As our South Florida weather becomes more and more delightful, the change in seasons marks the start of many outdoor special events. Festivals and activities abound from the recently concluded Bike & Walk to School Day to our own home grown Farmer’s Market, which starts Nov. 7 in Pinecrest Gardens.
All of these activities generate additional traffic, including the influx of “snowbirds” escaping colder climes. With the increase in traffic and outside activities, showing patience when dealing with the inevitable impact on us becomes paramount.
This year for the first time ever, on Saturday, Oct. 30, South Florida will host the Miami Ironman Triathlon encompassing a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. The bike ride will impact our Village traffic as several streets will be closed to ensure the safety of the expected 2,500-plus participants.
Starting at about 7:30 a.m. and lasting until approximately 11 a.m., the following streets will be impacted: the westbound lane of SW 88th Street between 57th and 67th Avenue will be closed to all vehicles. Also, 67th Avenue southbound from 88th Avenue to 120th Street will be closed, as will the westbound lane of 120th Street to 82nd Avenue. The southbound lane of 82nd Avenue will be closed until about 11:15 a.m.
After exiting the Village on SW 82 Avenue & SW 136 Street, the racers will wind their way through Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay and then re-enter the Village on Old Cutler sometime around 9:00 A.M. Subsequently, the northbound lane of Old Cutler will be closed from about 8:45 A.M. until approximately 12:30 P.M. Message boards on the affected streets have been setup to help warn drivers that the bike race is coming up.
“We have tried our best to minimize the adverse impact on our residents, visitors and businesses,” said Pinecrest Police Chief John Hohensee. “But we realize that an event of this magnitude will cause some inconvenience, so we ask that all concerned show patience throughout the duration of the traffic disruption.”
