Bike Miami Rides On! Next month’s Ride Scheduled for THIS Sunday, November 8th at 8:30am

Ride Better. Ride Safer. Ride Smarter and More Comfortably.

Join City of Miami Police Officers, Bicycle Coordinator Collin Worth and Emerge Miami volunteers for a bicycle ride throughout Coconut Grove, the Roads, Little Havana and Downtown Miami. Meet at City Hall (3500 Pan American Drive) at 8:30am. We’ll check everyone’s bicycle and helmet, go through the rules of the road, and then head out for a fun ride through Miami’s city streets.  After about an hour and a half, we’ll be done with the ride and invite you to join us for lunch somewhere in Coconut Grove (location to be determined).

See you on Sunday, November 8 at 8:30am.

For more information about Bike Miami Rides, please click here, or contact Collin at 305.416.1022 or via email.

Big Changes for Cyclists in Miami (?!) – A letter from BikeMiamiBlog

Dear Friends:

Since we started this blog last year, the Bike Miami Days Team has launched the Southeast’s first cyclovia, Bike Miami Rides, held three city bicycle summits, celebrated the adoption of the Bicycle Action and Bicycle Master Plans, expanded the City’s Bicycle Action Committee, taken our news to Facebook, brought cycling information to almost 60,000 of you, and created the Miami Bicycle Coalition.

It has been a proud year for the Miami bicycling community.

This week, our leader and friend, Mayor Manny Diaz, steps down as Mayor of the City of Miami. Our new mayor, Tomas Regalado, needs to hear from you about why cycling is important. PLEASE email him at TRegalado@miamigov.com and let him know that you support Commissioner Sarnoff’s goal to keep Bike Miami Days and the City’s bicycling programs.

Please, take a moment to support better, safer, increased cycling in the City of Miami. Thank you.

We’d also like to thank our friends and fellow blogger/riders at TransitMiami.com, SpokesnFolks.blogspot.com, SlowBikeMiami.com and MiamiBikeScene.blogspot.com- They have helped us to make this blog readable, provided news and information beyond the scope of the City of Miami, and shared our message with the blogosphere. We encourage you to view their blogs and subscribe, too, for the best in local news and bicycling-friendly events.

Does this mean the end? No! Your humble blogger will continu updating you all through my facebook pages. Keep your eye out for the Miami Bicycle Coalition and if when Bike Miami Days returns, so will this blog.

All the best,

Bike Miami Days Team Coordinator

Office of Mayor Manny Diaz, City of Miami

Bikes, Brunch, Bellinis at Calamari in the Grove

3540 Main Highway, Coconut Grove

Join us for Bike Miami Rides and stay for the FREE Bellini at Calamari in the Grove! This Sunday, after our 8:30 am community ride, join us for brunch at the wonderful ‘Calamari’ in the Grove. Our friends at the sweet, indoor/outdoor Main Highway spot will be treating us to FREE Bellinis while we relax and talk bicycles. Good times. For more information on the rides, please read the blog post below. See you on Sunday morning!

Bike Miami Rides On, fueled by “ONE”

This Sunday, join us and ride better, safer and with more confidence, with a little help from our friends at ‘ONE’ Drinks. They’ll join us for the 8:30 Bike Miami Ride at City Hall with free samples of their natural beverages. After going through the basic rules of Sharing the Road and the A-B-C Quick Check, we’ll be on our way.

For more information, please click on the Bike Miami Rides Tab above.

Ride Safe (and hydrated) Miami!

Bike Ride & Rally in the City of Miami this Saturday

Group Ride with Emerge Miami

 

Get Your Bike Lanes! FDOT needs to hear from you

Bike Lanes promote a safer environment for cyclists on on roads and the Florida Department of Transportation is considering including new bicycle lanes in three upcoming projects located in Miami Beach. Here’s the scoop:

FDOT District 6 will conduct a public information meeting regarding three roadway enhancement projects on: 1) 71 Street from East Bay Drive to West of Collins Avenue; 2) Normandy Drive from Rue Notre Dame to East Bay Drive; 3) 71 Street from West Drive to East Bay Drive on Thursday, November 5, 2009, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the North Shore Park Youth Center, 501 72^nd Street in Miami Beach.

The meeting will follow an informal format that allows the public to arrive at any time from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Graphic displays of the projects will be showcased at this meeting and FDOT representatives will be available to discuss each project and answer questions. Please contact Marta Rodriguez, Public Information Specialist, if you have any questions about this project at 305-470-5203 or by email at marta.rodriguez@dot.state.fl.us. 

     

Note: Bicycle Lanes Come in All Shapes, Sizes and Types- 

Please take the time to stop by this meeting and voice your support of bicycle facilities to FDOT. If you cannot attend, we encourage you to send an email. The listed roadways are not controlled by the City of Miami Beach or even Miami-Dade County and if lanes are not included in these projects, it could literally be decades before they are considered again.

Bike Miami Days’ Volunteers Launch TACOLCY Bike & Safety Club

Bike Miami Days has brought together people from across South Florida who are working ‘behind the scenes’ to promote community and a more bicycle-friendly Miami. We are proud to see a special project, the dream of Bike Miami Days volunteers and staff, come together as the Belafonte TACOLCY Bike & Safety Club. The club will provide children at this landmark community center the opportunity to learn about bicycles and become actively engaged in making their neighborhood better.

The TACOLCY Bike & Safety Club is the result of a collaborative effort among Mayor Diaz and his staff, Roger Horne and the entire Belafonte TACOLCY Team, Mack Cycle and Fitness, WalkSafe and the University of Miami, Emerge Miami,  The Miami Bicycle Coalition and countless private citizens and volunteers. If you would be able to help by volunteering your time or donating equipment or tools, please contact Roger Horne here.  

Read more about the Club and see pictures in The Miami Herald.

credit: Daniel Bock, The Miami Herald

Bike Miami Days takes NYC

Bike Miami Days was celebrated at the international Walk21/APBP Conference last week in New York City. The Walk21 Conference is a 3-day meeting of policymakers, planners, engineers, advocates and other professionals dedicated to improving the health and wellness of people and cities globally. Bike Miami Days Coordinator, Kathryn Moore, and Bicycle Action Committee member and lead planner on the Miami Bicycle Master Plan, Mike Lydon, both fielded questions from people from as far away as New Zealand and Asia on the opportunities that ciclovia-style events (like Bike Miami Days) can offer people in other cities and towns.

The event provided a venue to celebrate Miami’s success and discuss opportunities for a ‘Bike Los Angeles Days’ or even a ‘Bike Prague’ program. Cities around the world are contemplating car-free events to promote community, livable streets, bicycling and walking – and the World Health Organization is leading a charge for ‘car-free days’ for World Health Day 2010.

The Bike Miami Days Team is honored by this attention but we’d like to know more about what you think. Please contact us or leave a comment. Thanks!

UPDATE: StreetFilms (a project of LivableStreets.org) posted a great video from the event. You can watch it HERE.

Tomorrow: Bicycle Boulevards? Could be all over Miami…

The City of Miami Bicycle Master Plan will be presented this week and according to its Bike Network Map, we could be seeing lots of bicycle boulevards criss-crossing our city soon. Learn more about this special type of roadway on Wednesday, October 4 at the Arcola Lakes Park – Recreation Center (1301 NW 83 St.)

This Open House/ Workshop is hosted by Miami-Dade County and offers everyone who walks, rides, bicycles or otherwise uses our roadways, a better understanding of how they work and how they may be changing – not just in Miami, but around the United States. The County’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator, David Henderson, will be there, as will the City of Miami Bicycle Coordinator, Collin Worth. The Open House is from 7pm – 9pm and you can drop in any time that is convenient for you.

For more about bicycling here in Miami, please visit www.miamigov.com/bikes. 

Do you want the good news, or the great news?

Bike Miami Days was another great day for the City of Miami and the thousands of people who enjoyed our Downtown in a new way. We would like to thank our community partners and sponsors, Waste Services of Florida, Inc., Miami DDA and The Florida Bicycle Association for making this event possible.

The Mayor has received several emails from you and we would like to thank you for that. (Read more on his blog) Please continue to let us know what you think about Bike Miami Days so that we be sure to share your support with the next Mayor – Bring back Bike Miami Days in 2010!!

And that is the great news. At the kickoff rally, Commissioner Sarnoff promised to bring back Bike Miami Days after the Mayor leaves office in November and all three of our community partners promised to do the same. Let’s make sure they know that they have our support!

Remember you can email us here, visit our Facebook page or just leave a comment below.

Plan Your Bike Miami Day: this Sunday 9am-2:30pm!

Visit our Map & Activities page (http://bikemiamiblog.wordpress.com/map/) for a map of street closures and a list of what’s planned for the day~ of course, so much more will happen…

Also, watch the 20 second Youtube video on the event ~ in English and Spanish!

See you on Sunday!

Your Top 3 Questions Answered: Bike Miami Days

Questions about Miami’s biggest free & family-friendly street festival is this Sunday in Downtown Miami? Streets will be closed from 9am until 2:30pm. Everyone is welcome!

1. Is it a race? No! There is no beginning or end point. Come early and stay all day!
2. Why haven’t I read about this in the newspaper? Well, we’re not sure. But you can find us on Miami.com, Yelp!, Big 105.9FM, Mega 94.9FM and other ClearChannel stations, Those Two Girls in the Morning on 97.3 CoastFM and, of course, Facebook!
3. Is it all really FREE? Music, Bike Rentals, Bike Valet, Yoga, Community Rally, Children’s Corner, Giveaways, Bike checks, Living Green Demos, After Party at Tobacco Road and more – yes, it’s all free! The only thing you might need to pay for is parking, so Mary Brickell Village is offering $3 All Day Parking in their Garage on SW 9th Street.

Thank you for your questions and ideas! Got more? Please contact us here!

Award-Winning Party ~ Bike Miami Days Takes State, National Honors

The Bike Miami Days team is proud to share with our friends some very exciting news! September has brought our community event and our city honors from across the country.

* Event of the Year Award, Florida Bicycle Association

* Young Professional of the Year Award, Association of Pedestrians and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) - awarded to our coordinator for her work on Bike Miami Days and Bike Miami Rides.

* Top 5 Bike-Friendly Cities, as chosen by David Byrne and listed in USA Today.

Our thanks to all of you whose support and participation have made this happen. Please help us ensure the success of our ‘last hurrah’ this Sunday, October 4. The momentum this event has brought to making Miami a more bicycle-friendly place to live, work, play and visit is what keeps us going. That – and the sight of really giddy little kids playing in the streets plus the promise of a rockin’ After Party after each one…

Bike Miami Days. Sunday, October 4. 9:00 – 2:30. Miami’s largest free community event!

Did we mention that it’s all FREE?? Only 6 days until Miami’s largest Free Street Party

The Florida Bicycle Association partnered with Waste Services of Florida, Inc. to bring back Mayor Diaz’s Bike Miami Days this Sunday. We spoke with the FBA recently to thank them and guess what? There’s more!

Come to Bike Miami Days this Sunday from 9am to 2pm and get FREE surprises from the FBA. Rumor has it there will be water bottles, bicycle lights, reflective ‘I Bike Miami’ stickers… This on top of the…

1. FREE Bicycle Rentals (okay, so it’s more like bicycle share)
2. FREE Live Performances from ¡Suénalo! , afrobeta , Elastic Bond , Go Dog Go and Jazzilla!
3. FREE Yoga Class after the Rally at 10am in Bayfront Park
4. FREE Giveaways for the kids from Tim Hardaway and Mack Cycle
5. FREE ‘Bringing Books to Life’ children’s show, hosted by City Year Miami
6. FREE After Party at Tobacco Road (family-friendly set up on the outside porch)

Also FREE: Bicycle Valet Service, watch a man tow a car on his bicycle (a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity), Green Living Miami demos, bicycle mini tune-ups…  Come early and enjoy a free mimosa with brunch at TRE Italian Bistro. There is something for everyone!

Streets go car-free starting at 9am.

Bike Miami Community Group Ride *this weekend

For the cyclists among you, Bike Miami Rides offer you the opportunity to learn how to ride better, safer and more comfortably in our city streets.

Meet Your Friends @ ‘THE HUB’

Bike Miami Days welcomes local groups who support community, free and family-friendly events, bicycling and walking to present themselves on Sunday, October 4. For this, our last BMD, groups will have lots of fun things to share and chances to win raffle prizes.

Meet your friends at “The Hub” and enjoy free giveaways from::

• Florida Bicycle Association
• Team In Training
• Living Green Fair
• EcoChamber
• City of Miami Parks & Recreation Department
• The Miami HEAT
• Mack Cycle & Fitness

‘The Hub’ is located at NE 1st Avenue and Flagler Street. We call it ‘the hub’ because it is where the open route connects Mary Brickell Village to Flagler Street. Check it out* Sunday, October 4 starting at 9am!

If your group would like to participate, please contact us HERE.

Miami’s Best Live Music Coming to Bike Miami Days

  

The Bike Miami Days Team has partnered with the Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator to bring some of Miami’s best live music to play in the street on Sunday, October 4.  Come out and enjoy

¡Suénalo!                 afrobeta             Elastic Bond 

and the awesome new group, Jazzilla!

 

Shameless Plug for City of Miami Local Businesses & BuyMiami.biz

Bike Miami Days is all about the City of Miami – the people, music, community groups and businesses that make us who we are. So we’re excited that ACCESSMiami’s new BuyMiami.biz program will be joining us on October 4 to encourage visitors to shop and find great values at local businesses.

From BuyMiami.biz: Buying locally gets you connected to wonderful offers and discounts right in your community. Getting to know the business owners and merchants who provide goods and services throughout the City helps build relationships based on understanding and trust, which are the foundation of strong communities.  By supporting locally-run businesses, you are getting a great deal and strengthening the economy of a neighborhood and a city!

If you run a local business, or are just looking for great deals in Miami that go year-round, check out the FREE services at www.BuyMiami.biz. You can also sign up your business for free HERE.

Waste Services of Florida partners with the City of Miami to bring you Bike Miami Days on Sunday, October 4, 2009

The Bike Miami Days Team is proud, thrilled, excited to announce that October 4th will be the BEST ever – thanks to the full support of our newest community partner: Waste Services of Florida, Inc.

Waste Services, Inc. (WSI) provides recycling and waste services for residents and businesses throughout the United States. Here in Miami-Dade County, WSI is partnering with the City of Miami to make sure that condo residents have the same access to recycling as single family home residents. On Sunday, October 4th, WSI will be showcasing new technology in recycling or, in other words, offering kids and adults an inside look at their trucks, e-tours of their facilities and more. What’s more? WSI is bringing some of Miami’s best local musicians to play for you, yoga and danse classes to Bayfront Park, green living and art demonstrations and a huge Children’s Corner filled with fun activities.

Join Bike Miami Days and Waste Services, Inc. in promoting a cleaner, healthier, friendlier community in the heart of Miami. Don’t miss a moment of Bike Miami Days on Sunday, October 4th from 9am to 2pm in Downtown.

Free Bicycle Rentals ~ Beach Cruisers & Tandems

 

There is so much to see and do at Bike Miami Days ~ you don’t need a bicycle! Come walk, trikke, skateboard or just dance. But… thanks to Bike and Roll and BuddyBike, you can rent a ride (for FREE, of course).

WiFi Pedalers on BuddyBikeFree Ride c/o Bike and Roll

Letter from the Mayor

It’s True! Bike Miami Days is ON Sunday, October 4th

Party is On!

City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and the City of Miami Police Department are hosting Miami’s Largest Free Street Party, Bike Miami Day on Sunday, October 4th in Downtown Miami.

Bring your Family and Friends

**Free Yoga
**Free Bicycle Rentals
**Free Music
and more!

Enjoy the OPEN streets of Miami without Cars-
No Cost, No Registration
Just Show Up!

Can You, Your Group or Business Volunteer or Sponsor Live Music??
Please contact us* Thank you!

More information to be posted here DAILY. Subscribe to this blog here.

 

And for those of you who have been following this: The Mayor and City of Miami Police Department leadership are committed to this community event so our sincere gratitude to them for making this possible. Thank them yourself on October 4!

UPDATED: Bike Miami Days RETURNS (!?)

Friends, we think it is more than just a rumor now – Bike Miami Days is back for Sunday, October 4th in Downtown Miami.

This may be the ‘last hurrah’ of this wonderful event so the City is pulling out all the stops and asking us to find residents who are willing to join the Bike Miami Days Team!

We need volunteers to promote the event, to help set up and serve as ambassadors throughout the day, musicians and acts to perform for free and anyone who wants to creatively contribute to this uniquely Miami community Bike Miami Day.

If you can help, please email the coordinator here or contact us through this blog. If you have ever wanted to be apart of something better for our community or if you just want to explore our city in a new way, Bike Miami Days is an experience for your and the whole family.

Fingers crossed—

UPDATE: Friends, we are still seeking sponsors to cover the extensive programming costs associated with keeping this event FREE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY and FUN, all of which requires money to cover sound equipment, children’s activities and more. If you or your business would be able to sponsor the Set Up, Clean Up, Sound, or any other part of Bike Miami Days, please contact the Coordinator here. That said, the date is on, thanks to the full support of the City of Miami Police Department and Mayor Diaz’s office. We just want to make it the biggest and best one yet! Thank you.

Bike Miami Rides On in September: Sunday the 27th

UPDATE: September’s Ride has a new date and location.

Please join us for a free, relaxed city ride on Sunday, September 27th, starting from the MiMo/Upper Eastside NET Office at 8:30am. This ride is ideally suited for those you who want to start commuting to work or run your errands by bicycle. Volunteers and City of Miami Police Officers from the Downtown Miami Bicycle Unit will be on hand to guide through some quick road riding lessons before we set off through the northern quadrant of the city.

More details soon. We hope to see you on the 27th! Ride Safe.

Bike Miami Team is all-a-Twitter!

twitter.com/bikemiami

Bike Miami Days teammembers go the extra mile all the time but today we offer a special thanks to our friends at Bike and Roll and SlowBikeMiami.com for supporting us on Twitter.

 

You can now stay up to date with us via this blog’s email updates, Facebook and Twitter/BikeMiami!

 

About our friends that made this possible:: Bike and Roll Miami is THE best way to explore Miami and the Beaches – by bicycle! Next time you have friends in town or just want to explore SoBe on a swanky cruiser, maybe take a tour… check them out! You know them already as the kind folk who loan out free Trek bicycles to BMD participants without their own set of two wheels.

SlowBikeMiami.com is Miami’s official arm of the International Slow Bike Movement. It’s also a great blog run by two lovely people who have explored our world by bicycle. Style over speed.

Thank you to Bicycling’s BikeTown!

Bicycling Magazine & Metlife threw quite the party today – giving away 31 beautiful, brand-new Jamis Bicycles from local bike shop, Elite.

Local bicycling advocates were on hand, too – John Hopkins from Green Mobility Network, Rydel Deed from 305 Critical Mass, Roger Horne from TACOLCY Bike Club, Mary Jane from Mack Cycle, Sara Bentley from the MS Ride and Chief of Police John Timoney, among them.

But more than anything else, it felt like some sort of mass birthday party, with people from all over South Florida showing up, all giggly and eager, to pick up their new bicycles, Lazer helmet and OnGuard bicycle lock. The Lazer helmets really impressed the Bike Miami Days Team, with their detachable front and rear lights. Of course, the really impressive thing was that all these corporations were giving away this free gear in the City of Miami –

We’ve come a long way!

Bicycling Magazine Senior Editor Emilia Furia said before a crowd of about 60 people that it had become clear to her team that Miami advocates are doers – and what we are doing is making Miami a better, safer, happier place to ride.

So friends and supporters, pat yourselves on the back! We thank you for all you do.

BikeTowners Pose with Their New Rides

More pictures to come – Please send us yours or add them to the Fan Photo Album on our Facebook Page.

BikeTown Invites You to a Block Party at Bayfront Park

Bicycling Magazine gets it. 

With the understanding that “the gift of a bike unifies communities and improves lives,” Bicycling Magazine and MetLife are coming to Bayfront Park on Thursday to give you a brand-new Jamis Commuter bicycle. And they are bringing friends.

So, if you love your bike, need a bike or just want to understand why and how the City of Miami seems to be all bicycle-crazy these days, come to this FREE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY Block Party at Bayfront Park from 11:30am-1:30pm on Thursday, August 27th.

As you have read here on our blog, BikeTown will be rewarding 30 Miamians with new bikes and gear as part of an online contest but they’ll also have a few extras for the crowd – be sure to sign up when you get there. 

Bike Miami Days friends and fans who will also be there: Bicycling Magazine Senior Editor-in-chief Emily Furia, Mayor Manny Diaz, City Bicycle Coordinator Collin Worth, Chief of Police John Timoney and representatives from local bicycle clubs, groups and shops.

Bring your lunch or grab a hotdog from a local vendor. It’s going to be a beautiful day for all things bicycle in Downtown Miami.

News, Events, Free Bicycles & more!

Friends of Bike Miami Days: The next two weeks are filled with free events for friends of cycling and those just getting interested in this fun, green, free form of transportation.

• 8/19: Miami Bicycle Summit (Public Meeting on Master Plan)
• 8/23: Bike Miami Ride (monthly community ride geared towards new cyclists)
• 8/27: BikeTown (Bike Miami Block Party at Bayfront Park)

Wednesday August 19^th at 6pm: Come on out to the Miami Bicycle Summit at Grapeland Park’s Recreation Building (1550 NW 37th Avenue)and be among the first to see the City of Miami’s Bicycle Master Plan. The result of your emails, facebook posts, calls and survey answers, the Bicycle Master Plan is our blueprint for a Bicycle-Friendly Miami. It is still in draft form, so this is your chance to provide your own expert insights into how we can make it better. Details at www.miamigov.com/bikes.

Sunday August 23^rd at 8:30am: Meet at Mary Brickell Village (in the open space between S. Miami Avenue and SE 1^st Avenue and behind Starbucks & Balans) for our third Bike Miami Ride. Ride and learn how to be a better, safer, more confident cyclist with volunteers and City of Miami Police officers. Completely free. Bring your bike, helmet and a bottle of water for the ride through Little Havana, Brickell and the Roads neighborhoods.

Thursday August 27^th at 12noon: Lunchtime Rally & Raffle for the love of bicycles at Bayfront Park as Bicycling Magazine brings BikeTown to Downtown Miami. Your name, address & 50 words on how a bicycle could change your life could be your ticket to ride a brand-new Jamis Commuter bicycle, fully loaded with gear from MetLife and other BikeTown sponsors. For more information and to Sign Up to Win, visit http://www.bicycling.com/biketown/essay_miami.html. Join Mayor Manny Diaz and the Miami cycling community and show Bicycling Magazine and local media why bicycling in your city is important to you! If you miss the deadline (it’s this Monday the 17^th) or don’t win one of the 30 bicycles, then you can still win one at the BikeTown Raffle. Enter the day of at Bayfront Park. Completely free.

Please send us a comment below with any questions. We hope to see you soon!

NOTICE TO GROUPS: BikeTown will not involve street closures but, like Bike Miami Days, is a completely free and family-friendly event. If your community group would like to formally participate, please contact us here right away. Thank you!

Monthly Ride Photos in the Miami Herald

Thanks to Herald photographer Allison Diaz for taking some great pictures during our July Bike Miami Ride. You can see the photo gallery here.

Join us for our next ride – through the City of Miami’s Little Havana, Coconut Grove, Brickell and Shenandoah neighborhoods – on Sunday, August 23rd at 8:30am. Details to follow. Sign up here to never miss an update.

BikeTown Miami: Win a Free Bicycle and Gear

BikeTown is coming to Miami. On August 27th, 2009, Bicycling Magazine and Jamis Bicycles will descend on Miami for a day dedicated to biking in our town.

Bicycling Magazine is looking for 30 Miamians to give beautiful, brand-new bicycles and gear to so… what are you waiting for? Tell them how a bicycle would change your world in a short essay here. Best of luck!

More details to be posted soon- RSVP and Share this Contest with your Facebook Friends.