Florida has one of the worst pedestrian and bicycle death rates in the country, so it’s fitting that a transportation conference focused on making streets safer is happening right now in Miami.
Florida has one of the worst pedestrian and bicycle death rates in the country, so it’s fitting that a transportation conference focused on making streets safer is happening right now in Miami.
Attendees, who are transportation officials from various cities, rode bicycles from downtown over the Rickenbacker Causeway bridge and back again.
Of course, the Rickenbacker is a mecca for cyclists and joggers, and it can be dangerous. From 2018 through 2022, there were 21 car versus bike crashes, 16 of them resulted in serious injuries, and two people died. The county made safety enhancements, including more visible bike lanes and lower speed limits.
Cyclists love the Rickenbacker, but they also fear it. NBC6 asked one cyclist if he feels safe there.
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“No, I just ride inside,” explained Juan Hernandez, pointing to the off-road path instead of the bike lane on the causeway itself. “Yeah, in the old days I used to go on the street, to the end, but after a lot of accidents, deaths included, I don’t ride there anymore."
“I do feel safe as anywhere else out here in Miami, which is not very safe,” said cyclist Tom Sanchez.
Sanchez was asked if he feels the county has done everything it can to make the Rickenbacker safe for cyclists.
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“They’ve made changes but after people have died, you know? That’s what it took for it to happen,” Sanchez said.
More pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements are coming to the most dangerous intersections and roadways in the county, thanks to a grant from the federal government. Among the group pedaling from downtown to Virginia Key was Polly Trottenberg, the Deputy Transportation Secretary of the United States.
“You have such a beautiful city, you’re on the water, beautiful parks, but it can often be really difficult to get between them on foot or on bike, just doing more of those connections I think would make this city much more livable,” Trottenberg said.
As part of the Biden infrastructure law, the feds are giving Miami-Dade County $16 million for safety enhancements.
“Thanks to some federal dollars that we received, we are reconfiguring some of those most dangerous areas where we’ve had the most accidents,” said the county’s mayor, Daniella Levine-Cava.
Some of that money will be used to educate drivers.
“Help people understand that they need to be much more aware of pedestrians and cyclists and just simply slow down,” said the county’s transportation director, Eulois Cleckley.
