Commissioner Levine Cava convenes ‘Dead Serious’ Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee meeting

Advocates, law enforcement, and local officials joined Commissioner Cava to create a bike safety plan.
Advocates, law enforcement, and local officials joined Commissioner Cava to create a bike safety plan.

In an effort to raise awareness about cycling safety and to help reduce the number of cycling and pedestrian accidents, County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava convened the “Dead Serious” Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee on May 18.

The group collaborated to create an action plan that focuses on more public education about pedestrian and cyclist laws, better infrastructure to support cycling, and more uniformity in enforcing cyclist and motorist laws. Among the approximately 40 attendees were cycling advocates, law enforcement officials, engineers and educators, as well as state, county and municipal representatives. The individuals broke into four small working groups categorized as engineering, enforcement, education and evaluation. The outcome included individual commitments to building partnerships across municipalities.

“We are dead serious,” said Commissioner Levine Cava. “We must do more to make our infrastructure safer for pedestrians and bicyclists and to educate all the users of our roads on their rights and responsibilities. Working together to educate and engage the public, we can reduce injuries and deaths.”

Commissioner Levine Cava announced the formation of the group during a Ghost Bike memorial held last month at Black Point Marina, the location of yet another fatal cycling accident. In the past few months, there have been two cycling fatalities in the Commissioner’s district. The issue really hit home when the Commissioner’s husband, Robert Cava MD, was recently the victim of a hit and run accident.  He was thrown from his bike, breaking an arm. Fortunately his injuries were not fatal.

Many communities are raising awareness about bicycle safety. The “Dead Serious” group is continuing those efforts as well as building upon the County’s “Safer People Safer Streets” initiative sponsored by County Commissioner Dennis Moss and adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in June of 2016.

For more information, contact Commissioner Levine Cava’s district office at (305) 378-6677 or District8@miamidade.gov.


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1 COMMENT

  1. This is fabulous! We are weekend cyclists who keep limiting our rides becuase we are scared of being hit by rude or distracted drivers. Please let me know when your next meeting is. I’d love to hear first hand what you are doing.

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