Dear Mayor Steven Meiner and Honorable Commissioners:

 

We, the residents of the Venetian Islands, write to you to formally express our deep concerns regarding the extensive construction-related disruptions currently impacting our community. The simultaneous and overlapping nature of these projects has created significant safety risks, unacceptable delays, and undue hardship for residents and visitors alike.

 

Background and Specific Issues

The current disruptions are both unprecedented in scale and poorly coordinated, resulting in excessive congestion during peak season and leading up to high-profile events such as Art Basel, Christmas, and New Year’s. Commutes that would ordinarily take five minutes now frequently exceed 35 minutes or more. These ongoing and future projects will only add stress to the overly congested traffic pattern and cause significant wear and tear on our roads and bridges.

 Key issues include:

 • Road Closures and Infrastructure Failures:

 • Ongoing closures and detours near Trader Joe’s, 16th st, Purdy Avenue, The Standard Hotel- and the BB italia building intermittent road blockage in the City of Miami off the Venetian expressway. 

 • Temporary pipes installed on sidewalks between Di Lido and San Marino Islands, a stopgap measure stemming from the failure of existing bridge pipes.

 • Inadequate Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety Measures:

 • The lack of accessible bike lanes and pedestrian pathways during construction presents substantial safety risks, particularly given the area’s history of fatal accidents.

 • Increased Traffic on the Venetian Causeway:

 • The Causeway has become a primary detour route for the SR 395 construction, leading to further congestion and compounding safety concerns.

Ordinances and Precedents

We believe that the current conditions contravene local ordinances and codes intended to protect public safety, ensure adequate infrastructure planning, and minimize disruption to residential communities. This situation further fails to align with past commitments made by City officials and the Miami Beach Commission to balance infrastructure development with the needs of residents. We note that similar concerns have been raised in previous correspondence with City officials regarding construction impacts, yet the lack of corrective action persists.

Requested Actions

In light of the above, we respectfully request the City take immediate remedial measures, including but not limited to:

 1. Accelerated Pipe Replacement:

Expedite the permanent replacement of failed pipes and prioritize the removal of temporary pipes obstructing sidewalks and bike lanes to restore safe passage for pedestrians and cyclists.

 2. Optimized Construction Scheduling:

Reassess and stagger non-urgent construction projects to reduce the cumulative burden on local infrastructure.

 3. Traffic Mitigation Measures:

 • Venetian Causeway Toll Adjustment: Temporarily increase tolls to discourage non-residents from using the Causeway as a detour.

 • Access Preservation: Mandate that Dade Boulevard remains open for access to Miami Beach during Art Basel and the holiday season.

 4. Enhanced Communication Protocols:

Provide timely, transparent updates to residents regarding project timelines, anticipated completion dates, and contingency plans to minimize uncertainty.

 5. Improved Safety Measures:

Ensure that bike lanes, sidewalks, and pedestrian pathways remain accessible and compliant with safety standards throughout all stages of construction.

Conclusion

The simultaneous execution of multiple, poorly coordinated construction projects reflects a failure to account for their cumulative impact on residents. The resulting disruptions are neither reasonable nor sustainable and require immediate intervention.

 

We urge the City to act decisively to implement these measures and to prioritize long-term strategic planning to prevent similar disruptions in the future.

Respectfully,

The Residents of the Venetian Islands