Transit Miami correspondent Daniel Perez has this to say:
“ Oh man, you don’t know the half of it. At this last Bikeways Committee meeting Mayor Bower showed up – first time in 5 years – and she all but said she hates bikes. If there were no bikes on South Beach she would be one happy lady. I swear, it took all I had to keep a straight face.”
This is not the first time I’ve heard similar comments from her. For nearly a half decade I tried to get the City of Miami Beach to allow pedicabs to operate on South Beach. At one point Mayor Matti Bower personally said to me, “Enough with these pedicabs and bicycles…we already have too many, and the skateboards too…”
Another Transit Miami source from within the City of Miami Beach staff has overheard her making negative comments about bicycles as well.
These comments are shameful Mayor Bower. Miami Beach desperately needs more people biking and walking not less. Your blind leadership is unacceptable. Think big picture please. Now is the time for you to hire a pedestrian and bicycle coordinator to show that you are serious about making Miami Beach more walkable and bikeable.
Please send Mayor Bower an email letting her know that her negative comments about bicycles are unacceptable.
9 Responses to Does Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower Hate Bicycles?
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Psst… Daniel.
Bikes aren’t the only things she hates. She can’t seem to control her mouth and everyone around her is well aware of what she dislikes. I don’t know how ths woman is mayor of mb.
Oh yes, she was quite vocal about all the things she disliked, like skateboards, rollerblades, restaurants on Lincoln Rd, sidewalk dining, puppies and freedom.
Maybe not the last two, but yeah, along those lines.
Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.
E-mail sent. To have Miami-Dade truly become bike friendly, we need engagement and support from the top down. An attitude like this is again, flying directly into the headwind of reality.
1. Noone knows how to ride bikes in Miami Beach just like very few know how to ride scooters.
2. Bike riders do not follow traffic laws- if you do, you’re not in the majority. Nearly ALL pass right through red lights without even looking.
3. These Deco Bikes will be the death of someone because our city started something that our city wasn’t able to deal with- no bike lanes, no proper training, no enforcement of laws.
So, with the above said, I hate bikes too! ESPECIALLY PEDICABS!
J,
You must love sitting in traffic. In case you haven’t noticed South Beach is a hot transit mess. It’s only gonna get worse. We can’t keep squeezing more cars on finite South Beach streets.
Bicycles and pedicabs are part of the solution. Deco Bike is already helping alleviate traffic by replacing motor vehicle trips. Only a fool wouldn’t recognize this.
the problem is not the pedi cab concept, its the drivers. Generally criminals who harrass citizens and overcharge them. Vote no to pedi cabs
Jason,
Easily solved with proper pedicab regulation. A vote against pedicabs is a vote in favor of congestion, more cars and taxicabs. The transportation policy on the beach is completely backwards.