Location:

• South of Snake Creek (C-9) Canal from NE Miami Gardens Dr in North Miami Beach to Florida's Turnpike in Miami Gardens.

Project Vision:

• To create an inter-connected network of accessible parks, sidewalks and bicycle facilities.

Project Description:

• The current project or first phase of development will be a ten-foot wide paved non-motorized (use of motorized vehicles prohibited except for motorized devices being operated by persons of disability) shared-use (multiple use by cyclists, in-line skaters, wheelchair users, and pedestrians including walkers, runners, people with baby strollers, etc) trail 3.4 miles long on the south side of Snake Creek (C-9) Canal from NE Miami Gardens Drive to Florida's Turnpike.
• Amenities include enhanced landscaping, benches, trash receptacles, bike racks, rain shelters, and fitness stations.
• These types of paths are popular and well used by cyclists, in-line skaters, people pushing strollers, children, elderly, and others. 

Project Partners:

• Miami Dade County Parks Department, City of Miami Gardens, City of North Miami Beach, South Florida Water Management District, Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Project Funding:

• $2,200,000 from Miami-Dade County General Obligation Bonds (GOB).
• $3,700,000 from Transportation Enhancements (TE).

Project Timeline:

• Construction is anticipated to begin around May 2010 and be substantially completed around May 2011.

Benefits:

• Encourages active transportation such as walking or biking.
• Creates healthy active lifestyles
• Creates a livable sustainable communities
• Fosters community
• Curbs traffic congestion and pollution while contributing to healthy lifestyles and economic and community vitality.
• Provides a greenway targeted for multi-use or shared use for travel by a variety of non-motorized users.
• Connects residential areas of the City of North Miami Beach, City of Miami Gardens and unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
• Provides enhanced landscaping
• Connects to two miles of existing paved trail in North Miami Beach.
• Makes it easier to get to schools, supermarkets, neighborhood parks, and shopping centers.
• Connects to six other proposed trails.
• Improves the environment for walking and biking, which results in improving public health by increasing the number of people that get the necessary amount of physical activity each day.
• Helps a large segment of population not comfortable riding bicycles in traffic and prefer low-volume and low speed conditions (i.e., neighborhood streets or off-street paths).

Facts:

• According to U.S. Census estimates for 2006, approximately 10% of county residents do not own a vehicle.
• The 2007 Community Health Report Card gave the County "F" grades in the areas of hypertension admission rates, diabetes long-term complications and adults who are overweight or obese.
• It is estimated that by 2030 there will be a 40% increase in trips that residents in the county will making to work, school, and shopping, putting additional pressure on the physical, social and economic environment.
• It is estimated that by 2030 auto ownership in the county will increase by 48% to over two million autos.
• Bicycle facilities provide safe routes to schools and routes with less traffic for children.

Questions and Answers:

Will this project raise my common taxes? 
No

How did the idea for the Trail project come up? 
The project was part of the North Dade Greenways Master Plan adopted by the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners in 1998. 

What will the hours of operation be?
The SFWMD allows for 24-hr legal use of the right of way.  Its anticipated majority of activity on the trail will occur during the day.

What jurisdiction will the trail fall under?
The trail will be built and maintained by Parks and managed by South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).

Where will I be able to go using the Snake Creek Trail?
The trail is a 3.4 mile extension of the existing Snake Creek Park bike paths in North Miami Beach; it will go from NE Miami Gardens Drive to Florida's Turnpike.  In addition, other bike facilities are being planned to connect the Snake Creek Park bike paths to Greynolds Park, Parkway Regional Medical Center, Oleta River State Recreation Area, and Haulover Beach.

Who will use the Trail?
The typical user of the trail will be the neighborhood resident and his/her family who will use the trail to walk, jog, skate, leisurely ride a bicycle and generally seek healthy recreation within a park like setting. Individuals who ride in huge packs prefer to ride on the streets and roads versus shared-use trails. The trail is accessible to people with disabilities.

What is the proposed landscaping for the Trail?
All landscaping will follow SFWMD regulations, preference will be given to drought-tolerant native species that are attractive but require minimal care.

Will Parks Department or Police Department provide enforcement?
Each City Police Department will handle security for the area in their city. Miami-Dade County police will handle security in the unincorporated areas.

Who owns the land where the Trail is being proposed?  
The right-of-way is land owned by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and is considered public property and as such is open to public use right now.

Will there be heavy bicycle and pedestrian "back and forth traffic"?
No.  Cyclist and pedestrian traffic on the trail should be intermittent, rather than constant.

Will the Trail increase crime and vandalism ?
No. This project will help stop illegitimate activities like vandalism by bringing legitimate uses like biking, walking and in-line skating. Studies have shown that crime does not increase with trails and is unfounded.  Trails have consistently been shown a benefit to public safety and have an overwhelming positive influence on quality of life.

• A study of the Burke-Gilman trail, which passes through high-density urban neighborhoods and crime-prone areas in downtown Seattle, found little or no crime or vandalism experienced by adjacent property owners. The study surveyed property owners, realtors, and police officers (the officers recommended development of additional trails). Similar studies in suburban Minnesota and Wisconsin echo these findings.
• A survey of greenways in several states has found that such parks "typically have not experienced serious problems regarding vandalism, crime, trespass, [or] invasion of privacy ... Prior to developing those park facilities, these concerns were strongly voiced in opposition to the proposed trail. After park development, however, it was found that fears did not materialize... concerns expressed by the neighbors opposed... have not proven to be a post-development problem in any of the [60] parks surveyed."

Contact person:  Mark Heinicke
Phone: (305) 755-7811
Email:  mheiic@miamidade.gov