As we reported in January, there were 37 total accidents on the Circle during the 12 months of 2024 according to the City of Miami Springs. That’s an average of one accident every 10 days. That is simply unacceptable.
The good news is that the Miami Springs Police Department has been making up for the flawed designs with stronger enforcement. As you can see in the video below, Miami Springs Police has been targeting the south side of the Circle where you can easily catch vehicle after vehicle unlawfully making a right hand turn from the left lane.
We want to applaud the Miami Springs Police Department for doing their part by bringing awareness to the dangers and enforcing the corresponding traffic laws. This is definitely a positive step for the safety of everyone who travels on the Circle. However, the true solution is a redesign of the Circle.
UNACCEPTABLE NEGLIGENCE!
Simply put, twelve accidents per year on the Circle is unacceptable. Thirty seven accidents per year is government negligence and prima facie evidence of a poorly designed Circle that invites and creates accidents.
Who’s fault is this?
The Miami Springs Circle is a County Road. In fact, the entire Curtiss Parkway is a County Roadway. That means it’s designed and paid for by Miami-Dade County.
The former Miami-Dade County Commissioner who represented Miami Springs was Rebeca Sosa. She had a reputation of being very responsive to the needs of Miami Springs. The same cannot honestly be said for Miami-Dade Commissioner Kevin Cabrera who left Miami Springs and Virginia Gardens out to dry during annexation while Commissioner Bermudez fought for and achieved annexation for the Town of Medley.
Kevin Cabrera has been tapped to serve President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the next ambassador to Panama. That means there will be an opening for a new representative. When exactly that will happen is still unclear.
What about our Miami Springs officials?
I’m certain if the City of Miami Springs had full authority over the Circle’s design, it would have been fixed years ago.
However, our city officials still have a role. We need them to continue to pressure the county to make the changes that will make the Circle safer.
It’s not easy, but it can be done.
Look no further than Mayor Deno from the Village of Virginia Gardens. He singlehandedly pushed Miami-Dade County and the Florida Department of Transportation to reduce the number of accidents that were occurring at NW 36th Street and Curtiss Parkway (aka NW 57th Avenue).
We need some champions from Miami Springs to push the Miami-Dade County bureaucracy to fix the Circle and reduce the number of accidents that are happening on the Circle each month. And with the elections coming up in a April, it’s a great time to push the candidates to get results on the Circle.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
ISSUE 1: Fix the north side entrance to the Circle from Hialeah.
Problem: Cars entering from Hialeah do not yield to cars already on the Circle.
Causes: Poor sign placement and a lack of respect for yield signs.
Video example of problem:
Solution:
- Switch from yield signs to stop signs (addresses the lack of respect for yield signs)
- Add overhead signage ahead of the Circle indicating STOP AHEAD
- Move the now switched stop signs to an area BEFORE the car needs to stop instead of the sign being placed AFTER the spot the car needs to stop.
ISSUE 2: South side of the Circle near Papa John’s Pizza.
Problem: Cars making a right hand turn towards Southbound Curtiss Parkway from the left lane of the Circle.
Causes: Poor design invites drivers to make an unlawful right hand turn from the left lane.
Video example of problem:
Solution:
- The solution already exists at the entrance to Westward Drive from the Circle.
- Only allow a single lane to enter southbound Curtiss Parkway from the Circle just like Westward.
- The left lane of southbound Curtiss will accept traffic from the Circle.
- The right lane of southbound Curtiss will only accept traffic from eastbound Westward Drive.
- This will improve traffic flow from Westward Drive to southbound Curtiss Parkway.
- This will discourage vehicles from the left lane of the Circle jump to southbound Curtiss Parkway
More examples of accidents at the Westward Drive / Circle / Curtiss Parkway intersection:
What do you think?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below or via social media.
Related Articles:
Video: Circle Invites Bad Driver Decisions…Creates Accidents
Nestor,
I agree with your article. I want to add a couple of further issues with the circle traffic. One, another dangerous situation are the drivers that ignore the YIELD sign by driving through them threatening to collide with cars that have the right away. I have had very close calls of accidents but my alertness for those drivers has protected me. I don’t know what the solution is except maybe to put a public service aide to stand at those intersections during the busiest times. Second, during the afternoon rush hour, the cars that come into an already congested circle desiring to get on the lanes that lead to the outbound bridge and block the far out right-of-way through lane creating more traffic blockage.