April 17th, 2011 marks the end of a particular violent week for South Florida cyclists, as details continue to emerge from the latest accident today on the MacArthur causeway, initial reports were that one of the 2 cyclists that were struck this morning had died. Sources continue to confirm that the unfortunate outcome of today's accident is a cyclist fatality.
During this past week, there have be at least 8 reported accidents involving cyclists and vehicles, and even though many details are still unclear from the different cases, the fact still remains that riding a bicycle in Miami gets more dangerous by the day.
Herein lies the problem, as we see a bike sharing program successfully grow in Miami Beach, and the sheer number of people riding bikes in Miami continues to grow, some may argue that the increase in cars to bike accidents is a direct result to the growing number of cyclists on the road. While some may fall into the numbers game trap, the figures show that a greater number of bicyclists on the road should actually result in safer conditions.
So, what seems to be the problem? I believe that the issue is more complex and multidimensional than just numbers. I have spent the better part of the past 3 years riding my bike to and from work at least 2 times a week and in the 10 miles each way that I travel on my bike, I have had the opportunity to see the city from a different point of view. I have discovered new picturesque streets, ridden by beautiful parks, explored new routes and gone through some pretty cool South Florida thunderstorms, commuting by bike not only makes you feel better, it makes you a better driver as well.
During these rides, I have developed a golden rule to keep me safe and ultimately alive; if cannot make eye contact with the driver who's car I am about to pass, cross, or ride in front of, I simply don't do it. One of the biggest limitations to this rule is, tinted windows and the second one is that drivers are simply not watching the road. It is nothing short of flabbergasting and infuriating to see the sheer amount of motorists who are looking down at their cell phones while they drive. I do realize, however, that eye contact can only happen when I am about to cross a street of ride in front of a vehicle and cannot control what's coming from behind, which is 99% of the traffic we interact with, and so, we take a leap of faith and hope that those drivers who overtake us from behind are actually looking ahead and watching the road. Wishful thinking, I know.
So in the end, the main determining factor from a safe commute to an unfortunate statistic in South Florida is, luck. Quite an unfortunate conclusion, considering that we are talking about human to human interaction, but there is little hope when we hear cases like 22 year old Michael Martin who was hit by a car whose driver returned to the scene and a couple of passengers got out of the car to look at the victim laying on the ground only to get back on the vehicle and leave the scene while Michael died as a result of his injuries. What kind of animal does something like this?
I have been yelled at, honked at, startled, assaulted with objects thrown from vehicles and insulted in some internet forums for encouraging bike riding and advocating cyclist safety, this of course only strengthens my spirit and motivates me to carry on, but it is a very sad commentary on the community we live in.
My thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of today's fatality as we close one of the worst weeks for cyclists in South Florida, and now more than ever, it is our responsibility as cyclists and pedestrians to carry on with our message and speak as loud and often as we can to bring change to our streets.
Change will come, there is no doubt about it, the question is, how many more cyclists and pedestrians need to die before our elected officials and public employees recognize that progress will happen with or without them?
Showing posts with label Gustavo Llamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gustavo Llamas. Show all posts
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday, August 28, 2010
MIAMI CRITICAL MASS
There comes a time when we are all faced with the evidence that points to the fact that we are mistaken.
Last night's Miami Critical Mass ride proved me wrong ... in a big way. I had previously taken away a couple of stars because in principle I am opposed to guerilla style activism that may fuel polarizing views and rather than bringing all parts together towards the achievement of a common goal, it drives them apart by the actions of one of the interested parties.
Critical Mass is potentially such a thing- However, we cannot discount power of the masses so to speak and in these event the Miami Cycling community in all shapes and forms comes together to achieve what is in my view, a common goal : Awareness
The event has grown exponentially from its first years when maybe a couple dozen of people showed up. Now it is literally hundreds of riders coming together for a fun ride around urban Miami.
It is truly a powerful scene to see all those blinking lights taking to the streets and exploring the city, the neighborhoods come out to witness the throng of bikes cruising to town and we are greeted by people waiving on the side of the road, and the sights, sounds, and smells of a Friday evening in the neighborhoods.
As for the car to cyclist relationship, the scales are tilted in favor of the bike and for the most part, motorists understand and respect what they see unfolding in front of them. It is undeniable that at some point in time, many of the participants are in fact motorists as well and as we take to the streets on our bikes and to some, this is their only experience of riding on open streets with real traffic, we learn to come together and respect each other in the open area that in the end, belongs to everyone alike.
Total kudos to the organizers of these event, the routes are always a cultural travel through the streets of the Magic City and gives us all an opportunity to see our town from the ground level and interact positively with our neighbors, as they play host to Critical Mass on any given Friday evening, the are surprised when they see peloton coming through and while wondering what on earth rolled into town, they welcome the riders and cheer enthusiastically.
Note to the riders, it is not cool to litter these communities while we go through it, we noticed riders discarding Styrofoam cups in the middle of the street - we are striving to reduce our footprint and this encompasses everything - also, smoking on the ride around fellow riders completely unacceptable.
To the corkers - great job ! Not only keeping the riders safe in the intersections, but also taking the time to politely interact with motorists as the cyclists roll by and inform them about Critical Mass.
I met a fellow rider who told he had learned about the ride when he witness Critical Mass while he was waiting on a red light and in his own words "It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen" - fast forward to the next month, he is now riding his bike on this event.
Last night's Miami Critical Mass ride proved me wrong ... in a big way. I had previously taken away a couple of stars because in principle I am opposed to guerilla style activism that may fuel polarizing views and rather than bringing all parts together towards the achievement of a common goal, it drives them apart by the actions of one of the interested parties.
Critical Mass is potentially such a thing- However, we cannot discount power of the masses so to speak and in these event the Miami Cycling community in all shapes and forms comes together to achieve what is in my view, a common goal : Awareness
The event has grown exponentially from its first years when maybe a couple dozen of people showed up. Now it is literally hundreds of riders coming together for a fun ride around urban Miami.
It is truly a powerful scene to see all those blinking lights taking to the streets and exploring the city, the neighborhoods come out to witness the throng of bikes cruising to town and we are greeted by people waiving on the side of the road, and the sights, sounds, and smells of a Friday evening in the neighborhoods.
As for the car to cyclist relationship, the scales are tilted in favor of the bike and for the most part, motorists understand and respect what they see unfolding in front of them. It is undeniable that at some point in time, many of the participants are in fact motorists as well and as we take to the streets on our bikes and to some, this is their only experience of riding on open streets with real traffic, we learn to come together and respect each other in the open area that in the end, belongs to everyone alike.
Total kudos to the organizers of these event, the routes are always a cultural travel through the streets of the Magic City and gives us all an opportunity to see our town from the ground level and interact positively with our neighbors, as they play host to Critical Mass on any given Friday evening, the are surprised when they see peloton coming through and while wondering what on earth rolled into town, they welcome the riders and cheer enthusiastically.
Note to the riders, it is not cool to litter these communities while we go through it, we noticed riders discarding Styrofoam cups in the middle of the street - we are striving to reduce our footprint and this encompasses everything - also, smoking on the ride around fellow riders completely unacceptable.
To the corkers - great job ! Not only keeping the riders safe in the intersections, but also taking the time to politely interact with motorists as the cyclists roll by and inform them about Critical Mass.
I met a fellow rider who told he had learned about the ride when he witness Critical Mass while he was waiting on a red light and in his own words "It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen" - fast forward to the next month, he is now riding his bike on this event.
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