Today I rode the M-Path for the first time in about a month since my last post about the progress of the M-Path. I was hoping to give our readers a positive update, but unfortunately here we are nearly 4 months into the M-Path project and work seems to have come to a standstill. In all fairness, I only rode the M-Path from Brickell to Bird Road, but did not see any new improvements. This makes me wonder if all we are getting for $700k is a patch job for some potholes, root rot, and a couple of inches of added width to the M-Path in a few locations?
Patch work and path width extended. Unfortunately the path's width was not extended enough.
The new asphalt looks great, but the path’s width should have been extended by a foot on each side.
Since there is nothing new to report, please allow me to suggest a few more ideas for improvements that Miami-Dade Transit ought to consider.
For starters, safety should be the #1 priority; not the cosmetic work that is being done. Miami Dade Transit must consider a “no right hand turn on red” from all streets that cross the M-Path on to US-1. Currently, traffic signals such as the one on 22nd (see below) and US-1 encourage vehicles to maintain their speed rather then slow down at pedestrian and M-Path crossings. This is a simple solution which will make the M-Path safer for pedestrians and bicyclists alike.
The green right hand turn arrow encourages drivers to speed through the M-Path intersections.
Miami-Dade Transit should also take this opportunity to extend the path through “desire lines” (see below) which pedestrians and bicyclists created. Why this was not considered during Phase 1 of the project is beyond my understanding. Simply fixing what is already broken does not make the M-Path better.
Desire lines show exactly where the path needs to be extended.
Below is a M-Path greenway simulation picture that Mike Lydon from The Street Plans Collaborative included in the Miami Bicycle Master Plan. This is what Miami-Dade Transit’s goal should be for the M-Path.
The M-Path in a perfect world
I sincerely hope that Phase 1 of this project is not anywhere near completion. If it is, we have a problem.
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