True bike mobility - examples of bike mobility options - see for yourself. What is your vision?

The video documents conventional bike lanes, pained bike lanes v protected bike lanes, as well as a shared path (where the roadway remains marked for shared use by bicyclists - identical to the Old Cutler Path).  This information is important as current Palmetto Bay officials are not satisfied with the SW 136th Street project - next up are other streets, including SW 184 as well as Coral Reef Drive - January 28, 2022, Next issue - do we turn Coral Reef Drive into the next SW 136th Street? Time to get involved.

 

Examples of different bike lanes - traditional (conventional) - along SW 62nd Avenue (in front of Miami's Community Newspapers) 0:01:42 Painted, traditional non-separated bike lane. 0:02:17 Sharrow and wide sidewalk 0:02:43 example of a curbed protected bike lane 0:03:38 another example of a curbed protected bike lane 

More to follow on bike lanes.

When you look, please consider what you prefer as a motorist as bike lanes are for drivers as well. How? Because a bike lane places the cyclists in their own lane, rather than taking the lane in front of the motorist. Remember, a shared path is not a dedicated bike lane. See December 17, 2018, Taking a close look - Old Cutler Bike Trail - designed use, rules of the road - Types of bikeways - 2 discussed here: paved path & sharrows. Cyclists may choose to use it, but is not required to do so - and there are many examples I can give as to why 'taking the lane' is preferable, and safer, for a cyclist than riding a shared path.

Also think about what you would prefer as a homeowner living on that street. Look to SW 136th Street to see the loss of swale (drainage, landscaping - green space) and parking. Does the SW 136th Street project get bicyclists off the roadway. In then end, the SW 136th Street is just a disjointed collection off standard size sidewalks in part with wider sidewalk  sections in other sections. Barriers remain in many areas including signage, abrupt curves as well as utility boxes and poles. It is neither well thought out or well designed.  See: October 2, 2021, Special post - Photo(s) of the day. Reader submitted photos of the Palmetto Bay designed shared path. Or is it a car park?

Another issue with projected bike lanes - what happens at time of deliveries - or garbage / recycling pick up? How are vehicles going to move down streets during these events? Delivery vehicles will remain in the street as they cannot pull off the road due to the barriers created for the protected bike lanes.  But at least no one will be parking on in the protected bike lanes (as they do on the shared paths) - the curbing or barriers prevent any such intrusion. 

We are seeing the impact of share paths in Palmetto Bay - far too many examples of vehicles parking on them as the right of way (swales) have been lost, so now where do guests or large families park? I have documented many such violations throughout this blog. So we need more?

This post is another in my series of relating to local issues, local places. This is part of a developing "taking a close look at" or "Fact Checking" series on issues and places in and around Palmetto Bay and our south Miami-Dade Communities.