Demanding Complete Streets in South Florida

Florida DOT’s windshield perspective isn’t good enough anymore. (Photo: wallyg via Flickr)

For decades, the automobile has been the central organizing principle for planning in South Florida, a primacy that hasn’t often been questioned. But there are signs that things are changing. 

Today on the Streetsblog Network, Transit Miami reports that advocates of traffic calming and quality bicycle infrastructure aren’t taking autocentric streets lying down anymore. They’ve been galvanized, in part, by recent statements from U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood that indicate federal support for improved pedestrian and bike facilities. Transit Miami writes:

Enough is enough. Cyclists in South Florida are sick and tired of FDOT’s antics. FDOT chooses not to include or even consider bicycle lanes in most of their resurfacing projects in District 6.… Yesterday the newly energized South Florida Bicycle Coalition announced they would seek legal action if FDOT does not include bike lanes in the Sunset Drive resurfacing project without the required design exception, traffic and impact studies.…

Our expectation is that FDOT should design a complete street that includes sidewalks, bike lanes, narrower traffic lanes, lower speed limits and additional traffic calming devices. We will no longer tolerate shoddy FDOT workmanship such as the bike lanes on Coral Way and the MacArthur Causeway. FDOT has a responsibility to provide safe bicycle infrastructure that exceeds their abysmally low minimum design standards.

Is anyone at Florida DOT listening? We’ll keep you posted.

More from around the network: Hub and Spokes picks up on a Planetizen article about freeways and urban population loss. WalkBikeJersey has the lowdown on a new law requiring drivers to stop and stay stopped for pedestrians in crosswalks. And The Transport Politic and Orphan Road wonder about the future impact of electric cars on transit.