The Open Streets Project Partners with SFBC

Volunteers Make It Happen!

The volunteer team behind Bike Miami Days formally decided to partner with the South Florida Bike Coalition with the common goal of bringing more ‘open streets’ events to South Florida. So far, SFBC leaders have met with advocates and officials in West Palm Beach and are pushing for an event in late October. Rumor has it Lake Worth would welcome such a free and family-friendly program, and the City of Doral – whose leadership is all about parks, open spaces and getting active – has also been very encouraging. SFBC members in South Miami-Dade and Broward are calling for us to reach out to Kendall and Ft. Lauderdale. We hear ya! Looks like South Florida could be home to multiple new programs this Fall. As always, we and the people behind the Open Streets Project will need volunteers to make this happen. Let us know via email or facebook if you are interested. (If you already put I wanna volunteer! on your membership form, we’ll be contacting you directly soon.)

Any Given Sunday in Bogota

In related news, I’ll be in Bogota next week, meeting with leaders of their famous ciclovia and mass transportation programs with the hope of bringing back some great ideas for South Florida. Our community is such a richly diverse and exciting place – so much fun to explore by bicycle! Over the summer, we’ll be participating in more and more group rides, like the Good Old Fashioned Bike Race, taking place this Saturday. This event is a fundraiser for young Miami-based social activists and we are excited to join in the fun for a good cause. If your group (however informal it might be) would like support planning or coordinating a ride, let us know. It’s one of my favorite parts of this job.

Also new this week, your SFBC has partnered with The Heritage Continuum on a project to improve sustainable transportation use in and around Overtown. Located right in the middle of Miami – framed by Wynwood, Downtown, the Miami River, the Health District and the Performing Arts District – Overtown is easily accessible by bicycle, bus, metrorail or just walking. Programs like Roots in the City and Folklife Fridays are bringing visitors to the neighborhood. I am looking forward to working with the Heritage team make Overtown safer, easier and more fun to visit by bicycle.

We'll be there!