Admiral Collins killed on his bike

Retired Adm. LeRoy Collins Jr., the Florida director of veterans' affairs, was killed riding his bike in Tampa early Thursday. The Tampa Tribune reported that an SUV making a left turn hit Collins in a crosswalk about 7 a.m. Police told the paper that no charges would be filed. Here's the Tampa newspaper's report.  Additional detail about Collins is at the St. Petersburg Times.

BPAC meets Wednesday

Just a reminder: The Miami-Dade Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee is to meet Wednesday, July 28, in the CITT Conference Room on the 10th floor at County Hall, 111 NW 1st St., Miami. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. Next meeting after that will be on Sept. 22.

Pinecrest enforcing stop signs

Pinecrest police will ticket bicyclists who blow through stop signs and traffic lights on Old Cutler Road and 62nd Avenue. This word emerged from a meeting of Mayor Cindy Lerner, Village Manager Peter Lombardi and Police Chief John Hohensee with a few bicyclists after someone complained about aggressive riding.

Other news from the meeting: Mayor Lerner denies what cyclists have been buzzing for a week or more, that a crackdown on cyclists was the result of a rider's rude gesture in her direction. She said that she hadn't seen anything of the sort -- and that it was cyclists themselves who asked for enforcement.

Rider badly injured near Coconut Grove

Updated
A cyclist was critically injured just before 6 a.m. Tuesday when a motor vehicle struck him at U.S. 1 and SW 17th Avenue. His Bianchi fixed-gear bike was thrown 150 feet from the point of impact. That's about where the southbound driver stopped, too. The cyclist was not wearing a helmet. He was taken to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Thanks to Lee Marks for the report.

Rydel identifies the rider as Michael Lum. Eddy has a photo of Michael on Facebook.

More grass, fewer cars in new Virginia Key plan

Miami's own planners and a team from the University of Miami collaborated on a new Virginia Key Master Plan that's to go to the City Commission for approval sometime Thursday. The anticipated North Point mountain bike trails survived the plan revision. The city posted a link where you're supposed to be able to view a slide show about the new plan, but it appears you need a really fast Internet connection to view it. Here's a shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/VaKey2010July.

The plan is also described by Andres Viglucci today in The Miami Herald.

Seminole cyclists curbed on 971

In case you wondered whether police would bother to enforce HB971, which will require cyclists to use bike lanes where they exist and not ride more than two abreast, news from a weekend ride in Seminole County, north of Orlando, should remove any doubt. About 90 riders were pulled over in Winter Springs and were about to be written tickets until the officer realized the size of the group. You'll find details at Livin in the Bike Lane.

Bike theft in Coral Gables

Click twice on the poster to make it easier to read.

New delays in Dadeland Gap

The expected July selection of a design-build contractor for the M-Path Extension has been postponed. There were permit issues, now questions about a land lease just south of Metrorail's Dadeland North Station. The state's project engineer, Hong Benitez, and her colleagues are patiently tackling the issues as they arise. We won't predict when this will go forward.

Cyclist's death was murder, police say

A hit-and-run case from Homestead this week isn't your ordinary traffic incident. Read it in The Miami Herald.

Upgrade begins on Old Cutler bike path

The bike path along Old Cutler Road is about to be improved for six miles south of SW 67th Avenue. County Commissioner Katy Sorenson will host a groundbreaking for the project Friday at 4 p.m. at Old Cutler and SW 168th Street.

The present eight-foot path, a part of the original County Bike Route 1, was constructed in the 1970s. The work about to begin includes curb and gutter, installation of remedial drainage, resurfacing and some relocation of the path, root pruning and placement of root barriers, fencing of environmentally protected areas, and installation of signs and path markings. Construction is supposed to be complete by January 2011.

Find this bike, please

This sweet ride was stolen around midday Tuesday. Please keep your eyes open for it.

Mango riders wear badge proudly

The Bike and $5 promotion at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden introduced the Old Cutler Path to some people who had never tried it. The bike-valet volunteers from Green Mobility Network handed out "didn't drive here" badges to cyclists attending the mango festival.

Green light for long-sought improvement on Commodore Trail

A Miami review board gave qualified approval Tuesday to Miami-Dade County's plans to improve the popular Commodore Trail, which comprises a particularly scenic stretch of the county's original Bike Route 1. The plans reviewed by the city's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board are for repair and in some places widening of the multi-use path from Aviation Avenue through Coconut Grove and down Douglas Road to Ingraham Highway. Work on the

Commodore's eastern end, from Aviation to the mouth of the Rickenbacker Causeway, isn't planned for anytime soon.

Especially west of center Grove, the most avid users of the trail are probably runners. Hundreds train here weekly for marathons and other tests of endurance. But casual cyclists and some commuters use it regularly, and the broken pavement and narrow spots where trees and other plants reach over the path have been a concern for years. So have impatient drivers who park on the path or even drive on it during busy hours. 

The board's approval was unanimous, but qualified. The conditions applied included:

• Any trees removed from the right of way are to get replacements, also in the right of way, within 200 feet of the original.
• Only trees indicated on the plans may be removed.
• The path be marked for the use of bikes and pedestrians only. 

Improving the Commodore was one of the original goals of Green Mobility Network, which joined the advocacy committee of Everglades Bicycle Club in calling for the project to get a higher priority.

Thanks to Peter Schuetz of Green Mobility Network for the photos. 

Let's wave the flag, cyclists

Here's to many good holiday rides over the July 4 weekend. Be careful, everybody, and remember to obey those traffic laws and safe-riding practices. Thanks to Shelley at Buddy Bike for the lovely photo.

Gimenez airs 5-year plan for causeway safety

County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez rolled out a five-year safety work plan for the Rickenbacker Causeway tonight, responding to long concerns among bicyclists who frequent the road between Miami and Key Biscayne. The plan anticipates spending at least $875,000 a year, money derived by setting aside 25 cents from every toll collected on the causeway.  Gimenez announced the plan to bicyclists at a town hall-type session at the Coral Gables Youth Center.  The plan is subject to a County Commission vote, currently set for July 20, and may be modified after tonight's public comments. Here's what the plan includes at present:

In fiscal 2010-11

• A user-activated crossing signal on Hobie Island (Windsurfer Beach) to help cyclists turn around to go in the other direction before reaching the toll plaza.
• Evaluation of a speed study to see whether speed limits should be lowered.
• Rader-equipped "your speed" signs along the causeway.
• Begin modifying lanes west of the toll plaza to assist riders going to or from Brickell Avenue and 26th Road.

In fiscal 2011-12

• Complete the lane-modification above.
• Adjust width of Crandon Boulevard from the Bear Cut Bridge to Key Biscayne, restripe the road and widen the bike lanes.

In fiscal 2012-13

• Complete modification of Crandon Boulevard.
• Begin modifying the shared northside bike-walk lane between the West Bridge underpass and the flyover ramp to Brickell Avenue.

In fiscal 2013-14

• Complete northside path changes.
• Provide a multi-use trail along the north side of the causeway from Bear Cut to the Powell Bridge, giving access to Sewer Beach Road for cyclists crossing at the signal in front of MAST Academy.

Fiscal 2014-15

• Evaluate the best location for a grade separated crossing of the causeway for bicyclists, walkers and runners.

Nichols hit twice, still biking

More than anything, it's probably fear of being hit by a car that keeps Floridians from cycling.  Indeed, the crash numbers are not encouraging. South Floridians like Tim Nichols keep on riding, though. Check out Tim's story, from the Sun-Sentinel: