Carlos Bertonatti is a Free Man Today After Posting $100,000 Bond

Three days after drunkenly killing a biker on the Rickenbacker Causeway and speeding away to his high-end Key Biscayne condo, would-be pop star Carlos Bertonatti is a free man this morning.​Bertonatti posted a $100,000 bond late in the afternoon yesterday, Det. Rebecca Perez, a Miami-Dade Police Department spokeswoman, tells Riptide.At…

Record Number of Florida Panthers Hit by Vehicles in 2009

At this point, it’s probably optimistic to say there are more than 100 Florida panthers left in the wild. Especially considering as many as 17 of them were killed by drivers last year, according to the Defenders of Wildlife. That eclipses 2007’s record of 15. The 16th dead panther was found…

Cranksgiving Bike Race for Charity Tomorrow

I remember the first time I saw a fixed gear bicycle. It was 2003 in Berlin, and the kid had had it for a week and had already been in like six accidents. No brakes? I thought he was nuts.But now the movement’s pretty much universal, and here in Miami…

South Florida: Third Most Dangerous Metro for Pedestrians

Using your own two feet as your primary means of conveyance in Florida won’t just get you drenched in sweat most of the year, it’s also more likely to put you in the path of danger.According to Transportation for America’s Pedestrian Danger Index, the top four most dangerous metropolitans in…

Brawl-tastic! Teacher Owes $700 in Tickets, Takes on Parking Officer

Remember that movie Falling Down, where Michael Douglas goes on a violent rampage against the everyday nuisances and obstacles of urban life? If you believe a police account, Miami-Dade Public Schools elementary substitute Rolanda Benjamin is Miami’s real-life William Foster — although, thankfully, instead of an arsenal, teach was armed…

Hialeah Police Cruiser Winds Up Underwater

What are the odds? A K-9 cop on the Hialeah Police force was on his way to an emergency call earlier today, heading northbound on Fourth Avenue, when he collided with a civilian’s car heading southbound. The two vehicles ended up in a nearby canal along 36th Terrace. The officer and his dog…

Club Lighting for Your Bike Safety Needs

We know there are lots of reasons Miamians haven’t yet adopted bicycling en masse. Chief among them is the very real chance we could wind up as a hood ornament on someone’s Escalade, followed closely by the fact that it is hard to effectively pimp out a bike. Well, here’s a…

Politics and pedals mix during Critical Mass

Jacob Katel This past Saturday one of two group-bike-ride events in Miami that carry the Critical Mass name met at Vizcaya Metro Rail station to traverse areas of downtown, Brickell Key and Coconut Grove via self propelled motion…

Bike Blog – Want More Bayshore

There’s a beautiful progression underway to create more accessible routes for bicyclists around the City of Miami. I’ve been singing my praises to the Coral Way and Miami Avenue projects and wistfully dream of one day seeing a complete circuit from Downtown to the Grove. Now, amidst the jam-packed speculation…

I-95 Lexus Lanes: A Major Mistake

Why are we taxpayers wasting $330 million to build Lexus lanes on I-95 north from downtown Miami? They are supposed to reduce congestion, but all they have accomplished so far is create confusion and traffic back-ups — sometimes even more in the express lanes than the regular ones. The state…

UM Student Bikes From Ill. to Coral Gables

Yeah, we see your smug little face sitting behind the driver’s wheel of a Prius. Oh gee look, you’re saving the environment single handedly, aren’t you there? Well your self satisfaction is about to take a plunge. Come back and talk to us when you bike 1,450 miles to arrive…

Bike Blog – BAC in Action

After seven months of discussion, organization, gestation and planning, the efforts of the Bicycle Action Committee are coming together. From maps to action plans, the BAC’s goal to make Miami a “Bicycle Friendly” city by the standards of the League of American Cyclists will soon be underway in a visceral,…

Bike Blog – Nice Racks!

Florida seems to have more license plate designs per capita than anywhere else. We work hard to compensate for something, like perhaps our crappy drivers, through legions of themed designs. From proclaiming that ‘everyday is a gift’ through hospice care to saving our diverse array of endangered species to asking…