Newsroom - Breaking News
Miami-Dade TPO Successfully Hosts
2024 Safe Streets Summit
“Embracing Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety & Mobility
in the Southeast Florida Region”
On February 29 & March 1, 2024, Miami-Dade TPO hosted the 2024 Safe Streets Summit, in collaboration with Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA), at InterContinental Miami Hotel in Downtown Miami. Elected officials, transportation professionals, and key community partners from across Southeast Florida gathered to engage in critical conversations around the summit’s theme “Embracing Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility.” Discussions focused on transforming the region into vibrant, connected communities where safe, sustainable, and accessible streets empower everyone to embrace the joy of bicycle and pedestrian mobility. The summit was a catalyst for change, emphasizing collaboration and innovation amongst regional stakeholders to create a safe bicycle/pedestrian network.
Conference day began early with a “Fireside Chat with Executive Directors” to kick-off discussions as participants enjoyed breakfast. Miami-Dade TPO Executive Director, Aileen Bouclé, AICP, spoke with guests, Honorable Raquel A. Regalado, Miami-Dade TPO Board Member, and Stacy Miller, P.E., FDOT District Six Secretary. Broward MPO Executive Director, Greg Stuart, spoke with guest Steve Braun, P.E., FDOT District Four Secretary.
Conference day was emceed by Jawan Strader, NBC 6 News Anchor, and officially opened with Honorable Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County Mayor, Honorable Esteban Bovo, Jr., Miami-Dade TPO Governing Board Chairman, and Aileen Bouclé, AICP, TPO Executive Director, welcoming attendees to a day of sessions focused on advancing bicycle and pedestrian mobility projects throughout the region.
Keynote Speaker, Gil Penalosa, Founder, 880 Cities & Cities for Everyone, then provided a thought-provoking opening keynote address about the importance of providing safe bicycle and pedestrian facilities for children and the elderly to ensure mobility freedom for these two dependent cohorts. Sessions followed that focused on: Safe Streets for Bicyclists and Pedestrians: How Do We Make It Safer; Case Studies on Southeast Florida Regional Efforts; and Building a Resilient Bicycle Network in Southeast Florida's Diverse Landscape. Honorable Joe Corradino, The Corradino Group, introduced Guest Speaker Sara Studdard, City Thread Storyteller Partner, who discussed how to overcome challenges and accelerate completion of placed-based bike/ped infrastructure.
To provide educational opportunities for the region’s youth, as well as promote student pedestrian and bike safety, students from Hialeah High School and Hollywood Hills High School (pictured left to right below) were invited to participate.
The second day showcased three mobile tours and in-person workshop on the forefront of urban bicycle and pedestrian innovation. Participants were immersed in a series of dynamic and interactive excursions that unveiled cutting-edge bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure designed for safer and more versatile streets. They embarked on journeys through a myriad of sessions highlighting walkability, bikeability, micromobility, economic development, and beyond. The tours, led by local experts and community representatives, provided insightful exploration into the region’s progressive initiatives throughout Miami-Dade County as follows:
- Exploring the Underline & Hidden Gems Tour-Biking and Walking through Brickell and Vizcaya Neighborhoods: Participants toured through Brickell and The Underline on bikes, by foot, and transit. The Underline hosted the tour providing an in-depth look at the evolution of bike/ped features in an urban landscape, right through the heart of Miami.
- From Rails to Wheels Tour-South Dade TransitWay & Area Transit Oriented Developments (TOD): Participants were immersed in the evolution of the SMART Program, experiencing firsthand mass transit connectivity and land use developments in southeastern portions of Miami-Dade County. The tour was co-hosted by Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) and Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER).
- SOBE Bike Tour-Cruisin' Miami Beach for a Deep Dive into Bike/Ped Features: Participants took a trip to South Beach, a.k.a., SOBE, to explore beyond its iconic beaches and glamorous scenery via a vibrant bike ride and walking tour sponsored by Citi Bike and the City of Miami Beach.
- Gil Penalosa In-person Workshop-Embracing Bike and Ped Mobility: Participants were immersed in this interactive workshop hosted by Summit Keynote Speaker Gil Penalosa. The workshop provided a unique opportunity to delve into visionary discussions and learn steps to shape the future of urban living; one that embraces a bicycle and pedestrian way of life. Mr. Penalosa shared insights in transformative urban development as well as presented key case studies for creating vibrant and inclusive communities. Afterward, Joyride Experiences LLC provided a short e-bike tour around Bayside, offering an opportunity to apply the concepts discussed in the workshop in a real-world setting.
2024 Safe Streets Awards Ceremony
The annual Safe Streets Awards ceremony recognized local Complete Streets Individual and Community Champions from each county. Those honored were as follows:
Miami-Dade County:
- Outstanding Transportation Partner Award: Honorable Raquel A. Regalado, Miami-Dade TPO Governing Board Member
- Complete Streets Champion Award: Gillian A. Hotz, SLP, Ph.D., Director, KiDZ Neuroscience Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
- Complete Streets Community Award: Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation & Public Works (DTPW) Vision Zero Program
Broward County:
- Complete Streets Champion Award: Josette Severyn, Multimodal Mobility Projects Administrator, Broward County Government
- Complete Streets Community Award: City of Sunrise
Palm Beach County:
- Complete Streets Champion Award: Honorable Yvette Drucker, Council Member, City of Boca Raton
- Complete Streets Community Award: City of Boca Raton
People’s Choice Award for Best Complete Streets Project:
Broward County’s NE 15 Avenue Tactical Urbanism Project
The Safe Streets Summit website will be enhanced over the next few weeks with pictures, presentation recordings and resources from the 2024 Summit.
THANK YOU SPONSORS!
Visit EXP here Visit SFCS here
Visit The Corradino Group Visit DTPW here
AARP | Alta Planning and Design | AtkinsRéalis | BusPas
CALTRAN Engineering Group, Inc. | Citi Bike | Clary Consulting Company
Eco-Counter Inc. | Freebee | Infinite Source Communications Group (ISC)
Joyride Experiences LLC | Kimley-Horn | Media Relations Group (MRG)
SFRTA/Tri-Rail | Stantec | StreetLight Data | WGI
AAA | Broward Innovation Group (B.I.G.) | BOWMAN
Broward County's Office of Economic & Small Business Development
Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust (CITT) | HDR Engineering
Kittelson & Associates, Inc. | McFarland Johnson
APA Florida Gold Coast Section | Brightline | The Bike Share Museum | The Headbadge
Back to Top Page Last Edited: Tue Mar 5, 2024 2:46:36 PM
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