Critical Mass: Zika Edition Crosses the Causeways Into Miami Beach Tonight

It's the last Friday of the month, which means traffic across town will come to a screeching halt as hundreds of cyclists commandeer the streets tonight. It's Critical Mass, the one night every month when Miamians who hate cyclists are forced to shut up and deal with bikers for once...

By Jerry Iannelli

July 29, 2016

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

It's the last Friday of the month, which means traffic across town will come to a screeching halt as hundreds of cyclists commandeer the streets. It's Critical Mass, the one night every month when Miamians who hate cyclists are forced to shut up.

At 7:15 p.m., the ride will hit most of Miami's classic tourist destinations. After starting at Government Center in downtown, it will head northwest through the newly Zika-infested clouds of mosquitoes in Wynwood, hang a right onto NW 54th Street, shank left onto Biscayne Boulevard, and then cross into Miami Beach via the 79th Street Causeway.
From there, the ride will hang a right and snake all the way down Miami Beach along Indian Creek Drive and then cut across Dade Boulevard until it hits the Venetian Causeway. Once the ride reaches the mainland, it will loop back to Government Center, where everyone will presumably bike right back to Wynwood for beer.

Given the fact that you can now catch Zika from Wynwood mosquitoes, you should wear a helmet and bug spray for the duration of the ride.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Jerry Iannelli is a former staff writer for Miami New Times from 2015 to March 2020. He graduated with honors from Temple University. He then earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Follow:

Twitter: @jerryiannelli