This is great. It's modeled along the lines of Bogota's Ciclovia. NYC, Chicago, Portland and maybe one other city in the US have started doing this. I know there is some interest in doing this in PGH too!
2008-11-10 15:46:38
4
Miami Closing City Streets for a Day
Downtown streets closed for Bike Miami
BY KIRSTIN MAGUIRE
KMAGUIRE@MIAMIHERALD.COM
Although Miami has sunny weather throughout the year, residents have never found the city particularly bike-friendly.
With congested roadways, bicyclists can't ride without fear of an impending accident.
But that's about to change Sunday with the city's first-ever Bike Miami event, where main downtown streets will be closed to cars. People who want to bike, walk or skate will be free of traffic worries.
From 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., the city will close Flagler Street from the Miami-Dade County Courthouse to Bayfront Park, and South Miami Avenue from 10th Street and Mary Brickell Village to Southeast Fourth Street, and then north on First Avenue to Flagler Street.
The free event features a number of activities, including a yoga class at 1 p.m., bicycle safety workshops and The Moving Wall, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, currently in Bayfront Park.
City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz started Bike Miami, which he hopes will become a regular occurrence to promote bicycling. The event is a component of the city's new bike action plan, which will identify streets, lanes and parking for bicycles.
''We're trying to make Miami a bike-friendly city,'' Diaz's press secretary Helena Poleo said.
The Metrorail and Metrobus will be free for participants Sunday. Those who drive to the event can park for a discounted rate in Bayside for $2 and Mary Brickell Village for $3.
2008-11-10 04:49:27
That's awesome.
2008-11-17 05:07:21
I never see it mentioned on lists of places doing this, but Cambridge, MA has been doing summer Sunday shutdowns of Memorial Drive for years (I think at least 10)
2008-11-18 12:17:22