Archive for June, 2007

Vatican’s Ten Commandments (for drivers)

Published
by
Gabriel Lopez-Bernal
on June 20, 2007
in Driving, Miami, Rude Drivers, Traffic and Vatican
. 1 Comment

No Joke. I don’t think I could have concocted this story had I tried. I wish the Vatican had been a little more proactive, the “Ten Commandments of Living a Sustainable Life” would have worked just as well…

The Vatican’s Ten Commandments for drivers:

1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.

Apparently, this list hasn’t gotten around to everyone in Miami…

Transit Miami Profile: EKHO

Published
by
Gabriel Lopez-Bernal
on June 20, 2007
in Automobile Dependence, Cars, Dadeland, East Kendall Homeowners Organization, Kendall, Mall, NIMBY, Palmetto, Sprawl and Suburbia
. 6 Comments
We turn our attention once again today to the East Kendall Homeowners (Association? Organization? Federation? Coalition of the willing?) to discuss the initial purpose of the group’s existence. The EKHO was formed in June 2005 in opposition to the former Dadeland Breezes development, slated for N Kendall Dr. and 77th Ave. An excerpt from their site:

“A massive development called “Dadeland Breeze” is being proposed for our neighborhood. This development will demolish the 3 story apartment buildings at N. Kendall Drive & S.W. 77 Ave. in order to construct a complex of 8 condominium towers up to 8 stories high with nearly a 100% increase in the density of the existing buildings. This proposed construction project is clearly incompatible with the low-rise scale of our “East Kendall” residential neighborhood…”

I’d like to speak to the person who reasoned that an 8 story building was “out of character” with the neighborhood, but the Palmetto expressway, expansive parking lots of Dadeland Mall, or the gargantuan 6 lanes of Kendall drive just blended in seamlessly with the surroundings. The fact that most East Kendall residents don’t likely walk to their local Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, or Mall is the most alarming part of this discussion. Furthermore, I find it kind of hypocritical when a group speaks out against a project of greater density because of “increased traffic” but yet also goes against measures to bring public transit to their neighborhood. Is it the development that East Kendall fears or is it a change in the way of life?

“…It will worsen our already bad traffic, further burden our over-capacity schools, and have a negative impact on the quality of life of our families.”

Yahtzee! “Impact on the quality of life” Now, what impact precisely is anyones guess, but a change that will have us living a more vertical, sustainable, and likely healthier life doesn’t sound so bad, that is, unless you like idling in traffic along US-1 or Kendall bouncing around from parking lots to fast-food drive-throughs.

What many Miami residents, organizations, etc. fail to realize is that change and progress are a way of life. Had such powerful opposition existed in the early 1900’s, much of our prized downtown Brickell land could still look much like it did in 1915:

Imagine that? The Four Seasons was once a 2 story bungalow. By now we surely would have paved clear across the everglades and into Naples had someone not decided to build vertical…

Try explaining that and the benefits of sustainable growth to these folks, the EKHO, a group of citizens obviously set in their ways and accustomed to the lousy quality of suburban life:

Miami’s Climate Should Not Have Much of an Impact On Cyclists and Pedestrians

Published
by
Ryan Sharp
on June 19, 2007
in Bicycles, Climate, Miami, Sprawl, Transit, Urban Design, Weather, rain and umbrella
. 10 Comments
A commenter from another blog recently brought up a point about Miami’s climate, and how it may affect transit and mobility, as well as why it is rarely mentioned on Transit Miami. Because it’s true we speak little of local climate-related issues and many people use Miami’s climate as an excuse to drive everywhere, I thought now would be a good time to formally address the concern.

The reason weather is rarely discussed on this site is because we think for the most part it is a non-issue. By and large, Miami’s climate doesn’t pose any more problems than in any other city. Sure, we get a lot of rain during the wet season, but our frequency of rain is actually less than that of many other cities. What I’m saying is, it may rain hard in parts of Miami for short periods, but rarely will the same location get poured on day-after-day-after-day. On the other hand, it can be rainy, wet, foggy, and cold all day long in London, Copenhagen, or even Boston and New York. It’s not unusual for this to happen across the entire city, for several straight days anytime during the year. This doesn’t stop nearly 40% of Copenhagen residents from biking to work each day. Nor do several month long bouts of frigid weather stop people from using transit from Montreal to Moscow. Miami is fortunate enough to have six months of practically rain-free weather with temps between 75 and 82 degrees – most cities that are already transit-oriented could only dream of having such a climate.

Another thing to keep in mind is that most people commute early in the morning when temperatures are nearly at their coolest, which is certainly bearable even during Miami’s hot wet season. Thus, riding a bike at a leisurely pace with mild morning temperatures, you probably won’t even break a sweat. However, businesses and/or buildings should be equipped with shower facilities in case you were to break a sweat. Toronto, for example, has a program in place which is aimed at being bicycle-friendly, whereas all new buildings of a certain square footage must be equipped with shower facilities. Moreover, with improved transit and new lines, people can bike short distances to transit, then ride in AC downtown or wherever you are employed.

In poorly designed places, heat does have the potential to be oppressive. This is why it’s so important to adhere to quality urban design principles, with buildings having short setbacks coupled with awnings or sidewalk shade trees (this usually means higher density – one more reason why it’s not an evil thing). Mayor Diaz is trying to attack this issue with a Tree Master Plan, with goals to improve the City’s tree canopy by 30% by 2020. Developers need to do their part, too, by making their street frontages more protected from sun.

This is one more reason why low-density sprawl is so bad, especially in South Florida’s climate. Think about it: If you’re walking along a typical suburban, car-oriented street where everyone has a driveway and one-story flat homes are set way back, you’re probably baking in the sun. However, walking along Miracle Mile or Main Highway is much more pleasant because trees and/or urban design elements are providing shade.

And lastly, rain is definitely a non-issue for pedestrians - all you need is an umbrella!

Photo courtesy of slowernet’s flickr photostream

News Briefs

Published
by
Gabriel Lopez-Bernal
on June 19, 2007
in Advertising Trucks, Billboards, Busway, Illegal Advertising, Killian Kat, MDT, News, Sprawl, Sunpass, Tri-Rail and bus
. 3 Comments
  • MDT’s Buses on the shoulder program is going well. With 50% fewer late buses the pilot program is looking good thus far along the Killian routes.
  • Last year’s fastest growing Transit System, Tri-Rail, is working the kinks out of its latest “service enhancements.” The agency is still struggling to gain dispatch control from CSX and last week experienced a dismal on time performance between 50-60%…
  • Remember those stupid trucks with billboards which drive around and cause congestion, pollute, and obstruct your view? Here are the people responsible…
  • Sunpass will be selling at half price to placate 13,000 people who live in sprawl-land, or something of the sort…What I’d like to know is when we’re going to wake up and start using toll money to finance real transit projects… (Via SOTP)

Synthetic Skyline

Published
by
Gabriel Lopez-Bernal
on June 19, 2007
in Flickr, ImageMD, Miami, Photography, Skyline and Skyscrapers
. 1 Comment


Via ImageMD’s flickr…

Blog Update

Published
by
Gabriel Lopez-Bernal
on June 18, 2007
in Blog Updates, Blogger, Books, Miami, Sidebar, Suggested Reading, Suggestions, Transportation and Urban Planning
. 5 Comments
Some changes are taking place around here in order to better organize the site content and our transit-related offerings. Notice the lovely new dual sidebars (took me a couple of hours of CSS editing/learning) which will soon feature more useful content than before. We’re also in the process of introducing a “recommended reading” section where we suggest excellent books to spruce up your own knowledge on Urban Planning, Transportation, or Architecture…

So what do you all think? I’ll be working on updating the site some more over the next few weeks, but I’d like to hear what our dedicated users think of the changes. Any suggestions? Comment or send ideas to movemiami@gmail.com…

Introducing the Biscayne-Everglades Greenway

Published
by
Ryan Sharp
on June 18, 2007
in Bicycles, Bikes, Biscayne National Park, Biscayne-Everglades Greenway, Everglades National Park and South Miami-Dade
. 5 Comments
Photo courtesy of the Miami Herald

Good news for bicycle advocates: the Biscayne-Everglades Greenway is getting closer to becoming a reality. The proposed 42-mile trail would be the first and only bike trail in the U.S. to connect two national parks (Biscayne National Park & Everglades National Park).

The landmark proposal is still “largely conceptual, with designs nearing completion”, according to park planner at Everglades National Park, Fred Herling. As it currently stands, however, the Biscayne-Everglades Greenway is to be composed of two routes. The first route would originate at Biscayne National Park and travel westbound through Homestead and then to the Ernest P. Coe Visitor Center just past the entrance of Everglades National Park. The second route would then originate at EPC Visitor Center, then travel back eastbound to Biscayne National Park via Florida City this time.

According to the Herald, the Greenway would be replete with trail amenities including benches, rest stops, scenic mile markers, vegetation markers, and even occasional outlets for kayaking and canoeing.

How much is this going to cost, and who’s going to pay you ask? Current estimates are approximately $30 million. Homestead has applied for federal funding, which officials feel confident they will receive. Miami-Dade County has agreed to pick up a portion of the tab so far, but only for a small eastern segment.

I must say, though, while it is very encouraging to see this level of support for such a large bicycle project, it still appears that cycling is considered a “recreational pursuit” and not so much a legitimate form of transportation within this county. We need to continue to pressure for a Bicycle Master Plan – one that includes a vast network of urban bike lanes and greenways as well as recreational trails. Hopefully the Biscayne-Everglades Greenway will be the first step in a new direction for bicycle transportation policy in Miami-Dade County.

Sarnoff Pledges to Clean Up Downtown

Published
by
Gabriel Lopez-Bernal
on June 18, 2007
in Camillus House, Downtown, Homeless, Macy's, Miami, Revitalization and Sarnoff
. 10 Comments

Published
by
James Wilkins
on June 16, 2007
in Bacardi, Heritage, History, Miami and Preservation
. 2 Comments
Simply to be very clear… As much as I am pro development, for all it brings to the Miami of the 21st century, I hope that we continue to treasure the rich, diverse and unique architectural heritage of Miami, and Florida as a whole. This image was originally posted on SSC by arch photographer and demonstrates the great necessity for preservation.

Museum Park Discussion

Published
by
James Wilkins
on June 15, 2007
in Green Space, I-395, James Good, MAM, Miami, Miami Beach, Museum Park, Museum of Science, Public Spaces and Traffic
. 27 Comments
This extraordinary image posted at Skyscrapercity by James Good illustrates the need for revitalization for downtown’s premier park space. As well as how appropriate the location is for Museums with the Metromover stop already in place. The museums will be a great buffer for the park from the intrusive traffic of the highway beside the park. I am also interested in hearing thoughts from our readers regarding the somewhat sensitive issue of the need for, specifically, green park space.

Is it unfair to compare Miami to other cities in terms of green park space when across the causeway is the enormous public space, Miami Beach. I assure you I am a strong supporter for park space in Miami proper, but I feel there is an entirely different analysis required based on the unique quality of the beach. Being the single most obvious draw for all of South Florida residents, the beach almost creates a requirement of other city parks to include an attraction, if they are to be fully utilized. While some would propose a stadium or a waterpark, it seems that the museums are the perfect, compatible solution, in keeping with the desired qualities of a public green space.

Published
by
Gabriel Lopez-Bernal
on June 15, 2007
in I-395, Miami, Miami Beach, Motorcycle and Photography
. 2 Comments

Via Miami Fever…

Making Cycling Even More Attractive

Published
by
Ryan Sharp
on June 14, 2007
in Amtrak, Bikes, Brompton, Brooklyn, Dahon, Folding bikes, Metrorail, Miami, Transit and bike lanes
. 11 Comments


As you may already know, I support bicycles. I am a huge advocate for improved bicycle infrastructure in Miami, including a comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan.


Nonetheless, I often speak to people who have concerns about using bicycling as a legitimate form of transportation, even if Miami had hundreds of miles of separated bike lanes.

Some of the more popular concerns include fear of theft, lack of secure racks, and problems with the bike’s generous proportions, particularly when on a crowded train or attempting to store it inside of a building. Fortunately, I’ve found a solution to most of these concerns: folding bikes.

The folding bicycle certainly isn’t new technology, but it’s rare I see people using these bikes and even rarer to hear people talk about them.

A couple weeks ago, I was introduced to the amazing convenience of the folding bike. I was in Brooklyn at the time, and was planning on going down to Philly for the weekend to visit some old friends. Lucky for me one of my friends allowed me to borrow their new Dahon.

After learning how to fold and unfold the bike, I packed some clothes in a backpack, and raced off through Brooklyn, over the Brooklyn Bridge, and into Lower Manhattan. I decided to test its convenience on the subway – no problem. Even fumbling at bit, it only took about one minute to fold up the bike and it was light (only like 20-25 lbs.) enough to carry right over the turnstile. The C train was relatively crowded, but I was still able to get a seat comfortably while holding the folded bike.

At Penn Station, I didn’t have to worry about maneuvering a regular sized bike through masses of people, nor having to lug it up or down stairs/escalators. I boarded Amtrak, stowed the bike in the rack above my seat, and read a book during the hour and change trip.

Upon arriving at 30th Street Station in Philly, I didn’t even have to bother with cab fare – I just unfolded the bike and road off to meet my friends about 12 or 13 blocks away. Upon arriving at my friends’ place, I folded the bike back up, walked past the doorman without any looks or objections, took the elevator with ease, and stored it in their small apartment without feeling guilty about space.

I was hooked. I just ordered a Dahon myself, and can’t hardly wait another day for it to arrive. In the meantime, let me share with you just a short list of benefits for folded bikes:

  • Integrates flawlessly with all forms of transit. Instead of taking up a bunch of space on a Metrorail car, or loading and unloading a regular sized bike on the front of a bus, the folded bike is easy to carry on board
  • They usually fold up in just 15-30 seconds
  • Most of them fit conveniently into a duffel bag or suitcase – perfect for carry-on luggage on planes
  • They take up a fraction of space in your home (especially great for smaller living spaces)
  • No longer do you have to worry about them getting stolen from some random chain-up or even a rack. You probably won’t even need to buy any chains or locks in the first place
  • You could even bring it into the office. Put it in a carrying bag, it stores easily
  • Performance is as good as or better than regular sized bikes, depending on what model and/or brand you use
  • Allows you the freedom to go just about anywhere; its convenient integration with transit is particularly beneficial
To learn more about folded bikes and their benefits, check out this great link.

Photo courtesy of joelmann’s flickr account

An open letter reply to the East Kendall Homeowners Organization (EKHO)

Published
by
Gabriel Lopez-Bernal
on June 13, 2007
in East Kendall Homeowners Organization, Ed Levine, Kendall, Metrorail, Miami Herald, NIMBY, Sprawl, UDB and Urban Planning
. 17 Comments
In response to recent editorials by the East Kendall Homeowners Organization and Ed Levine, I decided to submit my own editorial to the Herald, let’s hope they publish it…

An open letter reply to the East Kendall Homeowners Organization (EKHO):

It is disheartening to see such a motivated and presumably progressive group of individuals that comprise the East Kendall Homeowners Organization speak out so adamantly against a plan that would provide better access to most of the Kendall community. If we are to remain an economically viable community, we must embrace transit growth and the urban living that comes with it, rather than shun it with half-baked objections and trepidation towards drastic lifestyle changes.

The inability to embrace alternative forms of effective transit is disconcerting, particularly in a region currently choking on the congestion induced by its own unchecked growth and sprawl. It is typical of the mentality fostered in this particular region and has been cultivated by our addiction to the automobile. The mentality is further compounded by the opposition to the CSX corridor alternative, presented by Ed Levinson (Community Council 12) last week, which declared that transit along the corridor would only hamper vehicular traffic. This mentality will soon become our prime obstacle in creating a truly urban and sustainable metropolis.

Miami has to sever its addiction to the automobile. Public transit has failed in Miami not because a lack of effort, but because of a widespread opposition to change in community planning efforts and lifestyle changes on the part of our citizens. With regards to concerns on property value, studies conducted by the APTA (particularly in Miami) showed an “assertion that rail transit imparts value to residential property in districts where the population values the access provided by that transit service the most, regardless of the income of the district.”

A less troubling notion is that MDT continues to push costly suburban commuter rail lines, further justifying our city’s unremitting sprawl. MDT should scrap these plans to spread Metrorail across the county to citizens who obviously won’t even use it and should instead work to bring less costly Streetcars and LRT to our urban core. How can we justify suburban commuter trains when we lack the necessary mobile infrastructure in our densest regions?

It is of paramount importance that our citizens educate themselves on the benefits of proper public infrastructure and urban planning before they take up such a bold position against reasonable measures which would help steer the future growth of our community. It is with all due respect that I therefore ask the members of the East Kendall Homeowners Organization to think about what is best for the future of our community rather than themselves.

Gabriel J. Lopez-Bernal
www.TransitMiami.com

All Eyes on Downtown

Published
by
Gabriel Lopez-Bernal
on June 12, 2007
in Downtown, Flagler, Homeless, Macy's, Metromover, Metrorail, Parking, Pedestrians, Public Spaces, Public Transit, Retail, Revitalization, Shopping and Urban Planning
. 8 Comments
With the attention garnered on the appalling state of our downtown by Macy’s Florida CEO Julie Greiner last week, it appears that rehabbing downtown (with that, many of our street wanderers) is the hot conversation topic these days. Downtown is deplorable. We all know it; we’ve stated it countless times. The question is does anyone know what should be done?

Sometimes I get the feeling the Herald understands the problems which face our city, other times not. An article posted Saturday June 9, sought to address the issue, but instead began to paint a picture of how parking was the main reason why our downtown was in such a state of disarray.

“Parking is scarce and expensive, and by many accounts, vulnerable to vandals.”

Scarce and expensive parking also confounds turnaround efforts, limiting the appeal to upscale businesses. ”Parking is a headache,” said Carlos Narvaez, who works at the Radio Shack outlet on Flagler Street. “They broke into my car twice.”

Decentralization of our city’s urban core brought upon by sprawl has lead to the demise of our (and nearly every city in the U.S.) downtown, a problem which was in part induced by our addiction to the automobile. Suburbanites fail to realize that abundant, cheap (free), and traffic free parking are not sustainable in any urban core and efforts to increase any of these would only make matters worse along the sidewalks. The article fails to note in its quest for parking solutions, that the city recently completed a streetscaping project which added valuable on street parking throughout the Flagler corridor.

The more we isolate ourselves in our own “protective” vehicular cocoons, the worse the situation will become along the already desolate streets of downtown. A proven and successful method to combat downtown crime is to improve our street use, pedestrian activity, and with that public spaces/transportation. Radio shack and all downtown employees (especially lower wage workers) should reap the financial benefits that Metrorail and Metromover offer users compared to daily vehicular use.

Things get worse when the only mention of transit includes an armed robbery incident:

Nancy Blount, a family law attorney who was walking down Flagler near the Miami-Dade County Courthouse, recalled being ”robbed at gunpoint four or five years ago” when she took Metrorail.

It was obviously a life changing experience for Nancy, she couldn’t even remember the year…It’s beside the point and contributed nothing to the quality of this article other than to reiterate a negative stance against public transit in the minds of the readers.

 How can we combat the Miami mentality if even our news stories are showing bias towards ineffective ways of thought? I believe the Herald should take it upon itself to not only inform readers of the problems downtown but should also offer well reasoned and educated solutions to the problems we face, instead of the typical half truths offered by everyday citizens…

Key Word Use:

  • Business (6)
  • Parking (5)
  • Homeless (4)
  • Traffic (2)
  • Filthy (2)
  • Pedestrian (1)
  • Metrorail (1)
  • Planning (0)
  • Transit (0)
  • Metromover (0)

What is your Ecological Footprint?

Published
by
Ryan Sharp
on June 12, 2007
in Ecological Footprint and Sustainability
. 4 Comments

Click here to gauge how sustainable your lifestyle is.