Maniac drivers in the center of town
It's like the wild west out there on Grand, McFarlane and Main Highway, that corner is where you take your life in your hands. If you stand there long enough you'll see every type of traffic violation and you might be deafened by the non-stop horn blasting.
Drivers don't seem to know how to merge from two lanes into one and they don't understand what a cross walk is. Coming from Main Highway, pedestrians are almost mowed down by speeding cars, although the other day it was a bit different when I guy stopped his car right in the middle of a turn to ask a guy on the corner for directions, I still don't know how the cars behind him, who couldn't see him until they made the turn, didn't ram into him.
It would be so nice if the police were out there once a week or so, but they are too busy picking people off at Mary and Grand, where people roll through the stop sign. I always thought one of those Bahamian police-style officers with the pith helmet would be nice out in the center of town directing traffic. What do you think? Even these bikers are all over the place, blocking cars and taking over all lanes on both sides of the street. Chaos.
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19 Comments:
It's a disaster area. Also, Cocowalk visitors being picked up in the traffic lane causes problems. There needs to be a driveway carved out of the sidewalk for that.
My favorite is when people heading west on Grand Ave and McFarlane get confused by the left turn green and take off on their red. Pretty scary considering there's often pedestrians in the crosswalk up ahead.
I think part of the problem, besides completely inconsiderate and bad Miami drivers, are tourists who are unfamiliar with the area.
That intersection at Mary and Grand gets pretty bad as tons of people run all the stop signs there. When are the police out in that area? I used to see them all the time, but haven't for the past few months.
Oh and bicyclists generally don't care about any traffic laws. I've seen packs of them blocking traffic at will and running stop signs in large groups. They don't care for either vehicles or even pedestrians. But this is a separate issue...
Yes the spandex bicyclists are a major PITA. The laws have given them too much power and they still seem to enjoy breaking those laws.
This is so true!!! This intersection is crazy and always has been. Yes! Some policing of this intersection would be great- including oversight of pedestrians who cross at will. thanks for bringing this up!
Block McFarlane at the intersection, put a light at Mary St and route all Bayshore drive traffic through Mary and Grand.
Part of the problem lately has been the ongoing construction on 27th and on Tigertail. It's disrupted the normal East-West flow of local traffic through the Grove and people are taking the Bayshore-MacFarland-Grand route as an alternative.
People stopping to pick and drop off at Cocowalk is annoying. A few days ago a car was stopped in front of Cocowalk while its occupants were taking pictures around the fountain. Ridiculous.
Impatient pedestrians cross with red many times. In Mary st and Grand the stop sign is on the right and many drivers do not see it.
Did anyone see the motorcycle gang (20 plus) that harrassed people on that corner a couple of Sundays ago as rumbled by popping wheelies, etc.?
What was that about??
One guy got up on the sidewalk at Johnny Rockets and had a gun sticking out of his shorts.
Surprised I have not read anything on that anywhere.
The biggest problem I've seen is the morning commuters talking on their cellphones while cruising through the right turn on red from Main Highway onto McFarlane. I have almost been hit a couple of times while in that crosswalk on the green light, and have seen it happen to others, too.
I'd like to see the cops at that corner and ticketing every person they see with a cellphone stuck to their ear. When they turn that corner they are very close to a school and could be ticketed for that even if they haven't done anything wrong. Perhaps that scenario would be more attractive to the officer who likes easy pickings and hangs out at Mary and Grand.
Bermuda Birdcage - Google it! Part touristic (and could be charming) but also very functional for local traffic. He/she assists in directing traffic at peak times. Of course, there is expense to this also, but perhaps it would alleviate some of the issues or make general public a little more 'rule abiding'!
Free smoothies or quality nutrition fuel for certain experienced CycleCops or avid runners would easily solve the problem: We know every twist and turn better than most pedestrians or drivers will ever imagine, constantly risk our lives at multiple speeds just for kicks or love of the sport, and often direct traffic and at all Groovey weird intersections for free anyway.
Alternatively, as much as we all love dogs and dog people, those caught not cleaning up after their pets should automatically be mandated by Federal Law to patrol our streets and serve indefinitely directing traffic, preferably under the rain, high noon, and at that corner: Community Service.
For reasons both of traffic and general safety, it does surprise me that there is not a patrol on foot Th-Sun, every damn week - at this intersection precisely.
The Center Grove is a major tourist attraction. At any major city in the world you would have cops. Directing traffic, ensuring safety, citing/educating jay-walkers, answering questions from tourists, deterring crime in general, etc.
DKF
We NEED police enforcement at that intersection. Can the Commander or the Village Council or Commissioner Sarnoff PLEASE take this up as their cause and pursue it?
People are making illegal lefts from Main to Grand and illegal rights from Grand to Main, almost killing pedestrians who HAVE THE LIGHT. People make illegal rights on the red arrow from Main to McFarlane-same thing. People text and speed and plow into intersections when they don't have the light and the pedestrians do. Someone should show these comments to the powers that be and beg for them to take this on once and for all so we can take back our Grove and feel safe walking around and crossing with the lights. I have heard people say that choose not to eat and shop here because it's not worth risking your life to cross the street--and never any enforcement.
I wish someone would tell Miami that there is a state law giving pedestrians in a crosswalk the right-of-way. The law requires drivers to stop, not just yield, at crosswalks with traffic signals or signs.
It's a wonder more people aren't killed here in the Grove. I've been nearly hit many times...I call the police to tell them they need to be here seeing this and writing tickets...but you know what? THE POLICE DON'T STOP FOR PEDESTRIANS IN THE CROSSWALK EITHER!
The corner of Grand Ave and Mary St is an accident waiting to happen. The stop sign on the right (on Grand Ave as you get to Mary St) is hard to see. The have put a sign in the middle of the road that says Stop for pedestrians so people don't stop unless there is someone crossing the street. I called 311 about removing that sign and just putting a regular Stop sign in the middle, they said it was a state road and they would relay the message. That was over 2 months ago.
Look both ways. ... This concept of cars stopping for pedestrians is wrong. Somehow, it's becoming accepted but it's completely backwards. Pedestrians have got to be sure there are no oncoming vehicles before they cross.
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