Comments on: Miracle Mile Streetscape Meeting

By: Mari Molina, BID of Coral Gables

Mari Molina, BID of Coral Gables — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:04:21 +0000

Great to see all the activity and comments about Miracle Mile and Giralda Streetscape. Please note that the scenarios and presentation are actually at: http://streetscape.shopcoralgables.com/

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:51:47 +0000

Here are all the scenerios being considered:
http://streetscape.shopcoralgables.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/streetscape-scenarios_complete-setr.pdf

By: JM Palacios

JM Palacios — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:12:11 +0000

lol, Mike, we all “have to be weary of the other.” Isn’t that already the case? I’m weary of all those motorists.

I know you meant “wary,” (though aware might have been a better choice) but that one cracked me up.

I agree with Mike, btw. I’m not familiar with the area, but if it is as you describe, encouraging bicyclists and motorists to share the space is good.

Bicycle lanes are good only to the extent that they keep motorists from getting slowed down, keeping them happier and less likely to harass bicyclists. They only offer a perceived safety benefit, not a real one. If we want to pull traffic speeds down near bicycle speeds, then it makes sense to let the two share the lane.

Yesterday I rode through two school zones on my way to and from jury duty. It’s wonderful riding in the middle of the lane going the same speed as the cars.

By: Gabriel Lopez-Bernal

Gabriel Lopez-Bernal — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:54:58 +0000

Given the close, short blocks located along the Miracle Mile, I would suggest Sharrows as well. Traffic is fairly calm already along this stretch to begin with and I think the city should work to emphasize pedestrians as much as possible. Ideally, I’d even like to see the medians reduced somewhat in size too.

Clearly the diagonal parking has to go. I’m not sure how large the ROW is here, but even switching to parallel parking should add some considerable realty space to the sidewalks.

Didn’t a streetcar originally pass through here linking the two downtowns? Imagine what a great urban district we’d still have along Coral Way if this route still existed today!

I’ve always seen Coral Way as a potential gem Between the two downtowns. Unfortunately curb cuts and autocentric designs are causing a rapid deterioration east of the mile…

By: Mike Lydon

Mike Lydon — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:43:00 +0000

Yes ET, you are correct in that NE 2nd is a major north-south route, but it can still move everyone it needs to, while also slowing people down in the DD. It’s a place where for three blocks, bicyclists, and transit can share the space effectively with pedestrians. the other XX amount of blocks remain rather inhospitable, so why don’t we alter the typical response to deal with a special condition within the city of Miami?

Think of it almost like a woonerf, where there is no real truly designated assignments, but a more shared type of environment where all users have to be weary of the other. No on-street parking and bicycle lanes will encourage the opposite response.

By: Tony Garcia

Tony Garcia — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:12:58 +0000

Emperor T, I understand your position, and think that our goals are aligned. We are not saying that sharrows are better or worse than bike lanes qualitatively speaking. They are two methods toward the goal creating a bike network (in the same way there are different types of roads for cars).

On-street parking is not the enemy of the cyclist. It is an important part successful urbanism. The benefit it provides to merchants and people on the sidewalk far outweigh the cost to cyclists, which is negligible. Bikes and cars need to share the road. This is about finding a balance between the two.

By: Emperor Tomato

Emperor Tomato — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:50:53 +0000

With NE2nd Ave it’s about moving people as well as creating a place. That is one of the main arteries that goes from downtown to north miami. While the design district placemaking has occured on the sidestreets that are pedestrian friendly and have wide sidewalks, landscaping, nice decorative lighting, and outdoor dining. You do have sucessful shops and restaurants on the sidestreets and that is partially because of the character of the streets. These streets are not intended to move large numbers of cars, and that creates a comfortable environment for pedestrians.
Whereas NE 2nd Ave will create a main street feel for the area while still moving large numbers of cars, providing parking, bike lanes, and possibly a streetcar. This will make the place that you are talking about, and will encourage people to take another means of transit which I know your a proponent of, rather than looping around looking for on street parking to parallel park into on a major arterie.
As for sharrows, I do like the idea but I do see it as a downgrade in the sense that it is going from a designated bike lane to an undesignated bike lane. I see it more as an upgrade of competition, and is ideal for cyclists that are more sophisticated.

By: mike lydon

mike lydon — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:59:36 +0000

Ugh! Its not about moving people, It’s about PLACEMAKING! If shops and restaurants don’t succeed, we don’t have good places. Simple as that.

It’s not a downgrade, do not think of it like that. It’s a contextual change, I see it as in upgrade in sophistication, one that provides the best of both worlds. Removing parking in a surface parking lot and converting to a more productive, street-activating use would be making it more pedestrian friendly, simply removing the parallel parking for the free-flow of vehicles most certainly does not.

By: Emperor Tomato

Emperor Tomato — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:56:53 +0000

If on-street parking takes priority to moving of vehicles whether cars or bikes, then there are several roadways we will never see bike lanes on particularly Alton Rd. The Miami Beach commission has made it their demand to keep on street parking even though there is sufficient neighborhood parking around Alton Rd because they make a ton of money on those meters. So even though FDOT purpose is to move vehicles their purpose takes a back seat to parking.
On NE 2nd Ave there is a garage being built around the corner from the area you are mentioning. In this situation where you are building the longest continuous bike lane in the city of Miami, it would be a shame to downgrade it for 3 blocks to a sharrow, providing less safety than dedicated bike lanes do. I don’t think it should be considered ramming it down this area if anything it will make the street more pedestrian friendly than having double the onstreet parking. Considering how many people ride in this area, it makes sense to incorporate bike lanes.

By: FIU student

FIU student — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:57:53 +0000

It’s time for the diagonal parking to go. I think there’s plenty of parking in the immediate Coral Gables area that are suffice for the area’s demands.