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Bike Miami Days Gets Surprise Support from Carollo
A few days ago, the Bicycle Action Committee heard that Commissioner Carollo had pulled the plug on all bicycle improvements in his district – and we were stressed to think what that would mean for Bike Miami Days. Well, he may not like bike lanes, but he “loves Bike Miami Days.” After Mayor Regalado presented his support for the April 25th Bike Miami Day before commissioners today, Carollo made a promising statement of his own. Read all about it on TransitMiami.com.
The Commissioner says on tape that he has been a supporter and participant in the event since the beginning, making him the only city leader (with the exception of our friend, Commission Chair Marc Sarnoff but sadly not Mayor Regalado) who we can confirm has been to one of these 8 events. Perhaps the new city manager, Carlos Migoya, a self-described cyclist and fan of bicycle commuting, has been? We’ll let you know as soon as we do.
We’d just like to add that it is great for the Mayor to bring up Bike Miami Days at a City Commission meeting. It brings this event to the attention of all city employees, media and other people who attend these meetings. It’s just more good news. Thank you, Mayor Regalado.
Filed under: Bicycle Master Plan, Friends & Supporters, mayor
Miami to Expand Bicycle Safety PSA Campaign to I-95 Billboards
The City of Miami is working to expand their bicycle safety public service ad campaign from just bus shelters to full size billboards. Commission Chair Marc Sarnoff brought to the attention of Bicycle Coordinator Collin Worth that city contracts with the billboard ad companies will allow the city to post public service announcements – why not focus on bicycle/motorist safety?
The City will again partner with the MPO to print these ads, taking the bus shelter campaign to a whole new level. Some of you may be familiar with the ads put up by the former mayor last year (some still remain) that promote one of three bicycle safety messages:
The prevailing idea right now is to simply reformat the 3-foot law ad to billboard size and focus on this message exclusively. Note that some of the ad space is ‘digital’, so it would be relatively easy to change or mix up the campaign, but since this will be seen almost exclusively by motorists driving on interstates, those in charge say they want to keep it as simple as possible. What are your thoughts? Are you familiar with other 3-foot law campaigns that the City should look to for inspiration? Let us know or email Collin Worth directly here. Thank you!
UPDATE: Here is the bumper sticker the City will soon be placing on all city vehicles:
Also, we are urging the City to run the following 30 second PSA, created by zMotion and promoted by the South Florida Bicycle Coalition, on the city’s tv station (Ch. 77) and elsewhere.
Watch it at http://bit.ly/RideRightDriveRightPSA
Filed under: Bicycle Action Committee, bicycle safety, Friends & Supporters
City’s Bicycle Action Committee Addresses FPL, Bike Plan, BMD, more
At today’s regularly scheduled City of Miami Bicycle Action Plan, members discussed a variety of topics relevant to cyclists and M-Path users.
1) FPL wants to put up their heaviest duty (re: audibly buzzing) power lines directly above the M-Path. This could mean reduced property values for adjacent residents and is a serious cause for concern for commuters and other regular users of the M-Path. The BAC voted to draft a white paper on the topic. Mack Cycle’s owner, our friend Mary Jane, pointed out that there really is no other option for us than to advocate to bury the lines. FPL counters that this would be too expensive, even if it would reduce the likelihood of power outages during storms and related maintenance costs.
2) Bicycle Master Plan. The City of Miami Commission universally supported the Bicycle Master Plan last year but today, we have only 1 remaining commissioner on the dais (Commission Chair Marc Sarnoff). It was brought up at the meeting that of the 4 new commissioners, Commissioner Carollo has been the first to go against the Plan, cancelling all bicycle improvements in his district. This is worrisome to us – if lanes are not striped at the time of a street project, they may never make it to the pavement. We are not sure why the commissioner is against bike lanes, but there was discussion that he might be against the removal of some on-street parking. Look at the projects we are supposed to have by 2009 here and 2010-2011 here. Please reach out to Commissioner Carollo via email at fcarollo@miamigov.com.
3) BAC ‘membership’ – The BAC is made up of people invited by commissioners. Join us by reaching out to your commissioner and asking him why he doesn’t participate in this group, at least through a representative (you?!) Currently, Commissioner Sarnoff is the only commissioner who sends a staff member. The Mayor sent our friend, his community liaison, Violette Sproul. (Feel better, Violette!)
4) City of Miami Bicycle Jerseys – The City of Miami is creating its first ever bicycle jersey to sell for the purpose of raising money for bicycle initiatives. BAC members are looking for individuals or groups/sponsors to underwrite the cost of the jersey (and bike shorts). If you would like to contribute, please email Collin Worth.
5) Bike Miami Days is back on Sunday, April 25 in Coconut Grove! Talking about fundraising, the city and our friends at the Dutch Consulate are seeking naming host sponsors in the tens of thousands of dollars. If your company wants the credit for making it possible to bring back this hugely successful event, please email Collin! And let us know so that we can be sure to live solely off of whatever product you sell!
6) Miami-Dade County / Coordinating our efforts: David Henderson, Bike/Ped Coordinator for the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization and Jeff Cohen of County Public Works came to represent. The MPO Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meets this Wednesday – details here.
7) Last but not least, a few of us are going to the National Bike Summit next month. Join us! http://www.bikeleague.org
CLICK HERE for the latest news from the League of American Bicyclists, hosts of the summit.
Filed under: Promote Bike Miami Days!
Mayor Going Green – Commits to April 25th Bike Miami Day!
At today’s meeting of the City of Miami Green Commission, Mayor Regalado committed his support to an April 25th Bike Miami Day and to city green initiatives ranging from the Miami Green Lab facility to more sustainable energy practices. Bicycle Action Committee and M.O.S.T. members in attendance were thrilled to hear the good news, which was followed by a list of new initiatives coming from the City:
- Bus Shelter Public Service Ads on Bicycle Safety: Bike Coordinator Collin Worth announced new funding from the County MPO to cover the costs of 40 new bus shelter ads promoting safer cycling. Three separate ads – promoting the use of lights at night, the 3-ft law and a cyclist’s right to the full lane – will go up throughout the City in the coming months.
- New Bumper Sticker PSAs for City vehicles: Commissioner Sarnoff announced that city vehicles will now feature bumper stickers promoting the “3 foot law”. These specially designed stickers will also be available for local residents soon, as well, so stayed tuned for an update.
- A Safer Health District for Cyclists and Pedestrians: Worth also announced a $48k grant to cover the costs of a study intended to make the Health District safer for everyone.
- Bike Miami Days: It seems the name is staying, for now. The Mayor committed to one more event in April and Commissioner Sarnoff stepped up to commit himself to bringing “4 to 6″ ciclovias per year in the future.
Other updates:
City of Miami Bicycle Jerseys: Bicycle Action Committee member Richard Cahlin is organizing the creation of the first ever City of Miami bicycle jersey, sales of which will support the city’s bicycling initiatives. The jersey is still in design so if you or your company would be willing to help underwrite the cost in exchange for a logo, please contact Collin Worth at cworth@miamigov.com
Commissioner Sarnoff shared some things he is looking into for our community, including the installation of red light and/or speed cameras, a cyclocross event at Bicentennial Park and a new, official park space at 1814 Brickell.
The South Florida Bicycle Coalition is growing. The regional organization famous for taking FDOT to task for not installing required bicycle facilities in their projects is getting serious. Their Facebook and Twitter (SFBikeCoalition) presence is increasing as interest in uniting the advocacy efforts of Miami, Broward and Palm Beach counties seems to be at an all-time high. Board President Jeffrey Lynne recently joined the board of the League of American Bicyclists, so we can be sure to have a strong representative voice at the National Bicycle Summit next month.
It’s looking good, people! Remember, tonight at 6pm: MOST meets at The Wallflower Gallery (10 Northeast 3rd Street, Downtown Miami) Everyone is welcome.
Why don’t you write a quick email to Mayor Regalado and Commissioner Sarnoff and thank them for their commitment? Thank you!
Filed under: Bicycle Action Committee, City of Miami, Friends & Supporters, M.O.S.T., mayor, Promote Bike Miami Days!
