Miami named one of three worst cities for riding

According to Bicycling Magazine's opinion, South Florida should be a perfect place to ride, but instead, it's a nightmare.

"We're so far behind and in the dark with bikes it's absurd," bike-shop owner Chris Marshall told the Miami New Times in January. "I'd say we're stuck in the '60s, but it's worse than the '60s. In the '60s you could still get around by bike."

The other two cities mentioned? Dallas and Memphis.

I wonder how Tampa Bay would fare. I think the walkable nature of downtown St. Petersburg is very bike friendly, but that's probably offset by the sprawling sections of north Tampa and Brandon. Where do you think is the best/worse place to ride 'round these parts?

Comments

[Chip Haynes]

Sadly, and as you all well know, "Tampa Bay" is often cited as if it weren't just a big body of shark-infested salt water but an actual town. As an actual (if non-existant) town, it seldom fares well in these bicycle friendly lists. Pinellas County and St. Petersburg seem to be working on the problem as best they can within the ever-increasing budget restrictions. I'll leave it to someone on the east side of the puddle to assess Tampa and Hillsborough County's efforts. I do know this, though: I do the annual traffic fatality maps for the Pinellas County Crash Data Center, and I'm still putting in way too many green dots (for bicyclists).

[Dave]

The Westchase area has a few bike lanes, but overall Hillsborough is pretty lacking for bicyclists. Bicycling in Brandon would be an unmitigated nightmare. I work 3 miles from my house in South Tampa, a pretty insignificant distance, but there's just no way to get to my office safely from my home. If there were bike lanes and facilities in the Westshore area that's a huge commuter market that could be served.

I applaud the plans to add a bike lane to Platt Street and Florida/Nebraska (whichever one was done, I can't recall), but until Hillsborough gets real about bike lanes and bike facilities like Pinellas or (I can dream) Gainesville, we'll never show up on any of these lists. At least not positively.

[Chip Haynes]

Cheer up, Dave: When the oil runs out, they're ALL bike lanes!

[Ghost Rider]

Pinellas County (well, St. Pete, anyway) DID show up on one of those lists last year...the League of American Bicyclists awarded them a medal for improving their bicycle infrastructure (perhaps a silver medal?).

Dave, both Nebraska AND Tampa Street received bike lanes as part of their repaving. Nebraska Aves' is still pretty sketchy,though, and is so narrow in places that my handlebars stick out well beyond the painted line. Ugh.

This will be continue to be a dangerous place to ride even with a ton more of bicycling infrastructure if our elected officials don't do something about EDUCATING motorists that bicyclists are entitled to share the road as regular users. How about a little law enforcement, too?