Archive for the 'Bicycles' Category

Change in Commuting Habits

Published
by
JM Palacios
on July 30, 2008
in Bicycles, Commuting, Uncategorized and biking
. 5 Comments

An article in the Sun-Sentinel focuses on the shift in commuting habits that has occurred and will continue to occur with our ridiculously high gas prices. We’ve seen this clearly for some time now, so it’s good to see someone other than us transit freaks recognize that solo driving is unsustainable. Some of us will be dragged kicking and screaming into this “brave new world,” but there’s no sense in trying to stay in the last century.

Do you hear that, Mary Peters? Transit needs more money, not less!

Read the print copy if you can, where you can see the above photo on the front page of the local section (at least for Broward County). Yours truly in the picture, riding to work last Friday.

Update 8/1/08: Found the online version of the photo here after some digging around the Sun-Sentinel’s website. It wasn’t connected with the article like it was in the paper.

Commuter Profile: Ellen Haas

Published
by
Mike Lydon
on July 21, 2008
in Bicycles, Downtown, Little Havana, Miami and bike lanes
. 10 Comments

Miami, meet Ellen Haas, a 45-year old commuter bicyclist who lives on 8th Street and 62nd Avenue. Citing fitness, economic, environmental and personal reasons, Ellen recently started bicycling 6.5 miles to work downtown. Transit Miami has asked her a few questions about her commute.

Transit Miami: What was the impetus to start commuting by bicycle?

Ellen Haas: I promised myself that when gas reached $4 a gallon for the lowest octane, I would search for an alternate form of commuting. I decided on bicycling after doing some Internet research on public transit, carpooling and bicycling. Bicycling won out because I keep my independence.

TM: How was the first experience?

EH: The first experience was exhilarating. I rode like a bat out of hell, terrified, almost full speed the whole way thinking that I was going to be maimed or killed by a big dump truck or Metrobus, leaving my daughter with no mother. I was amazed when I arrived downtown intact. Riding home that first day was much more difficult, more traffic, intense sun, exhaust fumes, thunderstorms. Every day when I get home, I feel like I have summited Mt. Everest.

TM: Where do you ride and what is your route of choice?

EH: I head east on Eighth Street [Calle Ocho] at 62nd Avenue. I merge left onto Beacom Blvd. in Little Havana at 22nd Avenue. Then I merge onto Southwest First Street and head all the way downtown. I think it’s about 6.5 miles one way. My route of choice would be Coral Way east/west if it had designated bike lanes. It is a lovely shady street and not as manic as Eighth Street SW or Flagler.

TM: What are the challenges to bicycle commuting?

EH: The biggest challenge by far is car drivers ignorance of laws regarding bicycles and their aggression accordingly on the streets of South Florida. Another thing I didn’t realize is how bumpy poorly maintained roads are on a bike with no shock absorbers. The poorer the neighborhood, the less maintained the streets.

TM: What are the joys?

EH: There are many more joys than challenges. I am saving a lot of money on gas and will save more when I give up my parking space that I will surrender to a poor, deserving, still driving co-worker August 1st. I will also notify my auto insurance carrier that I drive a fraction of what I used to. I am also getting into good shape cardiovascularly.

TM: What type of bicycle do you ride?

EH: I ride a Trek 21 speed track bike. I’m not at all technical, so I don’t know the model or whatever.

TM: Do you have showers at work?

EH: There are showers at work but I would be able to deal with a sink and a washcloth if I had to.

TM: How about safe and reliable bicycle parking?

EH: No. I park over at the public library. I have approached the building management people but they look at me as if I have two heads and cite “security” concerns.” Soon I will ask a superior in the building with more “pull” than me to contact building management.

TM: What advice do you have for people who may be considering commuting by bicycle, but have not yet made the leap?

EH: Like Nike says, “Just Do It”. I am an overweight asthmatic 45 year old single parent. If I can ride 6-7 miles to work, ANYONE can. If you live further than that, consider biking part of the way and using MetroRail or Metro Bus for part of your commute. Everybody I talk to who is still driving has an excuse as to why they can’t.

TM: You have a daughter. What type of values do you think you are instilling in her by bicycling to work?

EH: I hope to instill in her a sense of strong individualism. When the new school year begins next month, I would like for us to bike commute together and I am quite sure no other student in her school rides a bicycle to school. We are becoming active in city, county, state and federal politics; carefully noting candidates’ stands on bike lanes and alternative forms of energy. She also has asthma so I want us both commited to improved health.

TM: What does Miami need to do to become more bicycle friendly?

EH: I could go on for paragraphs about how Miami-Dade County needs designated bike lanes with accompanying signage. Drivers need to be educated via “public service announcements” on television and radio to be broadcast in English/Spanish/Kreole about bicycle [e.g. the "Steer Clear" law] safety. I’ve noticed abandoned train tracks, perfect areas for bike paths. We each need to contact our elected officials and start making ourselves known, on the streets and off.

Miami Bicycle Activism: Come Participate

Published
by
Mike Lydon
on July 11, 2008
in Bicycles, Coconut Grove, Cycling, Miami, Miami Dade and cyclists
. 1 Comment

The Miami Bicycle Advisory Committee and Critical Mass/Emerge Miami want to hear from you! Please join us this Saturday, July 12, for the second anniversary of Miami Critical Mass. The ride will begin at the South Miami Metrorail station at 10am. The ride will soon after depart the station and head for Peacock Park in Coconut Grove for a picnic and some direct bicycle route mapping. Yes, mapping. We need more input from the bicycle community on those routes you find to be the safest in Miami,  those you would like to see improved and where the City should install more bicycle parking facilities. To do so, I will have half a dozen maps on hand (printing as I write), markers and some brief instructions. We’ll break people off into smaller groups and you can have your way with the maps.

If you can’t make the ride, we will be doing a similar exercise during the Ride For Peace on August 16th in Little Haiti. Also, please click here to fill out a brief bicycling survey put together by Critical Mass/Emerge Miami.

U.S. Mayors For Bicycling

Published
by
Mike Lydon
on June 30, 2008
in Bicycles, Bikes, Mayor Diaz, Miami, bikeway and biking
. 0 Comments

For those who may not know, at the recent U.S. Conference of Mayors, held in Miami, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz was recently elected to serve as the longstanding organization’s President. Transit Miami has obtained a copy (below) of a resolution drafted by the Transportation and Communications Committee and adopted at this very conference. It is our pleasure to share it with you.

Although it doesn’t guarantee action, it certainly represents an understanding of the inherent benefits associated with bicycling, especially in urban areas. One can hope that it also demonstrates the progress America’s cities continue to make towards livability and sustainability. If anything, to my knowledge, such an on-paper commitment to bicycling has never been so far reaching in this country. Hopefully, this is just the beginning…

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT THE

The U.S. Conference of Mayors

76th Annual Meeting

June 20-24, 2008

Miami

TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

###

ENSURING BICYCLING IS INTEGRATED INTO NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION,

CLIMATE, ENERGY AND HEALTH POLICY INITIATIVES

WHEREAS, bicycling can provide multiple and cross-cutting

benefits in U.S policy initiatives that seek to address

transportation needs, limit climate change and energy

consumption and improve public health; and

WHEREAS, we now live in a nation with 300 million people, and

that number is expected to grow to 365 million by 2030 and to

420 million by 2050 with the vast majority of that growth

occurring in congested urban areas where there are significant

limitations on accommodating increased motor vehicle travel; and

WHEREAS, since 1980, the number of miles Americans drive has

grown three times faster than the U.S. population; and

WHEREAS, a national transportation system that invests in and is

conducive to bicycling reduces traffic congestion in our most

heavily congested urban areas while promoting an overall

improved quality of life that is valuable for the Nation; As

example:

• More than 200 cities throughout the U.S., representing more

than 35 million people have committed to implementing bicycle

friendly action plans to make their communities more bicycle

friendly; and

• The greatest potential for increased bicycle usage is in our

major urban areas where 40 percent of trips are two miles or

less and 28 percent are less than one mile; and

• Surveys show that a majority of people want to ride more but

are dissuaded by concern over traffic danger and other

barriers, and case studies have shown that when those barriers

to bicycling are removed, people start riding; and

WHEREAS, a national network of interconnected urban and rural

bikeways can provide valuable community benefits, including low

or no-cost recreation and alternative transportation options for

people of all ages and abilities

WHEREAS, the transportation sector contributes one-third of the

greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and passenger

automobiles and light trucks alone contribute 21 percent

WHEREAS, 10 percent of global oil production goes solely toward

fueling America’s cars and trucks and the U.S. could save 462

millions of gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling

from one percent to one and a half percent of all trips; and

WHEREAS, bicycle commuters annually save on average $1,825 in

auto-related costs, reduce their carbon emissions by 128 pounds,

conserve 145 gallons of gasoline, and avoid 50 hours of gridlock

traffic; and

WHEREAS, over 800 of our Nation’s Mayors have signed onto the

Climate Protection Agreement of the United States Conference of

Mayors urging the Federal Government to enact policies and

programs to meet or exceed a greenhouse gas emission reduction

target of a seven percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2012;

and

WHEREAS, two years ago the Conference of Mayors unanimously

endorsed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, whereby a

key component is to implement climate-friendly land-use policies

and invest in public transportation and bicycle and pedestrian

infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, the Center for Disease Control estimates that if all

physically inactive Americans became active, we would save $77

billion in annual medical costs

WHEREAS, the United States is challenged by an obesity epidemic

in which 65 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or

obese, and 13 percent of children and adolescents are

overweight, due in large part to a lack of regular activity; and

WHEREAS, the percentage of U.S. children who walk or bike to

school has dropped by 70 percent since 1969 such that only 15

percent of students were walking or biking to school in 2001

while the rate of childhood obesity has tripled in recent years,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of

Mayors believes that achieving increased levels of bicycling is

in the national interest; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors

encourages the development and implementation of a coordinated

national bicycling strategy aimed to increase safe bicycle use

as a mode of transportation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors

encourages the development of federal transportation,

environmental and public health policies that recognize

increased and safe bicycle usage for transportation is in the

national interest and that we further urge Congress in the next

federal transportation reauthorization to establish policies and

funding mechanisms that will aim to:

• Reduce the number of motor vehicle miles traveled (VMT); and

• Improve safety conditions for bicyclists; and

• Collect transportation and safety data needed to monitor

progress; and

• Provide incentives for state and local governments to adopt

and implement Complete Street policies designed to accommodate

all users; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that even absent federal incentives,

Governors and state-level leadership should embrace Complete

Streets policies that acknowledge the contributions of bicycles

as a means to reduce vehicle miles by integrating bicycle use

into standard street design; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that that the U.S. Conference of Mayors

calls on all Mayors that sign onto the Climate Protection

Agreement to develop and implement action plans to incorporate

bicycling programs and policies as a key component in reducing

greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors

encourages every mayor to strive to make their city a Bicycle

Friendly Community.

Alton Rd. Public Meeting Followup

Published
by
JM Palacios
on June 28, 2008
in Bicycles, FDOT and bike lanes
. 4 Comments

Alton Rd. Public Hearing comments

On Thursday, Transit Miami attended FDOT’s public hearing on Alton Rd.

FDOT ran a PowerPoint presentation describing the project, and there appears to be nothing new. The parking lane has now been reduced to 8′, and 1′ has been added to the sidewalk in both the preferred alternative and the alternative with bike lanes. So we don’t know what happened to leaving any space for a Baylink streetcar.

Several members of the public got up front and voiced their opinions.  Continue reading ‘Alton Rd. Public Meeting Followup’

Do You Want Bicycle Lanes Along Coral Way?

Published
by
Mike Lydon
on June 22, 2008
in Bicycles, Uncategorized and bike lanes
. 12 Comments

If you know something about thoroughfare right of ways in Miami, you know that they are controlled by several different jurisdictions: State, County, City, and even Federal in the case of Interstate 95. While the City of Miami controls many of the local neighborhood streets, they essentially have no control over the the city’s major corridors. This my transit-minded friends, is a major problem, as such a thicket of bureaucracy tends to make the instigation of change a nightmare, especially when it comes to taking back the streets from the car cartel. Yet the City of Miami is finally starting to join us in the good fight and we need to help them, help us. The reconstruction of Coral Way is the most imminent opportunity.

If you would like to see bicycle lanes included on Coral Way, from Southwest 12th Avenue to Southwest 15th Road, please join Transit Miami by writing a quick letter of support by Friday, June 27th to Alexander Adams (aadams@miamigov.com) in the City of Miami Planning Department (You can even tell him, or us, where else you would like to see such facitlities). Bicycle lanes along this important corridor will be an important link in the City’s eventual bicycle network. Speak up and show FDOT that bicycling in Miami is being taken very seriously!

A Strategy for Squeezing Bike Lanes into Narrow Streets

Published
by
Ryan Sharp
on June 9, 2008
in Bicycles, NYC, Parking and bike lanes
. 4 Comments

Photo: New DeKalb Ave bike lane in

When it comes to adding bike lanes, a common roadblock (pun intended) is that the prospective street does not have enough horizontal space to accommodate them. For example, a typical striped bike lane should be at least four feet wide, but five feet is preferable. However, few streets have this kind of space between the parking lane and an adjacent traffic lane to make way for bike lanes without compromising legal lane widths. While taking away a traffic lane OR taking away a parking lane is an option, it can be like running up Everest trying to get the support of the community and its’ officials for this to happen, thanks to our powerful car/oil addiction. However there is one option that could serve as both a compromise and a win for the cycling/livable cities community: take away a traffic lane during off-peak hours.

To illustrate my point, I’m going to use a case from my Brooklyn neighborhood on DeKalb Avenue. As of about a month ago, DeKalb Ave was a one-way street with two traffic lanes and two on-street parking lanes. The avenue moves westbound moving out of Brooklyn toward the Manhattan Bridge, so cars regularly flew at speeds between 40-50 mph. As a result, the street was very dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians despite a high number of both being present on the street throughout the much of the day.

Picture: Existing conditions on DeKalb Ave (NYCDOT)

The solution? NYCDOT decided to take away a lane of traffic during off-peak hours and add a five foot bike lane plus a three foot buffer to protect cyclists from traffic, getting doored, and hopefully mitigate maddeningly frustrating bike lane parking. By narrowing the street to one traffic lane during off-peak hours, it serves to calm traffic from the wild, unnecessary speeding and lane changing for much of the day. However, to help accommodate more traffic during rush hours, a parking lane (on the opposite side of the bike lane, of course) becomes a traffic lane. Any car still parked during peak hours gets ticketed.

Graphic: Conceptual plan for DeKalb Ave (NYCDOT)

Some people may ask, what about the businesses on DeKalb getting hurt by the loss of parking, especially during peak periods? The answers are straight forward enough. First, NYCDOT is installing meters to encourage turnover instead of all-day parking squatting. This will actually help businesses by facilitating turnover as well as generate revenue for the usage of valuable urban street space. It will also redefine loading zone hours in order to combat double parking that clogs traffic and creates dangerous conflicts. Lastly, by calming the street and improving access for cyclists and pedestrians, the potential is there to enhance local business activity even further.

Of course this will not be a perfect scenario, but it should certainly make DeKalb Avenue more livable as it functions more like a complete street. For example, I’ve noticed that it’s actually a little more difficult for pedestrians to cross DeKalb at mid-block now, since there is a steady (albeit slower) flow of traffic along the single traffic lane. However, this can be expected in the short term, as drivers adapt to the roadway changes. Over time, studies have shown that such street changes should eventually lead to disappearing traffic, whereas drivers either choose other routes, other schedules, or not to drive. I’ve witnessed idiot drivers double-parking in the bike lane already, but so far the only way to really solve this problem is physically separated bike lanes.

So how does this tie into Miami? There are many streets with parking lanes that could sacrifice a lane of traffic during off peak hours in order to incorporate bike lanes. Some of the streets that come to mind are operated by FDOT, so it’s important that this is taken into consideration when advocating for this type of roadway reconfiguration. Many other streets in more urban areas of Miami, Miami Beach, and Coral Gables have the potential to utilize this configuration.

(Note: I know there will be at least a few haters reading this who will be eager to point out how different New York is from Miami and how this type of street space reallocation would never work in Miami/South Florida. Well let me tell you this — NYC may be quite different in many ways, but this kind of thing isn’t just being done there, it’s being done it cities all over the country, many of which are less densely developed than Miami.)

Photo: DeKalb Ave @ Washington Ave

“Taking the Lane” With Florida Bicycle Laws

Published
by
JM Palacios
on May 29, 2008
in Bicycles, FDOT, Police, Statute, Uncategorized and bike lanes
. 3 Comments

Taking the Lane

Everyone’s familiar with the rules for bicyclists riding on the road in Florida, right? OK, check the Florida Statutes section 316.2065 for a quick refresher. I’m especially thinking of part 5(a), which spells out when a bicyclist is allowed to “take the lane.” Commute by Bike and Carectomy had some discussion of this issue recently, and their respective posts are worth checking out. My preference is along the lines of Carectomy’s stance, taking the lane when needed. I’m not going to go into all the benefits of taking the lane that they mention, but I wanted to focus on the legality.

From part 5(a), the third situation where bicyclists are not required to ride “as close as practicable to the right” is:

3.  When reasonably necessary to avoid any condition, including, but not limited to, a fixed or moving object, parked or moving vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, animal, surface hazard, or substandard-width lane, that makes it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge. For the purposes of this subsection, a “substandard-width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and another vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

So you can take the lane when you have a narrow lane, right? As a roadway designer, the first thing that comes to mind for a standard lane width is 12 feet. But that last sentence in the law makes the difference. It is not referring to a 12-foot lane, but a lane wide enough for bicycles and cars to share. I used to believe this included 12 foot lanes, as they seem fairly wide; but I have been enlightened.

Last week I attended classes in bicycle and pedestrian facility design taught by Michael Moule, president of the engineering firm Livable Streets, Inc. He clarified that a substandard-width lane for the purposes of this statute meant anything less than 14 feet wide. Agencies only build 14-foot wide lanes when they are specifically trying to accommodate bicycles and the road cannot be widened enough for a 4-foot bicycle lane. FDOT does not really even do that any more, preferring to stripe out a 3-foot “urban shoulder” next to an 11-foot lane if a bicycle lane cannot be built. (Unless it’s District 6 building Alton Road…) Most roads have lanes narrower than 14 feet. So bicyclists are legally entitled to take the entire lane if they so choose.

Think about the reasoning behind the 14 feet. You need at least 8 feet of lane width for a car. (That’s the narrowest parking lane width allowed, so it should be 9 feet for a moving vehicle—but we’ll say 8.) Florida Statute 316.083 states that motorists must pass bicycles at least 3 feet away. It’s safe to assume we need another 3 feet for the bicycle with a rider. Add it up and you need a 14-foot lane for bicyclists and automobiles to safely travel side by side. 

Tell that to the next cop who tries to tell you to ride farther right! Someone even recommended carrying a pocket copy of the Florida statutes to show them. Anyone know where to find those?

Photo by Flickr user richardmasoner.

Mexico City: Mega-City, Mega-Smog, Mega-transit

Published
by
Mike Lydon
on May 27, 2008
in Bicycles, Sprawl, Transit, Transportation, Uncategorized and bike lanes
. 2 Comments

I returned yesterday from a whirlwind weekend trip to Mexico City. My head is still buzzing, perhaps due to the overwhelming amount of smog, but more likely because the sheer amount of kinetic energy inherent to the world’s seventh largest city is still pulsing through my veins. I will post more complete and complementary thoughts over at Planetizen later this week. For now, I will keep this post as short as possible and transit-oriented.

In less than three days time my girlfriend and I were able to see a fair amount of the city, including Zocalo Square (one of the three largest in the world) in the Centro historico, the neighborhood extant of Roma, Condesa, Zona Rosa and Coyoacan, and the ancient city of Teotihuacan, which translates to ‘birthplace of the gods,’ by one account, or ‘place of those who have the road of the gods,’ by another. After walking the Avenue of the Dead at Teotihuacan, which stretches for two miles, one would feel like they were in the presence of gods if it were not for the hundred or so schlock-hawkers peddling everything from cheap rain sticks to fake bow and arrow sets. I digress.

Although we walked a good 6-7 miles each day, as that is always the best way to understand urbanism, the city;s breadth required us to intermittently relyheavily on the Subway, taxi service and a very comfortable bus that got us all the way out to Teotihuacan and back. Thus, all of our explorations would not have been possible if it were not for Mexico City’s robust, multi-layered transit system.

Let me take a step back. Mexico City is literally choking on automobile traffic. Many of its avenues and thoroughfares operate as auto-sewers broken only by the occasional monument. Such streets are incredibly wide and often have a street section comprised of wide sidewalks - three to four lanes in one direction - median - then three of four more lanes… in the same direction - wide sidewalks. Seriously, one must always look when crossing the streets. Think Biscayne Boulevard in front of American Airlines Arena as a one-way street. Hellacious.

Public transportation in Mexico City includes jitneys, buses, electrified bus lines, bus rapid transit lines, light rail and the 201km Metro subway system, which is set to expand another 24km by 2010. The subway in particular is thought of as the transit mode of choice for the middle to lower classes, which is probably because it costs only two pesos (20 cents) per ride! Nonetheless, one gets the sense that no matter how extensive the public transit, it will never keep up with the city’s ever-growing demand.

The Subway system is clean, highly efficient and very easy to use. We hopped on three blocks from our hotel and didn’t think twice about taking it to Chapultec, the city’s central park, south to the Coayacan neighborhood or all the way out to the city’s northern bus terminal for our trip to Teotihuacan.

Although I wonder how much subsidy the system receives, I also dream of the day American cities might democratize transit in such a dignified way.

A few nerdy facts about Mexico City’s Metro:

  1. It began operation in 1969
  2. It was the first system to be color coded and it features unique logos for every stop. This is because at the time of its construction so few Mexicans were able to read.
  3. In 2006 the system garnered 1.417 billion passengers
  4. It is the cheapest metro system in the world

Now, what about bicycling you ask?! Unfortunately, Mexico city is not nearly as friendly to the two-wheeler as it is to the metro rider. Actually, it’s terrible. There are no bicycle racks to be found. Bicycles are generally not allowed on the Metro system and the traffic is so deadly that unless one is very experienced, bicycling anywhere but the quietest of streets would be utterly hair-raising. Sound familiar?

Despite its current ways, Mexico city is starting to push the bicycle as clean, fast and dignified mode of transport. In 2007, the local advocacy group Bicitekas and an international NGO, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, created a blueprint for bicycle infrastructure expansion. At present the government is making good on the plan, which will eventually add 300km of bicycle routes, paths, and lanes.

In addition, the government instituted “Muevete en Bici” every Sunday from 8am-2pm. This weekly event, similar to Bogota’s Ciclovia, bans traffic on some of the city’s major avenues and connects residents and visitors to the city’s most vibrant public parks and squares. What is more, on the last Sunday of every month the city expands and renames the “Muevete” to the “Cicloton Familiar,” which closes 32km of the city’s streets and features hundreds of loaned bicycles, hydration stations and doctors to deal with any physical-related injuries.

As we left out hotel room on Sunday morning we witnessed just how successful this program has become. Hundreds of bicylists, walkers, joggers, and skaters were out enjoying their city. It was a beautiful site, one that would give anyone hope that the city of cars is changing its way. It made me salivate for my own bicycle.

If all goes well, Miami may soon be experience its own bicycle awakening. As for the transit, just hope our commissioners don’t hike the fares.

National Bike to Work Week

Published
by
JM Palacios
on May 12, 2008
in Bicycles, Bike Month, Bikes, Commuting and biking
. 3 Comments

I’m feeling the bicycle love right about now. Not only did we have a local and state bicycle month with a bike to work week, but we also have a national bicycle month with a national bike-to-work week. That’s this week, May 12-16. Friday the 16th is bike to work day for those who can’t do it every day. The League of American Bicyclists promotes this event, so check out their site here. But most important of all, get on your bicycle this week and rest easy about the near $4/gallon gas prices because you won’t need to fill up as soon. Take that, Big Oil!

The Worst Bike Rack(s) On Miami Beach

Published
by
Mike Lydon
on May 5, 2008
in Bicycle Parking, Bicycles, Miami Beach, bike lanes and biking
. 11 Comments

Miami Beach is inherently bikeable. It has a well-connected grid of small blocks, a mixed-use pattern of land uses and several key destinations reachable within a short ride. In addition, the City now has a bicycle master plan adding bicycle lanes and bicycle parking. This fact, however, does not prevent the city from having a few terrible examples of bicycle parking. This weekend I chose to document what I find to be the three worst specimens. In descending order:

# 3. The second-runner up goes to this “Wave” style bicycle rack located at Lucky Strike on Michigan Avenue. Although wave style racks can be useful, they must be placed so that both the wheel and the frame can be locked to the rack. In this particular location, the rack is about six inches too close to the wall, meaning that the tire hits the wall before being able to properly fix the bicycle to the rack. This results in a bicycle more apt to fall over, or a bent tire in the event that a thief decides he/she wants the bicycle more than you do.

# 2. The first runner-up goes to this unused rack located behind a bus shelter at the Miami Beach Post Office on Washington and 13th. Like the rack above, this rack is too close to the railing/wall. In addition, this style of rack gets the “ambiguous use” award. Does one put their wheel in the wide slots, or the narrow? Do you lift the bike over the top of the rack and let it rest at a 45 degree angle? I have seen all three maneuvers performed, but actually suggest none of the above. Go find a street sign, as this one is useless.

And the worst bike rack on Miami Beach goes to…


…this ridiculous wave rack located at the Bank of America on Alton Road. I think the images speak for themselves.

A Dubious Distinction

Published
by
Mike Lydon
on April 30, 2008
in Bicycles, Bikes, Boston, Climate Change, Miami, Miami 21, Transportation, biking and transportation sustainability
. 3 Comments

Miami may be one of “America’s cleanest cities,” but it certainly is not one of the most bicycle-friendly. This fact was recently recognized in the June 2008 issue of Bicycle Magazine, which bestowed Miami with the dubious distinction of joining Dallas and Memphis as one of the three worst cities in America for bicycling. The excerpt, linked above states the following:

In Miami, the terrain lies pancake-flat and the sun shines bright nearly every day–perfect conditions for cycling. But Miami-Dade County has done little to foster safer streets for bikes, despite the fact that Florida ranks second in the nation in bicycle fatalities and that much of Miami’s poorer population relies on bikes for transportation. The county enacted the Bicycle Facilities Plan in 2001, but it failed to state any specific goals. The city of Miami has no finished lanes, and the only one under construction is less than a mile long. The rest of the county’s lanes are just as short, appearing randomly and disappearing a few blocks later. “We’re so far behind and in the dark with bikes it’s absurd,” bike-shop owner Chris Marshall told the Miami New Times in January. “I’d say we’re stuck in the ’60s, but it’s worse than the ’60s. In the ’60s you could still get around by bike.”

I agree that we are far behind, but the article fails to mention Mayor Diaz’s new Bicycle Advisory Committee, which is working under the umbrella of the Office of Sustainable Initiatives to create a bicycle master plan that dovetails with Miami 21. It’s an uphill battle, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Interestingly, the City of Boston, another cycling-poor city in which I have lived, repeatedly received similar honors from Bicycling Magazine. However, thanks to an aggressive agenda to improve cycling conditions the city is quickly altering its reputation. Let’s hope Miami is not too far behind.

Metro Monday: Cycling Along an LA Freeway

Published
by
Gabriel Lopez-Bernal
on April 28, 2008
in Bicycles, Bikes and Metro Monday
. 1 Comment

Tuesday News

Published
by
Ryan Sharp
on April 7, 2008
in Bicycles, CITT, Coconut Grove, Cycling, FDOT, Metro Zoo, Metrorail, Miami 21, News, Transit and bike lanes
. 3 Comments
  • CITT will reconsider whether to vote for new Metrorail cars (Miami Today News)
  • Anti-Miami 21 Commissioner Regalado announces candidacy for Mayor (Miami Sunpost)
  • Metrorail controversy over “ghost posts” (Miami Herald)
  • Cyclist win the right to sue FDOT for failing to implement bike lanes (Bike Blog)

Bike to Work—Take the Pledge

Published
by
JM Palacios
on March 20, 2008
in Bicycles, Bike Month, Bikes, Commuting and biking
. 6 Comments
Picture by Flickr user DCvision2006.

Do you bike to work yet? Now is a good time to start! Next week is bike to work week, and South Florida Commuter Services is asking you to pledge to bike to work at least one day during the week of March 24-30. We already mentioned it here, but it is worth sharing a few more details. Sign up and you also get entered into a drawing for a $100 Winn-Dixie gift card. If one day is all you can manage, then try it. But we’re more demanding than Commuter Services, so we ask you to bike every single day of bike week. And after that, think about the rest of the year…

I recently started biking to work again, and it’s great! I’ve been doing it for 3 days now and I already feel more fit. It’s amazing how much better a little exercise helps you feel once you get to work in the morning.

The South Florida Commuter Services also has an amusing “Bike-O” contest that enters you to win a bicycle helmet if you do a number of activities on your bicycle. If you’re cycling that much, though, we hope you already have and use a helmet.