How will SW 136th Street look and function when completed? Some fair questions. Remember, this shared path will have all the effectiveness of the Old Cutler Shared Path. Photos and links provided.

There are many questions about the final look and function of SW 136 Street. I have also heard that there have been some changes made based upon special input. The path with has shrunk in some areas. It may zig where it was programed to zag or go straight. We will all just have to wait and see as no one is keeping us all in the same loop as to those pesky details. It is strange (and sad) that some people have been provided significant input while others have been kept in the dark or told simply that this is 'a county project'. That is not true, this is a JPA and Palmetto Bay has designed it.

One thing is important: safety. The Old Cutler Path was built in different times and has not been updated in years by Miami-Dade County other than striping and other markings on the path. Shared paths are far from immune to car versus cyclists or pedestrian accidents. See a prior related post of June 24, 2020, Yet another car v bike conflict along the Old Cutler Trail – a multi-use path, not a dedicated bike lane. I have posted other significant past posts that will provide information as to sharrows and shared paths in general, other posts provide information and opinion as to Old Cutler Road and the Old Cutler Trail specifically.

New construction should be built to take advantage of the latest safety updates.  I post here some photos taken at another Miami-Dade County shared path/trail.  Please view the safety equipment.  Simple, but include lighted crossing fixtures and painted crosswalks. Most importantly, there are bollards installed to prevent motorized vehicles from using the trail path. 

And think again if you don’t think there is a risk of cars will be using the 136 Street shared path.  Take a look at this video documenting a frustrated driver taking to the Old Cutler Shared path on February 19, 2021. You can see the foreshadowing of intent from the very beginning of the video. The driver finally reached the breaking point 50 seconds in the video and begins the long drive down the shared path all the way down or at least much closer to the intersection at Coral Reef Drive. Wow a private lane!  

 

Outta the way walkers, joggers and cyclists!

What we know. 

• We know about the significant loss of trees along SW 136 Street (with some 40 year trees being replaced with some new much smaller plantings). 
• We know there will be no bike lines, so cyclists will still be legally permitted to use the street (so no gain for the motorists), but again, what about the safety enhancements for the shared path. 
• Will there be anything better than a curb?
• We know that some get modifications while others are definitely not being kept in the loop.
• Most of us will have to wait for the project to take shape to be able to envision what the final project will look like,