
Key Boulevard at approximately the 47 mile marker of U.S. 1.
2. The Clerk is directed to send a copy of this resolution to:
a. Alice Bravo
Director, Miami- Dade Transportation
710 NW lst Court
Miami, Fl. 33136
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe
County, Florida, at a regular meeting held on the 21st day of October, 2020.
Mayor Heather Carruthers
Mayor Pro Tem Michelle Coldiron
Commissioner Craig Cates
Commissioner David Rice
Commissioner Sylvia Murphy
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
BY:
Heather Carruthers, Mayor
Signed this day of 2020
tC?E COtlidl E��Tl3VY
7te 10/20/20
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Florida Keys Transportation Coordination Committee
Meeting Minutes
January 17, 2020
Opening
The regular meeting of the Florida Keys Transportation Coordination Committee was called to order at
1:05PM on Friday, January 17, 2020 by Chair, Commissioner David Rice, in the Marathon BOCC
Chambers at 2798 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL.
Present
Appointed Committee Members:
David Rice, Chair
Deb Gillis, City of the Village of Islamorada
Bruce Halle, City of Layton
Kim Lisle, City of Key Colony Beach
Mary Lou Hoover, City of Key West
Doug Lewis, City of Marathon
Non-Committee Members:
Alison Higgins, KW Sustainability Coordinator
Rita Irwin, TDC Board Chair
Christina Neel, Planner—Village of Islamorada
Christina Miskis, Regional Planner, SFRPC
Janene Sclafani, Transportation Planner—MC
Cheryl Cioffari, Assistant Director of Planning—MC
Christine Hurley, Director of Growth Management—MC
Jeremy Mullings, Sr. Planner/Project Director— So FL Commuter Services (SFCS)
Justina Gfesser, First/Last Mile Planner— SFCS
Chris Pennant, Presenter, So FL Rural Vanpool Program (Enterprise)
Rod Delostrinos, KW Director of Transportation
Roll call was agreed to be skipped.
Approve Agenda: Agenda was amended to add a discussion item to consider adding an"open
discussion" item on future agendas any issues of interest, as opposed to a"report" section for each city.
Agenda was approved.
Minutes of December 6, 2019 were approved.
Meeting Summary:
A. Building a Plan for Success with Monroe County:
Justina Gffesser, SFCS introduced Chris Pennant, Presenter of the Enterprise South Florida Rural
Vanpool Program.
Highlights:
o South Florida Vanpool Program extends from West Palm Beach to Key West; Monroe County
is now eligible through their new"Rural" extension of the program for non-metropolitan areas.
o Partner with South Florida Commuter Services, an extension of Enterprise Company.
o Vanpool program is 4 or more riders in a designated area,park their cars in a central location,
and ride in the Vanpool vehicle to their places of employment, drive back again, get in their
cars and continue home. Riders can be picked up along the route as well. Must be 15+miles
from place of employment. They have vans; SUV's available for multi-passenger
transportation. (Most people prefer to drive the SUV's.)
o Can build a vanpool with multiple smaller employers in a given location.
o Ridership on vehicle is reported via phone app.
o Employees have a reliable means of transportation, with a new vehicle.
o Expected to gain 80% savings off their personal commuter costs
o Monroe County now for FDOT Rural subsidy of 50% off the rate for vehicle and 50% off
fuel costs with no cap on either.
o Turnkey program, quarterly reports provided, billed monthly. Would take coordination
between multiple businesses.
o Of interest for hotel/resorts, all hospitality, several resorts run their own small bus to
Homestead to pick up employees. Currently working with Ocean Reef Resort on a vanpool
arrangement.
o Best to contact the Chamber of Commerce offices in the Keys to make presentations,
particularly Key Largo and Islamorada chambers to get word out to businesses.
Action Item: Chair Rice requested that Christine Hurley assign staff to gather more information on the
program.
B. Statement of Purpose:
Chair Rice said he was in support of the Statement of Purpose with the elimination of the last
sentence he viewed as unnecessary. Motion to approve made by Bruce Halle, 2nd by Deb Gillis.
Motion passed.
C. Village of Islamorada Update on Response to Norman's Transportation Ideas, Issues, and
Options: Deb Gillis reported on updates to this item.
Freebie:
Early to mid February they are expecting to have two new improved 45-mph Freebie
electric vehicles in service. These vehicles will cover all the Village islands and safely
cross bridges. Good ridership is anticipated. Keeping one smaller vehicle just for the
Upper Matecumbe area from the Postcard up to the bridge, ridership has been very good.
Norman's Transportation Ideas:
Multiple reasons using the old state road segment for a northbound lane will not work,
biggest one, the current bridges are not wide enough to allow this merge situation causing
bottleneck issues. Village is inquiring with other one road in, one out locations, like
Sanibel, Outerbanks, etc. for ideas they are having success with.
The County LOS:
Christine Hurley stated the County LOS study (Arterial Travel Time Delay Study, aka
ATTDS) is required by the Comp Plan to be done every two years. The study is
conducted in the Spring (after winter tourism traffic eases). The BOCC must review and
adopt it, then sent on to FDOT. The County has to use the study and LOS ratings for
permitting, (SFH exempt), for commercial, resort permitting, multi-family housing
projects. If overall LOS is exceeded, the County shall not permit new development unless
the proposed development mitigates the trips it generates.
The current draft study results indicate an overall LOS D—Extra traffic due to
commuting employees displaced by Hurricane Irma living out of county and increased
number of commercial contractor vehicles of all types from the mainland to repair
thousands of damaged homes.
In 1992, the LOS Task Force was created to develop a methodology for measuring LOS
in the Keys and was reconvened again in 1997. It was a multi-agency team, which
included Monroe County, FDOT, and DEO. It is recommended the LOS Task Force
reconvene to update the methodology using current traffic standards.
We will be asking the BOCC if they want to reform the LOS Task Force. This will
require another multi-agency team.
ACOM is contracted to do a county-wide comprehensive transportation master plan, this
will be on the February agenda for BOCC approval.
Chair Rice commented that we need FDOT to review LOS for needed traffic flow
improvements they can do.
Janene Sclafani stated that we currently have $300— 500,000 from FDOT to fund the
transportation master plan and the County transportation department. This will take
approximately 18 months to complete,the focus is on US1. This will advise us of specific
sites for turn lanes, flow merge and decel lanes, intersection changes, etc. Most, if not all
involve US and FDOT, what they are willing to do.
This committee will provide a unified voice to FDOT of Monroe County needs for an
improved LOS for US1.
D. Miami-Dade Transit questions:
Alison Higgins stated that Key West Transportation is trying to get data from Miami Dade. The
contracted buses they use for the Monroe Express do not have counters, but they do have the
"fare system", will at least get you the ridership "hot spots." Broadbrush, up to a 100 sites. This
will help with proposed new bus shelters sites. Monroe County has an existing contract with
Anderson Outdoor Advertising to put in shelters at their cost, (they place paid advertising on
them), and coordination is done by Engineering with FDOT for permitting of shelter, and the bus
service. Judy Clarke, Chief Engineer, Monroe County Engineering handles that process. Chair
Rice stated we still do not know how to tell Judy where to put new bus stops. Need data.
Kim Lisle would like a bus shelter added at US 1 and the Key Colony Beach causeway for Key
Colony Beach.
E. Discussion of future agendas:
Chair Rice suggested adding "open discussion" item at the end of the meeting for anyone who
had something to add that was not already on the agenda. Doug Lewis asked to be sure an email
notice be sent a week or two before the meeting requesting new agenda items. Janene said we
already send out a notice about a week ahead for filing items with her.
Kim Lisle suggested looking at using the water as transportation. Many areas with water use
water taxis and small ferries (island hoppers). Kim will do some research on this issue to report
to the committee.
NYC —Manhattan is an island, they have a ferry 10 times a day from Lower Manhattan to
Brooklyn.
Naples has water taxis through their large canal systems.
Marathon had a thriving water taxi in the harbor at one time.
Ft. Lauderdale water taxi, (Janene), for $20.00 you could ride that all day.
Key West to Ft. Myers ferry goes out to Ft. Myers and comes back the same day, one ferry.
Rita Irwin said this would not be allowable use of TDC funds at this time. We can work on it,
would take a legislative change for Monroe County.
F. Isla Bella Resort bus turnaround design:
Doug Lewis reported that they had just received from the Singh Co. a site plan for the bus
turnaround, and it was a start. He said they will have to arrange with Miami-Dade to run their
bus to Isla Bella, to make the turnaround and see if it works for their bus. Doug is going to
arrange this with Miami-Dade Transportation. They can finish their turnaround through the Ships
Store parking lot if they have to. He noted that the Isla Bella is a 200-unit resort with not enough
parking.
Rod Delostrinos reported that the Lower Keys Shuttle bus has made the turnaround and it is
adequate for their vehicles.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 3:OOPM