It’s that time of year again, folks . . . Time to give yourself a break from the self-imposed captivity of the automobile and reintroduce yourself to that two-wheeled stallion eagerly waiting to transport you to wherever your heart desires (and, in this case, even that place you may not wish to be: work).
Friday, May 18 is National Bike to Work Day!
In fact, this entire week (May 14 – May 18) is National Bike to Work Week, one of many events being held in celebration of National Bike Month. (Here in Florida, our official Bike Month is celebrated in March.)
The City of Miami’s Bicycle Coordinator, Mr. Collin Worth, has done a great job organizing some group rides for Bike to Work Day. At least two group rides have been planned for commuters working in the City of Miami.
The first ride starts in Coral Gables and ends downtown in the Health District (click on the link for route map and details):
ROUTE #1: Coral Gables to the Health District via the M-Path
Start Location: University Metrorail Station
Start Time: 7:00am
Stop Location: Health District
Stop Time: 7:40-8:00am (depending on group comfort level)
Total Distance: ~9 miles
The second ride starts in Miami Beach and ends in Coconut Grove (click on the link for route map and details):
ROUTE #2: Miami Beach to Coconut Grove via the Venetian Causeway
Start Location: South Point Park
Start Time: 7:00am
Stop Location: Coconut Grove
Stop Time: ~7:50-8:10am (depending on group comfort level)
Total Distance: ~12 miles
And, of course, any rider wishing to join can simply meet-up with the groups anywhere along the way . . .
So break from the routine of stop-and-go traffic and miserable motorists. Hop on that bike of yours and get to work in style, with a cool breeze in your face as the sun rises to what will certainly be a very non-routine day. It could very well change your life . . .
The M-Path is, without a doubt, one of Miami’s top bicycle amenities. Officially called the Metropath, the corridor was recently acknowledged by FDOT consultant Stewart Robertson as, “the most connected, non-motorized path in Miami-Dade County.” The path has been the subject of numerous Transit Miami posts over the years, where we have advocated for both long and short-term changes that will improve connectivity along the path, including better crosswalks, repaving and straightening.
Luckily, city officials are realizing what an asset the M-path is, and are busy implementing parts of the 2007 M-Path Master Plan, as evidenced by the recent celebration of the M-Path south extension on April 5 where Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez officially inaugurated the path’s newly-minted Dadeland sections (including the new pedestrian bridge over the Snapper Creek expressway).
Politicians Don't Forget: People not only walk with their feet . . . they vote with their feet too!
With all the attention being paid to the M-Path, we wanted to go back to review the action items from the 2007 Master Plan, and compare that plan with the proposed M-path improvement project(s). The projects, recently presented to members of the Miami-Dade Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee by FDOT consultant Stewart Robertson, include short- and long-term improvements being made to the path.
The short term improvements prescribed by the 2007 plan include:
- resurfacing critical sections,
- providing advance warning signals and re-striping crosswalks,
- installing north/south directional signs, as well as signage indicating distances to Metrorail stations,
- installing ‘STOP’ pavement markings near intersections,
- marking precarious and sight-limited meandering (curving) sections,
- constructing the path’s missing links at the University of Miami parking lot sections,
- realigning the path at the South Miami Metrorail station and closing the existing sidewalk (identified as a “high crime area” in the Master Plan),
- installing emergency call boxes at these “high crime areas”,
- implementing encroachment prevention measures, and
- applying development standards during site plan review and approval.
The long term projects found in the 2007 Master Plan include:
- realigning overly meandering parts of the path,
- widening the path to 12-feet,
- installing countdown pedestrian signals,
- reconfiguring intersection layouts (to include, e.g., crosswalk realignments, refuge islands, raised intersections, bollards, etc.),
- installing lighting along the path,
- enhancing landscaping along the path,
- providing way-finding signage to the Metrorail stations,
- constructing a non-motorized bridge at the Coral Gables Waterway (the canal crossed by the path via an extremely narrow bridge along Ponce de Leon Boulevard), and
- coordinating a property/easement exchange with the occupant of the lot adjacent to the path at Bird (SW 40th Street) and Douglas (SW 37th Avenue) Roads.
According to Robertson, 9 of the 10 short-term improvements have either been addressed, or will be addressed within the next two years through a series of upcoming projects. While we don’t know where, when, and how most of these 9 short-term improvements are to be made, the current capital projects will include resurfacing those portions of the path where asphalt has crumbled, reinforcing those sidewalk sections of path (typically found near Metrorail stations) where tree roots have cracked the concrete, and realigning excessive curves along the path.
M-Path Disjunction = M-Path Disfunction
In some cases these curves block two-way visibility along the path and contribute to the path’s many disjointed sections. In addition to straightening the path, attention will be paid to intersections critical for connectivity. Notable path alignment and crosswalk improvements mentioned in the presentation include SW 19th Avenue (which will involve a re-milling of hilly topography), SW 22nd Avenue, SW 24th Avenue, the parking-lot sections along the path near the University of Miami, and SW 80th Street.
Abrupt disjunctions, like the one here at SW 37th Ave. (Douglas Road), are common for the M-Path.
Intersection enhancements include the widening of curb ramps to the width of the M-Path itself (as was done in the path’s newly constructed and re-constructed southern Dadeland sections), and the painting of high-emphasis/high-impact (‘ladder’) crosswalks. The M-Path Master Plan also prescribes that the new crosswalks be 12 feet in width and further accentuated with supplemental coloring (i.e., with green paint). No clear verbal indication was made by Robertson as to whether these width and color enhancements are included in the proposed projects, though they were depicted in some of the figures contained in his presentation.
Without question, the safety, accessibility, and connectivity of the M-Path – our community’s most prized shared-use path – will improve.
However, a notoriously daunting and dangerous problem continues to plague the M-Path: automobiles encroach onto the crosswalks — where and if present — linking the path.
Numerous examples of this can be found, especially at intersections with major arterials like SW 27th Avenue, SW 67th Avenue, and SW 32 Avenue, although they occur at every street crossing the path. Motorists at these cross-streets turning-onto US-1 (or turning right from US-1) advance their vehicles into the crosswalks without consideration, obstructing the passage of M-Path walkers, joggers, skaters, bikers, and those in wheel-chairs.
Crosswalk ≠ Crossdrive
Please remove your gas-guzzling, smog-emitting tanks from our crosswalks . . .
Transit Miami strongly advocates for a very simple solution: A Miami-Dade County ordinance and/or Florida-wide law prohibiting right turns at red lights abutting at intersections abutting any multi-use facility, such as the Metrorail-Path.
The forthcoming implementation of some of the short- and long-term improvements laid-out in the 2007 M-Path Master Plan is exciting, and will undoubtedly transform our community’s experience on the M-Path for recreational, commuting, and overall transportation purposes. We give these projects a Transit Miami thumbs up!
Myth: Bicycling is a fringe activity in Miami.
Our pic of the day shoots down that idea pretty fast.
Fun facts:
40% – Percentage of U.S. adults that would commute by bike
if safe facilities were available (1995 Rodale Press Poll)
40% – Percentage of all trips in America that are shorter than 2 miles = a 10-minute bike ride or a 30-minute walk (1995 NPTS)
Having just celebrated their one year anniversary, the burgeoning scene of Miami Bike Polo is more than just a game – it’s about community, social connections, bicycle culture and even a few adult beverages.
Interested in playing? Coming out for a BBQ? Watching? Meeting some new friends? Come check out Miami Bike Polo at Riverside Park in East Little Havana every Friday from 6pm to 10pm and Sundays 1 pm to 8ish-pm.
Check out MPB on Facebook and @MiamiBikePolo on Twitter.
Call it Miami’s finest “Dutch Treat”.
In what turned out to be a momentous night for cycling in Miami, nearly 2,000 Miamians attended The “Go Dutch! Orange Bike-In Festival” after April’s Critical Mass bicycle ride on Friday, April 27 at Grand Central Park.
The start of Critical Mass at Government Center. Photo by Jimmy Tejada.
The Consulate of the Netherlands co-hosted the event with a variety of other sponsors in celebration the Dutch national holiday “Queens Day”. The free event was billed as a celebration of “Dutch culture, sustainable living and Miami’s growing and dynamic cycling scene.”
800 orange t-shirts were distributed for free (and quickly claimed) at the beginning of the ride at Government Center, courtesy of Grolsch lager. Cyclists wearing the t-shirts were treated to a discount on Grolsch drafts later at the festival.
Riders were encouraged to arrive in Dutch-inspired outfits for the “orange costume contest” with grand prize of a custom bike from Republic Bike. DJ’s provided the tunes and popular downtown restaurants including Elwoods Gastro Pub, Sparky’s Roadside BBQ, Kork Wine & Cheese, and Puntino were on hand to offer eats to hungry cyclists.
The Green Mobility Network provided free bicycle valet free-of-charge and volunteers from the Magic City Bicycle Collective were set-up to demonstrate simple bike repairs and maintenance. There was even a giant contraption called the “Cycle Party” which was essentially a big pedal-powered group vehicle that made it’s way around the park, full of eager participants.
Cyclists filled Grand Central park for the event. Photo by Collin Worth.
The Dutch-themed event was a collaborative effort between Grolsch, The Miami Bike Scene, the Downtown Miami Partnership, the Consulate General of The Netherlands, and the Omni Parkwest Redevelopment Association (OPRA). With this event, the Dutch consulate continued to encourage Miamians to further embrace cycling as transportation, as they also sponsored the ThinkBike Workshop last May.
The event was a tremendous success despite a few logistical problems – especially the long lines for beer that thirsty riders had to endure after a 12 mile ride! However, even a little rain could not suppress the energy brought by nearly 2,000 cyclists that found their way to Grand Central park after a 12-mile cruise through Little Havana, Coral Gables and downtown Miami.
The whole evening made me wonder if this was perhaps the most important night for cycling in Miami in recent memory. When we turn out to vote in local elections, there is no box that says “make my city bicycle-friendly”. But seeing so many Miamians turn out for a bicycle ride in their city and to celebrate the Dutch culture that so widely-embraces cycling is perhaps the closest thing we can do to “vote”. After all, the best way to be a bicycle advocate is to simply ride your bike.
And ride we did. Hopefully, Miami-Dade officials are taking notice.
If you’ve spent the past four years of your life without purpose because Fort Lauderdale did not have their annual Air and Sea Show, then I’m sure you are attending the Air Show this Saturday or Sunday. Or maybe you’re just coming for the fun of it. Either way, as die hard fans of transportation that avoids automobiles, we’re here to fill you in on how to get there without driving. Parking at places like the Galleria Mall costs $20 and is pretty scarce anyway.
Bicycle:
Bicycle valet parking will be available at Sunrise Blvd. and A1A. New River Wesleyan Church, where this writer happens to be the youth director, along with Cycle Mobility, are hosting the bicycle valet service. There will be a $5 charge to valet park your bicycle, and the service will be available between 8 AM and 4:30 PM. The show organizers have also informed us that there will be self serve bicycle racks at all three entrances to the show. Don’t forget that you can plan your bicycle route to the air show using the Broward Bike Trip Planner.
Transit:
The Sun Trolley’s Las Olas route will be running, and may be a good bet as it connects downtown and the Broward Central Terminal to the beach area. You can always take Tri-Rail to the Fort Lauderdale Station and connect via BCT to the downtown terminal, then switch over to the Sun Trolley. Check the BCT home page for information on some routes that have been modified to get around the air show area. Otherwise Google Maps Transit directions work well for planning your route.
Join us for a memorial bicycle ride this Sunday to celebrate the life of Miguel Angel Rocafort, who was killed in a hit-and-run crash while riding his bicycle on April 5th. The 12 mile ride will begin at 10 a.m, starting at SW 122nd Avenue and SW 128th Street in Kendall.
Thanks to Safe Streets Miami and the Green Mobility Network for organizing the ride. We wish it could be for a happier occasion.
The motorist who struck Rocafort has not been found.
Just how supportive were our local officials?
As Florida Bike Month has come and gone, Transit Miami commissioned a “Twitter Audit” of local authorities and their official Twitter accounts to examine if they used the tool to promote or mention it during the month of March. We’ll even give them credit if they mentioned anything relating to bicycling or safe streets during the period.
Here are the results for March.
Scoreboard:
@MiamiDistrict2 : 3
March 7th – Advocacy is important – pick candidates that respect pedestrians and bicyclists, says Comm. @MarcSarnoff
March 7th – At the SafeStreetsMiami Forum with City of Miami Comm. @MarcSarnoff and Miami-Dade Comm. Suarez.
March 7th – Safe Streets Miami forum tonight about pedestrian & bicycle safety. @MarcSarnoff & M-DC Comm Suarez will speak @ 7pm @ O Cinema, 90 NW 29 St
City of Miami District 2 tweeted during the Safe Streets Forum on March 7th.
@MarcSarnoff (City of Miami Commissioner, District 2) : 1
March 7th – I’ll be speaking tonight at the Safe Streets Miami forum. Join me and M-D County Comm. Suarez at 7pm at O Cinema, 90 NW 29 St., in Wynwood.
@MiamiDadePD: 1
March 22 – The Annual Shark Valley bicycle ride will be held on Saturday, March 31, 2012, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
@MYFDOT_Miami (FL Dept. of Transportation District 6) : 0
(Yet MyFDOT_Miami had 9 tweets related to motorcycles, including 2 for Daytona Bike Week (as in motorcycles) , which is located 247 miles from the border of District 6. Whose FDOT are you anyhow?)
@MyFDOT: 0
@CityofMiami: 0
@FLGovScott: 0
@MiamiBeachNews (Official Account of the City of Miami Beach Government) : 0
Updated:
Thanks to Transit Miami friend Eddy Stevens-Torrealba from Miami Bike Report for submitting these updates.
@FDHSMV (Official Twitter feed of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles): 0
@PinecrestFL: 1
Join us for the 2012 Bike Day at Pinecrest Gardens on March 24th – #constantcontact http://conta.cc/wWCEu1
@CityofDoral: 1
City of Doral, Florida – City of Doral Receives $1 million Grant for Bikeway Project http://fb.me/19l3PK5xK
@CityofHomestead: 0 (but tweeted back in February about Greenway Bike Fest)
So far, we have not seen a single mention seen one tweet (@PincrestFL) specific to Florida bicycle month during our audit. Many officials do not even have Twitter of Facebook accounts, highlighting a significant disconnect between how people share information and communicate in the 21st century. Utilizing social media to promote initiatives like Florida Bike Month is the “low hanging fruit” for local officials to engage their communities.
Know of any we are missing? Let us know at the Transit Miami inbox and we’ll look into it and add the results here.
On April 1st, the Miami Marlins and Florida Department of Transportation announced an exciting public-private partnership to prioritize bicycle transportation to the new Marlins Ballpark. Transit Miami received word that Marlins President David Samson and FDOT District 6 will team up to fund and construct a protected, 2 mile “cycle track” that will link Government Center in Downtown Miami with Marlins Park, set for completion by August 2012.
Artist rendering of the future cycle track on Flagler St.
As a solution to the anticipated parking and transit woes at the new stadium, the Marlins and FDOT mutually agreed that encouraging safe, active transportation is the most obvious and sensible option for area residents. Both Marlins and FDOT officials anticipate a surge in casual ridership on non-game days as well, as the facility will provide a designated route separated from motorized traffic along the two mile pathway, suitable for commuters and recreational cyclists alike.
Tens of thousands of potential fans live in the booming downtown area, two miles east of the new ballpark. The cycle track will give them a safe, enjoyable way of getting there.
When the cycle track is completed later this summer, the Marlins also announced that for weekend games, team mascot “Billy the Marlin” will lead a family-oriented group bicycle ride on the cycle track to the ballpark from the Government Center Metrorail station. Dubbed the “Playoff Peleton”, the escorted ride will provide fans with a chance to “Bike With Billy” for an entertaining and hassle-free way to the stadium.
Free bicycle valet service will also be available, an upgrade to the “wave” style racks currently installed inside the surrounding parking garages. The Marlins have donated one of the vacant retail spaces in the north parking garage to the newly formed Magic City Bicycle Collective until an official lease is signed. Inside, volunteers will provide free, secure bicycle parking as well as performing basic repairs and maintenance. With the free valet service, Marlins Park joins Wrigley Field in Chicago, AT&T Park in San Francisco, Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. and Minute Maid Park in Houston as another MLB stadium offering bicycle valets.
The free, attended bicycle valet at Marlins Park ahead of opening day.
The cycle track and bike valet are complements to the new stadium’s LEED Silver designation (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) “There is nothing less LEED-y than driving an automobile to the game. Bike with Billy instead!”, said the Marlins press release on the cycle track.
“Helping build this valuable community amenity just makes sense,” said a Marlins representative. “Heck, it only costs about 1% of Jose Reyes’s salary!”
Transit Miami applauds the Marlins and FDOT for their sensible gestures of good will in accommodating the surging numbers of casual cyclists in Miami seeking to use bicycles as a safe, healthy transportation option. The protected cycle track signifies the city of Miami is joining the ranks of modernity in providing bicycle riders with world-class infrastructure they have been pleading for. An FDOT representative also expressed delight that the agency is finally embracing non-motorized transportation options on a broad-scale across Miami-Dade County.
In other news, Transit Miami Films will be screening new features at both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals for 2012. (To be even more clear – this is an April Fools joke.)
Discussion reveals frustration with FDOT as a common thread, and a maturing Complete Streets advocacy movement.
O Cinema in Wynwood was packed to the rafters last night for the SafeStreetsMiami Forum – a public meeting organized by the Green Mobility Network to engage elected officials, government employees and the general public on how to make Miami-Dade County roads safer for all road users.
The meeting comes on the heels of the Bicycle Safety Summit on February 29th, organized by Commissioner Xavier Suarez after the death of cyclist Aaron Cohen on the Rickenbacker Causeway.
Wednesday night’s forum allowed attendees to submit written questions directed to the panelists, including Miami-Dade Bicycle Coordinator David Henderson, and Jeff Cohen from the Traffic Engineering Division of Miami-Dade County Public Works, City of Miami Bicycle Coordinator Collin Worth, City of Miami District 2 Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, Miami-Dade District 7 Xavier Suarez, and representatives from Miami-Dade Transit.
Collin Worth makes the case for complete streets.
The written questions created a more directed, poignant conversation, in contrast to the free-flowing public input at the District 7 Bicycle Safety Summit. The Q/A format allowed public officials to answer directly to the folks who use the streets. The Safe Streets Forum was about showing our elected officials that there is a strong and growing bicycle constituency, and that real changes need to be made in the way that we design our streets.
Over the course of the evening, one common thread emerged – that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is one of the largest roadblocks to implementing more complete streets throughout the county. Roads including Biscayne Boulevard, Brickell Avenue, Coral Way and the MacArthur Causeway, among many others, are ‘state roads’ and fall under the jurisdiction of the FDOT, who adhere to arcane, auto-centric standards ill-suited for safe streets in an urban setting.
Commissioner Sarnoff explained his frustration with the FDOT, particularly on the issue of Brickell Avenue. Together with Transitmiami, Commissioner Sarnoff has lobbied FDOT District 6 Secretary Gus Pego hard for a safer 30 mph speed limit for Brickell Ave, while Pego and the FDOT are opposed. As Sarnoff explained, the FDOT prioritizes moving cars as fast as possible, rather than accommodating – in FDOT speak – “non-motorized units”.
“I will treat Brickell as a neighborhood, while FDOT will only treat it as a pass through,” said Sarnoff.
FDOT District 6 Sec. Gus Pego views people as "non-motorized units"
Sarnoff and others stressed the importance of continued advocacy and maintaining pressure on officials and agencies like the FDOT. He also suggested that local advocates form a Political Action Committee (PAC) to support candidates that align with their goals.
We are happy that Sarnoff suggested increased public pressure on the FDOT for more pedestrian and bicycle friendly streets. We support this call, as we at Transit Miami have been some of the loudest, most consistent voices in demanding change at the FDOT (only to receive information that TransitMiami.com is blocked from FDOT computers).
The first step in knowing you have a problem is denial.
Additionally, no one from the FDOT attended the forum. (surprise, surprise)
One question asked was what could be done to improve the pedestrian experience of NW 36th street, which divides Miami’s pedestrian-friendly Midtown and Design District neighborhoods with an intimidating wall of roaring traffic and scant crosswalks.
“It’s a state road,” said Collin Worth, who also expressed frustration at the FDOT’s reluctance to fully embrace “non-motorized units” as a priority in roadway design.
“Sitting outside a restaurant there is harrowing,” said Worth.
A map of pedestrian fatalities in Miami-Dade county shows the problem is widespread though out the city and county. “It’s a problem, that affects everyone, all neighborhoods, all ethnic groups,” said David Henderson of Miami-Dade MPO.
Pedestrian Fatalities in Central Miami 2001-2009
But a closer examination reveals a chilling fact – the most dangerous streets for pedestrians are clearly FDOT roads, with dense clusters of pedestrian fatalities along Flagler Street, Calle Ocho and along US-1.
The meeting did include information on some exciting plans that are in the works. The most interesting of which included:
- Progress on a bike-sharing system like DecoBike for the City of Miami. The current plans call for 50 stations and 500 bikes from Coconut Grove to Midtown, focused mostly on the eastern side of Miami. The plans are currently making their way through the various government approval processes.
- Preliminary plans for a “Miami Bike Station” – a centrally located downtown facility where bike commuters could securely park their bicycles, use a locker and shower after a ride to work. No timeline was given on this project.
- A plan for a protected bike lane/cycle track design on North Miami Avenue is being worked on by city and county officials.
We also applaud the public officials involved for finally engaging the bicycle community. Hearing Commissioner Xavier Suarez at the Bicycle Safety Summit say “We have a paradigm shift going on, and if we don’t recognize it, we’re not serving our constituents,” is a fundamental shift in the political dialogue. Together, with groups like Green Mobility Network taking the lead, we can bring complete streets advocacy to the next level in Miami-Dade County.
A summit coordinated by Xavier L. Suarez, Miami-Dade County Commissioner, District 7; has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 29, 2012, at 10:00 AM, to discuss bicycle safety on Rickenbacker Causeway and other areas within District 7. Elected officials from Key Biscayne, City of Miami, and Coral Gables will be in attendance.
Details
Bicycle Safety Summit
Wednesday, February 29th – 10:00am
Government Center
111 NW First Street – 2nd Floor Press Room
Miami, FL 33128
Miami-Dade District 7 is home to some of the most popular - and most dangerous - cycling routes in Miami.
Transit Miami will be covering this meeting and will post a complete recap afterwards.
Bicycle memorial on the Rickenbacker Causeway. Photo courtesy of Ivan Santiago.
In communities across the country, open streets initiatives are redefining citizens’ relationships with public spaces and encouraging millions of Americans to get active. To foster the growth and development of these exciting initiatives, the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the Street Plans Collaborative have launched two new, innovative resources: The Open Streets Project website and the Open Streets Guide.
Open streets initiatives temporarily close streets to automobiles, allowing residents to walk, bike, skate, dance and utilize the roadways in countless creative and active ways. From Los Angeles to Ottawa, and Missoula to Miami, open streets have become a way for cities to build community, promote active transportation and reconnect neighborhoods divided by traffic.
The website, www.OpenStreetsProject.org, showcases dozens of current initiatives across the continent and allows municipalities and advocacy organizations to share information and resources on their open streets initiatives as they evolve and expand. The Open Streets Guide features best practices from 67 initiatives across the continent, and serves as a tool for cities looking to start or grow an open streets initiative. Click here to download the free electronic copy of the guide. A print version will be available on March 21, 2012 at www.OpenStreetsProject.org.
“Open Streets initiatives are transformational for people and their communities,” said Jeffrey Miller, Alliance President/CEO. “When communities open their streets to people, they inspire citizens to see their roads as public spaces, and provide a welcoming gateway for residents to engage in healthy lifestyles and active transportation.”
“The Open Streets Project aims to support these exciting initiatives by providing advocates and organizers a comprehensive overview of organizational and implementation strategies,” said Mike Lydon, Principal of The Street Plans Collaborative. “We believe the Project will be a catalyst for the continued growth of the open streets in communities across the continent.”
If your city or organization has information to share about an open streets initiative in your community, please contact Mike Samuelson, Alliance Open Streets Coordinator, at (202) 449-9692 x7 or mike@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.
We will be meeting at 8:30am at the Bayfront Park Fountain on Biscayne Blvd & Flagler Street in downtown Miami. Pedals up 8:45am. We will be riding as a group in honor of fellow cyclist Aaron Cohen who was struck and killed by a hit & run driver. The group will ride towards Key Biscayne via Brickell Avenue and up the William Powell Bridge were Aaron was struck. Between 9am-10am the police will have the south side of the Rickenbacker Causeway closed to motor vehicles. Please spread the word to the cycling and running community. It’s unfortunate we have to come together due to a tragic event.
This article was first posted two years ago (Febuary 2, 2010) after Christophe Le Canne was killed on the Rickenbacker Causeway. Since then not a single one of our recommendations has been implemented. How many more lives must we lose on the Rickebacker Causeway before the County Public Works Department does something to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians? This is not rocket science. An unprotected bike lane adjacent to a highway with cars speeding in excess of 65mph is simply NOT a good idea.
The Rickenbacker Causeway is similar to Chicago’s Lakeshore Drive; everyday thousands of people descend upon our beautiful causeway for recreational purposes. This is particularly evident on Saturday and Sunday mornings when runners, walkers, rollerbladers, parents with strollers and bicyclists come in droves to exercise. The Rickenbacker Causeway recently completed a major resurfacing project. Unfortunately, this resurfacing project only really considered the needs of motorists.
The Rickenbacker Causeway/Key Biscayne already has several parks/attractions. These attractions include:
- Miami Seaquarium
- Crandon Park/Tennis Center
- Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
- Mast Academy
In addition, the Miami Marine Stadium is slated to be renovated and Virginia Key will be converted into a major urban park, which will also include several miles of mountain bike trails. We have an exhaustive inventory of attractions/parks in close proximity that requires safe connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Pedestrians (runners, walkers, rollerbladers, and parents with strollers) have been relegated to using a multiuse path that has many dangerous intersections. In addition, this multiuse path is often shared with bicyclists that do not feel comfortable riding in the bicycle lane. The bicyclists’ discomfort is justifiable; the bicycle lane is placed adjacent to the roadway without adequate protection from speeding cars.
Crosswalks on the Rickenbacker Causeway are poorly marked. If and when crosswalks do exist, they are dangerous to cross. Crossing a 6 lane highway is pretty tough to do if you are healthy person. Imagine if you are a parent with children, disabled or an elderly person trying to cross the Rickenbacker Causeway. You will need Lady Luck on your side.
Most would agree that something needs to be done to improve the safety for all users, including motorists, which often travel at high speeds.
There will be no cheap or easy fix for the Rickenbacker Causeway. Short term safety enhancements need to be made urgently, but at the same time we need to have a long term goal for the Rickenbacker Causeway. Below you will find the short and long term goals that Transit Miami will be advocating for.
Short Term Goals for the Rickenbacker Causeway
- Enforcement of the 45 mph speed limit
- Reduce speed limit to 35 mph
- Close the right lane of traffic in both directions on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6:00 am to 10:00am.
- Better signage
- Motorist and bicyclist education campaign
Long Term Goals for the Rickenbacker Causeway
A major capital improvements project needs to happen and all users must be considered. Below are a few of the major improvements that need to occur:
- Paint bicycle lanes green (see below: intersections should include peg-a-traking and Chevron arrows)
- Create a 3 foot unprotected buffer between the roadway and the bicycle lane
- Major road diet. Narrowing of traffic lanes to discourage speeding (11 foot lane)
- Proper crosswalks, with stop lights, that can be activated by pedestrians.(see below: off-setting crosswalks)
- A separate path for pedestrians (pedestrians and bicyclist should not coexist)
- Consider physical separation as a feature in dangerous areas such as bridges and marked buffers along trajectory of bike lane
- Motorist and bicyclist education campaign
Our County Public Works Department has a real opportunity to show their residents that they value safe recreation for all users. It should begin with the most popular destination for pedestrians and bicyclists in South Florida.
If you believe that the design of the Rickenbacker Causeway needs to be improved please send Esther Calas, Director of the County Public Works Department, an email and ask for a safer Rickenbacker Causeway for all users. (ecalas@miamidade.gov)
Peg-a-traking and Chevron arrows
Crosswalk is off-set in the median so pedestrians will be oriented toward oncoming traffic. Source: Abu Dhabi Urban Street Design Manual
Emerge Miami hosted another family-friendly bicycle ride on Saturday afternoon to celebrate the recently striped bicycle lanes on South Miami Avenue in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood.
Around 70 cyclists came out for the “Brickell Neighborhood Bike Ride and Celebration”, a leisurely-paced ride that took riders through downtown Miami, Coral Way and the Brickell neighborhood.
A noteworthy aspect along the four mile route was that nearly every pavement segment was marked for cyclists in some fashion – either by striped lanes or “sharrows” – the shared-lane markings that remind motorists to ‘share the road’ with bicycles. Other features spotted along the way included bicycle-specific way-finding markers and “Bicycles May Use Full Lane” signs.
The ride ended at El Vato Tequila and Taco Bar in Brickell. Special thanks to El Vato manager Juan Angulo, who offered food and drink specials to cyclists as well as reserving the parking spaces outside the restaurant so riders could form an on-street bicycle parking corral!
Here are 26 bicycles fitting in the space of two cars outside El Vato. The makeshift bicycle corral attracted the attention of pedestrians and passing motorists alike, while opening up the view for customers seated outside beyond parked vehicles.
“This was really enjoyable. If you told me ten years ago that an event like this would happen in Miami I wouldn’t believe it,” said rider Andrew Jacque, as he reflected after the ride on the emerging bicycle culture in Miami. The group was not limited to Miami locals either. A visiting couple from Montana found the event details online and figured it would be a fun and interesting way to explore the city.
In addition to enjoying the mild weather and supporting a local business, the ride was a way of saying ‘thank you’ to all the groups responsible for implementing the Miami Bicycle Master Plan across the city and to urge our local officials to adopt and embrace new features to make Miami a truly bicycle-friendly community.
To find out about more local rides, visit The Miami Bike Scene for a comprehensive calendar of events. You can also join the Emerge Miami Meetup Group here.
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- Curds 'n' waves at Cabot ride sendoff May 13, 2012A few intrepid bicylists pedaled out from Miami's Bicentennial Park on Saturday to start the Cabot Community Tour, a 2,300-mile journey up the East Coast Greenway to Portland, Me. In this pre-ride photo by Suzanne Kores, the long-distance riders are in white jerseys. Cabot, the Vermont farmers' cheese cooperative, held a little fair for them on the […]
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- Ride for Miguel on May 6 April 26, 2012As you probably heard, our memorial ride for Miguel Angel Rocafort was postponed because of Sunday's hard rain Rocafort, of course, was the cyclist who was fatally injured March 31 at SW 137th Avenue and Eureka Drive. The hit-and-run driver who ran him down still hasn't been identified, but there's probably someone out there who knows who it i […]
- Curds 'n' waves at Cabot ride sendoff May 13, 2012
