Let's declare Independence from Oil

What do you say we make July 1 our first Miami Independence from Oil Day? When you go to work on Thursday, ride a bike, bus or train and give your car a day off. I bet you'll enjoy the day more and feel better for it.

Step 2 for the MIO movement: Ride your bike to the Bicycle Town Hall meeting Thursday evening at the Coral Gables Youth Center. You have tonight and tomorrow to make sure your bike has reflectors and working lights where it's supposed to -- for your safety as well as compliance with the law. You'll need 'em heading home afterward.
OK, who's with me on this? Comments encouraged.

Bike "town hall" to air Rickenbacker safety

Coral Gables Commissioner Ralph Cabrera and County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez will sponsor another of their bicycle town hall meetings on Thursday, July 1. The main topic will be what to do with the money that Gimenez got the County Commission to reserve for safety measures on the Rickenbacker Causeway and Crandon Boulevard. A 25-cent set-aside from every Rickenbacker toll was one of the county's responses to the hit-and-run death of South Miami bicyclist Christoph Le Canne back in January. The commission also ordered the reopening of Fire Station 15 at 2 Crandon Blvd. in an effort to shorten response time at emergencies on the causeway, and both county and Miami city police have been noticeably more vigilant against speeding out there.

• WHAT: Cycling Community Meeting

• WHEN: 6:30 p.m. July 1

• WHERE: Coral Gables Youth Center auditorium, 400 Anastasia Ave.

Sarasota advocate to advise road engineers

Mike Lasche, a Sarasota bike advocate who is legislative chairman of the Florida Bicycle Association, will represent the bicycling

community on a new committee formed to advise the state Department of Transportation. The Florida Bicycle and Pedestrian Partnership Council was established after the cycling community was caught blind-sided by the bike-lane provisions slipped into HB971shortly before the Florida Legislature wrapped up its 2010 session.  Gov. Crist signed the bill earlier this month, making law the bill's provision that where bike lanes exist, bicyclists must use them instead of the street.

The 20-member council, appointed by Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos, includes representatives of various state agencies, local governments and road-user stakeholders.  For instance, Max Rothman of Florida International University will represent the "transportation disabled," and parks planner Malissa McCreedy, of Orlando, will represent pedestrians. Another notable appointee is Ken Bryan, Florida director of the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The chair will be Debbie Hunt, assistant FDOT secretary for intermodal development.

This isn't the first  state-level bike advisory group. Lasche also served on the Florida Bicycle Council in 1986, but that body wasn't continued by subsequent governors.  In Sarasota, Lasche leads a group called Bicycle/Pedestrian Advocates.  He also serves on the FBA board of directors.

BPAC meets Wednesday

Just a reminder: The Miami-Dade Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee is to meet Wednesday, June 23, in the CITT meeting room on the 10th floor at County Hall, 111 NW 1st St., Miami.

Cyclist's death sparks discussion

Readers were quick to sound off when The Miami Herald ran a follow-up article today about the bicyclist killed at a Coral Gables intersection last week.  I was sad but not surprised to see how many anti-bike comments there were.  If you want to know which way the wind is blowing, you'd better take a look.

A cyclist rethinks red-light cameras

I've scoffed as one city after another rushed to adopt red-light cameras -- whether to cut down on traffic collisions or to enhance municipal revenue.  They bothered me because of reports that drivers would panic-stop when they realized cameras were in action, and that would make for rear-end collisions. Then I watched a video that Keri Caffrey posted today at Commute Orlando:



In her usual worthwhile discussion in today's post, Keri refers to the "culture of me" and how it creates danger and destroys community.  Come to think of it, that "culture of me" probably is the one biggest impediment for street cyclists in greater Miami.  So whether you are biking because you love to, or driving because you have to, keep the other guy or gal in mind. We're all mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters out on the street.  It's everybody's obligation to be safe.

Tri-Rail installing bicycle lockers

Bicycle lockers have been installed at Tri-Rail's station in West Palm Beach, and before long will be available at all 18 stations in the commuter rail system.   This is great news.  Lack of secure parking is one of the main reasons people mention for not using their bikes for commuting.  Here's more information, from the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority:

While the Bicycle Locker Program will begin initially at the West Palm Beach Station, the program will be phased in at all other Tri-Rail stations within the next several months (due to ongoing construction projects, lockers will be installed at a later date for the Pompano Beach Station, Cypress Creek Station, Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International Airport Station at Dania Beach Station and Miami Airport Station). Once the project is completed, there will be bicycle lockers available at all of Tri-Rail’s 18 train stations. The fourth largest bicycle program launched by a public transportation agency within the United States, the SFRTA/Tri-Rail will be offering approximately 600 lockers for bicycle and bicycle accessory storage.

Registration fees for one locker will be $37 for six months and $64 for a year. Users may also register for a second locker for half the price, should they want to store a bicycle at both their origin and destination station. There is also a refundable $30 security deposit to cover the price of one lock and two keys.

“More and more commuters are turning to bicycles for their commute to and from our train stations,” said SFRTA Executive Director Joseph Giulietti. “It’s a healthy, economical and environmentally responsible choice, and one that we want to support however we can.”

Bicycles have become more popular as a means of getting to or from Tri-Rail stations due to the high cost of gas and a growing concern for the environment. The installation of bicycle lockers at many Tri-Rail stations will provide commuters with a safe place to store their bicycles and will free up additional space onboard the train for passengers and luggage.

As of Monday, June 14, you will be able to register for a bicycle locker at the West Palm Beach Station by visiting www.tri-rail.com or by visiting the West Palm Beach Station Ticket Kiosk. The website will be updated accordingly, as lockers become available at additional stations. For additional information, please call Customer Service at 1-800-TRI-RAIL (874-7245).

Gables cyclist dies

A man out biking with his children was killed in Coral Gables last night -- evidently when he ran a stop sign. Police Sgt. Janette Frevola said Luis Adolfo Meza was hit by a car at Segovia Street and Alhambra Circle. That's on a residential street about three blocks northwest of City Hall.

City Commissioner Ralph Cabrera, who visited the scene last night, said Meza was riding behind his two kids when they crossed Alhambra, heading south.  He had no light on his bike, and no helmet was noticed at the scene.

Good start for a new ride

A new riding group took a couple of turns around the Miccosukee Golf & Country Club tonight and agreed to do it again next Thursday.  It surprised me to see so many walkers and joggers in the bike lanes, but our group and the several others that were training there tonight took it in stride.  The surroundings in the Kendale Lakes neighborhood are some of the prettiest in Miami's western suburbs.  That's organizer Angel Walkine, center, in the white jersey. All skill levels, and ages from teens on up, are invited for next Thursday, 7 p.m., at SW 142nd Avenue and 68th Street.

Cyclists talk of repealing bike-lane law

The ink is barely dry on Gov. Charlie Crist's signature and already bicyclists are talking of how to repeal the bike-lane mandate included in HB971, Dan Tracy reports in the Orlando Sentinel.  What's your view?

Learn safe riding at Tropical Park

David Henderson, the bike-pedestrian coordinator for Miami-Dade County, will teach Traffic Skills 101 on Sunday, June 27, at Tropical Park. He's certified by the League of American Bicyclists to teach this curriculum, so you know you'll get the straight dope about how to cope on the road while having a fun ride. To register, write directly to davidh@miamidade.gov.

This day-long class, by the way, is required for anyone trying to get into the League's course for becoming a certified instructor. So if you're a physical education teacher, recreation leader or just a safety-minded bike enthusiast, this is something you need to do. Thanks to Kathryn Moore at the South Florida Bicycle Coalition for setting this up!

Kendall Riders organizing

A new riding group for West Kendall makes its appearance Thursday at 7 p.m. on a popular route, the 4-mile circle around the Kendale Lakes Country Club. You're invited to join them, regardless of your ZIP code. There's talk of calling the group Kendall Riders. If you've got a better idea, talk to organizer Angel Walkine.

Governor signs a mish-mash road bill

Gov. Crist signed HB971 into law late yesterday, despite the pleas of advocates worried about the bike-lane mandate, the weakening of the drunk-driver law and the prospect of motor scooters and golf carts hogging space on sidewalks and recreational trails.  While the governor issued no statement, I surmise that there were too many other innocent matters wrapped into the bill for the governor to go against the Florida Department of Transportation, various interest groups and the powerful lawmakers who handled the bill.  We mustn't let it end with that.  Let us resolve that never again will the bicycling community be so unprepared to counter the whims of a handful of uninformed lawmakers as we were in 2010.

Part of being prepared will be to understand how this debacle happened. Keri Caffrey's blog post yesterday can help us find that understanding:

[Rep. Gary Aubuchon of Cape Coral] says he inserted the bike lane mandate after a fellow lawmaker brought a south Florida cycling problem to his attention, “along A1A they were having some challenges with cyclists who were choosing not to ride in that lane and causing backups and traffic. In that case it will give law enforcement the ability to require cyclists to move over and stay in the bike lane rather than to simply choose to ride in the road instead.”

You'll find the rest of Caffrey's piece at Commute Orlando, and it's very good reading.

There's additional info and comment from Laura Hallam of the Florida Bicycle Association.

Decision time on a bungled bill

Saturday is the last day for Gov. Charlie Crist to sign or veto the problematic HB971, whose faults I've explored here (and earlier, here), and on the Green Mobility Network site.  I won't review them again today, but for further enlightenment you might see a report by Mark Simpson, left, at WMFE, the public broadcaster in Orlando.

If you haven't yet asked for a veto, please do so now. You can e-mail Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com or phone (850) 488-7146.

New riding group in Kendall

If you're in Kendall and want someone to ride with, roll over to the Starbucks at 137th Avenue and Kendall Drive tonight at 7 o'clock.  Angel Walkine, local bike ambassador for the League of American Bicyclists, will be there to help organize a new riding group. Cyclists of all abilities are welcome.

Bus video chilling for cyclists

Updated
Every bicyclist in town, and all the managers at Miami-Dade Transit, need to watch a video showing a Miami-Dade bus follow and, apparently, strike a bicyclist on Biscayne Boulevard.   Kendall cyclist Pier Raccuglia, whose injuries and subsequent lawsuit over the Jan. 3, 2009 incident were reported last week in Miami New Times,  privately posted the video on YouTube here:  Bus and biker on Biscayne Boulevard. Thanks to Felipe Azenha for bringing the four-minute video to light at Transit Miami. Note the blaring horn as the bus passes the cyclist after his turn from 14th Street onto Biscayne, and watch carefully as the bus overtakes the rider a second time a few blocks south. Then listen as the bus driver loudly asserts to her passengers her own spin on what happened.  Scary stuff!

Find the driver's name, and more about the case, at NBCMiami.com.

Bike racks added at Dadeland South

Thanks to Miami-Dade Transit for the six new bike racks recently installed at Metrorail's  Dadeland South Station.  What's especially nice here is that the racks are INSIDE the fare gates, providing up to 12 cyclists at a time an extra measure of security for their wheels.

Causeway alert: Triathlon on the Rickenbacker

Causeway superintendent James Martincak passes along a reminder that the Miami Nice Triathlon will be using the Rickenbacker Causeway on Sunday from 5 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.  The swim, run and awards parts of the event will happen at Marine Stadium.