‘It's simply going to be unsafe': Pinecrest traffic roundabout plans stir controversy amongst residents

A battle is brewing in Pinecrest as a group of homeowners are suing Miami-Dade County over what they call "a serious traffic issue."

The plan for a traffic roundabout is just getting started at the corner of Old Cutler Road and Southwest 67th Avenue.  

Three homeowners who live at the intersection are part of the lawsuit.

“It is going to make it where me and some of my fellow plaintiffs are actually going to have four lanes of traffic in front of our houses to try and cross, it’s just simply going to be unsafe,” said one of the homeowners, Dean Warhaft. 

His neighbor, Betsy Wise, is one of the plaintiffs in the case and agreed that the intersection needs a makeover, but not in its current design.

“It is going to be worse when you have the constant flow of traffic off of a circle, getting out of your driveway is like double-dutch with your life,” said Wise.

The three plaintiffs said that Miami-Dade County Commissioners did a lousy job in advertising the public hearing for the project and pushed it through during a virtual meeting in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 A county ordinance clearly says the expansion of Old Cutler Road can only happen for safety reasons.

In a prepared statement, a spokesperson for the county’s Department of Transportation and Public Works said “Miami-Dade County strives to strengthen our neighborhoods, invest in local infrastructure, and increase public safety for residents and visitors alike. Due to pending litigation, we cannot further comment on this matter.”

“We are not anti-circle, we are not anti-progress, and we are completely sympathetic to people who deal with traffic every day,” Wise said.  “But there is a less impactful and a better way to design this.

The homeowners are hoping a judge issues an injunction against the county and halts the project so that a new design can be considered.

The hearing is set for Friday.