With just five weeks before the first games are played in the gleaming new Marlins Stadium, glaring gaps are apparent in the transportation facilities that fans and stadium workers must rely on. This calls for prompt action from Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami, outlined below. You can help by signing our petition. Here's why it's needed:

While several streets near the stadium have been repaved, numerous sidewalks and crossings between the stadium and the nearest bus stops and Metrorail stations need attention. The City's effort to supplement Metrorail and county bus routes with a shuttle network has hit a roadblock in the County Commission. Moreover, there's still no clearly defined bicycle route to the stadium from anywhere, though we're glad to see sheltered bike racks are present. As described in The Miami Herald last week, private cars are likely to be the primary means of access to this 37,000-seat stadium.

Riders head south on the Snapper Creek expressway bridge on the M-Path yesterday during our ride to celebrate completion of the M-Path Extension.

Our committees, work crews, and partnerships with other groups all contributed to an impressive list of achievements for 2011. Just a few were outlined in our annual report (click here) that was e-mailed to members and friends in the last week of December. We'll try to add detail here in case you are interested.

Cyclists pause before setting off Saturday on Green Mobility Network's third annual Toy Ride with gifts for the Marines' Toys for Tots campaign. Before their stop for a taco lunch they breezed by some of the busy Art Deco Miami scene in Wynwood and Midtown. The day was perfect for riding. Lots of cyclists in the neighborhood showed the growing need for bike parking.

We could not have had better weather or more enthusiastic volunteers than we did for the inaugural Gables Bike Day on Sunday. Public participation was truly gratifying. Cyclists of all ages and descriptions turned out along Miracle Mile and Ponce de Leon Boulevard with their own machines or ones they borrowed from sponsors Deco Bike, Mack Cycle and Fitness, or No Boundaries.