Anti-Miami 21 Activist Richard Strell has penned an ill-informed screed citing that Miami 21 is anti-bicycling. This is a clear attempt to rouse confusion and anger amongst an interest group that has gained a considerable voice in the past two years. As a professional urban planner who specializes in bicycle planning, I must weigh in.
The crux of Strell’s argument seems to fall upon the issue of street width and pedestrian accommodation, claiming that the provision of narrower streets and wider sidewalks is inherently bicycle-unfriendly. This is not true, and a crude simplification of how street design happens in Miami.
First, Miami 21 is a zoning code that primarily regulates land use and the form and relationships of buildings. It is not a street design manual. It is not a pedestrian master plan. It is not a bicycle master plan. Rather, Miami 21 sets out to ensure that those buildings, and the land uses housed within them, relate better to each other. In doing so, Miami 21 is concerned with creating and supporting a better public realm, one that is more conducive to walking and bicycling. The current zoning code does this miserably and does nothing to support the needs and interests of bicyclists and pedestrians. All one has to do is try to walk or bicycle through the city to witness this.
Because Miami 21 does not set forth street design provisions, the City decided instead to pursue its own Complete Streets legislation, which was adopted earlier this year. The Public Works and Planning department are currently writing these standards so that all future roadway projects include the interests of bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, and yes, motor vehicles. Balancing all of these needs is not easy, but the policy will be in place so that Miami’s street design matches up with the proposed improvements to land use regulation under Miami 21. The two, are therefore intended to maximize the mobility and accessibility for all Miami’s residents and to be mutually supportive. You can’t have great streets without good land use, and vice-versa.
Furthermore, the City of Miami does not have jurisdiction over a large percentage of the streets appropriate for bicycle facilities. Indeed, the major streets and avenues within the city are regulated, designed, and maintained by FDOT and the County. What the above Complete Streets legislation does do is give the city an official policy to use when working with FDOT and the County to ensure that wider sidewalks and bicycle facilities get included in projects where they previously were not.
So what about the claim that pedestrians needs will taken into account before bicyclists?
Well, they should be! Every trip starts off by walking, and the vast majority of people in this city are able to walk with their own two feet. If we don’t allow that to happen safely, then we certainly shouldn’t expect to get transit or bicycling to work either. And since the city has control over the neighborhood streets, I think its wise to keep those streets narrow, add adequate sidewalks (so many still don’t have them!) and let proper, contextually sensitive bicycle facilities work within the framework of a walkable city. Indeed, in most of the residential neighborhoods, widening the streets to accommodate bicycle lanes would mean either taking sidewalks away, or taking property from private land owners. I am guessing that Mr. Strell would not want either, especially in his own Edgewater neighborhood.
Finally, the city is taking great strides to improve bicycle conditions within the city limits. If anything, I have chronicled those efforts extensively on this blog. The current master plan, which was actually recommended in Miami 21, is part of that effort and will work well, and in parrallel with Miami 21 as both are implemented. Bicycle parking is expanding, safety signs are being placed around the city in cooperation with the County (Anyone been on 14th Street in Park West lately?!), and new bicycle facilities are either being planned or are under construction. I have full confidence that the City will continue to support bicycling after Miami 21 is adopted. Both go hand in hand, and both will help Miami become a healthier and more sustainable city.
So, the question remains, if Richard is so concerned about bicycling, why have I never seen him at a single bicycle event, meeting, or rally? Why aren’t all of the bicycle activists who forwarded his email on to me familiar with him? Don’t be fooled, Richard does not care about bicyclists so much as he cares about derailing Miami 21.
Desperation is a stinky cologne and Richard Strell’s anti-Miami 21 screed is as odoriferous as it gets.
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Good article, Mike! As a “utility bicyclist” (meaning that I ride my bike simply to get from point A to point B) I can say without question that I look for the narrower streets where the car speeds will be lower, rather than getting out on Alton Road, et al. While Miami 21 is not a thoroughfare design document, as you noted, the preference of New Urbanists for narrower streets CLEARLY creates a safer environment for bicyclists. Ever wonder why the tiny streets of Key West (and Espanola Way on SOBE) are filled with bikes and almost nobody ever bikes on the arterials? It’s the car speeds they’re afraid of!
Miami 21 is a step in the right direction. Is it perfect? Probably not. One thing is for sure, the current development of Miami is completely archaic and unsustainable. Let’s stop being afraid of change and dare to become a progressive and forward looking city for once. Let’s become the envy of other cites. Transit oriented development, with a focus on density and mixed uses, makes for a winning combination. Miami 21 puts us one step closer to making this a reality.
Kicking ass and taking names, Bicyclists will not be fooled by the smoke that has no fire.
Wow, Mike, you’re objective, having worked for the consultants, DPZ, but not mentioning ties while personally attacking me. I have been clear I am not a bike rider – I could easily have lied and no one could have proven otherwise.
This might come as a surprise to you, but I get involved in things which aren’t always about my self interest – but because I care about where I live being better. It’s an ethic foreign to some I suppose.
Miami 21 has many reasons it sucks, this is only one. And, I don’t have much interest in whether or not it is bike-friendly since the plan has so many larger, bad features. I didn’t understand though how a group, who I know from when I lived in N Cal are usually smart and socially involved, could be so out of the loop here, at least on this matter, as the bike riders I met here, are, on Miami 21.
The facts are what they are: throughout the plan DPZ makes clear they will sacrifice road width for wider sidewalks, period.
That does not leave room for more bike lanes than in the current code, but less. (And I dislike the current code in general, just not as much as Miami 21).
So, unless you know where you can grab a few more feet from Miami 21 guidelines for streets and sidewalks, and DPZ and PLanning did not when I asked them about this matter four years ago, than this plan is bad for bike riders.
Great that the city is making a few bike lanes now, using the current code. Maybe it is so you are all quiet regarding the details of Miami 21?
Glad you’re happy with about five bike lanes for the entire city, too. Your generalities above don’t answer the above big flaws for bikers.
But anyone who knows my intersts in the community, know your accusations are off. Hopefully, others than the ones I spoke to tonight at the Miami 21 meeting who said it was bike friendly, have actually read the draft, since those I asked admitted they haven’t. Guess they have been listening to you, the employees who work for the city and others who are taking the words from others, rather than reading this actual plan which is based on a great theory, but which is was not crafted for this city in a way which met the theory in a way which would have created what was promised.
I know Strell for years and he researches completely before taking a stance. My trust is that he is speaking from knowledge and sound thinking.
Bikes should share the road. Both Richards are way off base with this. If they actually biked anywhere around town they would see that Miami 21 is the best thing for the city. Too bad. I wonder what they are getting out of this?
It may sound counter-intuitive to some, but by reducing the road width the speed of traffic is slowed, and this actually makes it safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. If you then include a bicycle lane or bicycle sharrows, there will be a further reduction to the speed of traffic, making it even safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Mr. Strell needs to do a bit more research and Mr. Rabinovitz should not take his friend’s word on this one.
How is it that Miami21 can call itself a form based code and yet it regulates land use to such an extent? According to the website for Miami21 the primary concern is form and function is looked at as secondary. Yet, if you actually read the Final Code for Miami 21, developers are primarily instructed to see the Atlas which contains information on what activities are condoned in which areas. AFTERWARDS, once the function of the building within a particular district is established THEN they may see as to how they are to proceed in form.
It is a form based code because it prioritizes form over use. The atlas determines the T-zone – which determines both building form and uses. It is not a question of whether the code regulates uses, but how much importance it places on use over form. In Miami 21, as with other form based codes, uses are secondary to building form.