City of Miami Springs Awarded $597,466 Grant for Westward Drive Bike Path

Mayor Zavier Garcia, City Council Members, City Manager Ron Gorland and his administration are pleased to announce that the City of Miami Springs has been named recipient of a Transportation Enhancement grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in the amount of $597,466 for a bike path on Westward Drive.  Even though the project is not scheduled to take place until FY 18/19 because FDOT works on a 5-year construction timeline, Mayor Garcia states “We couldn’t be more pleased. This is a highly visible project in Miami Springs and very much appreciated.  We look forward to getting underway as soon as FDOT funding cycles permit. I thank our Council Members without whose support this could not have happened, and especially Grant Specialist Carol Foster who was instrumental in locating, researching and writing this proposal. ” 

Westward Drive was one of the first roads laid out in 1923 by town founder, the legendary aviator and inventor Glenn Curtiss.  A divided road except for its last four blocks, it is separated by an undeveloped grassy median that is occasionally used for overflow parking by homes located on this street.

This project will convert the median into a true greenway, in keeping with the distinctive character, landscaping and size of other similar plots of land and bikeways in the community.  Its main feature will be the lit and landscaped two-way multiuse off-road bike and pedestrian path that will extend for 4,057 feet from Flamingo Circle to the east (at the library) to Hammond Drive at the west as an off-road path, then continue for another 1,280 feet as an on-road “Share All” (Shared Lane) bike lane for the last four blocks to intersect with the Ludlam Drive bike path.  A small amount of City match will be required for the project, largely in the form of in-kind labor from the Public Works Department.

Great care has been taken with the design to preserve the historic character of this thoroughfare, with specific emphasis on the surrounding natural and manmade environment.  The lighting will be “green” energy-efficient bollard lighting.  The native plantings will not require irrigation. As a Tree City USA, Miami Springs is dedicated to preserving and increasing its lush green canopy, so the design will preserve existing mature specimens by splitting and going around them where necessary, and will mitigate a small number of nuisance tree removals with new plantings of 33 native trees and 341 bushes.

The proposed project will also enhance the mobility of Miami Springs residents by connecting to Metrobus Route 36, the intra-city shuttle and the Ludlam Drive bike path.