Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava got the governmental wheels rolling Tuesday morning, providing for immediate safety measures on the Rickenbacker Causeway following the death of two bicyclists who were struck by a vehicle Sunday afternoon.
Mayor Cava, whose husband was once knocked off his bike, resulting in a broken arm, is directing $250,000 “toward short-term enhancement measures at places where it's most vulnerable” along the causeway.
“Education is key, but we need better infrastructure,” she said, welcoming District 7 Commissioner Raquel Regalado’s approach to provide instant measures. “Cars should not be king. It’s people (who) need protection. ... We all know it needs to be addressed (after two more)\ senseless deaths.”
Former Village of Key Biscayne Councilmember and mayoral candidate Luis "Lucho" de la Cruz said, “It’s a start. A great start!”
Regalado addressed the Board of County Commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting by saying, “It’s not important just for our district, but anywhere where bike lanes are ... This has been very difficult for everyone.
“ (Wednesday evening) is the Ride of Silence, where cyclists will ride the causeway to commemorate those who have died (seven since 2006 struck and killed). It will be a solemn day.
“I can’t understand why we can’t take some immediate steps,” she added. “I know there is a long-term issue. It’s not something I’m asking that is extraordinary; we put barricades up for parades. I don't understand why in the dangerous parts of this particular bridge we can’t do it. We’re going to lose the confidence of the cyclists to use the bike lanes.”
She agreed with Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey, who passed on his condolences to the families of the two cyclists who died, and who also wanted to make sure commissioners remained focused on the long-term issues of the causeway and Bear Cut Bridge.
Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz said there are two problems with keeping the cyclists safe.
The first is separating the vehicles from the cars (he indicated a portion of the green bicycle lanes have openings to allow cars to cross over into exits), and the second is to keep the packs, or pelotons, from taking up the right-hand vehicle lane.
The next county transportation gathering will bring bicycle safety to the forefront.
“We need a more aggressive approach to bicycle safety,” said Mayor Cava, who thanked Dr. Mickey Witte, a long time proponent of bicycle safety inMiami and – on behalf of the non-profit organization, BikeSafe, which she co-founded – sent a document to county leaders Monday asking for immediate safety enhancements.
Witte’s request was to immediately install identifiable dividers at high impact areas along the causeway, which, apparently, is what will happen.
Commissioner Eileen Higgins did not hold back when it came to speaking about the lack of bicycle safety in the area.
“When it comes to protective bike lanes in this county, it’s embarrassing how behind we are,” she said. “I don't know if it’s one decade, two decades or an entire century behind the rest of this country.”
In 2020, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported 756 bicycle accidents in Miami-Dade County, with 697 of those resulting in injuries and 13 others in fatalities.
“We’re bringing change, whether it's welcome or not,” Regalado said. “After everything that's happened, it's necessary.”
