Our own Bruce Pinchbeck likes to bike over to work from the beach. Like many Miami cyclists, he’s concerned about today’s closure of the Venetian Causeway — the slowest and safest bridge for bikes and pedestrians, in his and many others’ estimation. He took a ride with Collin Worth, Bicycle Coordinator for the City of Miami, over the MacArthur and back across the Julia Tuttle, to find out what cyclists should be watching out for. Here’s what we found.
Watch out for debris on the road. Both causeways are supposed to get extra sweeping, but we saw a lot of trash in bike lanes that could trip you up. There are other obstacles to beware of too — disabled vehicles, even a misplaced traffic sign.
If all of this looks a bit too scary, there are a few other options for cyclists, none of which is as affordable as pedaling across the bridge. If you want a lift across, you can pack your wheels on the front racks of the buses, but they’ll only accept two bikes at a time. You can also take a cab or try a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft, or you can use a car share like ZipCar to get you across, but your trusty steed would have to stay behind.
If you’re going to brave a bike across, consider taking the trip with a few buddies to improve visibility when you’re in those unprotected lanes. If you’re brave (or crazy) enough to take a night ride, invest in some extra reflective gear and lights — both Causeways can get pretty dark.