On Saturday, March 21, 2015, cyclists enjoyed safe and car-free cycling along the 10-miles of paved pathway beneath Metrorail, as part of “Bike The Underline,” a signature event of the county’s annual Bike305 Month celebrations in March. As part of the event, four Metrorail stations also offered free family festivities. Guests enjoyed entertainment, art shows, health and fitness checkups, a kids’ bike rodeo, yoga and zumba sessions, food trucks, and guided bike tours. They also helped with plantings to create a new park, just south of the Dadeland North Metrorail Station. The event provided an opportunity to envision The Underline’s future and how South Miami will transform its streets into a cycling-friendly community.
BIKE THE UNDERLINE was the inaugural Bike305 Month event shining the spotlight on what will be a 10-mile linear park connecting municipalities, public transportation, and surrounding businesses and area attractions.
The Underline, currently under design, will showcase a designated commuter-cycling highway, a separated pedestrian and recreational path, water stations, Metrorail station and intersection improvements, and aesthetically-placed lighting ensuring a safe environment at all hours.
Cyclists from all over Miami-Dade County got a chance to experience riding the paved path underneath the Metrorail light-rail system from downtown Miami to Dadeland. Guided bike rides were led by the Everglades Bicycle Club and Emerge Miami, and everyone was free to enjoy their own self-guided tours along the way. The Metrorail Station activities were a good break to enjoy free health-checks, bicycle repairs, refreshments, giveaways, an art show, a bake sale, and entertainment.
BIKE THE UNDERLINE was presented in partnership with the City of Miami, the City of Coral Gables, the City of South Miami, the University of Miami, Friends of The Underline, and Miami-Dade Transit. Sponsors include Mack Cycle and Fitness, Manny Miranda-State Farm Agent, Miami Hitches, No Boundaries, and Shell Lumber. Community Partners Baptist Health, UHealth, UM BikeSafe, Coral Gables Museum, the Everglades Bicycle Club, Bike SoMi, Emerge Miami, and Project Dadeland contributed services during the event.
Bike305(LOGO) is a countywide movement encouraging residents to ride bicycles for health, recreation and commuting. Bike305’s Premier Sponsors, Mack Cycle and Fitness and Manny Miranda-State Farm Agent, offered free bike-checks and repairs and water stations for thirsty participants. South Miami’s Footworks serviced runners and the Health Nut on Wheels satisfied hungry appetites. South Florida Commuter Services provided one-way Metrorail passes to cyclists who enjoyed the day in combination with public transportation. Miami-Dade Transit provided access to the venues and security.
WE WERE THERE TO COVER THE EVENT. Photos published online courtesy of SOMI Magazine / John Edward Smith Communications. © 2015 SOMI Magazine
AT BRICKELL STATION
The City of Miami Parks Department filled Metrorail’s Brickell Station plaza with musical entertainment courtesy of UM’s Frost School of Music, art exhibits by the local seniors community, yoga sessions and a free water station courtesy Manny Miranda-State Farm Agent, one of Bike305’s premier sponsors. South Florida Commuter Services gave away 200 one-way Metrorail passes to cyclists who chose to enjoy the day in combination with a light-rail ride.
AT UNIVERSITY STATION
UHealth created a one-stop health screening location where incoming cyclists received FREE glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol checks, while UM’s Wellness Center provided FREE VO2Max and BMI checks. UM BikeSafe offered a Bike Rodeo for kids, teaching them safe-cycling skills that will hopefully last a lifetime and keep them well prepared navigating roads and greenways. UBike’s Ricardo Herran, the head of UM’s on-campus cycling organization, provided support. Meg Daly’s The Underline Team surveyed cyclists, receiving opinions on what features the Underline design should incorporate to make cycling safe and fun for all.
AT SOUTH MIAMI STATION
Mack Cycle & Fitness, a premier Bike305 sponsor, along with South Miami’s Footworks, provided bike checks for cyclists and cool gear for runners enjoying The Underline, many of whom had never experienced any of the 10-mile paved path before! Baptist Health and South Miami Hospital manned a water station and a health-check station while popular John Martin’s performer Paddy Kelligan entertained the crowd. Food was available from Miguel Kristalys’ wildly-favored truck, Health Nut on Wheels. Bike SoMi and the South Miami Neighborhood Association held a charity bake-sale alongside displays of the recently approved South Miami Master Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan.
DADELAND NORTH STATION (Kendall Drive area)
Project Dadeland, the brainchild of Eric Katz, provided shrubs, mulch, gardening tools and lots of attention to cyclists rolling up to help plant a park in what has been an overlooked area adjacent to US 1 and Kendall Drive. Eric, with a grant courtesy the Miami Foundation and help from the Community Image Advisory Board, has been working this spit of land for over a year, involving the community in beautifying the area at the southern end of the Ludlam Trail. Cyclists learned first-hand that getting down and dirty can produce wondrous things. Green Mobility Network provided Bike Valet for participants.
For more information about:
BIKE305 THE UNDERLINE
www.theunderline.org
Event and station activity descriptions courtesy of:
Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces
Department:Laura Phillips, Media Contact
Sue Kawalerski, Bike 305 Coordinator
Meg Daly, Founder, Friends of The Underline
