Miami 21: Second Reading this Thursday

Tomorrow is an important day for the City of Miami. The Miami Commission will have before them the opportunity to formally, and finally, approve Miami 21, the blueprint for a sustainable city. Miami 21, the result of over 500 public meetings over 4 years, has now been unanimously approved by the South Florida Regional Planning Council and vetted by the State Department of Community Affairs. All that remains is for a Second Reading by the City Commission, scheduled to take place tomorrow at 2:00pm at City Hall.

I want to thank all of you who have participated in the most democratic planning process in our city's history. We have received thousands of your emails, phone calls and comments. The City of Miami is ready for a plan that promotes sustainability, walkability, pedestrian-friendly streets, bicycling, historic preservation, open spaces and health. We are ready for a plan that recognizes a need to address climate change, obesity and a changing global economy.

One last time, I hope that you will join us in support of Miami 21 during the Regular Meeting of the City Commission, this Thursday at 2:00pm.

-Manny

Be Water Wise Miami Campaign Video

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) has shared a video with me that they created from the Be Water Wise Miami campaign that we brought to Miami last May. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did and that you will take a moment to think about what you can do to Be Water Wise Miami!

Watch the video HERE.

For more information about the Be Water Wise Miami Campaign and the NEEF, click HERE for the press release or click HERE for my earlier blog post.

-Manny

Bike Miami Days Receives Two Prestigious Recognitions

Miami’s largest pedestrian and bicycle-friendly street festival, Bike Miami Days, has received two prestigious honors from the Association of Pedestrian & Biking Professionals (APBP) and the Florida Bicycle Association.

The APBP has named Kathryn Moore, Mayor’s Aide and Bike Miami Days organizer, as Young Professional of the Year for her work in Bike Miami Days. The award was created this year and it will be given during Walk21, the 10th International Conference on Walking and Livable Communities, held in New York City on October 7 - 9.

Additionally, the Florida Bicycle Association selected Bike Miami Days and Bike Miami Rides to receive the Event of the Year Award on behalf of Bike Miami Days and Bike Miami Rides.

“We would like to recognize your efforts and achievements that help us deliver our mission to inspire and support people and communities to enjoy greater freedom and well being through bicycling,” reads the association’s announcement.

I am proud that the cycling community has recognized our efforts to make Miami a more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly city, and I hope to see Bike Miami Days continue with the support of our community.

Learn more about this award-winning event at http://www.bike-miami.com/

UPDATE: What the Florida Bicycle Association has to say about Bike Miami Days:

"Program or Event: Mayor Manny Diaz and Kathryn Moore, City of Miami: Bike Miami Days
In 2008 the City of Miami began to develop and implement an ambitious Bicycle Action Plan. The BAP included the usual program areas: engineering, education, and enforcement. The key to making the plan a success was showing that bicycling was popular among City residents and that investing in bicycling would bring substantial returns. The Bike Miami Days events were an ambitious strategy that proved that Miamians wanted safe opportunities to ride their bikes and helped build support for the other elements in the Action Plan. The seven BMD events closed over two miles of streets in downtown Miami to motorized traffic (one event took place in Coconut Grove) and were attended by over 10,000 participants. The closed streets allowed families, new cyclists, frequent riders and those that had not been on their bikes in years to experience on-road riding. In addition to the usual partners that are brought into a bicycling event, the City included artists, environmentalists, yoga teachers, fixed-gear riders, and the Dutch Consulate in Bike Miami Days. When the weather got too hot for a half-day street closure, Bike Miami Days were transformed into Bike Miami Rides: 8-10 mile explorations of the city that emphasized inclusiveness, vehicular-style riding and basic bicycle safety education. The four Bike Miami Rides held since June have each attracted 30-50 riders. BMD resumed October 4, 2009. It is not an exaggeration to say that Mayor Diaz’ vision and leadership were essential for the existence, of the Bike Miami Day and Bike Miami Ride events. Essential cooperation from the Police and Sanitation Departments, merchants, residents and property owners would not have been forthcoming without the Mayor’s direct involvement. Kathryn Moore coordinated each of the events and used her organizational skill and personal charisma to make each one a success. All of the Bike Miami Days and Bike Miami Rides events are documented at: http://bikemiamiblog.wordpress.com. "

- Manny

Another Successful Bike Miami Day

Yesterday, thousands of people biked, skated, walked and enjoyed the heart of their city during Bike Miami Day, Miami’s biggest free & family-friendly street festival.
I would like to personally thank all of the amazing volunteers, Waste services of Florida Inc., the Miami Downtown Development Authority, the City of Miami Police Department, Commissioner Marc Sarnoff and the Florida Bicycle Association for making this the best Bike Miami Days to date.
We couldn’t have made this happen without the support of our community, so – Thank you!
I invite you to take some time to listen to the WLRN story about Bike Miami Days and to read some of the comments posted on the Bike Miami Days blog, on the Bike Miami Days Facebook page and sent via email (below.)

Thank you all for your support and comments!

- Manny

Support for Bike Miami Days:

Support via email:

Please continue to support BMD!! It's a very effective and unique community-building activity and one that we as residents see it as an important building block to create union, meet diversity, discover our city in a different light and most importantly, feel the City's presence in its improvements.

Thank you for continuing this program and introducing new and exciting ways to enjoy our city!
Regards,Yeraldine Ordonez

Comments from Participants to our blog:

Author : A Disgruntled Browarder
Comment:
What an awesome event. Broward needs to learn a lesson from Miami-Dade and show their cycling community a little respect. All of the volunteers and police present were super friendly and helpful. I certainly hope that whoever picks up the reins after Mayor Diaz will continue these fantastic events. Miami can and will be a city of cyclists if we can keep building this positive spirit and political momentum!

Comments from Participants to our Facebook:

Michelle Melin Niemeyer
I was out today and was VERY impressed with the numbers and especially the number of families with children who were out this time. It was a great day!

Ana Colls
Great day with great people! Don't be a fool, City of Miami, keep Bike Miami Days going!!!

Mariela Rossel
BIKE MIAMI ROCKS!!!!!! :)

Maria Hernandez Gestido
Perfect weather for a great time out there today. It was my first time and I can't wait to go again!

Carla F. Llamas

Today's event was awesome! Thanks for such a wonderful event in Miami!

Bicycle Master Plan Presented at Third Miami Bicycle Summit

This week, the City of Miami hosted our third Miami Bicycle Summit to present the latest draft of the city's first Bicycle Master Plan. The summit, held at Belafonte TACOLCY Center in Liberty City, brought cyclists, planners and community residents together to view the last draft of the plan, which will be available in online for everyone to review next week.

The City of Miami Bicycle Plan is the result of nearly two years of hard work on the part of the Bicycle Action Committee, city planners and staff, the Bike Miami Days Team and countless advocates, local groups and individuals. The Plan includes a map of over 285 miles of inter-connected bicycle routes that we want to see in the City by 2030. These bicycle routes include bicycle lanes, greenways and innovative new bicycle facilities, called 'sharrows' and 'bicycle boulevards'. When built, whether as part of existing projects or as new capital improvements, they will provide a network of bikeways accessible to every Miami resident within a 1/4mile of where they live, work and play.

The Plan also introduces bicycle parking standards and calls for the implementation of bicycle parking racks, shelters or lockers at nearly 1,000 new locations throughout our city. This is important because we want to ensure that residents and visitors who travel by bicycle are able to safely and securely park their bicycles wherever they go in the city.

Bicycling is a fun, healthy and environmentally-friendly way to explore our city. I look forward to presenting the Bicycle Master Plan to the City Commission on October 8 and hope that our commissioners will join me in supporting this plan for a bicycle-friendly Miami.

For more information about the City of Miami's bicycling program, please visit www.miamigov.com/bikes. I also hope to see you for my last Bike Miami Days event on Sunday, October 4.

-Manny

Everyone Must Sacrifice

These are challenging times for the City of Miami and for its residents. The economic perfect storm - an economic meltdown, the worst since the great depression, leading to a significant decline in housing values, a record number of foreclosures, the highest unemployment rate in decades and substantial drops in consumer confidence and spending, has made this the most difficult budget year that I have had to face since taking office eight years ago.

My budget includes a large number of layoffs. During these difficult economic times, the last thing we want is to add our employees to the ranks of the unemployed. But we must also deal with reality. The City and the taxpayers cannot afford and will not be able to afford the current cost structure.

However, most of these layoffs can be prevented if all of the City’s Unions to come to the table and make the sacrifices that must be made. We are asking no more, and no less, than that which is being asked of every employee everywhere, in order to keep their jobs: Salary and pension concessions.

We simply cannot continue to place the economic burden with the tax payers.

There is no question that sacrifices must be made. The question we have to answer is who should make these sacrifices. Should it be those whose salaries and benefits are paid by the public? Or, should it be those same people who pay our salaries and who today are hurting economically, losing their jobs and homes or in fear of losing their jobs and homes and taking salary cuts?

This is the time to decide: does the city serve the needs of the people? Or do the people serve the needs of the city?

Read my budget address here

- Manny

United We Serve: National Day of Service and Remembrance

Today is the first National Day of Service and Remembrance. In honor of those lost eight years ago, the President and First Lady are calling on people across the country to come together, renew our commitments to community service and recognize the heroism of our servicemen and women.

I hope that you will join us by taking a moment day to reflect on what you can do for your community and to make the commitment to active citizenship and service throughout the coming year. At the City of Miami Administration Building (444 SW 2nd Ave.), city staff and volunteers will be on hand from 11am to 1pm to provide information about opportunities to give back. You are welcome to drop by and write letters to Americans serving abroad, make a pledge to serve or just learn more about local community service groups and other non-profits in need.

You can read the President and First Lady's call to service HERE. Make your pledge online at 911dayofservice.org or learn more at http://www.serve.gov/.

Thank you.

-Manny