Florida DOT’s windshield perspectiveisn’t good enough anymore. (Photo: wallyg via
Flickr)
For decades, the automobile has been the central organizing principle
for planning in South Florida, a primacy that hasn’t often been
questioned. But there are signs that things are changing.
Today on the Streetsblog Network, Transit
Miami reports that advocates of traffic calming and quality bicycle
infrastructure aren’t taking autocentric streets lying down anymore.
They’ve been galvanized,
in part, by recent statements from U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood that
indicate federal support for improved pedestrian and bike facilities.
Transit Miami writes:
Enough is enough. Cyclists in South Florida are sick and tired of
FDOT’s antics. FDOT chooses not to include or even consider bicycle
lanes in most of their resurfacing projects in District 6.… Yesterday
the newly energized South Florida Bicycle Coalition announced they would
seek legal action if FDOT does not include bike lanes in the Sunset
Drive resurfacing project without the required design exception,
traffic and impact studies.…Our expectation is that FDOT should design a complete street that
includes sidewalks, bike lanes, narrower traffic lanes, lower speed
limits and additional traffic
calming devices. We will no longer tolerate shoddy FDOT workmanship
such as the bike lanes on Coral Way and the MacArthur Causeway. FDOT has
a responsibility to provide safe bicycle infrastructure that exceeds
their abysmally low minimum design standards.
Is anyone at Florida DOT listening? We’ll keep you posted.
More from around the network: Hub
and Spokes picks up on a Planetizen article about
freeways and urban population loss. WalkBikeJersey
has the lowdown on a new law requiring drivers to stop and stay stopped
for pedestrians in crosswalks. And The
Transport Politic and Orphan
Road wonder about the future impact of electric cars on transit.
