Artist Conception
The Miami Marlins and Miami Transit Authority have been working hard to develop solutions around the fact that there are only 5,700 spaces in the Marlins parking garage for the up to 30,000 game attendees.
April 1st they announced a public-private partnership which will create a “Greenway” for bicycles up Flagler Street to the Miami Marlins Stadium. Marlins President David Samson and FDOT District 6 will team up to fund and construct a protected, 2 mile “cycle track” that will link Government Center in Downtown Miami with Marlins Park, set for completion by August 2012.
As a solution to the anticipated parking and transit woes at the new stadium, the Marlins and FDOT mutually agreed that encouraging safe, active transportation is the most obvious and sensible option for area residents. Both Marlins and FDOT officials anticipate a surge in casual ridership on non-game days as well, as the facility will provide a designated route separated from motorized traffic along the two mile pathway, suitable for commuters and recreational cyclists alike.
According to the Transit Miami website, the Marlin mascot, “Billy the Marlin” will make the event even more exciting by leading family oriented bike trips from Government Center to the Stadium. There’s nothing more exciting any day than watching a full-grown man in a mascot costume ride a bike – Am I Right?
To make the bike ride even more convenient, without having to haggle for parking with a local resident near the Marlin Stadium, the Marlins Stadium will offer “valet” bicycle parking at the stadium which ties directly into the “Silver LEED” status of the facility. Their encouragement of using bicycle (human power) instead of cars (fossil fuel guzzlers @ over $4 a gallon) can be contributed to their environmental commitment.
Of course locals who believe in sunshine and biking think that this is a great fit for the “new and improved Miami” with it’s incorporated green spaces and special attention to pedestrian and cyclists throughout the area. Even the Genting development, for all the people who bellyached about it, included a “bay walk” which would finally extend the downtown pedestrian scene to our most valued possession, Biscayne Bay itself. A pier would be a lovely addition to Downtown Miami, but for now, we get lanes of concrete painted green in which cyclists can feel safe, and follow Big Bird Billy the Marlin to baseball games across downtown on their bicycles.
If this is a solution to the ongoing parking dilemma at the park, well, you gotta give it to ‘em – they sure are creative!
Source: Transit Miami
Updated
Wow. After having sent from the office of a County employee, to an environmentalist and then to me for consideration to write a story – this was all an April Fool’s JOKE. Yep, I’m not happy either.
