We talk a lot about improving the streets here at TransitMiami.com. Streets are about moving people, but they are also destinations in and of themselves. People go out of there way to ride specific bikeways and trails, explore Lincoln Road and the Upper Eastside/Biscayne Boulevard. Families take tri-rail just to get to Clematis for an afternoon stroll, lunch, maybe some window-shopping. Our streets are 80%+ of the public realm and people inuit that. So, what’s the next step?
Watch the video: Better Block Oak Cliff
Bike Miami Days is just one example of how people can reclaim their street for a few hours and explore their city in a new way. I love to see people riding bikes for the first time in years, kids playing in the streets, and businesses bustling. But there are other ways to do this, too.
In Oak Cliff, a thriving, exciting neighborhood in Greater Dallas, residents are skipping the City Hall beg-and-plead altogether, and creating their own “Better Block.” And local policymakers are listening.
The Monday after this blatantly illegal re-functioning of one block in Oak Cliff, the city turned to the volunteers involved and said, “Make this permanent”. For less than $1,000, they convinced City Hall to give them over $130,000 and this very month, they are going make it happen.
What could happen in Miami if people just did it? What blocks can we help you make better?
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Flagler Street in Downtown should be made into a pedestrian-only street.
Do it.
[...] and cafes. We’ve just gotten word that the event is starting to go viral nationally with Transit Miami picking up the story [...]
Every city in Miami-Dade (or local neighborhood) should pick say 1 mile of a street and close it every Sunday to cars, allowing people (and pets) to bike and walk it. It will take a little time, but when the businesses on those streets see the crowds, they’ll become the most vocal advocates for closing the street every weekend and perhaps permanently. Lincoln Road should be replicated everywhere. I’d go far as to say that vendors should allowed on thse streets without the usual licensing and/or fees (at least in the beginning).