This article is part of a series titled Walk Miami attempting to shed light on the unresponsive and unwalkable pedestrian landscape of Downtown Miami.  As downtown continues to grow with new residents and businesses, it is important to ensure the safety and enjoyment of pedestrians on city streets.

Pedestrian and public transit have an obvious symbiotic relationship.  In simple terms, those who walk use transit.  Therefore, the approach and exit from any major transit station should be complemented with responsive and pedestrian oriented safety elements and signage to ensure that pedestrians leave and arrive safely to the station.

In Brickell, a dense and urban environment, one would think that the Brickell Metrorail Station would be surrounded by traffic-calming devices, multiple marked crosswalks and signs to ensure pedestrian safety in and out of the station.  It would only make sense that the streets surrounding a major bus, train, and metromover station would be clearly and repeatedly marked due to the presence of pedestrians.  These are not regular  intersections as the station and the streets surrounding it see thousands of pedestrians every day. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

The Brickell Metrorail Station has very few elements to ensure the safety of pedestrians around the station.  Along the eastern side of the station (straddled by the east side of SW 1st Ave, from SW 9th St. to SW 12th St)  there is only one  marked crosswalk (shown in yellow) located on the north side SW 10th St.  The rest of the intersections on the east side of SW 1st Ave at SW 9th and SW11th (red) have no visible crosswalks and little if any markers or lights indicating a pedestrian crossing.  SW 12th street (green) does not even have a sidewalk along the station side of the street.

To make matters worse, the east side of SW 1st Ave is a fast moving, one way street — it is not uncommon to see a car zooming by at 40 or more miles per hour and people darting across the street. Considering that the underside of the Metrorail tracks along this same stretch of land are also occupied by a public park accessible only to pedestrians, this creates an uncomfortable and unsafe condition that may be classified as a ticking time bomb.

On the west side of the station along the west side of SW 1st Ave, things are not any better.  There are no pedestrians crosswalks and few markers or lights to indicate the station and its pedestrian traffic.

More crosswalks, signage, stop signs, lights, and other traffic calming measures are needed to ensure a safe pedestrian experience in and out of the station.  It would also be nice to see signs alerting drivers as to the presence of a major transit station and pedestrian crossing ahead of time.  SW 1st Ave is not a major artery through the city,  traffic calming measures would create little traffic or headaches for drivers.  In fact, these simple and cost effective measures would go a long way to create a more enjoyable and safe experience for all.

(Image Above) – SW 10th St is the only marked pedestrian crosswalk along the entire 1000 foot long eastern side of the Metrorail Station.  The crosswalk nevertheless has no lights or flashing devices to warn drivers to the high volume of pedestrian traffic (especially at night).  It has only one small sign, at street level and only a  few feet  before the crosswalk, indicating this is a pedestrian crossing.    The crosswalk is also marked with parallel lines, which in most cases indicate low levels of pedestrian traffic.  Zebra lines, one the other hand, are much more visible to drivers and are indicative of high levels of pedestrian traffic.

This is the intersection with the highest pedestrian traffic  and it would be better suited with a stop sign, perhaps a flashing light, and additional traffic calming measures.  An additional crosswalk on the south side of the street would also be benefical to bus riders.  The current signage and crossing is insufficient to accommodate the high levels of pedestrian traffic.  Miami drivers are not used to yielding to pedestrian traffic and it is not uncommon to get a dirty look from a driver as one crosses the street and the driver is forced to yield.

(Image Above) – At the south side of the station (at the SW 11th St intersection), which is located at the base of the Brickell Station Metromover Station entrance, there are no traffic calming devices, crosswalks , or flashing lights to ensure safety in and out of the Metromover station. On the right side of this image, one can see the entrance/exit to the station and no visible markers to automobiles, no crosswalk, no lighting, or pedestrian safety features.  Although there are no cars parked in this picture, one could also easily imagine how the on-street parking (on the right side of this image directly outside the station) could easily hide pedestrians exiting the station  from oncoming traffic.

(Image Above) – To the north of the station (at the intersection of SW 9th St), located next to the Publix Market entrance, there are also no crosswalks or traffic-calming devices to ensure pedestrian safety into the station and the adjacent park (left).  One can again see a small`pedestrian sign on the right side of this image, but no lights, markers or additional traffic calming features that clearly mark where pedestrians are walking.  From certain angles, one again can imagine how the on-street parking along the left side of the street could easily hamper a driver’s view of pedestrians.  Considering the high levels of pedestrian traffic coming out of the market and the large numbers of residences on the west side of the station, the streets require better markings to ensure pedestrian safety. 

With small changes, this street could become a much safer space for both drivers and pedestrians.   Crosswalks, lights, proper signage, and perhaps a stop sign would make a world of difference in this fast moving street.  This would facilitate a more walkable, safe and sustainable city.

Related posts:

1. Walk Miami – More Visible Crosswalk Markings
2. Walk Miami – The Crosswalk Zigzag on Biscayne
3. Crosswalk Pattern For Brickell Avenue
4. Walk Miami – Cars and the Crosswalk
5. Walk Miami – Creating a Safer Pedestrian Experience