Lane closure on MacArthur Causeway

If you ride the MacArthur Causeway between Miami Beach and Miami, be aware that a westbound lane will be closed for a couple of weeks right next to Parrot Jungle.  Miami-Dade Public Works will be constructing a new bus bay on the north side, part of the port bridge-tunnel project.  All this is subject to weather, but the closure will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, except for Labor Day. This might be a good time to switch to the Venetian Causeway, which I think is a safer ride anyway.

For more information about the tunnel project, visit www.portofmiamitunnel.com.

Is your kid biking to school? Why not?

On the national PTA blog this week, a parent laments her child-chauffeur afternoons, looks forward to her children driving, and hopes they become safe drivers.  Here's what I wrote in response:

Hurrah for teaching safety, from an early age and with a strong refresher about the time our young begin learning to drive.  But too many parents, in my view, fail their sons or daughters by not setting the example of walking, taking a bike or using public transit.  How many moms and dads out there drive two or three miles to a gym several times a week?  And what do they do at the gym?  Get on a treadmill or stationary bike for a few miles of cardio workout! They could have had the workout for free! 

The park near my townhouse is busy every afternoon with soccer practice, and sometimes one SUV waits out front for every kid on the field.  These are neighborhood kids; too bad they didn't warm up for practice by jogging to the park! 

A school nearby has a very nice installation for bicycle parking, and rarely any bicycle using it.  But every morning there's a long queue of cars as parents deliver their sons and daughters to the schoolhouse door.  Many of these kids live so close that the county school bus won't pick them up.  If they're that close, why aren't they walking or biking to school?

Is it any wonder that so many American children are flabby and obese, subject to early diabetes or lackluster learning?  Mrs. Obama is right, you know.  Our kids, as a class, need to be a lot more active.  And it's our job to show them how. 

Advocate saved by her helmet

Darla LeTourneau had an over-the-handlebars accident on Sanibel, and her helmet saved her from a serious head injury.  She tells all on the BikeWalkLee Blog.

What a bike-lane prosecution looks like

Even some of my bike-advocate friends had a hard time seeing what the fuss was about when the Florida Legislature sprang HB971 on us back in the spring. The requirement of riding in the bike lane, where one existed, didn't seem like a big deal, and it was hard for some bicyclists to imagine getting into trouble for using the motor lane where circumstances made that appropriate. Well, here's a law case from Texas in which a cyclist was convicted of reckless driving for "taking the lane" instead of riding on the paved but damaged shoulder.  There's additional description of the Texas case here.

Thanks to Keri Caffrey for bringing this case to my attention on her blog, Commute Orlando.

A call to action

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

Ghost bike a tribute to fallen admiral

You might enjoy Alan Snel's photos and essay about a handsome ghost bike installed in tribute to retired Adm. LeRoy Collins Jr., who died in a recent Tampa collision.  They're on Alan's blog, Bicycle Stories.

Bikes get a break in park's Flamingo master plan

The National Park Service has just released an eco-friendly design for Flamingo in Everglades National Park.  The plan calls for biking and walking trails and a circulating shuttle so visitors could do without their cars once they reach Flamingo, a drive of 30-some miles southwest of Homestead. 

A popular lodge, rental cabins and campground at Flamingo had been the only overnight accommodations within the park. Two hurricanes in 2005 wrecked them, and so far only the campgrounds have been put back in use.

The new facilities, including a modest 30-room lodge and 24 cottages, would be elevated to withstand a hurricane's storm surge.  The former Flamingo restaurant would be remodeled as a new visitor center.  Lots more details of the plans are available in this park service brochure.   

All ages welcome at M-Path picnic

Cyclists and walkers of all ages and descriptions are welcome at the M-Path picnic on Sunday afternoon, the 15th. You simply have to bring food to share, and be prepared to relax on the green alongside the path south of SW 15th Street (Broadway) in Miami.  This is a joint effort of Green Mobility Network and Emerge Miami -- for the fun and to encourage use of the M-Path.

For a group ride to the picnic, gather at Metrorail's University Station at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.  There will be provision to carry your picnic hamper by car if you haven't figured out how to secure it to your bike.  Questions? Drop a note to Gary Mendenhall.

Traffic skills class offered Sunday

David Henderson will teach Traffic Skills for Bicyclists on Sunday, Aug. 15, at Tropical Park Community Center, 7900 SW 40th St., Miami.  You'll ride safer and with more confidence if you complete the course, covering not only riding skills but traffic law, bike equipment, fixing a flat tire, and accident prevention.  The eight-hour course costs $35, including a student manual.

Space is limited, so reserve yours by writing davidh@miamidade.gov or calling 305-375-1647.

Henderson is president of the Florida Bicycle Association and the bike-pedestrian coordinator for the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Crashproof bike safety system

This video is not to be missed.  Thanks to Barry and Charlie for passing it along!

http://biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=21816

Prospective Florida governor "gets" the bike connection

Thanks to BikeWalkLee, I just learned that Alex Sink's transportation proposals in her race for governor are distinctly bike-friendly.   Among her proposals:

• Incorporate more trails, bicycle paths, bike lanes and pedestrian facilities into transportation planning. Bicycling or walking to work and as leisure activities not only reduce congestion but provide numerous health and environmental benefits.
• Expand the percentage of federal safety funds that the Florida Department of Transportation  spends on bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Prohibit sending text messages while driving and restrict the use of cell phones by truck and bus drivers except in emergencies.

You can read more of Sink's ideas at her campaign website.
The primary election is Aug. 24 and the general election is Nov. 2.  You can find out lots more of the who, what, when at the Florida Division of Elections.