Transit Miami

on August 21, 2007

in Bus Benches, Bus Stations, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Glen Coe, Pedestrian, Queue, Streetcar, Tram, Vacation and bus

. 3 Comments

Some people wonder whether I go on vacation to relax or experience foreign public transit systems; I like to think it’s a little of both. Utilizing foreign transit and witnessing other city’s approaches to some of our similar problems captivates me and drives me to try and bring about some of these changes in Miami. The small nation of Scotland is entwined in a network of rail and regional bus routes, guaranteeing regular access to even some of the most remote towns and villages.

In Edinburgh, you queue. Not to place an order in the drive-thru, but to wait for the bus. Scottish residents queued for the bus and boarded in the order which they arrived in a most uncanny display of civilized behavior. Lines stretched down blocks a few yards, allowing continuous pedestrian passage along sidewalks. Bus shelters were even designed longer than American shelters to allow for greater covered queuing space and typically featured electronic displays of routes and approximate wait times.

We rented a car to experience both the joys and hazards of driving on the wrong side of the road and headed north to witness the natural beauty of Glen Coe. While driving along a precarious single lane road (with a few haphazard passing bays) which serviced only two small (~500 people) towns, we pulled off the road to allow the daily public transit bus to pass. Remarkable! This wasn’t the only instance where we encountered this, in fact every town we passed through had a bus stop with schedules attached listing the daily regional bus service which passed through the area, even in towns where sheep seemingly outnumbered people 50 to 1.

Glasgow is the only city in Scotland which currently has rail public transportation, although Edinburgh will soon begin work on a streetcar system (see sign below.) The Glasgow subway runs in a circular path around the city center and has never been expanded since its opening in 1896, making it the third oldest metro system in the world. It’s a most unusual subway train, just 4 carts long and barely tall enough for me to stand up straight in. The limited 6.5 Mile system is interconnected with several (7, I believe) suburban train lines which arrive at the central station as well as the city’s vast bus network. Plans are in the works to also bring streetcars or guided busways to the city.

It was August in Glasgow and a chilly 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It was drizzling all day (heck, all week) and the wind was kicking, yet the city was alight with activity, pedestrian activity that is. With weather conditions that would typically render walking along Lincoln Road improbable, Glasgow’s main pedestrian mall was buzzing with pedestrian activity, shopping, and dining along Buchanan Street.

A Precursor of Sorts

Published

on August 20, 2007

in Art, MAM, Museum Park and Terence Riley

. 6 Comments

Having recently attended the Richard Serra exhibit at MoMA, I wanted to talk briefly about what is possible for Museum Park. I realize I have discussed this topic in some detail and I have been very interested in our reader input. The exhibit at MoMA was spectacularly attended, despite being mid morning on a weekday. The well designed museum, however, was able to accommodate the throngs of visitors quite well. Miami Art Museum will obviously never be the MoMA, but the visit did re-affirm my belief that the museums belong in Museum Park. Unlike MoMA, where there is only the crowded sculpture garden for attendees to recover from museum fatigue, without ending their visit, in Miami visitors will have all of the beautifully re-designed park green space. I fully expect the park to become gloriously utilized.

The energy and vibration of the crowds was astounding. The exhibit continued on the second floor where the sculptures, weighing literally hundreds of tons, seemingly a threat to the structural soundness, were safely on display because even that detail was pre-analyzed and managed by the thorough design team led by Terence Riley. He was not the architect, and he was certainly not the sole force behind the new MoMA, however, I believe that he is largely responsible for the overwhelming success of the construction of the new facility, and the presentation of it, to the world and is now bringing all of that experience to the project at hand, MAM. I think we who love Miami are in for a great civic experience.

Planning Miami Around People and Not Cars

Published

on August 19, 2007

in Donald Shoup, Downtown, Miami, Parking, The Related Group, loft 1 and loft 2

. 6 Comments

Over the weekend, the Herald shed light on an encouraging trend beginning to take hold downtown - developers are finally building projects WITHOUT ANY ON-SITE PARKING. As we’ve been saying since practically the inception of TM, minimum parking requirements have been cancerous in virtually every part of Miami, particularly downtown. These minimum parking requirements mandate developers to spend tens-of-thousands-of-dollars per space, which serves only to reinforce Miami’s harmful, unlivable, unsustainable auto-centric culture. It induces driving demand, which clogs streets and pollutes our air. It fractures urban continuity with retched surface lots and massive, monolithic garage pedestals. It makes it very difficult to improve transit and walkability.

However, we all win when projects are built with little or no parking, especially in the urban core and near transit stations. It allows developers to save money, which translates to much more affordable housing, which is badly needed throughout Miami and South Florida. It allows for a more cohesive urban block structure, which with proper planning translates to much better pedestrian environments. It also encourages people to walk, bicycle, and take transit, which drives demand for enhancements in these sectors. And, fewer cars on the road means safer, more livable streets, less road rage, less pollution, less noise, and more attention paid to our public spaces.

According to the Herald piece, the parking-free buildings recently constructed downtown (Loft 1 and Loft 2) have been so successful, the Related Group is now planning two more (Loft 3 and Loft 4), even in a slowed condo market. Moreover, another developer, Keystone Holdings, is also planning to construct parking-free condos downtown.

“Urban housing should not have parking on-site, especially work-force housing…Every great city has shared parking. But people in Miami have to be educated that that’s the way it should be.”

- Miami Real Estate Analyst Michael Cannon

It’s true. If Miami is ever destined to become a world-class city, characterized by great public spaces and livable streets, it must amend its traditional parking philosophies. While it’s traffic congestion that always ranks at the top of concerns for planners and residents alike, it’s vehicle storage that shapes urban life as much if not more than movement through space.

The important thing here is education. Most Miamians and South Floridians have preconceived notions about parking that are totally backwards. If we ever want to move in a new direction, we must not be afraid to educate others in our community that may not understand some of the counterintuitive principles of urban parking supply.

To better understand this topic, I highly recommend reading People, Parking, and Cities, by UCLA urban planning professor and renowned parking scholar, Donald Shoup. If you still want to know more, then I recommend The High Cost of Free Parking, by Shoup.

photo courtesy of www.miamiinvest.com

Why Parks are Important

Published

on August 17, 2007

in Miami and Parks

. 9 Comments

Here at TransitMiami, we’re always preaching about the importance of strong public spaces, particularly high quality parks. It’s high quality public spaces that make living in dense urban settlements very appealing, for several reasons.

A recent editorial in the Toronto Star addresses the importance of parks and public spaces, which I recommend reading. As Miami continues toward a denser, more urban future, it’s important we understand the important role of parks and public spaces.

Check out the editorial here.

Community Workshop Info

Published

on August 16, 2007

in A1A, Atlantic Greenway Network, Bicycles, Dade Boulevard Bike Path, Miami Beach and bike lanes

. 1 Comment

Anyone interested in improving cycling conditions on Miami Beach, mark your calendars for Thursday, August 30th. From 6-8pm at the Miami Beach Police Department, there will be an excellent opportunity to learn about the Atlantic Greenway Network (AGN) and the Dade Boulevard Bike Path Project. From the press release:

The AGN Master Plan is being developed to promote alternative transportation and community enhancement in the North, Middle and South Beach neighborhoods of Miami Beach. The objectives are to increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, diminish gaps while improving network connectivity, and establish future bikeways.

The Dade Boulevard Bike Path project will run adjacent to Dade Boulevard from Bay Road to 23rd Street and will be designed to extend the existing Venetian Causeway bikeway to destination points within Miami Beach.

Again, this workshop will be held Thursday, August 30th, from 6-8pm at the Miami Beach Police Department. The MBPD is located at 1100 Washington Ave (11th & Washington).

For more information, check out Spokes n’ Folks, this nice SunPost editorial, or contact Christine Leduc @ 305-673-7080 or via email at cleduc@miamibeachfl.gov

Photo courtesy of www.Miamitours.com

UNQUESTIONABLY WORTHY OF PRESERVATION

Published

on August 14, 2007

in Architecture, Miami Modern, Mimo, Preservation and Virginia Key

. 7 Comments

It seems that once again, the debate on whether or not to restore or destroy the Marine Stadium at Virginia Key, is alive and well. As a big supporter of architectural preservation, it seems to me that the answer is clear. The building is so profoundly unique, all lovers of modernism would insist on it’s restoration. The mind boggling structure, visually defies the laws of physics with its incredible cantilevered roof. While many other such buildings met with the wrecking ball shortly before the resurgence of interest in mid century modern, this outdoor public venue, due in part to its non-central location, has remained in disrepair. It seems to me that if a proper restoration could be executed, this unique setting would be a big draw for a number of varied performances.

With so many amazing 20th century masterpieces, Miami is once again an example of a particular originality not found anywhere else in the U.S. This collection of buildings should be preserved at all costs. There is an active community striving to see to this. The recent declaration of Miami Modern, or MiMo historic districts, both along Biscayne Boulevard in Miami and in North Beach, in the city of Miami Beach, brought a collective sigh of relief..

There are however many worthy historical buildings that do not fall within any of these historic districts. Bay Harbor Islands is home to an extensive collection of such jewels, and it seems as if the city officals will not declare them protected, despite the vocal preservationists doing their best. By virtue of its massive scale and futurist beauty the Marine Stadium of Virginia Key is arguably the most significant of all these buildings. I will continue to keep all who are interested, informed as to how they can contribute to the struggle to honor South Florida’s architectural heritage.

Quantifying Our Disproportionate Contribution Toward Climate Change

Published

on August 14, 2007

in Climate Change, EPA, Global Warming, carbon dioxide and emissions

. 1 Comment

Many of us hear, on a fairly consistent basis, how harmful our daily actions are to the environment and global warming. We drive too much, live in houses too big (that are poorly insulated), and expend way too much energy with a shmorgishborg of energy-gluttonous appliances. However, I find it’s very rare that any of us can actually quantify these outputs.

I find this very troubling. It serves to distance ourselves from the realities our consumption. It’s like swiping a credit or debit card and never looking at the receipt - it’s much less painful that way because we don’t see the numbers were spending, and thus do not feel the full weight of the transactions. Similar to money management and cutting one’s budget, if we never see (or know) how much carbon dioxide we’re responsible for emitting each year, how will we know where to make cuts? The answer is, we probably won’t.

Fortunately, however, the EPA has done most of the legwork, creating an easy-to-use personal emissions calculator. It takes just a few minutes to fill out, and you’ll have a fairly accurate projection of your personal annual emissions. Even better, once you’ve quantified your emissions, you can check out the EPA’s thorough “What You Can Do” page, which breaks down how and where you can improve your energy efficiency, translating to carbon emissions cuts. There are links at the top and sidebar of the EPA’s page to a few other calculators related to energy consumption or emissions, that are worth checking out as well.

I mean, it’s a win-win to take advantage of these resources. If you care about making a difference and fighting climate change, then this tool will allow you to quantify your energy consumption and where you can make cuts. If you could care less about global warming, then this calculator will still point you in the direction of energy savings, which translates into more money in your pocket each month.

Edinburgh Transit

Published

on August 14, 2007

in Bus Stations, Edinburgh, Streetcar and bus

. 2 Comments

Edinburgh is covered by an intricate web of bus lines which keep things moving along the narrow city streets. Double Decker buses constantly flow in and out of central bus stations filled with locals and tourists alike. A couple of enclosed central transfer stations exist to handle several bus routes as well as to keep passengers out of the whimsical Scottish weather. A sign posted near the rail station informed me of upcoming plans to add streetcars…

27th Avenue Makeover Plan 90% Complete

Published

on August 12, 2007

in Coconut Grove, Metrorail, Miami, SW 27th Avenue, bike lanes and traffic circle

. 1 Comment

This past Tuesday, the county presented its 90% completion for the proposed 27th Avenue makeover project. There has been little deviation from the 30% rendering, which calls for the following improvements:

Addition of bike lanes
Addition of on-street parking
Removal of most private, on-site parking
Addition of tree-planted median (and more shade trees for sidewalks)
Addition of oval-shaped traffic circle at the intersection of Day, Tigertail, and 27th

While earlier renderings more often centered around parking controversy, the newest lightning rod is the traffic circle. Several citizens and business owners still don’t believe the traffic circle will work.

”You have to remember people don’t like change, and this is something that’s foreign to them,” - Delfin Molins, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade County Public Works Department.

It’s true - many Groveites are terrified of change. However, I’d be surprised if most are not fully supporting this project by the time the final draft is unveiled. I really think this project is quite progressive for Miami/South Florida standards in the way it focuses more on improving the pedestrian realm than making the street a traffic sewer.

As for the concern about the traffic circle, I’m pretty confident it will be beneficial to Center Grove residents and visitors alike. As long as it’s engineered by the specs public works has planned, it should do a pretty good job mitigating congestion on 27th and Tigertail while not compromising easy pedestrian crossings. The shape and design of this “circle” should ensure that cars cannot speed through it. People shouldn’t worry about it becoming a wild “free-for-all”, because it is not designed to be a large rotary similar to the Cocoplum Circle at Le Jeune and Sunset in Coral Gables. Miami drives can be dumb…and crazy, but even they can handle a traffic circle this simple. Plus, Day Ave should not experience an appreciable increase in thru-traffic as long as it changes to one-way eastbound.

My biggest disappointment with this project, however, is that the intersection of 27th Ave and US-1 is being ignored. The sidewalk and bike lane improvements are great, but this intersection is one of the most hostile in all of Miami for pedestrians and cyclists. Without design upgrades to improve safety and aesthetics at this intersection, the Grove Metrorail station remains effectively alienated from the wonderful 27th Avenue improvements. It’s a classic example of Miami’s seemingly inextricable fragmentation - especially when it comes to transit and land-use planning.

Musings on Sun, Ocean and Sky

Published

on August 12, 2007

in Art, CANDO, Development and MAM

. 0 Comments

As politicians come and go. As towers rise and fall. The elemental qualities of a destination like Miami never cease to be a point of inspiration, desire and destiny for many global citizens. Regardless of the whims of of markets, and the pain of mistakes made along the way, Miami is so uniquely endowed it will perpetually blossom. It begs the opportunity to cause the best.

Scotland Bound

Published

on August 10, 2007

in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Scotland and Vacation

. 2 Comments

Heading off to Scotland today for the week. Hope to have some Internet access at some point throughout the week, otherwise Ryan and James will be conducting most of the activity on the site until I get back…

DESIGN DISTRICT– LIVING UP TO A NAME

Published

on August 9, 2007

in Chad Oppenheim, Design District and Retail

. 10 Comments

As Miami slowly emerges from the settling dust of this unprecedented building boom, one of it’s greatest assets, the quality of design, becomes more and more evident. The DESIGN DISTRICT, in what is now known as the Midtown area is poised to become the poster child of sorts, for what is possible when carefully planned and designed neighborhoods are given the chance to consider all aspects of dynamic urbanism.

True to its name, the design district is, step by step, illustrating what will become a global model for excellence in contemporary architecture. Led by Craig Robins and his development company DACRA, this vision seems to be in very good hands. Robins first led a resurgence of Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road and transformed Allison island into the unique urban enclave today known as Aqua at Allison island. Robins’ exciting choice to invite many different architects to design both single family homes as well as midrise condos seems to have been a precursor to his strategy for the Design District. With luminaries such as Hariri & Hariri, and local brilliant designers such as Alan Shulman and Alison Spear, it seemed a venture guaranteed success.

While the earlier achievements of DACRA played out on the fertile grounds of the absurdly underappreciated Miami Beach, in the early nineties, the task of reinventing the Design District still goes on now as the red hot real estate market has undeniably cooled. The tranformation has in truth been a long steady process. World class showrooms of furniture and interiors products have one by one re-located to the district. Recently some of the most significant purveyors of exceptional contemporary design, Luminaire, and Ligne Roset, have joined the longtime retail strongholds Kartell, Abitare and Fendi CASA.

Many architecture and design firms transplanted themselves several years ago, at the very beginning of the changes, urban design pioneers, including Shulman and Oppenheim Architecture + Design, who are now slated to have no less than three major mixed use towers rise in the district. It was with the revolutionary plans for the Design District that Oppenheim stepped in an entirely new direction for the firm with the projects, CASA, CUBE and COR. While it remains to be seen, when and if we will these buildings rise. They will most certainly contribute to the area truly becoming a haven for savvy aesthetes.

As is the signature of DACRA development, several lesser known, yet stellar firms design firms have been asked to contribute to the final vision for this exciting neighborhood. Keenan/Riley have contributed design for several smaller buildings, including a hotel and a two story building for galleries to be fronting Biscayne Boulevard as the gateway into the Design District.

K/R

As is often referred to here at transitmiami.com, the smaller, pedestrian friendly edifices, are one of the most essential elements to creating a thriving neighborhood. Geared to walking and moving in and out of several retail establishments, at a scale that is conducive to just such activities, and as the visual representation of the neighborhood, the interesting architects Robins selected and the buildings designed for these parcels give great promise to the area. These come following in the footsteps of the much heralded Oak Plaza, one of the recent major steps in the districts future plan.

Miami has always had a unique tradition of both experimentation and excellence in design. A quality that many find as gratifying as the beautiful beaches and climate, and sets Miami apart from anywhere else in the U.S. Where else could be better for this legacy to continue than the Design District. From it’s earliest development to Art Deco. From Morris Lapidus’ influence with the Fountainebleu through the International Style and Miami Modernism and right up through the present with Arquitectonica and Oppenheim. While the building boom of towering condominiums may have reached its peak this actually makes way for the other work that needs to take place to make the great city a reality For small infill projects that will be the thread to hold the fabric of the new skyline together and create a livable city, a city used by its citizens, with the backdrop of a stunning skyline. Any number of designs such as this beautiful, forward thinking building by Columbia school of architecture instructor Craig Konyk, that invite, even insist on the interaction of people with there urban environment is the way to go.

Stupid Legislators: Patrick McHenry

Published

on August 9, 2007

in Bicycles, Congress, Congressman, North Carolina and Patrick McHenry

. 8 Comments

Republican Patrick McHenry, an ignoramus congressman from North Carolina is attempting to hamper efforts of other congressman who are writing a provision to encourage increase bicycle use. Apparently McHenry openly opposes the paltry $1 million proposition yet he openly favors wasting Billions more in Iraq, you know, “fighting the war on terror…”

The U.S. infrastructure is falling apart McHenry, quit wasting our money building a new one in Iraq…Bikes aren’t a solution, but, they are part of the puzzle…Here is an e-mail I received word for word from a loyal TM reader:

Last Saturday the House of Representatives passed Energy Independence legislation that amends a section of the IRS code to include “bicycles” in the definition of transportation covered by the qualified transportation fringe benefit.

Introduced earlier this year by Congressman Earl Blumenauer as H.R. 1498, the provision calls for a $20 monthly benefit for riding a bike to work.

However, according to Blumenauer, even this modest amount sparked some heated opposition — even ridicule — from other House lawmakers.

Patrick McHenry, a republican from North Carolina stood alongside the poster above and said bicycles were an “antiquated” solution to our energy crisis. He posted the video of his speech on his website with the title, “Congressman McHenry Slams Democrats’ Antiquated Energy Plan.”

Here are excerpts from his statement on the House floor:

“A major component of the Democrats’ energy legislation and the Democrats’ answer to our energy crisis is, hold on, wait one minute, wait one minute, it is promoting the use of the bicycle.

Oh, I cannot make this stuff up. Yes, the American people have heard this. Their answer to our fuel crisis, the crisis at the pumps, is: Ride a bike.

Democrats believe that using taxpayer funds in this bill to the tune of $1 million a year should be devoted to the principle of: “Save energy, ride a bike.”

Some might argue that depending on bicycles to solve our energy crisis is naive, perhaps ridiculous. Some might even say Congress should use this energy legislation to create new energy, bring new nuclear power plants on line, use clean coal technology, energy exploration, but no, no.

They want to tell the American people, stop driving, ride a bike. This is absolutely amazing.

Apparently, the Democrats believe that the miracle on two wheels that we know as a bicycle will end our dependence on foreign oil. I cannot make this stuff up. It is absolutely amazing.

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the Democrats, promoting 19th century solutions to 21st century problems. If you don’t like it, ride a bike. If you don’t like the price at the pumps, ride a bike.

Stay tuned for the next big idea for the Democrats: Improving energy efficiency by the horse and buggy.”

Apologies/News Briefs

Published

on August 8, 2007

in Arts, Bay Heights, Commission, Coral Springs, Downtown, Lifestyle, Max Tower, Media, Miami, Miami 21, Pedestrians, Port of Miami and US-1

. 2 Comments

We here at Transit Miami, would like to issue a heartfelt, sincere apology to our dedicated readers for our less than stellar content contribution lately. Each of us is currently wound up in our personal affairs and have naturally failed to allocate enough time to writing comprehensive, detailed articles on the latest transit/development issues. Fortunately for us, the past few weeks have been tame on the news fronts in these areas. Transit Miami readers, things will get better, I can attest to that. Our dedication is still as strong as the day we started this blog and our continued effort will be a testament to that. We have some exciting articles on the way and are working hard to instill the ideals of Transit Miami into the lives of every Miamian…

Some latest worthwhile stories:

City of Miami Commissioners foolishly rejected a plan to fund their $50 Million share of the port of Miami tunnel. A plan that would remove thousands of daily trucks, buses, and cars from the congested downtown streets somehow isn’t seen as a valuable enough asset worth of community development money. A word of advice to the commissioner who voted against the plan: try walking along these streets or open a sidewalk café at one of the new high-rises along Biscayne Boulevard and you’ll quickly see what kind of benefit the tunnel will provide the neighborhood…

Max Tower on the Way? We certainly hope so…The proposed 31 story tower rising in the media and arts district would provide just that; Media and Arts. The tower would become a hub for local production providing ample recording studio space and other media oriented amenities. It may be too late to save NBC, ABC, or CBS from abandoning the district but, hey who knows maybe we can begin to recentralize ourselves again?

Finally! The hideous pink wall along US-1 and the Bay Heights is set to receive a worthy makeover…

What’s life like in downtown? The Herald profiles some residents happy about their lifestyles changes…

First Quadrant of Coral Springs’ “downtown” starts coming to life…

Samuel Poole III shares his thoughts on Miami 21 and you know what? He’s right on the money…

Newsweek: Global Warming Denial Industry Exposed

Published