NBC 6- New data suggests Miami is a risky place to ride a bike.
The League of American Bicyclists found that Miami ranks 5th in the nation for fatal bike crashes, based on data pulled from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
It showed Miami’s fatal bike accidents increased by 28% from 2017 to 2021. That’s drastically higher than the national average of 5%.
Ken McLeod, policy director for the League of American Bicyclists said many of the crashes happen on state-owned roads with many lanes, higher speed limits and higher traffic volume.
“The best practice would be separated bike lanes or shared-use paths that are separated from the roadway,” said McLeod. “Less than 8% of bicyclist fatalities in the United States occur in bike lanes. Bike lanes work. We should build them.”
According to Miami-Dade’s Department of Transportation and Public Works, there are 197 miles of unprotected bike lanes in the county. Only 10.2 miles are protected or “buffered.”
Lisa Colmenares, the department’s Chief Planning Officer, said the county is continuing to focus on 100 “hot spots” as part of its “Vision Zero” strategy, aiming to eliminate these fatalities and severe injuries by 2040.
“Where we can, we always will prioritize having those protected bike lanes in Miami-Dade County,” said Colmenares. “It is critical but as you know, we have challenges of right of way, which is space, we have competing space.”
Not all bicyclists believe protected bike lanes are the answer. Brickell cyclist Junior Pena said protected bike lanes don’t keep drivers from swerving into the lanes. In February, Pena woke up in a hospital with several fractures after being hit by a truck.
He wasn’t riding in a protected bike lane but said he is reminded by the dangers of riding a bike in Miami and competing with aggressive drivers.
“Texting, distracted drivers, speeding, people in a rush heading to work, you would have to put a brick wall,” said Pena.
