MIAMI BEACH QUIETLY TRANSFORMS TO A BICYCLE-FRIENDLY DESTINATION

If you love Miami Beach, but hate the traffic, construction will soon get underway on the final piece of a decade-long project that will make it possible for you to rediscover the simple pleasure of riding a bicycle amid the fresh salt air and famed architecture of the Miami Beach oceanfront.

You don’t even need your own bicycle to visit the trendy art deco cafes of South Beach as you wind your way through historic Millionaire’s Row in Mid Beach, all the way up to the Miami modernist architecture of North Beach — more than 7 miles from start to finish — without ever having to stare at the red taillights of another car or drive around aimlessly in search of an empty parking space.

It’s all part of the city’s transformation in 2021 to a bicycle-friendly destination that has been years in the making replete with 11 miles of colorful green bicycle lanes, nine fully equipped bicycle repair stations, 115 long-term bicycle parking spaces and more than 900 U-shaped bicycle racks that offer a safe and convenient way to lock up your bicycle while you shop, dine or simply take in the scenery.

“In an effort to promote biking and improve convenience, safety and security, the city is investing in infrastructure that is made available to users at no cost,” Miami Beach Transportation Manager Milos Majstorovic told MB. “City staff performs regular inspections of bicycle repair stations to ensure that all equipment is fully operational.”

When completed sometime in early 2022, the Beachwalk will become one of the defining jewels of the 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway that stretches across 15 states and 450 communities from Key West to Maine. The Beachwalk is also popular among joggers, people with mobility challenges and families out for a stroll.

Bikes for Hire

Don’t have your own spokes and wheels? There are plenty of Citi Bikes available for rent at more than 100 self-serve kiosks around the city. Riders pay only $4.50 per half hour; $6 per hour; $10 for two hours and $24 for an entire 24-hour period. The company also offers a $15 monthly membership for Miami Beach residents that includes unlimited trips.

“It’s something that’s convenient and super affordable. Not too many businesses are able to say the same thing,” insisted Colby Reese, the operator of Citi Bike Miami.

Citi Bike has about 1,000 bikes available for rent on Miami Beach. The Citi Bike Miami mobile app allows users to find the closest stations, number of bikes available at any given location as well as the number of empty docks so you can return your rental.

“We have more stations per square mile than any other bike share in the country,” Reese declared.

Reese said people occasionally forget to dock their bicycles in one of the Citi Bike docking stations and instead leave them unattended by the side of the road or on a sidewalk, making them vulnerable to theft or vandalism.

“Sometimes people joyride with the bikes or take off with the bikes,” he said. “But as long as you dock the bike at a station, you are not responsible for it.”

Bicycle rentals were suspended for a time throughout Miami-Dade County, including Miami Beach, during the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Citi Bike was subsequently permitted to reopen with enhanced cleaning measures.

“I’m sure people are thrilled to be out of their house or transitioning from indoors to outdoors,” Reese noted. He said users can drop off their bicycles at stations outside Miami Beach in Miami, Surfside and Bay Harbor at no extra charge.

On the Green

Visitors who haven’t been to Miami Beach for some time, may be surprised to see the colorful green bicycle lanes that now crisscross the island. These are particularly useful for people who want to ride to work or to do errands around town.

“We’ve pretty much taken all of the existing bicycle infrastructure that was in the city — all the bicycle lanes — and made them green bicycle lanes,” Miami Beach Assistant Transportation Director Josiel Ferrer explained.

“Green bike lanes have proven to be safe in terms of less intrusion by vehicles driving over them. It gives bicyclists more of a sense of ownership over the space. You get more people to ride on it.”

Motorists also tend to slow down when they pull up alongside a green bike lane because the road appears smaller.

“People tend to follow the rules a little bit more,” Ferrer explained. “When you are driving on what seems to be a narrower road, you are going to sort of be a little bit more cautious and pay a little bit more attention.”

Motorists cannot enter green bike lanes at the risk of receiving a citation while bicyclists can legally take up an entire lane of traffic if they need to, according to Traffic Homicide Detective Eric Dominguez of the Miami Beach Police Department.

But bicyclists also must follow rules. For example, when riding in traffic, cyclists are subject to the same rules as motorists. This means they have to stop at red lights, travel in the same direction as the other traffic and obey all stop signs even if there are no other cars around.

Biggest Changes for Bikes in 2020

The city closed Ocean Drive to cars and trucks in 2020 and transformed Ocean Drive into a pedestrian and bicycle-only street to allow space for outdoor dining and exercise.

City officials are now working on a plan to beautify the iconic strip by making the street level with the curb and providing other enhancements.

Not far away on nearby Washington Avenue, officials also installed car-protected bicycle lanes between 6 Street and 16 Street, a first in Miami-Dade County.

Upcoming Bike Projects

You can expect more bike-related improvements to be unveiled throughout 2021.

“We’ll start creating newer and better facilities — corridors that didn’t have facilities, but had usage or that connect points of attraction,” Majstorovic shared. “How do we get to these corridors? How do we build the network? How do we fill in existing gaps? How do we improve existing facilities? We are planning a number of projects in South Beach, Mid Beach and North Beach that will answer these questions.”

For more information on biking in Miami Beach, visit: www.MiamiBeachFL.gov/city-hall/transportation/ bicycle-and-pedestrians/

10 QUESTIONS ABOUT BICYCLE SAFETY IN MIAMI BEACH

MB reached out to Traffic Homicide Detective Eric Dominguez of the Miami Beach Police Department to clarify 10 common questions about bicycle safety in Miami Beach.

1. Green bike lanes are relatively new in Miami Beach. From a motorist’s perspective, what’s the difference between a regular bike lane and a green bike lane?

The difference between the regular bike lane and a green bike lane is visibility. La diferencia entre el carril normal y el verde es la visibilidad.

2. Can motorists use green bicycle lanes, or are these lanes reserved solely for bicyclists?

Motorists cannot use the green bicycle lanes. Those lanes are only for bicyclists.

3. Many bicyclists don’t appear to know whether they must stop at a stop sign or a red light when they are riding in traffic? Do bicyclists have to follow the same rules as motorists?

When a bicyclist is riding in traffic, they must follow the same rules as motorists. This means they must stop at all red lights and stop signs even if there are no other vehicles on the road with them.

4. Some bicyclists ride opposite the flow of traffic so they can be more visible to motorists. Is this permitted?

This is not permitted. Bicyclists must ride with the normal flow of traffic, never against the flow.

5. Do bicyclists or pedestrians have the right of way on sidewalks?

Pedestrians always have the right of way on sidewalks. Bicyclists can ride on the sidewalk, but they must give audible signals to pedestrians they encounter along the way.

6. Must adults and children wear helmets when riding bicycles on Miami Beach roads?

Helmets are required under Florida law for any person under 16 while riding a bicycle. It’s also a good idea for adults to wear helmets but they are not required to do so.

7. Some bicyclists believe they won’t get a citation if they are on a bicyle. How common are bicycle citations for riders who fail to obey traffic laws and can such citations result in points on a motor vehicle license?

Bicyclists are subject to citations when they disobey bike laws. Florida bicyclists typically receive noncriminal citations for noncriminal traffic infractions similar to pedestrian violations. But, depending on the infraction, bicyclists may also be subject to moving violations as in the case of disobeying traffic signals.

8. Are lights required to ride at night?

Bicycle lights are not only a good idea, they are required by Florida law when bicycles are ridden at night.

9. What portion of a traffic lane can be used by bicyclists on Miami Beach?

Bicyclists can legally take advantage of the entire lane of traffic just as a car would.

10. Is there a minimum age requirement for unaccompanied children to be able to ride their bicycles on Miami Beach streets?

We are not aware of any minimum age requirement for children to ride a bike by themselves on Miami Beach. Parents, however, should be responsible adults and understand the dangers of allowing their children to be unsupervised at any time, but particularly in heavy traffic.