Last month, we posted the new plans for the plaza (click to read article More Bling in Aventura) and now it’s a reality.

The Aventura Grand Cove, home of the Bagel Cove, hit an important milestone yesterday. The demolition of the freestanding building, formerly Sarah’s Tent, started at noon. Take a drive by and you’ll see for yourself. The area is fenced off and one of the Biscayne entrances will be blocked off. The entire building will be leveled, cleared, and the new construction will begin shortly. According to the management company, another building for a Jared’s Galleria of Jewelry will be constructed closer to Biscayne and the parking will be redesigned to allow for a smoother flow of traffic. During the construction all the businesses will be open and any detours will be clearly marked.

The construction of the Jared’s Galleria of Jewelry is scheduled for completion by September 2012.

The William Lehman Causeway is essential to the flow of traffic around Aventura. It’s necessary to commute to and from Sunny Isles and the beaches. Also if you get off in the middle of the causeway, it’s an easy way to connect to the condos around the circle. Approximately one year ago we published a story on the Miami Herald Aventura section regarding a dismantled commemorative plaque remembering Congressman William Lehman. According to residents at that time, the plaque was upside down and out of place for over a year. The article we published in the Miami Herald and the discussion with an FDOT representative led to action taken. A year later and the commemorative plaque has been repaired properly – a large stand was installed and it was clearly separated from the landscaping. This was well worth the time, considering it is a Florida State road it happened quickly despite all the bureaucratic hoops.

Many residents don’t even notice the commemorative plaques, we hope that our readers will recognize them next time they are driving on the roads. The fact that the FDOT was unaware of this a year ago and took the steps to make the necessary repairs, proves that raising local issues is an important part of our blog and that when the right people are contacted change happens.

A recent Sun Sentinal article, by Michael Turnbell, outlines the ins and outs of the planned work. Read the article here – Ives Dairy Traffic

In Aventura, we’ve become very familiar with TRAFFIC and most residents have learned how to avoid certain areas. Even with the shortcuts, sitting in TRAFFIC is becoming a way of life here.

Looking to hear from our readers, comments and suggestions.

Over the past several years Aventura has made many improvements to walking paths around town, and most recently a much needed improvement has been finalized on Williams Island Boulevard. A new pedestrian crosswalk was created at the intersection of Williams Island Boulevard and NE 27th Avenue, this is in between Commodore Plaza and the Imperial Club.

This makes crossing over from one side to the other a much safer alternative, especially for those living in the Imperial Club (a retirement and assisted living facility) that cross regularly to shop at Fresh Market or to sneak ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery.

This new crosswalk will be heavily used by the many young families living in Commodore Plaza that push strollers or have young children. Those walking from Commodore Plaza, Admirals Port, Williams Island, Biscayne Cove, and the many other condos on the South end of Aventura often use the current path and will now use the new crosswalk to head to popular destinations like Moe’s Bagels, Barnes and Noble, and for those workout enthusiasts “the cirlce”.

The pedestrian traffic is clearly divided from vehicles turning – a much safer alternative.

This is a great benefit to residents in the area, it will help keep pedestrians safe and will hopefully be another improvement amongst many that will encourage residents to walk the town and go green.

Pedestrian safety is a serious issue to many residents and there has been a lot of buzz surrounding this topic. In fact, a resident spoke up regarding safety around Country Club Drive as seen in this posting in July 2010 – Is Country Club Drive Pedestrian Friendly? Obviously, this new crosswalk is located in a much quieter part of town and it might be the case that there is still room for improvement. Those concerned about traffic safety would likely agree that this is a positive addition to the community.

Here’s a short clip a resident made while crossing Country Club Drive. This looks to be going from the Del Vista corner to the marina, headed to the Waterways.

Drop a comment below and share thoughts about pedestrian safety in Aventura.

A major intersection in Aventura is undergoing drainage improvements. This is all happening on 190th Street and 29th Avenue – it’s the popular corner with Northern Trust on one side  and Heavy Burger on the other. The right turning lane going westbound is closed.

The past month, the supplies have been lined up across the North side of 190th Street – pipes and cement structures all for the drainage system. These repairs have been approved by the city; maybe, it will remedy some of the water accumulation during the rainy season. If you are traveling through this area please anticipate minor delays, especially during rush hour. There is definitely an inconvenience at certain times of the day, but residents realize it’s important to have improvements.

Some of the residents that walk the sidewalks for pleasure and exercise are noticeably annoyed that their usual path has been disturbed. Let’s keep in mind that sidewalks and asphalt are the lifelines of a city. People flow through town by foot, by bicycle, or by car and travel over these inanimate structures that make it possible for a city to function. It’s only natural that repairs are necessary and are continually needed to keep things running smoothly.

Here is the schedule of Phase I and II of the repairs as per the Official City website:

Phase I Drainage Improvements on the west end of NE 190th Street will begin on September 27, 2010 and be completed on November 24, 2010. Phase II Drainage Improvements on the east end of NE 190th Street will begin on January 3, 2011 and be completed on February 27, 2011. – Read more

Let us know what you think about this corner in Aventura?

According to our reader, a right turn is prohibited on 199th street going into Biscayne (it requires a green arrow). Apparently the sign is not visible at night and the green arrow is timed at a fast pace. The reader continues, that the red light cameras caught her a few times at this turn.

We are not the Department of Traffic and we do not file complaints with the city on behalf of our readers. If this is a real issue and has happened to many, please refer to the city’s website to research the appropriate forum to voice a complaint – www.cityofaventura.com As you all know we’re an independent blog*; however, we enjoy sharing your voices down our pipeline.

Here’s approximately the spot where this is occurring.

View Larger Map

Yikes! I know the police are our friends but I think issuing this ticket was a mistake as crosswalks are totally meaningless on Aventura’s Country Club Drive. Just ask junior high school students Jennifer Leizerovich, 14, and Cristina Infante, 14, who cross within the crosswalk – where there is also a traffic light to boot – every school day.

“I feel like I need eyes in the back of my head just to safely cross the street” Leizerovich said. Infante agrees: “I have a hard time crossing the street after school. We have almost been run over a couple of times.”

Jennifer’s Grandfather George Jaskelsonm agrees. He said: “There is never a light for pedestrians.”

Indeed, even when pedestrians press the cross button at this light, cars making a left left turn often ignore pedestrians that are trying to cross at the crosswalk. I have had people shake their fists and curse at me when the crossing numbers were counting down. I have even had to dodge cars on my walk to Bally’s Total Fitness. .

How do I deal with this dangerous situation? I cross further down in a safe place outside of the crosswalk. It is actually safer!

My husband Bob said the other day: “Nobody ever, ever, ever stopped for me in a crosswalk on Country Club Drive”. He and I cross at various locations including within the crosswalk in front of 20529 West Country Club Drive, and the crosswalk near the Mariott and two crosswalks on East Country Club Drive.

In 2006, I called the traffic officer in Aventura when the new light went in at the corner of 34 Avenue and Country Club Drive North and pointed out the danger for pedestrians in this crosswalk. There was no setting for pedestrians only at the light. It’s not safe for cars to turn toward pedestrians as they cross. The office forwarded me to the county. The man I spoke to there said he has trouble crossing in his neighborhood too and there was nothing he could do. I gave up trying to fix the problem.

Shlomo Ben David works as a security guard at the corner where the school girls try to cross. He walks to and from his job every day. He says he sees people texting and on their cell phones as he crosses at the corner morning and night. He said: “I think crossing here is as dangerous as crossing U.S. 1 near Gulfstream Park, cars honk their horn at me while I try to cross here.”

Until traffic police start giving tickets to motorists for their brazen disregard for pedestrians in crosswalks, Aventura will remain an unfriendly place for pedestrians. I have not been hit by a car….yet. I have dodged hundreds of close calls so far.

Nancy Lee, a former Art teacher, is now a writer/county activist residing in Aventura since 2001. Before that she lived in Keystone Point in North Miami.

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We contacted the Aventura police department to get their side of the issue, and Lt. Michael Bentolila made a few points worth considering. Here are the highlights:

- Bentolila said that the length of time that pedestrians have to cross in Aventura is much longer than other communities. “We’ve extended the amount of time pedestrians have to walk so they don’t have to run and walk and stop in the middle, he said. “We have drivers complain that it’s too long.” (We’ll be fact-checking that point for a follow-up post).

- The Aventura police haven’t received any complaints from pedestrians: “We haven’t had any complaints or issues with that, it’s a non-issue.”

- While Nancy Lee believes that cars should not be given a green arrow to make a left and drive through the cross walk, Bentolila points out that when there are pedestrians in the cross walk, the cars have to yield and can’t legally make the left turn.

- Nancy Lee thinks that the police should issue more citations for drivers that don’t respect pedestrians, but Bentolila said it’s hard for police to issue citations because drivers tend to obey the law when they notice police are around. “If I put an office at a stop sign, every single car is going to stop,” he said. “It’s just a matter of being at the right place at the right time.”

Cross posted on miami herald aventura channel
contribution by: Nancy Lee
follow up by: Jared Goyette