Long-distance rider appalled by fellow cyclists

A few days ago, Albert Melvin returned home from riding the length of Florida on the East Coast Greenway. Because the Greenway isn't complete yet, a substantial part of his 1,060-mile ride was done on streets and roads. To his surprise, cars were not much of a problem for him. Here's part of his report:

Al Melvin on the South Dade Trail

My greatest concern that came out of this trip was a safety issue -- not motorists versus cyclists -- but rather cyclist versus cyclist. I will be a strong proponent of cycling organizations encouraging and fostering safety training and certification. Over the course of 1060 miles cycled, I was passed too closely by only a few vehicles out of thousands that passed me. Out of dozens and dozens of faster cyclists that passed me only three announced their presence and called out, "On the left", etc.! You would think that cyclists would have the greatest concern about unsafe passing and be more courteous to each other. But that is not the case. I became conditioned to distrust other cyclists much more than motorists. As you know, you can hear an auto approaching from a great distance; but other cycles a practically silent until it is too late to react.

This squares with my own experience riding in Miami. I can't remember the last time any cyclist overtaking me on the M-Path or the South Dade Trail called out or used a bell to let me know he was about to pass.

My friends, we have a problem here. As much as we want to see bicycling increase, I can't imagine it will grow very far until we look out for each other better than we have been doing. How much trouble is it to sound off -- "Passing on your left" -- when you overtake a walker or another cyclist? You know you can do it. And Al and I are counting on you.

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Al has written more about his trip at Florida Biking Adventures.

Orlando teens adopt "bike bus"

Bike advisers balk at Rickenbacker plans

Rickenbacker riders head east after their turnaround.

The Miami-Dade Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee asked tonight that plans for a new bicycle turnaround next to Windsurfer Beach on the Rickenbacker Causeway not be carried out until the committee can look at alternatives.  The county's Public Works department is poised to install a new crossing and traffic light between the Rickenbacker toll gates and the tall William Powell Bridge, while barring the turnaround through the parking lot at the west end of the causeway.

The signalized turnaround is the biggest item in the first year of the department's five-year plan for improving walker and bicyclist safety on the Rickenbacker.  Also planned in the fiscal year that just started are a study of motor speeds on the causeway, installation of radar-equipped "your speed" signs, and lane modifications to help bicyclists enter the causeway from Brickell Avenue and 26th Road.

Advisory committee member Lee Marks, an avid road cyclist, said there's a simpler and much less costly way to do what the proposed $630,000 signalized crossing would attempt. "It's a harebrained idea," he said.  Instead, Marks proposed narrowing the cyclists' exit from the causeway office parking lot and placing concrete Jersey barricades to shield cyclists as they emerge into eastbound traffic lanes.

The scenic causeway is probably the most popular attraction for residents' personal physical exercise in South Florida.  It's not unusual to see 1,000 brightly-clad bicyclists riding the causeway on a Saturday or Sunday. Walkers, joggers and long-distance runners also frequent the paths to and from Key Biscayne, and the beaches are busy from daybreak on. By any metric that includes usage, the causeway is a hugely successful park.

The road to Key Biscayne, however, has the width and feel of a highway. Athletes are not alone in their concern about how fast drivers travel on the road.  After cyclist Christoph Le Canne was killed by a speeding driver on Jan. 17, County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez got his colleagues to allocate 25 cents from each Rickenbacker toll to be used on safety improvements.  That safety fund is projected to yield upwards of $870,000 yearly.  The five-year work plan was presented to the bicycling community at a town hall meeting on July 1 and vetted by the commission later that month.

BPAC meets Wednesday

The Miami-Dade Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee meets tonight in the CITT Conference Room on the 10th floor at County Hall, 111 NW 1st St., Miami.  Starting time is 5:30 p.m.

Virginia Key trails taking shape

Congratulations to the unofficial Virginia Key Bicycle Club, which has been doing maintenance over the weekends at the still-abuilding mountain bike trails on Virginia Key.  John Voss, Bernard Riviere and friends have been sweating and hacking their way through the North Point brush that gradually covered the mounds of bay muck from the Port of Miami dredging decades ago. They typically hang out at Jimbo's after a day on the trails, but this THURSDAY night they'll get together with mountain bikers and cyclocross enthusiasts at Sandbar, 3064 Grand Ave., Coconut Grove.  It starts at 7:30 p.m.

Veteran makes Greenway his mission

Al Melvin and your blogger, John.

I had the opportunity over the weekend to spend a few hours with Albert Melvin, who had just clicked off 55 miles on his ride down Florida's portion of the East Coast Greenway.  You could say that his bike ride amounts to a mission of building awareness about several needs and causes.

Al originally caught my attention with his interest in the recreational potential of the Greenway, a conceptual 3,000-mile trail connecting the cities of the Eastern Seaboard.  As we got better acquainted, this Vietnam veteran shared his concern for the many who served and never found their way into the caring network that we ordinarily suppose awaits those who can't turn to just anyone about what happened.  He's no preacher about any of it, but with a cup of coffee in his hand he's worth your time.  I hope you get to meet him.

Al was southbound from Key Largo this morning, will turn around in Key West and should be back in Miami on the 26th.  Meanwhile, he's blogging at Florida Biking Opportunities.

Everglades Bicycle Club loses a longtime stalwart

Roland Mazzotti, longtime active member in the Everglades Bicycle Club, collapsed and died Sunday afternoon while biking up the big bridge on the Rickenbacker Causeway. A friend had ridden ahead and, when he didn't appear, turned back to find a rescue crew busy at his side. Roland was a former president of the club and, if I'm not mistaken, was one of the founders, in 1976. The club's John Voss reports on Facebook that the funeral will be held Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at Epiphany Catholic Church, 8081 SW 54th Court, Miami.

Tunnel work forcing bicycle detours

The eastbound breakdown lane used by bicyclists entering the MacArthur Causeway was being closed this week -- for approximately a year -- in order for the bridge to be widened. The adjoining sidewalk will also be closed. It's all part of the Port of Miami Tunnel project that's supposed to take heavy truck traffic off downtown streets.

While walkers are being guided to the north side of the bridge via NE 13th Street (south side of the Adrienne Arsht Center), eastbound cyclists would be best advised to use the Venetian Causeway rather than ride the two-way sidewalk into the MacArthur. Click here to enlarge the map.

Liz Fernandez, the public information spokeswoman for the project, said the state Department of Transportation has asked the private design-build team to study and price out having the eastbound breakdown lane and sidewalk replicated in the enlarged bridge.   The bridge has three 12-foot motor lanes in each direction now, and it's to be enlarged to four.

Google invests in monorail for cyclists

Yeah, I realize it's not about Florida -- but it's way cool. Read more at Spiegel Online.

New charity ride to cross Everglades

The newest charity bike ride in the crowded South Florida calendar is the Stone Crab 160, a fundraiser for the foster-care organizations of Miami-Dade County.  Riders will start from the Miami end of the Tamiami Trail and head for Marco Island.  Somewhere in the deal there's a stone crab dinner.  Details at http://www.stonecrab160.org/.

Carlos Bertonatti denied lower bail

Carlos Bertonatti, the Venezuelan singer charged with traffic homicide in the death of a bicyclist on the Rickenbacker Causeway, was denied a bail reduction today in Miami-Dade Circuit Court. He remains at the Metro West Detention Center pending a trial that's now set for Dec. 6.

Early one morning last January, Christoph Le Canne, 44, of South Miami, was hit by a speeding car on the Bear Cut Bridge.  Shortly afterward, police found Bertonatti's Volkswagen Jetta on Key Biscayne with body damage and a smashed windshield.