HUNDREDS OF CURB RAMPS AND CROSSWALKS
ARE NOT WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY
Shoddy layers of pavement and potholes
create tripping hazards for pedestrians and mobility barriers for wheelchair
users.
GREAT SIGHT LINES, LOVE TO ROOF CANOPY PROTECTION FROM RAIN
Great
time at my first game at NU Stadium.
InterMiamiCF
played to draw vs. my former hometown Columbus Crew.
Great
sight lines, concessions, restrooms.
Canopy
roof saved us from the rain.
While waiting years for the pedestrian bridge, the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County MUST do a better job for pedestrians walking from the north parking lots.
The
sidewalk on 37 Avenue over the Miami River branch is narrow and dangerous for
pedestrians.
Close
the westernmost south bound lane of 37th/Douglas Road – to create a
safe pathway to the stadium.
I am
still evaluating wheelchair access at the stadium.
For
the record, I still think it was a boondoggle for City of Miami to give up
precious park land for a mega development of hotels, retail, etc. that happens
to have a soccer stadium.
I also
believe the billionaire developers got a sweetheart dimes on the dollar deal.
But I
still want to see a games.
NO MORE CLOSED SIDEWALKS FORCING WHEELCHAIR USERS AND ALL PEDESTRIANS TO UNNECESSARILY CROSS DANGEROUS TRAFFIC
“…the City Commission approved our legislation requiring overhead pedestrian protection instead of simply closing sidewalks during construction.
Thank you to my colleagues who co-sponsored this important safety
and quality-of-life initiative.” -- Miami City Commissioner Damian Pardo.
Kudos to Commissioner Damián Pardo and fellow Miami City Commissioners for
approving this.
It is a crucial element of mobility for people with disabilities.
I was proud to discuss this with
Commissioner Pardo during a Miami DDA downtown block walk, to offer Universal
Design insights to Alexandra Alexieva and to speak about the economic benefits
of a walkable city in front of Mayor Eileen Higgins and the Commission at the
first reading of this legislation.
I stand with this leadership to convince Miami-Dade County to adopt similar
legislation to prevent the dangers of closed sidewalks on County streets.
UNTIL MIAMI LEADERS CARE ABOUT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY -- FATALITIES ARE A MATTER OF WHEN AND HOW MANY, NOT IF
 |
| Photo shared on Nextdoor public forum |
This gruesome picture is a human being
in the throes of death.
It was posted on Nextdoor by a neighbor.
She lost the father of her child and
ex-husband to a hit and run driver.
Raul Daizi was struck while crossing
the major Miami intersection of Coral Way and 27th Avenue.
He and his family suffered in agony
for nearly two weeks, before he succumbed.
I have lost multiple neighbors to
dangerous design and lax enforcement on greater Miami’s mean streets.
Certainly, a hit and run driver is at
fault.
But I also blame the City of Miami and
Miami-Dade County for designing dangerous streets -- built for cars to drive as
fast and recklessly as possible.
The safety of pedestrians is way down on
the priority list.
Plus, very few of our police will ticket speeders and out of control drivers.
I've seen people make left
turns out of the far right, blast through red lights 30 seconds after it has
turned full red -- with cop cars right next to me.
They do nothing.
Finally, when people behind the wheel
kill -- our judicial system acts like it is an accident, not a person driving
like a maniac with intent to kill anything in the way.
If we elect mayors and commissioners
who care about human beings on foot, on bike, using wheelchairs or crutches --
we will stop losing our loved ones.
Until then, the blood of pedestrian killing
and maiming is on the hands of leaders who allow our
roads to be intentionally dangerous by design.
We could take giant steps to fix this, if we dedicated a full-time person to protect pedestrian mobility:
https://urbantravelandaccessibility.blogspot.com/2026/02/create-chief-mobility-officer.html
IS NOT AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH TO BE IGNORED
The sidewalks are narrow &
obstructed.
“It has a bike lane.”
Most shops are inaccessible to people
with disabilities.
“Pretty green bike lane.”
To make things abundantly clear.
I support cyclists and bike lanes.
I love cities where a major amount of
people commute by bike and transit.
What I can't stand is so-called
bike-ped experts who look at wheelchair access as an inconvenient truth to be
ignored.
MIAMI'S NORTHEAST SECOND
AVENUE IS SUPER WIDE AND DANGEROUS – WHILE PEDSTRIAN MOBILTY IS IMPOSSIBLE: THIS IS UPSIDE DOWN
Miami’s Upper Buena Vista is exploding
with great restaurants & shops.
But a sidewalk less than 2 feet wide
means wheelchair users must go out into incredibly dangerous NE 2nd Ave.
The City of Miami and Miami-Dade County
MUST fix this on east side of NE 2nd Ave. at NE 49 St.
This is a screaming violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It defies every planning goal of having walkable, pedestrian friendly urban neighborhoods.
Many sidewalk sections -- why destroy independence for and rob dignity of people with disabilities -- exist in this redeveloping urban enclave.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS HUNDREDS OF REGULATIONS FOR CARS IN STREETS – BUT WE SHAMEFULLY HAVE VIRTUALLY NO REGULATIONS TO PROTECT PEDESTRIANS ON SIDEWALKS
This is the first delivery bot that I’ve seen that can back up.
When they don’t, it is catastrophic
for a wheelchair user. 90% of the bots that I have seen stop when a disabled
person approaches.
That blocks essential curb ramps and
narrow sidewalks.
The City of Miami, Miami-Dade County
and other cities MUST regulate these hogs of the sidewalk bots.
Only those programmed to back up out
of the way of people with disabilities should be allowed.
SAVING LIVES IS ESSENTIAL
I am begging Miami Mayor Eileen
Higgins to take swift action to collaborate with Miami-Dade County to reduce
unsafe conditions for pedestrians.
A Miami Herald story this week
documented that greater Miami is one of the most dangerous places for
pedestrians in the entire U.S.
I have supported and voted for Higgins
since she ran for elected office in the County.
I attended her kickoff meeting when
she successfully ran for mayor.
She has given me a proclamation for my
artistic work to support historic preservation.
I now call on my fellow believer in public service and colleague
to take decisive action.
A Chief Mobility Officer could save
lives and increase safe mobility for all.
A city executive focused on stopping pedestrian
deaths and severe injuries would be especially valuable for vulnerable
residents who are disabled, elderly or very young.
More than 1/3 of Miamians cannot or do
not drive.
That makes for a large constituency
that would benefit from wide, unobstructed sidewalks, stiff fines for cars that park on them, longer better protected crosswalks and street redesign that slows down our dangerous drivers and protects mobility by foot, wheelchair or bike.
I suggested the Chief Mobility Officer
position (full disclosure: yes, I would be interested in being the humble public servant who
takes on this noble role) at the outset of 2026.
But I have yet to hear from our city's progressive mayor.
Sorry that the Miami Herald chooses to keep this life safety story behind a subscription pay wall -- but you can get the gist from the free video at this link:
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/traffic/article316075848.html
BUT MIAMI DOES NEXT TO NOTHING TO STOP IT
