The City of Coral Gables is entering into the next phase of public engagement for the Alhambra Complete Streets project. Public Works is hosting an on-site meeting on Saturday, January 25th at 10am at the corner of Coral Way and Alhambra Circle. In an email sent to subscribed residents the city is proposing traffic calming island devices near the bridge over the Coral Gables canal that runs along Tarragona Dr.
The city has confirmed that they are working on additional traffic calming devices, small roundabouts at Siena Ave, Robbia Ave and Ancona Ave.
At the January 14th City Commission meeting, longtime area resident and founding member of Bike Walk Coral Gables, Robert Ruano, addressed the elected officials in support of the complete streets program. Ruano showed pictures of everyday residents walking on or along the border of the high speed and trafficked roadway of over 8,000 cars a day.
Ruano reminded the elected officials that the city’s commission has voted and approved sidewalks and bike lanes in the city in 2004, 2010 and again in 2014. In addition, he also addressed concerns that trees would be affected. Ruano reiterated what the city’s arborists have determined that only three trees would be affected in the entire corridor. One tree is dead and the other two are ill.
Proponents of the pedestrian and bicycle master plan point out that the commission has passed several pieces of legislation that solidify the intent to move the city forward with a completer and more connected infrastructure for people, not just cars. However, the commission has the final say and the city manager will give a recommendation after the balloting has been received sometime early February from nearly 1,000 homes that the city has determined to be directly impacted by the project.
The adding traffic calming devices could be the sweetener needed to convince area residents to support the initial sidewalk and bicycle lane project. More information on traffic calming is expected at the January 25th meeting.
Click Here for Robert Ruano’s statement given at the January 14th commission meeting.
Click Here for the January 25th Meeting Invite
We don’t need any more traffic calming islands and we don’t want a bike lane in our neighborhood destroying our trees.
One of the worse areas for pedestrians walking in the way of cars is along both North and South Greenway Drive which are the streets alongside the Granada Golf Course. Pedestrians seem to think the golf course is a park and they use it to walk, run, jog and even push baby strollers both on the road and along the golf course. I even see people walk their dogs on the golf course! What happens if a pedestrian gets hit by a golf ball? Do they then sue the City? This is a dangerous practice and most people do not move out of the way when cars drive down the road. There are signs that warn pedestrians yet they continue to use the area like a City Park. Something should be done in this area.
No more traffic circles, please. Most drivers do not know what a Yield sign means and they speed up thru the intersection!