From: Mayor Philip Levine To: jeevacationggrnail.com Subject: Recent Causeway Closures Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2014 16:05:23 +0000 Having trouble viewing this email? Click here Dear Friends and Neighbors: This past week, tragic traffic accidents occurred on the MacArthur and Julia Tuttle Causeways during two separate incidents. The resulting road closures wreaked bottleneck EFTA01133999 traffic on our island, leaving many residents at a standstill for hours. My thoughts and prayers go out to the accident victims and their families. I have received numerous emails from residents concerning the traffic and its impact and want to provide you with updates on several of the initiatives that we are working on: • The Office of Emergency Management, in conjunction with the Transportation Division of Public Works, the Police Department, and the Fire Department, is implementing a system of traffic cameras that will serve to alert areas of concern to command staff, who could then mobilize quickly to manually operate traffic signals and implement detours to get traffic moving as efficiently as possible. • The City has met with and will coordinate more regularly scheduled meetings with the Florida Department of Transportation to identify and implement emergency measures when the necessity arises. I believe that all options should be on the table. • We will continue to work with County government to coordinate waiving tolls on the Venetian Causeway when these emergency situations arise. • Proper implementation of the Open Roads Policy: this agreement by and between the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) establishes a policy for FHP and FDOT personnel to expedite the removal of vehicles, cargo, and debris from roadways on the State Highway System to restore, in an URGENT MANNER, the safe and orderly flow of traffic following a motor vehicle crash or incident on Florida's roadways....all incidents be cleared from the travel lane within 90 minutes of the arrival of the first responding officer. Yesterday afternoon, we had a very productive meeting with FDOT staff, and they will continue working with City staff to ensure that our streets remain free of traffic congestion to the best of their ability. Sincerely, Philip Forward this email ;./ This email was sent to jeevacabon@gmail.com by Update Profile/Email Address Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe" Privacy Policy. EFTA01134000