The City of Coral Gables has been working in the past few years to create a safe, accessible bike infrastructure for commuters and people of all ages and abilities.
In 2012, the city commission authorized the execution of the Interlocal Agreement between the City of Coral Gables and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the purpose of funding the development of a bicycle and pedestrian plan. That same year, the city selected a consultant to develop a plan for a bicycle and pedestrian network as well as recommend bicycle programming to encourage and educate residents.
In 2014, the City of Coral Gables adopted the publicly vetted plan developed by the consulting team. In addition to dedicated funding appropriated by the city commission, staff applied for and was awarded a transportation alternatives program grant in 2015 for approximately half a million dollars for the construction of bike lanes along Alhambra Circle, from Coral Way to San Amaro Drive.
This year, the city awarded a citywide bicycle infrastructure design contract to one of the best bicycle infrastructure design firms in the country to turn the adopted plan into reality.
An earlier 2010 bicycle plan, referred to as the “Mack Plan,” was not adopted by the city commission. Elements of this plan, however, were incorporated into the official and more robust adopted plan. The city’s implementation strategy has shifted in pursuit of a higher standard than what was recommended in both the Mack Plan and the Official plan.
As cities across the country have embraced protected bicycle infrastructure over standard striped bicycle lanes, the city decided to set the bar high for functional and beautiful design, representative of the City Beautiful character and history. In the meantime, the city has added 2.8 miles of bicycling facilities along Sevilla Avenue and Anastasia Avenue and is looking to install the first bicycle boulevard along Castile Avenue this year.
While the infrastructure component of the bike plan is obviously very important, the City of Coral Gables has shown its commitment to incorporate safe biking in our community through education, encouragement, and enforcement.
The city will work hand in hand with the bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group Bike Walk Coral Gables and support the dedicated efforts to promote a safe and friendly environment for cyclists and pedestrians. While the city continues the work to design world class bicycling infrastructure, it has launched a “Bike Racks for Business Program” to install bike parking for free. Bicycle parking is required at any special event held in Coral Gables that expects more than 1,000 participants. The “Get Back on Your Bike” program is offered to adults over 50 who would like to become comfortable riding a bike again to run simple errands or for basic exercise.
The City of Coral Gables aims to become a bicycle friendly community by executing a plan that can be enjoyed mutually by cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.
For more information, visit www.coralgables.com/bike.
