The Fort Lauderdale Critical Mass ride was featured in the Sun-Sentinel. Be there or at Miami’s Critical Mass tonight!
“What this project would also do, is to reinforce exactly the growth pattern that failed Miami-Dade County, wrecked the Everglades, jeopardized thousands of acres of wetlands and farmland. You don’t get out of a ditch by digging the same ditch, deeper. But that is the kind of logic Miami-Dade lobbyists and appointees embraced, in the run-up to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Watch what they do, now.”
-Local blogging powerhouse GeniusofDespair from Eye On Miami on the proposed 5-year work plan of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority which would build expressways in far western parts of the county, exacerbating sprawl and traffic congestion. In the Transit Miami world, this plan has officially entered….the NO BS Zone! Have you sent your email letter requesting that they remove the 836 Extension project from the 5 year plan?
We need your help now to protect the Everglades.
Miami-Dade Expressway Authority is planning to expand the 836 Dolphin Expressway west toward Krome Avenue and then south to Tamiami Airport. This project would accelerate westward development, threaten agriculture, and threaten Everglades restoration.
Please email written comments to tgarcia@mdxway.com by this Friday, January 27, 2012.
Here’s a sample comment to cut and paste or put in your own words.
I ask the MDX board to remove the 836/Dolphin Expressway Southwest Extension (project 83618) from its 5-year plan. I question the necessity of the this project and am concerned about the impacts to residents, agriculture and America’s Everglades.
I believe this road is unnecessary and will actually will increase, not alleviate, congestion on SR 836. Commuters currently have the option of taking several highways into downtown Miami. The existing 836, the Florida Turnpike, the 874, the 878 and the 826. Most of these roads have been or are currently being rebuilt to handle greater capacity. Future and existing toll revenues should be used to maintain these roads and provide for public transit alternatives, not to build new roads into environmentally sensitive areas.
The project will threaten Everglades National Park and nearby federally-protected wetlands. A new layer of highway extending away from the city will fuel sprawl because of its proximity to the Urban Development Boundary. This highway would attract development of agricultural and wild lands buffering the Everglades and pose a direct threat to the $12 billion federal-state Everglades restoration project.
Name Adrress
Phone numberTell MDX that this project will waste natural resources and exacerbate sprawl and traffic.
Miami-Dade Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Formally Endorses Project
It may seem hard to believe but one particular Miami neighborhood has a parking problem – with bicycles!
Miami’s Wynood Arts District, specifically the commercial district of NW 2nd Avenue between NW 20th street and NW 29th street is rapidly becoming a hub for Miami’s emerging cycling community. Several local businesses in the area cater to this diverse group, and the evidence is plainly visible. On any given day or evening, this stretch of NW 2nd Ave. is filled with bicycles. However, the growing number of bicycles has put the squeeze on secure places to lock up.
Bicycles locked to trees on NW 2nd Ave sidewalk. Problematic for pedestrians and cyclists alike (not to mention the tree!), especially during busy events.
With an inadequate number of sidewalk bicycle hitches already present, cyclists are often faced with the unsavory prospect of locking their bicycles to trees, signposts, fences and wires– and frequently down dark, less-traveled side streets. This creates all sorts of obvious problems, especially during Art Basel week in December when multiple bicycle thefts were reported. The issue really takes center stage during the monthly Art Walk events when throngs of pedestrians and bicycles alike compete for space on the narrow sidewalks. The situation is bad enough to deter would-be visitors from cycling to the neighborhood to begin with.
Bikes locked to posts and wires down dark side streets is an invitation for wrongdoing. (Pictured: NW 26th st.)
Fortunately, an easy-to-implement solution exists to solve the bicycle parking issue troubling the area.
At the last meeting of the Miami-Dade Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), I presented a proposal for a centrally located on-street bicycle-parking corral. The proposed location is the SE corner of NW 2nd Avenue at NW 26th st. After the ensuing conversation, the BPAC decided to formally support the project moving forward.
You may be wondering, what exactly is a bike corral? Simply, it is an on-street bicycle parking facility, typically installed over an existing parking space.
Bicycle corral in Portland, OR (The city has over 70 of them installed)
Below is a primer courtesy of CityofChicago.org.
Why a bicycle corral?
• Corrals provide a 10-to-1 customer to parking space ratio, increase foot and bike traffic, and advertise “bike friendliness.” They also improve the pedestrian environment by removing bicycles from the sidewalk.
• Corrals improve bicycle parking availability at popular destinations, and increase the visibility of bicycling as a transportation choice.
• Corrals improve sightlines at intersections by eliminating the opportunity for larger vehicles to park at street corners.
San Francisco, CA
What do businesses think about the potential loss of car parking?
Businesses support on-street bicycle corrals because:
• Storefronts become more visible.
• The presence of many bicycles parked in front of a business sends a message that the business is busy—and popular.
• The novelty of the facility attracts the attention of cars, bikes, and pedestrians alike.
• Businesses appreciate the increased pedestrian foot traffic that corrals promote by creating a more pleasant public space
• Businesses can advertise “bike friendliness.”
• When installed adjacent to sidewalk cafes, corrals can provide an additional buffer between people and passing vehicles.
Chicago, IL celebrated their first bicycle corral in June with a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring the local Commissioner, business owners and cyclists.
What do bicyclists think about corrals?
• Cyclists prefer to park in high-visibility environments, because it reduces the risk of bike theft.
• Cyclists enjoy parking at—or close to—their destination.
• Corrals offer a space where cyclists can maneuver and lock up while avoiding conflicts with pedestrians.
A creative bicycle corral in the UK. Perhaps one day a local artist will design one for Miami. Photo courtesy of BicycleDesign.net
What do pedestrians think about corrals?
• Pedestrians appreciate the reduction in conflicts with cyclists as they lock their bikes to racks.
• Pedestrians enjoy the increased availability of space on busy sidewalks with heavy foot traffic.
• Sometimes bicycles locked on the sidewalk tip over, presenting a pedestrian tripping hazard. Corrals eliminate this hazard.
• The bicycle corral ‘daylights’ the intersection, allowing pedestrians greater visibility to oncoming traffic.
If cyclists are considered to be considered 'traffic', then we need to provide legitimate, secure parking options for their vehicles. We can do better than utility wires and fences. (Pictured: NW 26th st.)
The City of Miami District 5 has a tremendous opportunity to take the lead in building Miami’s first on-street bicycle parking corral to accommodate the burgeoning demand. These facilities already exist in cities across the country as easy, cost-effective solutions to bicycle parking problems. Additionally, the Miami-Dade County public works department already uses the hitches suitable for use in the facility. The idea shares virtually unanimous support amongst local businesses in the immediate area of the proposed corral.
Construction of such a facility is estimated to cost under $2,500. Let’s work together with Miami-Dade Public Works, our local business community and area cyclists to complete this neighborhood improvement project we can all be proud of.
Voice your support for this project by commenting below, ‘Like’ it or share with your friends!
The Transit Subcommittee of the Miami-Dade County MPO Citizen’s Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) recently met on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. Among the items on the agenda were updates on pigeon defecation issues at various Metrorail stations, on Miami-Dade Transit’s alternative fuels usage, and on the configuration of the soon-to-be-purchased Metrorail train cars.
Unfortunately, though, virtually no new information was actually provided at the CTAC Transit subcommittee meeting on the new Metrorail cars. Mr. Jerry Blackman, General Superintendent of Rail Maintenance for Miami-Dade Transit, regretfully explained to the subcommittee that all County officials and employees were prohibited to speak on any details pertaining to the new Metrorail cars due to the imposition of the “Cone of silence”.
According to a Miami-Dade County Administrative Order promulgated in 2002 and an accompanying memo, the Cone of Silence is a policy “designed to protect the integrity of the procurement process by shielding it from undue influences prior to the recommendation of contract award”. Basically, the Cone of Silence is intended to ensure that no local government officials or staff engage in any sort of funny business deal-making when the local government in question is awarding work contracts.
Indeed, Request for Proposals (RFP) #654 for the “Purchase of New Heavy Rail Vehicles” is listed on page 22 of the most current Cone of Silence Report as of January 9, 2012. However, it seems that Superintendent Blackman may have been overly circumspect by giving the CTAC such limited information on the new cars. According to that 2002 Administrative Order and memo, County personnel are exempted from the provisions of the Cone of Silence during publicly-announced meetings, such as Wednesday’s CTAC Transit subcommittee meeting.
Nevertheless, with some persistent probing by various CTAC members, Superintendent Blackman did suggest that the new train cars would include “the latest technology”, including more reliable vehicles, a better public address (PA) system, and in-train screen monitors indicating the train’s arrival times. Mr. Blackman also confirmed that Transit is looking at the prospect of integrating more advertising into the train cars to help generate revenue.
The issue of bike racks in the train cars also came up, and Superintendent Blackman confirmed that Transit is actively working-out the logistics and other technical practicalities of incorporating bike racks throughout the whole train (not just the last car). He suggested that some sort of bike signs would be included on the exterior of the new train cars designating which cars would accommodate bikes, as is done on the Portland light-rail MAX.
CTAC member Dr. Claudius Carnegie rightly directed the committee’s attention to the inadequacy of the current Metrorail Bike and Ride policies, adding that there needed to be greater “bicycle facilitation system-wide”. His comments echoed the recent Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) resolution #16-2011 requesting that Miami-Dade Transit review and update the existing rules of the Bike and Ride program.
All in all, those in attendance learned more about Miami-Dade Transit’s pigeon roosting and defecation elimination strategies than the configuration of the new Metrorail cars. Given the recent controversy over the purchase of the new train cars, the caution exercised by Superintendent Blackman during the Cone of Silence for this RFP is quite understandable. The Cone of Silence for this contract is expected to be lifted sometime in Spring 2012.
On a very positive final note, Mr. Blackman stressed how he and the rest of the Transit Department are eager to involve more members of the public, including the bicycle community, on optimizing the configuration of the new Metrorail train cars for all!
Do you love the Everglades? If so, then come to a meeting tonight.
Miami Dade Expressway Authority plans to use money from existing toll roads to expand SR 836 toward Krome Avenue and south to Tamiami Airport. This puts the Everglades and the natural and agricultural buffer lands in great peril. Imagine it’s the 1950s and the Palmetto Expressway is on the drawing board. The Palmetto is built in 1961 and almost immediately the land around it is converted from farm and woodland to development. SR 836 expansion is our generation’s Palmetto. If the UDB is a development fire suppressor, this highway is an accelerant.
We need buffer lands to protect and restore the natural Everglades. Come to the meeting tonight if you can. Express your concerns about the highway.
Whether you can make it or not, stay engaged. Send us an email, give us your phone number, volunteer your help.
You are the Everglades Protector.
Details:
What: PUBLIC REVIEW TO SOLICIT INPUT ON PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2013-2017 WORK PROGRAM
This 5-year plan includes SR 836 Dolphin Expressway expansion.
Where: MDX Headquarters, Lehmann Building, 3790 NW 21st Street Miami, Florida 33142
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 24
Time: 6-8 PM
For more information, contact Jon Ullman at jonathan.ullman@sierraclub.org or 305-860-9888
Visitors flock to Miami Beach from around the globe for many reasons – the sun and sand, Art Deco architecture, world-class nightlife, restaurants and a vibrant arts scene.
But the subject of national headlines these days about Miami Beach is enough to make anyone cringe – the proliferation of ‘designer’ parking garages.
A new piece in the Wall Street Journal highlights the unhealthy obsession with parking that consumes Miami Beach. This article comes on the heels of a New York Times story from last year illustrating more of the same.
While reading the latest WSJ story, a quotation from Victor Dover, chair of the Congress for New Urbanism, rang through my head.
“Parking is a narcotic and ought to be a controlled substance. It is addictive, and one can never have enough.”
The mutated Chia Pet garage at 630 Collins features 'greenwashing' at it's finest. The designer Arquitectonica claims the vegetation will 'absorb carbon dioxide''. I suppose this is so the Hummer drivers can feel better about themselves. Photo courtesy of Architizer.
Sure, it’s long past due that builders are finally adding some additional utility to parking garages beyond their primary purpose of storing motor vehicles. But let’s not allow ourselves be distracted by the fancy adornments. A new parking garage is a still parking garage. Dressing it up with a restaurant on top is akin to putting a silk hat on a pig.
It’s still a pig.
More parking encourages more driving, which increases congestion and diminishes the livability and civility of the city. The addiction to parking that is deeply ingrained in Miami Beach knows no bounds. I can only describe it as a ‘fetish-ization’ of vehicular storage. With the newly-constructed ‘designer’ garages and three more parking-centric projects on the way throughout South Beach, I am beginning to wonder just how many more cars can cram on that narrow sliver of sand before it sinks into Biscayne Bay. Perhaps those airy parking garages will someday make a nice artificial reef.
The new Frank Gehry bunker on Pennsylvania Avenue. It lights up at night. This is supposed to make us feel better. Photo courtesy of Architizer.
There is a compelling argument that Miami Beach has reached ‘peak car’, meaning the street grid can no longer accommodate additional vehicles in a comfortable manner at the current capacity. Anyone that participates in the sadistic practice of motoring in South Beach can attest to that (or walking for that matter). The relentless pursuit to make Miami Beach more friendly to cars is a serious distraction from taking the steps that could make Miami Beach more friendly to people. That includes enhanced pedestrian mobility, improved bicycling infrastructure, dedicated bus lanes or bus rapid transit, improved public spaces and – glaringly obvious – a viable rail connection to the mainland.
The 'City Hall Annex' 7-story parking emporium. Miami Beach now holds the dubious distinction of having a better engineered parking facility for city hall than the actual city hall building itself. Shows where the priorities lie.
Superficially addressing these issues won’t cut it. A bike path here and a better crosswalk there is progress but quickly negated by new parking monstrosities and the increased vehicular traffic they attract. There needs to be a step-change in thinking, a paradigm shift in what Miami Beach stands for. The first step is to remove our heads from our collective exhaust pipes. Then, hire a qualified pedestrian and bicycle coordinator in city government like all modern cities employ. The truly modern cities actually listen to that person as well.
Safer, improved mobility options will lessen the crazed addiction to parking. It will allow our civic leaders and officials to have meaningful dialogue about the future of the city free from the incessant, distracting conversation over the storage of cars. Perhaps then the ‘starchitects’ will stop building garages and instead help build public schools that look more like important places worthy of our affection and less like insecticide factories.
“The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city.“ – Lewis Mumford, 1964.
Right now, it's a temporary home for cars at $4 an hour. In the future, it could be a permanent home for coral and lionfish. Photo courtesy of Architizer.
You have to admit, the garage-building boom is all the more appalling when you consider the geography of Miami Beach, only a few feet above sea level and surrounded by water on all sides. With the threat of rising sea levels attributed to carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, I would think that Miami Beach would have quite a vested interest, even if symbolic, in preventing their island from becoming the next City of Atlantis. More garages just encourage more driving, and therefore more emissions. It’s like watching a slow-motion film of the city’s own demise.
Miami Beach must decide – is it a city for cars or a city for people? Based on the national headlines lately, the answer is pretty clear.
(In other news, an innocent pedestrian was struck and killed yesterday morning on Collins Avenue by a drunk, underage reckless driver in a speeding SUV. Another tragic by-product of an overpoweringly auto-centric culture.)
Thanks to Karja Hansen for taking these pics on her commute to work.
Come one come all to Miami’s 1st Bicycle Happy Hour hosted by Wood Tavern this Thursday, January 19th.
Arrive on a bicycle and enjoy 50% off all drinks from 5-8pm. The first 20 riders receive a spoke card and a high-five! Designated bicycle parking is available but please bring a lock. Lights and helmets are highly encouraged and ALWAYS remember to drink responsibly.
You don’t have to imbibe to have a fun time. Come hang out with other cyclists, listen to some great tunes and have a soft drink!
Wood Tavern is located at 2531 NW 2nd Ave, in the heart of the Wynwood Arts District.
Special thanks to Cesar Morales from Wood Tavern and Nick Mckissick for organizing this terrific event.
Saturday, January 14 – Crisp January morning air, bicycles and one gloriously crowded M-Path.
Around 150 riders assembled at the Brickell Metrorail station last Saturday morning for a 12-mile bicycle ride southbound on the M-Path, celebrating the connectivity provided by a new shared-use bridge over the Snapper Creek Expressway. The bridge, coupled with improved crossings, signals and pathways in the Dadeland area, marks the closure of the notorious ‘Dadeland Gap’, the 1.2 mile section that was left out of the M-Path when it was built 26 years ago.
Bicycle traffic backed up headed into South Miami! Photo courtesy of BikeSoMi/Mari Chael
The twisting, dismounting, treacherous crossings and general mediocrity that characterize the northern sections of the M-path eventually gave way to the modern engineering of the new pathway at Dadeland North, much to the delight of the dizzied group.
Headed onto the newly constructed Snapper Creek bridge. Photo courtsey of Bike SoMi/Mari Chael
The ride finished at Continental Park in Kendall, where cyclists enjoyed celebratory cake and soft drinks under the warmer south Florida sunshine.
Putting the capacity of the bridge to the test! Photo courtesy of Gilberto Salazar
Not only was the ride a chance to share observations of the new (and older) construction, but also it also sent a powerful message demonstrating just how important the completion of the M-Path is to area walkers, joggers, cyclists and rollers of all sorts. Our local officials must understand that continued M-Path improvements are necessary to further encourage active transportation in Miami-Dade County. With the number of people using the M-Path rising by the day, it’s long past time we demand the same response and engineering prowess that goes towards automobile infrastructure be applied to our pedestrian and cycling facilities as well.
TransitMiami would like to thank the folks at Emerge Miami, The Green Mobility Network and Bike SoMi for all of their help in organizing this teriffic ride.
M-Path Celebration Ride Video via The Miami Bike Scene.
A new bicycle and pedestrian path is cleared for takeoff on Miami Beach. After yesterdays meeting of the Miami Beach Historical Preservation Board, a planned shared bicycle and pedestrian project overcame a final hurdle, with the board voting unanimously to approve the latest plans presented by Miami Beach Public Works. At stake was nearly $4 million dollars in Federal grant money for the multi-use path that would be returned to the government if the project did not begin by July 2012.
The shared bicycle and pedestrian path will run adjacent to the Collins Canal along Dade Boulevard from the Venetian Causeway to the Beachwalk at 21st St. and Collins Avenue.
The mixed-use path will bisect Miami Beach along Dade Blvd from the Venetian Causeway to Collins Avenue
In October, the Historical Preservation Board approved the actual bike path with the exception of the barrier wall that would protect the path from traffic on Dade Boulevard. The board requested enhanced landscaping or a more visually appealing solution to the concrete jersey-style barrier that was originally presented. In the final plan, the wall is to be covered in vines, which will soften and ‘green’ the appearance of the barrier.
If you can believe it, the project is actually scheduled to begin Thursday, January 12 – that’s right, tomorrow — with the re-construction of the Collins Canal seawall. The decaying seawall will be replaced, after which the construction of the bicycle path can begin. The scheduled completion of the entire project is July of this year!
Karen Gordon from DecoBike began an online petition to garner support ahead of yesterday’s meeting. Local resident Michael Jarobe collected over 1,000 signatures from Miami Beach residents as well. Excellent work!
“After 17 years of debate, its possible that all Miami Beach residents will have a safe, continuous mixed-use path that connects the beach to downtown, Venetian Isles, Belle Isle, Palm View, Bayshore Drive and our other communities to all of the hotels, shops, restaurants and beaches located in the Mid-Beach area,” said Gordon.
Thank you to everyone involved, especially to the Miami Beach Historical Preservation Board for approving the plan in its entirety yesterday, allowing the project to move forward without further delay.
Here’s a snapshot of the local vehicular carnage in South Florida over the past weekend. Also, bear in mind there there were no reports of any injuries or deaths on Tri-Rail, Metrorail, MetroMover, DecoBike, b-Cycle or city busses this weekend.
Good Samaritans Save Man From Submerged Vehicle
MIAMI – An 81 year old motorist wildly loses control of his car on NE 106th St near Biscayne Bay. In spectacular fashion, the vehicle cartwheels into the water and begins to drift and sumberge. Some bystanders, including a Miami Beach detective, jump into the water and pull the driver to safety.
Motorcyclist Survives Hit and Run Accident
MIAMI – A motorcyclist is rear-ended by a reckless motorist on an SR 836 on-ramp. The driver then flees the scene while the motorcyclist lay injured on the roadway.
Despite the headline of the WSVN story above, leaving the scene of a crash, especially when you struck a vulnerable road user, is no ‘accident’. It’s time we retire that word to the dustbin of our vocabulary when referring to crashes like this.
Violent Collision in Allapattah
Twitter user @Sergio98um took this picture at NW 30th St & 22nd Ave after hearing the crash while watching football at home on Sunday afternoon
Car Crashes Into House, Residents Unharmed
LAUDERHILL – In another crash worthy of an acrobatic score, a driver in a Toyota Corolla plows through a fence in reverse, propels airborne over a swimming pool and crashes into the back of a house in Lauderhill. Miraculously, the homeowner, three children in the house and the motorist were not seriously injured, though the home suffered significant damage.
Theives Crash Car Into Business, Steal ATM
MIAMI – Thugs ram a stolen Nissan Maxima into the front doors of Nail Bar in Midtown early Saturday morning. They steal an ATM machine from the business and speed away in a waiting getaway vehicle, leaving the crashed Nissan at the scene.
Picture via The Huffington Post
West Palm Beach Cabbie Struck and Killed
WEST PALM BEACH – According to deputies, Juan Diego Martinez, a 26 year old motorist, plowed into 3 vehicles in a parking lot outside a local nightclub shortly after midnight Saturday. Luis Jimenez, a West Palm Beach taxi driver was struck and killed by the reckless driver as he was chatting with friends outside. Two other innocent bystanders were also injured.
Cop Car Catches Fire During Pursuit of a Subject
FT. LAUDERDALE - A Fort Lauderdale police car burst into flames during the search and pursuit of a subject early Monday morning.
Three Killed After Car Plunges Into Pit Off I-95
JUPITER – Three elderly people were killed Sunday afternoon after their car veered off Interstate 95 and went into a drainage ditch full of highway runoff water.
Local bicyclists will ride the length of the M-Path on Jan. 14 to cross the new bridge over the Snapper Creek Expressway and celebrate the near-completion of the M-Path Extension. The 12-mile ride will start at Metrorail’s Brickell Station that Saturday at 10 a.m., continuing through Miami, Coral Gables, and South Miami to cross the bridge alongside U.S. 1 below SW 67th Avenue, then on to Continental Park, 10000 SW 82nd Ave.
“Including three cities and a county park in this ride is symbolic of how the M-Path ties our community together,” said Dario Gonzalez of Emerge Miami, one of three groups putting the ride together. The M-Path Extension officially opens sometime in February. That will mark the closure of the Dadeland Gap, the 1.2-mile section that was left out of the M-Path when it was built along with the Metrorail guideway on the former route of the Florida East Coast Railway. “The M-Path is a priceless asset for active, healthy living,” said John Hopkins, executive director of Green Mobility Network, which has made M-Path improvement a key goal of its advocacy program for the past four years. “We are thrilled to see it completed.”
At the Dadeland South Station, the path connects with the South Dade Trail – and from there you can ride beside the Busway all the way to Florida City. They combine to make a 31-mile, offroad route all the way to downtown Miami. Think what that means for walkers, joggers, and cyclists in omestead, in Goulds, in Pinecrest and so on, right up to the Miami River. “May the Snapper expressway bridge show that locally and statewide, we aggresively pursue and improve all types of green mobility which promote walking, biking, and transit,” said Maricé Chael, an architect and co-founder of Bike SoMi.
M-Path FAQs
The M-Path was built 28 years ago as a service road for the Miami Metrorail, the elevated commuter railroad between Dadeland and downtown Miami’s Brickell financial district. Joggers, cyclists and everyday strollers soon adopted it. Today it’s a popular commuter path for cyclists in Coral Gables and points south who enjoy breezing past the rush-hour drivers on South Dixie Highway. While Miami-Dade Transit owns the M-Path, the M-Path Extension was constructed under a contract managed by the Florida Department of Transportation. The project includes new pathway at each end and north of North Kendall Drive, seven signalized crossings, and the 200-foot bridge across the mouth of the Snapper Creek Expressway. There’s also an attractive stretch along the C-2 canal at the Dadeland North Station.
Surveyors started driving stakes to outline the new path in January 2011. The budgeted cost was $4.5 million. Initial financing came through Florida’s share of federal Transportation Enhancement funding, augmented by stimulus money after planners decided that adding a bridge to the initial plan would make for safer travel. The work was carried out in a design-build partnership of C3TS, of Coral Gables, and Community Asphalt, of Hialeah. The steel-truss bridge was fabricated in Alabama and erected by Anzac Contractors, of Miami. For an FDOT fact sheet, visit http://www.fdotmiamidade.com/current-projects/south-miami-dade/m-path-extension-bicycle-andpedestrian-trail-.html The county’s M-Path Master Plan outlines a series of safety enhancements to include lighting, signed and signalized crossings, and some path realignment. Plans for the first of those are underway.
As we wind down the final days of 2011, it’s time to take a look at the year that was in South Florida on two wheels. While we do our fair share of ranting and lobbying here at TransitMiami.com, it’s plain to see that it was a year of considerable progress for the area in the cycling realm.
Amongst the accomplishments – two new bike sharing services were initiated in Miami Beach and Broward County, the launch of Coral Gables Bike Days, the return of Bike Miami Days (albeit smaller), the Dutch embassy visit for the ThinkBike workshop, the birth of Miami Bike Polo, steady progress on the Miami Bicycle Master Plan including new lanes, sharrows and signage throughout the county, new mountain bike trails on Virginia Key, new cycling events like the Gran Fondo Miami, the monthly Critical Mass ride growing exponentially and much, much more.
The City of Miami even received an ‘Honorable Mention’ by the League of American Bicyclists in recognition of the work that has been done and the trajectory the city is on after applying to become designated a ‘Bicycle Friendly Community’ in 2011.
One of my favorite posts of the year was from local blog Tropiganda, and their piece “The Miami Bike Zeitgeist, From Deadly To Dead Sexy”. This article succinctly summed up my feelings on the emerging Miami cycling movement. “It’s happening. Can you feel it?”
"There’s nothing quite like straddling the saddle and taking a long, hard ride through the streets of Miami." Quote and image via Tropiganda
Well said.
Another favorite from 2011 was the local coverage on BeachedMiami.com, which dedicates an entire section of their blog to the the goings on in the Miami bike scene. Browsing the images and videos of past Critical Mass rides is inspring enough to make anyone want to hop on a saddle.
There is still plenty of work to be done, and 2012 promises to be another year of pushing to make Miami a truly bike-friendly community. Will 2012 be the year we see our first protected cycle-track? The first on-street bicycle parking corral? Expanded Bike Miami Days? We’d love to see more action, less talk and real leadership from the Mayor’s office in this area. Perhaps the glacial construction project on the Venetian causeway will come to it’s long-overdue terminus. Maybe the FDOT will come to their senses, act like human beings, and provide a safer means of crossing the MacArthur Causeway by foot or bicycle. We all have plenty of wishes on what we’d like to see done in Miami….
Let’s make it happen and keep moving forward, together.
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Planetizen – Urban Planning, Design and Development Network- Investing in Detroit's Renaissance January 28, 2012Dan Gilbert, the founder and chairman of Quicken Loans Inc., is perhaps one of Detroit's biggest boosters of late. And he's putting his money where his mouth is. read more […]
- A Campy Song Competition Serves as the Catalyst for Urban Renewal January 28, 2012In Baku, Azerbaijan, the opportunity to host the annual Eurovision song competition in May has served as a catalyst for showing off the city as an untapped luxury tourism hot spot. read more […]
- Federal Government to Explore Use of Social Impact Bonds January 28, 2012Alex Goldmark reports on a new for-profit investing tool to incentivize innovation to solve chronic social challenges, which is gaining popularity in the U.S. and has already been tested in the United Kingdom and Australia. read more […]
- Does California Need High-Speed Rail? January 28, 2012For the second time this week, the "Room For Debate" section of The New York Times is tackling an area of interest for planners. This time, High Speed Rail in California is up for debate by a series of contributors. read more […]
- Boulder Officials Consider Per-Household Transportation Tax January 28, 2012The extra $24 a year, tacked onto existing utility bills, would go toward covering a $3 million transportation budget gap and highway and bridge repair. This is the transportation officials' second try in convincing the City Council. read more […]
- Friday Funny: Take the Kids to Napoleonland January 27, 2012A new theme park dedicated to all things Napoleon has been proposed for the area south of Paris by former French minister and history buff Yves Jégo, and is being touted as a rival to Disneyland, reports Henry Samuel. read more […]
- What's Wrong With America's Streets - And How To Fix Them January 27, 2012Ben Goldman reports on a new illustrative guide, Sustainable Street Network Principles, published by the Congress for New Urbanism, that seeks to educate planners and officials on how to create successful streets and neighborhoods. read more […]
- Green Building Trends To Watch in 2012 January 27, 2012Claire Easley talks with the "godfather of green," Jerry Yudelson, about the "megatrends" to watch for in the Green Building industry over the next year. read more […]
- Next Step in California Redevelopment Saga: More Lawsuits January 27, 2012In an effort to seek an 11th hour reprieve from the scheduled elimination of the state's redevelopment agencies, two consortiums of cities have filed lawsuits in Sacramento Superior Court, reports Josh Stephens. read more […]
- There are 4,114 Intersections in LA, and He Controls Them All January 27, 2012Jon Bruner profiles Los Angeles Department of Transportation Engineer Edward Yu, and the ATSAC system run by Yu and his team, which controls the timing of traffic lights at each of the city's 4,114 intersections. read more […]
- Investing in Detroit's Renaissance January 28, 2012
- John.Hopkins's blog
- Please, Commissioners, get us to the ballpark on time January 28, 2012With just five weeks before the first games are played in the gleaming new Marlins Stadium, glaring gaps are apparent in the transportation facilities that fans and stadium workers must rely on. This calls for prompt action from Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami, outlined below. You can help by signing our petition. Here's why it's needed: Wh […]
- Cyclists celebrate M-Path completion January 15, 2012Riders head south on the Snapper Creek expressway bridge on the M-Path yesterday during our ride to celebrate completion of the M-Path Extension.read more […]
- Teamwork + partnerships = success January 5, 2012Our committees, work crews, and partnerships with other groups all contributed to an impressive list of achievements for 2011. Just a few were outlined in our annual report (click here) that was e-mailed to members and friends in the last week of December. We'll try to add detail here in case you are interested. read more […]
- Please, Commissioners, get us to the ballpark on time January 28, 2012
