Aventura Traffic Solution: “The Toronto Method” 

It is a possibility that the “lewd and lascivious” assailant who preyed on female joggers mentioned previously in this column has been apprehended. 

By Phyllis D. Huguenin
Columnist 

Design World Center Eyes Aventura  

Plantation-based Design World Center with its 150,000 sq. ft. facility introduces the newest retail concept for home improvement shopping in America. Everything is under one roof and every showroom is owned and operated by a franchisee who promises to deliver “strong customer service” – according to CEO and developer Izzy Ashkenazy. It is a “one stop shopping experience” allowing the smaller professional merchant to compete with the “big box retailers.” Design World Center at the Fashion Mall combines the merchandising display expertise of Home Depot’s EXPO Design Center along with the convenient interior design center resources that Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) provides its high-end clientele.

It’s meant to be the best of both worlds: a full-service home improvement and home furnishing/interior design center featuring kitchens, appliances, accessories, carpeting, rugs, ceramic tile, furniture, lighting, marble, stone, pools, window treatments along with spas and outdoor furniture. As a “design concept retail center,” it has better merchandising than the aforementioned – while making its products more accessible to the everyday consumer. It capitalizes on what COO Jonathan Agus sees as the failure of EXPO Design Center: ineffectiveness in providing good customer service. Arguably, corporate America cannot compete on the same personal level as independent storeowners. Agus asserts that they alone have the professional expertise to run the departments optimally – along with product knowledge, installation experience and customer service know-how. He believes that because each of DCOTA’s showrooms are owned and operated by independent professionals, they have done a good job in bringing an array of design services under one umbrella for the high-end market. What Design World Center is doing is taking the DCOTA concept (this prototype exists in every major city, Chicago and New York among them), bringing together professional independent merchants within local markets and combining it with a “one brand marketing campaign.” The campaign kicks off with aggressive media advertising via print, radio and television. The concept is earmarked for more locations in South Florida and Agus is eyeing areas such as Aventura, Kendall and Palm Beach. “We are actively looking to acquire properties as we speak,” he divulges, adding that the company would love to receive property submissions from real estate professionals relating to those areas. Design World Center is located at 321 North University Drive in Plantation. Jonathan Agus’s number is 954-370-1884, ext. 18.

Counting Cars

Bob Diamond, a candidate for Aventura Commissioner Seat Three, hasn’t been sitting still over this traffic morass. Over the past six months, along with a Del Prado resident, he’s been out doing his own study, evaluating and making recommendations – which he has forwarded to the Florida Department of Transportation. He’s even been counting cars, trying to get to the bottom of what causes such severe gridlock at 183^rd, 185^th and 187^th Streets getting onto Biscayne Blvd. As he describes it, you sometimes have to sit through two, three or fours lights before you can go through. One thing he believes contributes to the problem: the traffic control devices are old, outdated and controlled by the county. It’s Mr. Diamond’s understanding that the city is pressing to modernize the equipment, but the county is stalling. When the traffic apparatus is brought up-to-date, it will make it much easier to control the timing of the lights. Of course, once the timing devices can be regulated, it’ll make it much easier to control traffic flow. Diamond’s heard of a system that allegedly eliminated traffic gridlock in Toronto and he thinks it’s worth giving a shot, or at least looking into.

“The Toronto Method,” in a nutshell, is the use of cameras to capture moving violations at key intersections.  The intersections covered by cameras are clearly marked and the program was publicized well in advance. For the first couple of weeks violators observed by the camera were issued warnings only. Thereafter, actual tickets were given out. According to his sources, over the course of several months gridlock was virtually eliminated in Toronto. Diamond maintains that currently the state of Florida does not allow the use of cameras for the issuance of traffic tickets. He proposes that a comprehensive assessment of Toronto’s methods be initiated. If it proves to be viable, a request would be made to the state to amend its laws to allow for the use of cameras.

Gotcha

It is a possibility that the “lewd and lascivious” assailant who preyed on female joggers mentioned previously in this column has been apprehended. According to a police report, on February 12 at 6:56 p.m., an officer on routine patrol along N.E. 199^th Street and West Country Club Drive observed a Black male subject riding a green bicycle (matching the description in numerous reports). The subject was observed closely following a female jogger for approximately a quarter of a mile. Periodically he would stop his bike in front of her to get her attention or also ride alongside her, all the while staring intently, causing her to either slow down or speed up in order to shake him. After a while, the officer decided to intervene noting the bicycle had a violation: there was no visible white light mounted in front, nor a flashing red on the rear. When the officer approached in a marked cruiser the harasser abruptly turned and attempted to flee. He was stopped and read his Miranda rights, which he waived. He had no ID, nor could he explain what he was doing in the area since he said he didn’t know anyone in the vicinity. He also stated he wasn’t shopping at any of the stores. At first he gave the arresting officer a false name. Subsequent investigation revealed the suspect to be Ricky L. Addison, 21. He was arrested and transported to Dade County Jail. 

Phyllis Huguenin can be reached at huguenotusa@msn.com.