The meat of downtown Miami is separated from the waterfront parks and attractions by an eight-lane highway complete with median surface parking. It works, but it's not exactly the most aesthetically pleasing setup. Well, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has finally picked a plan to redevelop a stretch of Biscayne Boulevard into a pretty and pedestrian-friendly "grand promenade."
However, the plan would likely reduce the overall amount of parking and number of traffic lanes.
According to Miami Today, the redevelopment would stretch from Biscayne Boulevard Way to NE Eighth Street, or roughly from the mouth of the Miami River to the American Airlines Arena. Basically, the highlighted portion:
Sorry, Museum Park. No grand promenade for you!
The selected plan would call for the following features:
- Reducing driving lanes from eight to four or six.
- Decreasing overall parking spots from 388 to 187.
- A dedicated bicycle lane.
- Wider sidewalks.
- Increased landscaping.
- The possibility of adding kiosks to the medians now occupied by parking lots.
- The possibility of reconfiguring existing intersections.
Despite the lane loss, a City of Miami parking study showed the impact on overall traffic in the area would be minimal.
The estimated grand total for all of this: $24 million.
And when will happen? Not anytime soon. The idea is part of the DDA's overall 2025 master plan. Several local and state agencies would also have to be involved and approve the plan, and money must be found to pay for it all.
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