Thanks to our design team, James Corner Field Operations (JCFO), Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces, and Vizcaya for the unveiling of early design proposals at The Underline Public Meeting at Temple Judea on June 25th.

Also, a huge shout out to The Underline’s volunteers and Gita Shamdasani for her hard work in making this wonderful event happen.  Read the meeting notes by Andrea Englad or see the video provided by Accord Productions.  Also, click below to provide your comments on the early design.  Your opinion will be shared with the design team and shape the final proposals in late September.  Thank you, Friends of The Underline.

Meeting Date: Thursday, June 25, 2015
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Location: Thanks to Temple Judea, 5500 Granada Boulevard, Coral Gables, 33146 for hosting the meeting.

Click here for the meeting video courtesy Accord Productions.

Click here to see a summary presentation of the draft design proposals from the June 23 & 25 public meetings.

To comment on early design proposals online, click here.

Purpose

Provide opportunity for The Underline Master Plan Design Team from James Corner Field Operations to present preliminary designs for The Underline to residents of Coral Gables and South Miami to Dadeland South Metrorail Station as well as business owners and visitors, and to gather feedback for use in developing the Master Plan for The Underline.

Speaker: Howard Goldman, Temple Judea
Howard Goldman opened the meeting by introducing the moderator, Susan Greene, Chief Marketing Officer for The Beacon Council.

Moderator: Susan Greene, Chief Marketing Officer for The Beacon Council
Susan Greene noted that The Beacon Council is the official economic development organization for Miami-Dade County which seeks in part to bring business to the County. She thinks The Underline project furthers that goal.

Susan introduced public officials in attendance and thanked them for their support of The Underline. She recognized the following two officials who wanted to make a few remarks.

Speaker: Mayor Philip Stoddard, City of South Miami
Mayor Philip Stoddard explained that the City of South Miami is a big supporter of bicycle trails everywhere. He stated that he is excited about The Underline as well as the Ludlam Trail which, when completed, should connect to The Underline at the south end, and both will be great additions to the existing network of trails.

Mayor Stoddard stated that the WHEELS celebration in November will be held in the City of South Miami. He also cited information provided by Victor Dover that showed that the return on investment for money spent to paved streets for bikes is much greater than the return for money spent paving streets for cars.

Speaker: Commissioner Vince Lago, City of Coral GablesCommissioner Vince Lago commented that the large crowds who are attending The Underline public meetings show how much support and interest people have in The Underline. He added that The Underline and Meg Daly have galvanized the community, and not just one segment of the community but people of different ages, races, sexes, individuals as well as businesses, etc. The Commissioner stated that The Underline is one of the most important projects in the City of Coral Gables and will shape the community, attract businesses, improve the quality of life of citizens in the City, etc.

Speaker: Jack Kardys, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces (PROS) Director
Jack Kardys explained that the ongoing planning process for The Underline is a great example of collaboration and partnership among many groups including the municipalities along The Underline, the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Power & Light, etc. He said that every great community has a great connected park system – with greenways, blueways, and streets that serve as linear parks and transportation corridors that tie it all together – and The Underline will be that for Miami.

Speaker: James Corner, Founder and Director, James Corner Field Operations, New York
James Corner stated that his firm is in the process of soliciting questions, input, and feedback on its preliminary designs for The Underline and would summarize its conclusions in a Master Plan to be presented in September. The goal is for The Underline to be something that resonates with us and our communities.

Through a PowerPoint presentation, James showed some possibilities for this multi-modal corridor for bikes, pedestrians, transit and vehicles.

What the Trail Could Be
James stated that The Underline has the potential to be Miami’s signature linear park, the “connective tissue” that ties parks and neighborhoods and amenities together. It presently is or has the potential to be a great urban trail for recreational biking; commuting; strolling; jogging; exploring; a very significant native habitat corridor that connects ecological resources; a path that allows for the extension and connection of other, disconnected trails; a link between neighborhoods and areas; an alternate mode of transportation; an economic generator with great public spaces and public amenities that have economic spinoff; and a destination for visitors and increased tourism.

After evaluating the information collected over the past few months, the design team found a consensus among the communities surveyed as to the top three themes for The Underline: ecology and nature; art and culture; and health and fitness. Each of the communities also selected the same three favorite uses for The Underline: commuting by bike; using The Underline to enjoy nature and be outdoors; and wanting other amenities and additional opportunities. James quickly summarized other survey results.

Three Key Layers for the Design of The Underline
To facilitate design of The Underline, three key layers were identified. James asked Isabel Castilla, Project Manager for The Underline with James Corner Field Operations, to discuss the first two layers.

Speaker: Isabel Castilla, Project Manager, James Corner Field Operations, New York

1) Paths and Intersections
Isabel Castilla first described certain existing constraints that are relevant to the design of The Underline path: the Metrorail needs space for maintenance and operations, and additional FPL transmission lines may be inserted into the path in the future.

Isabel then discussed the M-Path as it exists today and the path as proposed by the design firm. In summary, the M-Path today is an off-road, two-way, shared path for pedestrians and cyclists. The design plan calls for two separate paths: one dedicated for cycling with a minimum of 10 feet, and one dedicated for running/walking with a minimum of 8 feet, for a total minimum width of 18 feet where the two paths are adjacent to one together. Buffer zones between paths and the road are also proposed.

With regard to improving the safety of intersections, the design firm categorized intersections along the path as those needing:

1) minor improvements (e.g., a combination of traffic calming techniques, path realignment, and improved signaling);
2) medium improvements (the aforementioned as well as further traffic calming techniques to ensure motorists know that people are crossing the intersection); and
3) major improvements (challenging intersections for which an elevated crossing and/or removing people from the road entirely are the only solutions to ensure safety).

Some general proposals to improve intersections include maintaining the width of the path across intersections (i.e., a minimum of 18 feet); realigning the crossing offset from U.S. 1 and to the center of the intersection; straightening the path for cyclists; extending the approach to intersections and adding earlier indicators by means of slope and paving; restricting right turns on red into southbound US1 traffic; delaying by 4-7 seconds a stoplight turning green so that pedestrians and cyclists can start across the intersection and thus will be visible to motorists; changing the slope across specific intersections in order to slow cars.

The design team will continue to study how The Underline can connect to other local trails.

2) Planting and Habitat
Isabel then discussed designing a planting and habitat that is distinctive and unique to The Underline. To that end, the design team is working with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden to identify the right type of native species that will be distinctive, authentic, and are low-maintenance. The planting will be inspired by historically native habitats, i.e., pine rockland, hardwood hammock, butterfly gardens, and wet prairie, and will be planted in appropriate locations. A study of the existing vegetation along The Underline is ongoing with an eye toward keeping and incorporating existing vegetation that is mature and healthy.

3) Differentiated “Character” Zones
James Corner then identified four general but different “character” zones along the length of The Underline: in the Brickell area, residents were focused on nature and play; in the Grove area, residents were interested in arts and crafts and cultural incubators; around the University of Miami, there was a focus on green tech and sustainability initiatives; and around South Miami and Dadeland, residents favored active recreation and health and fitness.

James then identified specific “places” within the four character zones and described possible designs for each place. (The “Brickell Backyard” would run from the Miami River to SW 17th Road; the “Hammock Trail” would extend from SW 17th Road to Vizcaya; the “Grove Gallery” would cover the area between SW 24th Avenue and 31st Avenue; there would be the “Douglas/Bird Triangle”; the “University Colonnade” would extend from Stamford Drive to SW 57th Avenue; and the “Dadeland Trail Connect” would run from Snapper Creek Expressway to SW 80th Street.)

The Underline Elements
James detailed some of the distinctive design elements proposed for The Underline that will create a feeling of unity, identity, and consistency along the length of this long linear trail. For example, the same color scheme that presently is being used for The Underline could be employed; and the distinctive graphic “U” in The Underline could be utilized in the design of seating, trash receptacles, bike parking, etc.

James concluded the presentation by mentioning some of the issues that are yet to be worked through. He emphasized how significant a project The Underline is, that it will be difficult politically and financially to pull off this project. However, in James’ opinion, this is a transformative project for Miami in many ways, and the design team welcomes questions, input, and the community’s support.

Question and Answer Session
Susan Greene moderated a Q&A session with the following participants:
James Corner, Lisa Switkin and Isabel Castilla, James Corner Field Operations, New York;  Meg Daly, Founder of Friends of The Underline;
Maria Nardi, Chief of Planning, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation
and Open Spaces Department; and Stewart Robertson, James Corner Field Operations/Kimley-Horn, Ft. Lauderdale.

The following topics were raised:

• The possible addition of FPL transmission lines along The Underline path?
The issue is under review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The public comment period was extended through July 17, 2015. Meanwhile, two lawsuits concerning the placement of transmission poles (filed separately by the City of South Miami and the Village of Pinecrest) are ongoing.

• Funding for and maintenance of The Underline?
Gov. Scott recently vetoed funding for The Underline. Nonetheless, Meg Daly stated that she was optimistic that funding, from municipalities the County and/or private funding options, would be secured. She also mentioned that money donated will go through a 501(c)(3) to the County for ongoing maintenance and future programming on The Underline.

• Future Timeline for The Underline?
The Master Plan will be completed in September, with public meetings to follow approximately two weeks later. Meanwhile, an economic impact analysis for The Underline is being conducted now and a Maintenance and Operations Plan is being prepared.

• Homeless issues?
The issue of the homeless population on The Underline is actively being considered but will require a collective effort. It was noted that the biggest deterrent for this is increased use of the space which transforms it and provides a disincentive for the homeless to be there. In addition, the Master Plan will incorporate “lessons learned” from other municipalities that addressed homeless issues.

• Intersections Treatments?
Improvements to intersections include changing the slope in order to provide notice to cars and people. A few intersections may have to be elevated for increased safety, but the ramp will have a gradual incline and there will be no switchbacks to navigate. There may be “tabled” intersections which help with traffic calming and provide notice to cars that an intersection is ahead. The majority of crosswalks will be widened so the width of the path is maintained through the intersection. The impact of “no right turn on red” into southbound US1 traffic should be minor. In fact, having to stop at a red light and watch bikes and pedestrians cross the intersection may encourage people in close proximity to transit stations to walk or bike instead of driving.

• Landscaping?
Existing vegetation will be used where possible. Use of historically-occurring plants will decrease need for maintenance and minimize water usage.

• Is trail too narrow?
Minimum widths for both walking and biking paths will be maintained and, if possible, made wider.

• Will The Underline path be usable during construction?
Yes. The path will be built in phases so that large portions will remain usable at all times. An alternate path will be provided where a segment is under construction.

• Public amenities such as parking, fees, restrooms, food trucks, cafes? The Underline is a public space and will be free to use. Restrooms are an amenity that people definitely want, as evidenced in the results of the surveys. While there are restrooms inside transit stations, a ticket is required to enter. Possible solutions are still being explored. Water fountains are another desired amenity that require further investigation. Possible amenities are still being identified and considered, as are adjacent businesses and other economic opportunities that could contribute to The Underline community.

• East/West travel?
The Metropolitan Planning Organization is currently studying the county-wide bicycle and pedestrian path network, and there are trails for which expansion is already planned that could connect to The Underline. In addition, the DOT and Miami-Dade County Public Works are also implementing sidewalks and bicycle paths that also increase connectivity. The Underline, though, would be the “spine” of a county-wide bicycle system.

• Safety and security of users of The Underline?
A lighting consultant is on the design team and the plan is to install lighting throughout the corridor so as to better illuminate the entire corridor. Emergency vehicle considerations limit certain options.

• Timeline?
Master Plan completed in September. Approvals from various agencies and commissions will be required. Then construction can begin on the two demonstration projects, first at Brickell (in the fall of 2016) and then at University (in 2017). Testing of various design elements will occur before building. The Underline is anticipated as a six-year project.

• Width of paths?
There will be two dedicated paths, one for running/walking (minimum width 8 feet) and one for cycling (minimum width 10 feet). The design of the paths will meet all national engineering guidelines and standards, all setbacks required by transit, and requirements necessitated by the FPL lines, if necessary. They will exceed the minimum standards where possible.

• Old Cutler trail and roots that break through path?
Appropriate vegetation will be used and consideration given to the appropriate distance for plantings from the path.

• Sound barrier?
The existing buffers and planting strategy will provide a natural insulation that should minimize sounds from the highway. Additionally, a new fleet of quieter Metrorail trains will be phased in which will also reduce noise on the path.

• Other amenities for cyclists and pedestrians?
The design team is taking into consideration what the different communities say they want, i.e., there is a demand throughout for parks, dog parks, bathrooms, drinking water, and Wifi. The Underline is for the community, so the community must provide input.

Submitted by Andrea England, Friends of The Underline volunteer