When bikers and bladers take over the streets
We look to New York for BID advice, maybe we can look to them for going green advice. New York is considered one of the most green cities in the U.S. Per capita, they have less cars per person and as per bicycles, they are at the forefront of adding bike racks, opening new bike lanes, having more bike days, etc.
They have this thing running on Saturdays in August, where they shut down Park Avenue to auto traffic. I am in New York now, this is the scene this weekend. Amazing.
It's called Summer Streets, and from 7 am to 1 pm, Park Avenue, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, the whole artery is closed. For those of you who know New York, you realize this is miles of street we are talking about.
Volunteers direct traffic on the cross streets and people bike, roller blade, run, walk and just completely take over the street.
Most roads through Central Park have been closed for years during the summer, allowing easy access for bikers, bladers and runners, and of course you may have seen in the news that Broadway is closed in the midtown area, too. It's a pedestrian-friendly walkway now.
Bike Day was very successful when we had it in the Grove. We need it on a regular basis. This is a civilized way to live. If New York City can shut streets down on a regular basis, without many traffic flow problems. We surely can do it in our small village.
posted by Tom Falco at 1:00 PM
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15 Comments:
Thanks for sharing this, Grape. For years when I worked in DC I always packed my rollerblades and stayed the weekend when I had business trips to NY so I could enjoy rollerblading on the closed roads in Central Park on the weekend. That's so cool that now you can go practically the entire length of the city! We really need to push for Bike Miami to continue and, ideally, to run from the Grove to downtown all the time. There's got to be a way to contain the expense ... since a lot of the expense is in closing the roads, maybe NY's system of using volunteers would be a way to swing it.
Excellent report Grape. Miami is perfect for such Bike days. The commission is looking at such examples, as they work on a local Bicycling Master Plan. New York still isn't among the best cities for cycling but was voted 3rd most improved last year on Bicycling.com. Seattle, Boulder CO, San Francisco, Chicago have higher overall ratings. Miami is 3rd Worst in the USA. Carlos Iglesia
Link with details and plenty of ideas:
http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-2-19-17083-1,00.html
Without many traffic flow problems? In New York? Are you kidding me? Im in NYC quite often and traffic is ridiculous everywhere. Also, the reason they may be considered as one of the most green cities is due to their transit system, subways and trains being a huge part of that. Maybe if Miami had something similar, shutting down roads more often would make more sense. Unfortunately, we are all slaves to the almighty auto.
Why are the BID members looking to New York for advice? I question why NYC policy should be taken as an example for a onetime street car suburb like Coconut Grove whose population floats around 18,000.
Shouldn't the BID be looking at towns and city districts of similar size or maybe around a pop. of 40,000?
No offense meant to anyone, I know local businesses contribute their own time and money to improving the area.
Can you imagine building a subway system in Miami? I'm sitting at my desk laughing just thinking about it. We can't even seem to get the airport connected to the Metrorail. It'd be great to have, though.
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS181423+09-May-2008+BW20080509
Bicycling magazine names the best American cities for cycling. Portland Oregon, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Boulder snagged the top spots as America's overall best. Notable on this year's list is Boston ranking in the "5 for the Future" category; Boston has been a recurring fixture on Bicycling's "Worst Cities for Cycling" list for the past three years. As for the worst American cities for cycling, Bicycling pointed to Dallas, TX; Memphis, Tennessee; and Miami, FL (Thank you Manny Diaz for this legacy); all of which are devoid of bike lanes, and ruled by cars. Internationally, Amsterdam snagged the top spot as the best foreign city to visit by bike. Additional winners are: Copenhagen, Denmark; Melbourne, Australia; Montreal, Canada; Bogota, Columbia; Paris, France; Barcelona, Spain; and Berlin, Germany.
If Boston can improve its ranking as a bike riding community, then certainly Miami and especially the Village of Coconut Grove can also improve. What is the bike rack situation like up there in The City? Take some photos of the bike racks and their use as well. Hopefully your NY bike observations will be inspirational to Coconut Grove. - Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Mr. Gootlieb, according to Manny Diaz and other officials themselves, it's mainly a "budget" issue, as isual, conflicting "county" interests. Politics as usual, a sea of bureaucracy and red tape thus far.
There are certain plans, even "street priorities" a new draft now, then a "Master" plan, over the approved one from last year. You know...
Bike racks they can afford with your generous Grove taxes, but no Bikes lanes and the REAL infrastructure and education that would turn Miami, (the 3rd worst city in the USA for Cycling--- AND Running, walking, skating, etc, maight I add)-- into at least an average, somewhat civilized city where Bikes, Cars, Runners, Pedestrians, Skaters and all could safely coexist. It will take a while in Miami, most cities are way ahead. CI
Due to the biscayne aquifer and limestone it would be impossible to build a subway system. Aside fro mthe cost. And the reson we dont have transportation to the airport was due to the county and the taxi's lobbyist
They had better not shut down streets in residential areas. It appears I am the odd one out but, from where I live, I HAVE to take my car, I also have babies who I can't and wouldn't want to anyway- strap on a bike. In fact, I don't like bikes in general. But the point is, whatever my particular "hobby" is, it certainly doesn't infringe on other residents' ability to leave their house!
I think Bike Miami and our local experts should chime in here. On Sunday we had a bike miami where we did not close down the streets. Instead, we had a couple of cops (on bikes) who joined us (about 60 in total). This had to have been more cost effective than our other Bike Miami's.Kathryn,any words of wisdom here?
As a further point of reference, New York (and Miami) actually took the advice of Bogota, Colombia, whose Mayor reported on that city's excellent Ciclovia program of several years existence, during last year's Mayors Summit in Miami. (I wrote about it the July 08 Grove Chamber newsletter).
NYC based their program on Bogota's and began closing Park Ave last summer. Miami implemented its Bike Miami Program a few months later. New York has kept its program up. It is hoped that Miami will resume its program and actually expand it so it permanently includes the Grove.
Lili, is there a link for what you wrote , Ciclovia, July 08 Grove Chamber Newsletter? Thanks. Carlos Iglesia
Please dont read my comments as a suggestion for a subway system. That is an impossible feat. A rail system, however, is not. The fact that there is no train connecting downtown with the airport is laughable. Miami is really a joke when it comes to city planning.
Some weeks back on NPR they featured a night time weekly bike rides in Tijuana people even crossed into Mexico to participate, in spite of the city's notorious reputation. IT WORKS there. It would work here, riding at night is cooler too.
ana miranda - please be a little more reactionary and dramatic. NO one is saying they want to close down all the roads and leave you trapped in your house with tons of babies. They're talking about shutting down a street or two for an afternoon. I think you can probably manage your way around it.
here's a link you might find helpful - www.google.com/maps
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