Bicycling Safety in South Florida – Good Luck with That!

For a state that has an abundant population of bicyclists and pedestrians, you’d think our roadways would be a little better equipped for the traffic.

Unfortunately, the utter lack of accomodations is a daily problem that many of these vulnerable travelers face. The Broward-Palm Beach New Times wanted to illustrate just how difficult it is to bike through the area. In a recent article, “Bike to the Everglades! An Illustrated Beginner’s Guide to Not Dying,” the difficulties are clearly illustrated, throughout text and pictures. There are a number of problems that bikers have to deal with, including blocked access, shoddy infrastructure, tiny and unmarked bike lanes and even concrete barriers.

Our Fort Lauderdale bicycle accident lawyers understand that biking through our city can be as risky as it is inviting. Walking, biking and even driving in the area can be a difficult, and dangerous, task — especially for bikers. Take Davie Boulevard for example. Heading west, there’s absolutely no bike lane for a majority of the ride. When a bike lane finally appears, you might miss it if you’re not paying attention as it’s hardly wide enough to fit one biker. Some don’t even call it a bike lane as there’s no bike painting on the cement.

Once you make it past Davie Boulevard, you can jump on University Boulevard. You might breath a sigh of relief as there’s a bike lane there. You’re only going to get a couple hundred feet though, as the path is blocked by a couple fences!

If the fences aren’t bad enough, when you hit Markham Park along 595 you’re going to run into some construction. Good luck getting through that mess!

If you’re lucky enough to make it passed there, you’re not off the hook. Every time you get to a north-south road that shoots off of 84, you’re not going to be able to cross. That’s right. They’re completely blocked by guard rails. You’re going to see signs that will tell you to “USE PED SIGNAL.”

Sounds easy, huh? Think again! At almost every pedestrian crossing in the area, you’ll find a mess of construction. These crossings have no buttons. They’re only equipped with a sign showing you where to cross, if you’re lucky enough to find a break in traffic.

If you make it this far, you’re coming up to Markham Park. When you get here, there’s a gavel path you can take. You don’t have to worry about traffic anymore, but you’ve got alligators to deal with, which you might be relieved to see after dealing with all of the problems while heading through the city.

This is a trip that many bicyclists take every day. The problems that they face are not much different than the obstacles that are faced all around the city. It makes you wonder — where are your tax dollars going? more If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Richard Ansara at 954 761-3641 or (954) 761-4011 for a free initial consultation to discuss your rights. More Blog Entries: Broward Cycling Safety: New Campaign Working to Protect Riders, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, August 15, 2012 Bicyclist Hit Twice on Same Broward Road, Second Accident Fatal, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, August 9, 2012