In these economic times, people who have been die-hard automobile
fans are now reconsidering walking, cycling, car/vanpooling,
and other methods as viable ways of getting around, and as ways to save money, reduce traffic, and
save the environment at the same. We can already see
these changes right here on our very own campuses. More
people are choosing to walk and ride their bicycles to class/work,
and FIU has accommodated them by adding more bicycle racks
and adding/improving walkways.
However,
problems arise once one decides to leave campus. FIU's
main campus, for example, is sorf of a 'walled-garden' - a
beautiful park/urban paradise, in the middle of a desert. A
good example of this 'desert' quality is Southwest 8th
Street, which borders the campus to the north. The street has
a 45 mph limit, with cars often traveling at speeds higher
than that. Cars trying to beat the light (and those that
can't, but keep going anyway) are a common sight, putting
pedestrians in danger. In the few times that I've tried to
cross 8th street at the 109th avenue entrance on foot (I'm usually
riding my bike), I've almost been hit three times by people
running the red light at well over 45 mph.
Another example is Biscayne Boulevard & Northeast 151st
Street - the entrance to FIU's north campus. Attempting to
cross the street there is just as bad, if not slightly less.
Cars are moving too fast, putting pedestrians at risk.
Biscayne Boulevard (US-1) and Southwest 8th Street
(US-41) both have something in common - they are managed by
the Florida Department
of Transportation (FDOT). The FDOT is a state agency that
has the duties of overseeing and managing public
transportation. This includes designing the roads that
they have jurisdiction over (and freeways), as well as
ensuring the safety of these roadways.
It's widely known that the roads that the FDOT maintains
are generally unsafe. Blogs like
Transit Miami,
Miami Bike Report,
and newspapers like The
Miami Herald have all covered this issue before. The
consensus (admitted
by the FDOT's very own traffic engineers) is that the
goal is to move cars as quickly as possible, and
they "ensure safety" by widening roads, removing trees, and
taking away parts of people's front yards.
In an email sent to Ken Jeffries, the District Six
transportation planner for the FDOT, he was asked about
adding plastic bollards to bike lanes located on roads with
speed limits of 40 mph or higher. His response was: "Thank
you for contacting the Department. Bollards
separating on-road bicycle lanes from the [car] travel lane
are not part of the Department's standards."
This is coming from an agency that wants to "ensure
the safety" of their roads! Obviously they prefer to stick to
arcane, auto-centric standards that do nothing but harm all
road users.
There are many more examples of conversations with
representatives from the FDOT, but I think that the two
provided here are enough. The moral of the story here is one
that already exists - the squeaky wheel
gets the grease. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation
echoed this statement in
a tweet by saying: "want bike/ped improvements? Consider
getting LOUD."
We can get loud by making phone calls, sending emails,
and any other way we can get our voices heard. Below are a
few contact details of FDOT representatives you can contact:
Omar Meitin
omar.meitin@dot.state.fl.us
305-470-5336
Marta Rodriguez
marta.rodriguez@dot.state.fl.us
305-470-5477
Ken Jeffries
ken.jeffries@dot.state.fl.us
305-470-5445
Gus Pego
gus.pego@dot.state.fl.us
305-470-5197
by: Brandt Absolu
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