In the mid 1960's, Dade County established a bikeway system to assist with mobility. In 1986, county commissioners adopted the Bicycle Comprehensive Plan and later hired a full-time bicycle coordinator to implement and oversee an area-wide bicycle program. Afterwards, pedestrian issues were included to focus more attention on all non-motorized transportation concerns.

EDUCATION

Crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians account for 40% of the traffic fatalities in Miami-Dade County each year. To reduce the number of pedestrians killed and injured the Bicycle Pedestrian Program is currently working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make walking safer in neighborhoods that have the largest numbers of crashes. Safety information for bicyclists is also available for bike rodeos and other safety events hosted by hospitals, police and community groups.

ENFORCEMENT

The bicycle is a legal roadway vehicle in all fifty states. In Florida, cyclists must obey the same laws as motor vehicle operators. Pedestrians also have their own legal rights and responsibilities:

• Drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing within a crosswalk.
• Pedestrians may not walk into the path of a vehicle that is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield.
• Pedestrians crossing the road outside of a crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to the all vehicles.

ENCOURAGEMENT

Each May is national "Bike Month" and “Bike to Work Week” in the US. The MPO provides information and material to help people turn their commute into a healthful and money-saving alternative to driving.

Also, the MPO also supports the annual “Walk to School Day” event each October when parents are encouraged to walk with their children, learn about pedestrian safety and also about the conditions children face on their trip to school. It is never to early for kids to start learning about traffic safety.

ENGINEERING

Creating safe places to walk and bicycle is the most important part of the Bicycle Pedestrian Program. More than a hundred miles of paved paths, bike lanes and unpaved trails exist in Miami-Dade. In addition, most major streets and many neighborhood streets have sidewalks for safe walking. Some recent and upcoming projects include:

• Snake Creek Trail (North Miami Beach)
• FIU/Oleta River Path (North Miami)
• North Beach Recreational Corridor (Miami Beach)
• South Dade Trail Extension to Florida City (MDT)
• Miami River Greenway (City of Miami)
• Carol City Trail (US Army Corps of Engineers)
• M-Path Extension to Dadeland (MDT)
• Biscayne Trail (Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation)
• Safety Engineering for Pedestrians (University of Florida/FDOT/MDPW)
• South Dade Greenways Network (MDPW)

The MPO’s Bicycle Facilities Plan helps identify new projects and supports the use of bicycle and pedestrian safe designs on all road projects.

Bicyclists also need safe places to park their bike at the end of their trip. Since 2000, the county zoning code has required that multi-family residential and commercial properties in the unincorporated area provide secure bike parking close to their primary entrance.

BIKE & RIDE

Miami-Dade Transit's Bike & Ride program allows you to bring your bike onto Metrorail and rack-equipped Metrobus. Bikes are also allowed on all Tri-Rail trains with a valid Tri-Rail bike permit. To obtain a permit call 1-800-TRI-RAIL or visit their bicycle permit webpage.

TRANSPORTATION SAFETY

Transportation safety is an important goal for the MPO. The 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan says that:

Safety and security are important aspects that must be incorporated into the transportation system. The Miami-Dade MPO and the implementing agencies are committed to providing a safe and secure as well as an efficient transportation system.

Go to TOP

The MPO and the implementing agencies will continue to improve the safety and security of transportation in Miami-Dade County through improvements and programs for all modes of transportation. Additional safety and security measures will be built on the existing programs and agencies that make Miami-Dade's transportation safe and secure include:

• Bicycle and pedestrian safety
• Highway, Turnpike and Miami-Dade Expressway
• SunGuide Road Rangers
• Safety with information technology systems
• Safe school transport
• Miami-Dade Transit
• South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
• Miami International Airport (MIA) and the Port of Miami

The MPO has completed projects for pedestrian safety, and bicycle safety (Bicycle Safety Program Plan, Executive Summary) which are currently being implemented. Upcoming safety projects include development of a traffic crash database system for the Miami-Dade County Public Works Department (MDPW), a traffic safety campaign for county high schools and a pedestrian safety study of the intersection of Biscayne Blvd and NE 163 St. Other safety efforts include:

Safe Routes to School (SRTS)

The MDPW has had a program to build safe routes to school since the 1970s. The scope of SRTS has been expanded to include education in addition to infrastructure with the creation of the federal SRTS funding program. Federal grants and Transportation Enhancement Program funding from the MPO now assist the Miami-Dade County Public Schools provide the WalkSafe education program and participate in International Walk to School Day. The MPO has also developed SRTS infrastructure plans for high-priority schools (Safe Routes to School Program Executive Summary, September 2005) that will guide the use of federal funding when it becomes available later this year.

Community Traffic Safety Teams (CTST)

The MPO participates in the Community Traffic Safety Team Program, an inter-agency team approach to reducing the number of traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities. The MPO hosts monthly countywide CTST meetings where representatives from traffic engineering, planning and law enforcement come together to coordinate their traffic safety programs. The School Board CTST is a spin-off of the countywide team and deals only with school traffic issues and coordinates the Safe Routes to School program. Meetings are held at the School Board Administration Building.

All CTST meetings are open to the public. For information on all of the Florida Department of Transportation’s CTSTs contact Carlos Sarmiento, the CTST Program Coordinator, at 305.470.5335.

Information on traffic safety is available from the Florida Department of Transportation Safety Division, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA).

Current Traffic Crash Trends in Miami-Dade. The FHSMV collects, analyses and publishes information on traffic crashes in their annual “Crash Facts” report.