Transforming Miami: Designing a District

Click here to RSVP

For more information or to register by phone, contact The Real Estate Network at [email protected] or call 786.866.8446.

You will have an opportunity to make your donation to the Annual Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign.

*Couvert not tax-deductible

Arnaud Karsenti & Jaret Turkell, The Real Estate Network Chairs
Amanda Adler & Adam Lustig, The Network Executive Chairs
Alex Zylberglait, The Network Immediate Past Chair

Greater Miami Jewish Federation
Barbara Black Goldfarb, Chair of the Board
Jacob Solomon, President & Chief Executive Officer
Brian L. Bilzin, General Campaign Chair
Jeffrey Y. Levin, Chief Development Officer
Marc Fishman, Annual Campaign Director
Emily Hyatt, The Network Director
Stefanie Brown, The Network Assistant Director
________________________
Myron “Mike” J. Brodie, Executive Vice President Emeritus

Ride For Safety : In Honor of Aaron Cohen

We will be meeting at 8:30am at the Bayfront Park Fountain on Biscayne Blvd & Flagler Street in downtown Miami. Pedals up 8:45am. We will be riding as a group in honor of fellow cyclist Aaron Cohen who was struck and killed by a hit & run driver. The group will ride towards Key Biscayne via Brickell Avenue and up the William Powell Bridge were Aaron was struck. Between 9am-10am the police will have the south side of the Rickenbacker Causeway closed to motor vehicles. Please spread the word to the cycling and running community. It’s unfortunate we have to come together due to a tragic event.

 

Cyclist Dies in Hit and Run on Rickenbacker Causeway: Memorial Ride on Saturday

It is with great sadness that I must report that Aaron Cohen has passed away from injuries he sustained yesterday morning when he was stuck from behind by Michele Treverso while driving a black Honda Civic.  The driver fled the scene and his car was later found with severe damage on Key Biscayne.

This incident did not have to happen, but the County Public Works Department continues to turn a blind eye to the poorly designed Rickenbacker Causeway. Incidents like this will continue to transpire unless the CPWD decides to proactively make some fundamental design changes to the Rickenbacker Causeway to ensure that cyclists can ride safely. Since 2006 we have averaged a death every 2 years on the Rickenbacker and numerous other serious injuries have occurred.

Sadly, the CPWD has not made any significant safety improvements to the Rickenbacker Causeway since Christophe Le Canne was killed on Bear Cut Bridge two years ago. Our elected officials essentially gave the cycling community lip service and told us changes would come. It hasn’t. All we got was some increased police enforcement for about three weeks after Le Canne’s death. POLICE ENFORCEMENT WILL NOT WORK IN THE LONG-TERM; WE NEED PROPERLY DESIGNED STREETS THAT DISCOURAGE SPEEDING.  As a community, we cannot tolerate an unprotected bike lane adjacent to a highway while cars whiz by in excess of 65 mph. This is South Florida’s most popular cycling destination and it is simply unacceptable that we put up with this from the County.

It’s time for the County to stop playing games with people’s lives and start proactively implementing a county-wide complete streets policy.  This policy should begin with the Rickenbacker Causeway.

Below are the Rickenbacker Causeway recommendations that were made with Transit Miami two years ago that have apparently fallen on deaf ears. Not one of these recommendations was implemented by the County Public Works Department.

Short Term Goals for the Rickenbacker Causeway

  • Enforcement of the 45 mph speed limit*
  • Reduce speed limit to 35 mph
  • Close the right lane of traffic in both directions on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6:00 am to 10:00am.
  • Better signage
  • Motorist and bicyclist education campaign

Long Term Goals for the Rickenbacker Causeway

  • A major capital improvements project needs to happen and all users must be considered. Below are a few of the major improvements that need to occur:
  • Paint bicycle lanes green (see below: intersections should include peg-a-traking and Chevron arrows)
  • Create a 3 foot unprotected buffer between the roadway and the bicycle lane
  • Major road diet. Narrowing of traffic lanes to discourage speeding (11 foot lane)
  • Proper crosswalks, with stop lights, that can be activated by pedestrians.(see below: off-setting crosswalks)
  • A separate path for pedestrians (pedestrians and bicyclist should not coexist)
  • Consider physical separation as a feature in dangerous areas such as bridges and marked buffers along trajectory of bike lane
  • Motorist and bicyclist education campaign

*Read why enforcement is not a viable long-term solution by clicking here.

The cycling community is organizing a memorial ride for Aaron Cohen on Saturday morning (2/18). Details to follow…