New crosswalks on NW 2nd Avenue and 25th in Wynwood.
Everyone seems to be talking about the new crosswalks in Wynwood which Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez just designed at the intersection of NW 2nd Avenue and 25th Street. These crosswalks are all the rage these days. They are the first of 15 crosswalks that will be painted through out Wynwood by Carlos.
Don’t get me wrong, the crosswalks look great and I fully support Carlos’s initiative, but these new crosswalks will do very little, if anything, to make the streets of Wywood any safer for pedestrians.
About a year ago, I wrote an article for Miami Urbanist about the lack of crosswalks on NW 2nd Avenue in Wynwood:
The County Public Works Department just completed a resurfacing project on NW 2nd Avenue from NW 20th Street to NW 36th Street. Sadly pedestrians only have 4 intersections where they can safely cross NW 2ndAvenue for these 16 blocks. The crosswalks are located at NW 20th Street, NW 29th Street, NW 31st Street and NW 36th Street.”
A couple of months ago I wrote a follow-up post to my first article about NW 2nd Avenue for Transit Miami. In the past year County Public Works and Waste Management Department has added 4 crosswalks at the intersection of NW 2nd Ave and 25th Street. They have also added sharrows to this street. Sharrows have now officially become the County’s default bicycle treatment so that they can claim they are doing something for cyclists, even if it means encouraging cyclists to ride on dangerous roads with design speeds in excess of 35 mph. So, basically the County has done next to nothing in the past year except drag their feet.
Please send an email to Mayor Gimenez and County Public Works and Waste Management Department Director Kathleen Woods-Richardson by clicking here. Ask them what their excuse is for not putting crosswalks at every intersection along NW 2nd Avenue.
In addition to installing more crosswalks, the county should also consider raised crosswalks as well as narrowing the travel lanes to calm traffic. Currently NW 2nd Avenue is designed to encourage speeding. There are little, if any, redeeming qualities about this road. The County should prioritize pedestrian safety over moving vehicles as quickly as possible on NW 2nd Avenue. The whole situation is just awful and quite embarrassing just like this video. The County is still living in the 1970’s…
7 Responses to Crashing the Wywnood Crosswalk Party
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Speaking of crosswalks in this part of town, did you all know that the crosswalk at the intersection of 36th Street and North Miami Avenue has no true crosswalk? There is a stoplight at this intersection, but no pedestrian crossing signal. This intersection is right in front of the Midtown development and just south of the Design District. I cross everyday and see so many people nearly run over because of the unsafe crosswalks at this busy intersection. With the presence of all of the condos, the busy Target store, and many other commercial properties at this intersection, there needs to be something safer.
not surprised. This is the person you should contact: “Woods-Richardson, Kathleen (PWWM)”,
Director of County Public Works.
So true ! We have to continue and request to the City not only crosswalks but also speed enforcement in the areas where people are gathering (midtown, design district, Wynwood, Brickell). The situation is insane, crossing the 2nd avenue in Design District is a challenge… buses are a flying… same if you want to go from Midtown to Design District… not to mention FDOT on Biscayne Blvd between 22 and 26 .. .nothing if you want to cross… It’s time for the City officials to understand that we are now in a new era.
Here’s her email address:
kbw@miamidade.gov
Thanks a lot. I’ll send her an email.
Who knows what Wynwood will evolve into as the area gets more trendy and rising rents force out the artists, but the transformation is already amazing. More than anything, what’s missing are shade trees to soften the pedestrian experience. I cannot imagine anyone walking around this area on a hot Miami browsing galleries, spending money. Ten years ago, the Design District had the same problem and the same lack of shoppers that kept the District stagnant for so long (it didn’t matter that Craig Robbins had already renovated his buildings, they were no shoppers moving between them).
Do people realize Walmart has an application pending to build a Super Walmart on N. Miami Avenue between NE 29th and NE 31st Streets? Imagine 1,000′s of pickups, SUV’s and ghetto vehicles 365 days a year filling every intersection within miles?