It figures: The only time construction doesn’t render portions of Biscayne Boulevard clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic is when the road is closed completely.As part of the two-year reconstruction plan, the portion of Biscayne currently under construction from NE 29th to NE 33rd streets will be closed between 9 p.m. and…
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…
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…
A rare sight at the intersection of Biscayne Boulevard and NE 35th Street today: no traffic.That’s because southbound Biscayne is blocked off between NE 33rd and 36th streets following a water main break caused during reconstruction along the road…
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…
Suha Monem makes a mean falafel sandwich. As the head chef at Oriental Bakery & Grocery — and the owners’ daughter — she has spent most of her life surrounded by pita, lamb, and tahini. After one Yelper tried her grub at the Coral Way shop a couple of years ago,…
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…
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…
The Venetian Causeway is scheduled to be closed for most of May while it undergoes maintenance. While this is an inconvenience for motorists who regularly use the bridge, it could pose major safety issues for pedestrians and bicyclists who rely on the causeway as a safer means of traveling between…
Let’s face it. Miami is one of America’s worst places to ride a bicycle.Guys on two wheels get whacked on Brickell, nailed in the Redland, and steamrollered on US 1. Bicycling magazine placed us at the bottom along with Dallas and Memphis not long ago. And Florida is clearly the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
All that dreaming longingly about someday seeing bike lanes along Coral Way has finally paid off. Mike Lydon of Transit Miami wrote last week: “expect to see new bicycle lanes from SW 12th Avenue to SW 15th Road in the not-too-distant-future.” The lanes will span about 16 blocks. From there,…
Last week’s post covered the Bicycle Action Committee’s biking trends survey regarding local riding habits. Riders seemed to stay bicycle law savvy, though admittedly choose which moments to obey the rules. This week covers the geography of ridership, particularly the participants’ daily jaunts and where they want to see bike…
The last few weeks have been important for the drafting and solidification of the Master Plan for the Bicycle Action Committee. Amidst conceptualizations and revisions, a solid plan is in development to make sure that Miami is on an effective path to Bicycle Friendliness. An important factor for its development…
Greetings from Massachusetts! I don’t love to compare cities with awesome bicycle accommodations to Miami’s developing status, but I’ve been lucky enough to pedal around Boston this weekend and figured this would be a good chance to cover what’s going on outside of South Florida. I’ve not had the pleasure…
Carlos Lastres is a Miami native with one of the neatest jobs Downtown. His recently launched enterprise, Go Green Pedicabs, brings to Miami a service that is increasingly prevalent in hip cities around the world. The pedicab, a tricycle carriage way more posh than your hackneyed rickshaw, can take Downtown…
Miami’s Saturday morning Critical Mass celebrated its second anniversary this weekend with a surprise visit from City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. The ride included a picnic at Peacock Park at which the Mayor greeted a posse of fifty bicyclists to partake in vegan cupcakes, freeze pops and cheerful bicycle…
