Three months after Emerge Miami, Green Mobility and Bike SoMi organized a celebratation in honor of the the opening of the M-Path, the County and others have decided to throw their own shindig to celebrate the much touted M-Path. Too bad they didn’t care to coordinate with advocates in January when that ride was organized and County representatives were invited (no one from FDOT or MDT responded to invitations). This plans to be a gathering of folks who will probably never use the M-Path. Yet another example of the disconnect between decision makers and the rest of us.
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12 Responses to County Plans M-Path Celebration; Been There, Done That
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This is one of those instances where I think we need to be a little less antagonistic and critical toward our ‘decision makers’.
The unofficial January M-Path celebration organized by the grassroots groups — among whom Emerge Miami was the spearheader — was a great idea, and a blast too!
It was also great that the unofficial celebration happened no more than a week after all the barricades had just been removed from thew newly constructed M-Path sections. That’s the beauty of grassroot advocacy action — it can be expeditious and expedient!
I don’t think we should knock agency bureaucrats for not making it out in January, though. Setting up a formal/official celebration with all the politicians and technocrats takes time. These actions must move through the ‘iron cages’ of government bureaucratic channels, with hierarchicl E-mails, paper work, rubber stamps, and all the rest of it.
Yeah, it would have been great if some of these leaders were out there with the real, day-to-day M-Path users and biking advocates of our community, but must we really knock them for doing things in the ways their jobs mandate? (Granted, these agencies should engage more with the public and make their work more participatory, but that’s a broader and longer-term struggle.)
I personally think it’s great that there’s going to be yet another M-Path celebration. That marks two (2) thus far this year! How about we have an M-Path ride and celebration at least twice a month?!
How about we raise the profile of the M-Path — the most prized multi-use path in our community — so much so that even the non-biking community begins to realize its undeniable value and begins to also advocate for its expansion and replication throughout other parts of our community?
I was at the unofficial M-Path celebration, and I’ll be at this one too. I love the M-Path! I don’t care by whom or how it’s celebrated . . . just as long as it’s celebrated!
And again, at at time when most people are working or at school. So it’s clearly just another media opportunity. A celebration for the commissioners.
I still think it would great to have a huge sign at this event saying “WE ALREADY CELEBRATED” and have the Emerge Miami, Transit Miami and Green Mobility Network logos…
Exactly Eddy.
Matthew – we give credit where credit is due, but this is a great case of policy makers being blind to community efforts. The question is why didn’t officials work with advocates to make this happen? It had nothing to do with timing, or bureaucracy or anything other than a government disconnected from the people it serves.
yes, lets celebrate the Mpath till the cows come home, but be critical of the way things are done. Government should work with citizens, not around them.
On the M-Path ride last Januray: Many, many thanks to Emerge Miami and Green Mobility.
I’m all for celebrating, ribbon-cutting, AND for government work with citizens! Can we have the M-Path symbolize the County’s commitment to balanced transportation options? More, more, more!
January.
Notice how the picture does not show the other two-thirds of the intersection that is still unsafe–especially, the right turn lanes from the Shula to southbound US1. I hope somebody from the media notices and askes a tough question about it!!!
Craig, your idea is kinda tempting… I was thinking more along the lines of Elementary School tactics, what teachers do on the board when kids are late:
LATE:
- Mayor Gimenez
- Commissioner Martinez
BTW, like Gimenez, Martinez never replies to emails. I live in his district and have emailed him about traffic calming on a street that has 3 elementary schools on it.
And in full agreement with Tony. When they do the right work, it should be acknowledged. But most often, that’s not the case, and it should be called out. There’s no time to be smooching the politicians, this is not Portland.
At least the County had the comon sense to hold an event for the overpass at the overpass (not Brickell or a park miles away)where you can get publicity. Cyclists are hypocritical and therefore get nothing. I rode this stretch this week and it is awesome. I had skepticism and it worked perfectly connecting to the rail stations, well marked crossings, signage, landscape… Be happy for once!
[...] But this is a “headline” we would like to see on The Herald. Transit Miami has an invitation to the “Grand Opening” of the new M-Path Bike & Pedestrian Bridge. Mayor Carlos [...]
We should be looking forward to the recognition of the M-Path completion by our public officials. Residents should use this opportunity to attend and personally encourage more projects like this. There is really no need to bash at the very low hanging fruit. It is after all a second celebration of the M-Path!
This is not bashing public officials, just wondering why they didn’t respond to our invitations…three months ago!