MIAMI – Renderings for the Rickenbacker Causeway master plan were printed in a publicly-available agenda from Tuesday’s meeting of Miami-Dade’s Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee -- photos members of the committee have been able to review.
“Unfortunately, the person meant to present on the master plan did not come so they took the item off the agenda,” said neuroscientist Mickey Witte, who is on the BPAC.
Witte is an avid cyclist who was instrumental to the 2014 passage of the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act, created in the wake of Cohen’s death on the Rickenbacker Causeway. She says the renderings look promising from a cyclist safety perspective.
“The renderings I’m seeing, as it relates to the toll gantry area, looks really nice and follows best practices when it comes to safety,” said Witte.
Several pages include the words “draft” or “concept,” but include improvements for areas like the nexus, Virginia Key, Bear Cut Bridge and Crandon Boulevard.
Renderings:
A spokesperson with the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works, told Local 10 News the renderings should be considered outdated and that the county is continuing to gather data and feedback from residents and key stakeholders.
“We’re in the process of finalizing some of the concepts we will share with the community and the village (of Key Biscayne),” said Josiel Ferrer-Diaz, Interim Director of the Miami-Dade County of Public Transportation and Public Works. “And working with principal stakeholders to make sure that we create a project that they will be proud of.”
Some areas include lanes that physically separate vehicle and bicycle traffic in hopes of preventing tragedies from happening again.
“We have learned we’ve gotten feedback on how best to protect our cyclists and pedestrians and we’re incorporating that into the master plan,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.