For those who don’t already know it, Transit Miami is one of the best blogs in town; lately, it’s been one of the best bike blogs as well. This past week or so, they’ve run a number of good articles on biking in Miami, calling for a bike sharing program as well as taking a look at the virtues of separated bike lanes.
“We want to make people understand that it’s not just about transit itself, but it’s about fitting in the different modes of transportation,” Gabriel Lopez-Bernal, one the founding members, told the Bike Blog over the phone.
“People think we’re against cars,” he added, “but what it is, is we’re for giving people options. . . We want a true urban network, where people are not restricted by not owning a vehicle.”
In the two and a half years since its inception, Transit Miami has gone from mere blog to something of its own advocacy group. The blog has taken a stand on a number of Miami issues: they’re vehemently pro-street car, and in terms of bikes they’ve begun to focus on getting a local bike-sharing program, akin to the twenty-thousand strong bike sharing program that's been turning heads in Paris. Such a program would allow anyone to borrow a bike, ride to some other part of the city, and drop the bike off at their destination. Lopez-Bernal says they've spoken with the Miami Beach mayor's chief of staff, and that the city is evaluating the idea.
Miami’s bike chatter seems to be growing every week-- let’s hope our elected officials are listening.
Also: Much interest this week in an offhand remark this Bike Blog made regarding Dacra's opposition to bike lanes. More on that next week, promise.
