MIAMI MIRROR–TRUE REFLECTIONSPage 1 of10SOUTH BEACH TRAFFIC Beware! Dangerous!Seventh and Euclid I heard a metallic crash behind me and a muffled thud as I conversed with a woman on the sidewalk near the corner of Euclid Avenue and 7 th Street. “Ay!” she exclaimed, “the truck hit him!”I turned around and saw the nose of a big red pickup truck in the crosswalk. A man and a bike were down in the street in front of the pickup. He was writhing in pain, and then went limp. Someone was already calling 911. A female passenger got out of the vehicle and hurried away. “Where’s she going?” I asked. “She’s illegal,” the woman replied.
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8/3/2019 South Beach Traffic Cuidado Muy Peligroso
I heard a metallic crash behind me and a muffled thud as I conversed with a woman on the
sidewalk near the corner of Euclid Avenue and 7th
Street.
“Ay!” she exclaimed, “the truck hit him!”
I turned around and saw the nose of a big red pickup truck in the crosswalk. A man and a bike
were down in the street in front of the pickup. He was writhing in pain, and then went limp.Someone was already calling 911. A female passenger got out of the vehicle and hurried away.
“Where’s she going?” I asked.
“She’s illegal,” the woman replied.
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“Or there’s a warrant out on her. He’s illegal, I’ll bet,” said I, noting that the man sprawled
supine on the pavement appeared to be Hispanic and dirt poor. Being undocumented is no big
thing: probably over half the people in the neighborhood are here illegally; they are needed to
work for low wages in the expensive hotels and restaurants on the beach.
The cops and an ambulance showed up in four minutes. The hapless man was taken away. Welistened to the driver tell a cop that he did not run into the man, that the bicyclist hit his truck and
bounced off it after he had stopped his vehicle at the corner.
“He’s lying,” I said to the woman. “He hit the guy in the crosswalk; that much is obvious.”
“Si,” said the woman who saw the bicyclist hit at 7th and Euclid, “he lies.”
“Tell the cop for his report.”
“No, no, I cannot do that.”
“Yes, please tell him what you saw. Wait, I’ll tell him you saw what happened.”
She wheeled around and hurried away. So she was probably illegal too, or was wanted by the
police.
As a matter of fact, local drivers seldom stop before they get into the crosswalks around South
Beach; they often do not come to a complete stop at a stop sign but roll through, sometimes
giving people in the intersection the wrong impression that they are slowing down to stop. Not
only bicyclists — many of whom do not observe the traffic laws themselves — but pedestrians as
well risk their lives travelling around South Beach, which used to be pedestrian-friendly.
Pedestrians are often careless themselves, walking in front of cars, against the lights, or they
jaywalk — do not tell anyone, but jaywalking in the middle of a residential block on a street withtwo lanes can be safer than crossing at the corner if one is careful. Cars turn right and left right
and come right at pedestrians, missing people in crosswalks by inches, and may even swerve into
the oncoming traffic lane to avoid hitting them when going straight ahead.
Drivers get into plenty of crashes among themselves. Drivers familiar with South Beach avoid
the intersecting side streets and avenues, which are broad, some having a series of all-way stops;
others have two-way stops that provide some throughway wherein the right-a-way and breadth of
the streets encourages drivers to speed up and believe they have a legal right to be incautious.
Many local drivers prefer to stay on Alton Road, the main artery for north-south traffic, which
has all-way traffic lights set relatively far apart, in —traffic cops refer to it as a “raceway.” Alton
Road, however, is exceedingly dangerous to pedestrians. Scant media attention is given to trafficcrashes on South Beach hence reports are usually anecdotal and word-of-mouth. There was a
customary hit-and-run accident several weeks ago in front of Whole Foods, severely injuring a
woman who works at the second-hand store. Rumor has it that she is suing the first hospital she
was taken to, for allegedly refusing to admit her due to lack of insurance. Another person was
recently rundown a few blocks away. Bus stops on Alton Road or anywhere else on the beach for
that matter provide no refuge to pedestrians from the onslaught, but rather expose them to
incautious drivers who might plow into them unexpectedly.
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A driver on Alton Road ran a red light and almost struck me yesterday in that crazy crosswalk in
front of CVS Pharmacy, where pedestrians have to wait so long for the green light that they tend
to risk their lives crossing against it. She had her cell phone to her face and was not paying
attention to the stop light or the other cars stopped for it. She honked repeatedly and grimaced at
me. So I decided to return on the side streets, and I was nearly struck by car on Michigan Avenue
alongside Flamingo Park. I was well within my rights but was lost in thought, thinking that thenumber of black gum stains per square yard on sidewalks might be a good indicator of
neighborhood quality, so I did not see the care coming. This driver also blasted her horn
furiously at me, much to the amazement of another driver who saw the whole thing happen.
Although Orlando is now the most dangerous city for pedestrians in this free country of ours,
Miami, ranked about number four in pedestrian fatalities, and the city has a reputation for having
the rudest drivers in this great nation, and is proud of it despite the few courteous and cautious
drivers on the road whom we should glorify instead. I have seen many instances of drivers
intentionally aiming their cars at people in such a way that, if a cop were the target, s/he would
be authorized to shoot the driver for attempting homicide; alas that non-officer victims are
actually blamed for being struck. Poor people i.e. people without cars hence walk more, are mostlikely to be struck down. One time I thought South Beach had magically changed because people
were stopping before they got to crosswalks; some even let others leave intersections before they
entered them. Then I noticed many tags from out of state — a crowd, apparently unacquainted
with our local mores, had come down for the Super Bowl. We are really not so special, but I
attribute the negligence of our drivers to the mass narcissism plague. After all, Greater Miami, on
the east end of the Implant Belt, has just been ranked the vainest city in the country by Mandala
Research LLC, a tourism marketing firm.
Sixth and Euclid
BOOM! The crash resounded throughout the same block about a week later. A taxi carrying two
tourists ran a stop sign at the four-way stop at Euclid Avenue and 6 th Street, striking a car at a
relatively high speed. He must have been a new cab driver. Locals should know to slow down
there because people including many city employees stop to get coffee at the popular Las Olas
Café on the corner, sometimes double-parking their cars.
That corner is an especially dangerous for pedestrians because drivers in a hurry to get their
coffee or get to work often ignore them in the crosswalks. A tall UPS truck sometimes parks on
the corner, blocking sight of a stop sign. Irate pedestrians can often be witnessed giving the
finger to or yelling at rude drivers.
An ambulance arrived to treat the tourists. Neighbors gathered to watch the scene, which went on
over an hour, and to discuss how dangerous the back streets are. I related how my friend Liz andI regularly took taxis from the Publix over to her place on Lincoln Road: one of the cab drivers
kept nodding off when he stopped for traffic, so we had to prompt him to come to and continue.
Another driver not only stopped at stop signs but also stopped in the middle of streets to let
people cross over. We wished we could somehow quality drivers before we got into their cabs.
Seventh and Meridian
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Many accidents are waiting to happen in the intersection just a block west, on Jefferson Avenue
and 6th
Street, which sports stop signs for 6th
, and an overhanging, blinking yellow light
cautioning cars on Jefferson. Many elderly folks cross there from the community center on the
corner; Meridian Food Market in the middle of the block on 6th
gets plenty of pedestrian traffic,and there is the busy Walgreen’s down the block . Now I have never taken the test for the Florida
driver’s license, but judging from what I have seen everywhere on South Beach, yellow means
speed up, or look for cars and ignore pedestrians — the law states that the purpose of a steady
yellow light is to give drivers ample time to stop before the signal turns red, while a blinking
yellow light advises “caution,” however that word might be interpreted. Everyone except the
engineers know this intersection should be an all-way stop, by stop signs if not by traffic lights.
Three months back, a man was knocked down on that corner by a traditional hit-and-run driver —
he ran stops signs as he fled west. And I saw a bicyclist call the police the other day after a
delivery truck banged into him there. Further, when Liz and I were in a cab again, the driver
stopped at the sign there, then proceeded; a car nearly broad-sided or “T- boned” us. I would havebeen badly hurt since I was on the passenger side. We were naturally a bit shook up; we both
prefer not to drive in South Beach; we both walk with a great deal of trepidation; she bicycles
ever so cautiously — I fear for her safety.
In fact many residents perceive an apparent upturn in pedestrian hit-and-runs, going back several
years to the guy who actually got out of his car and to ok a man’s body of the hood, heaved it on
the curb like a bag of garbage, got back in his and kept going. The media does make an effort to
report the worst accidents on Miami Beach, yet more attention should be given the subject
including publication of annual traffic statistic reports.
Now all the accidents on the corners of the same block within a short period of time are perhaps
not a representative sample of what goes on all over South Beach. I planned on sending my
photos over to Jorge Gonzalez, the City Manager, and Matti Herrera Bower, the Mayor, but
hesitated to do so since they have not been responsive to my concerns in the past.
Seventh and Meridian Again
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Lo and Behold! Again! Yes, another car rolled at Meridian Avenue and 7th
Street and wound up
on its top a tad from the corner, where it struck two parked cars. Firemen showed up to prevent a
fire. Of course an ambulance was there; amazingly, no-one was seriously hurt. A man who was
apparently in the upturned car was complaining about how he saw several people in front of him
running stop signs before his accident. I had a bystander take photos for me, resolving to at least
write up a story about South Beach traffic, and to see if Captain Mark Causey, who is in charge
of the South District, would shed some light on how the police department analyzes crash
information and allocates resources for traffic law enforcement in South Beach, how it collectsand reports traffic incident data, and what its input into a comprehensive traffic management
plan for Miami Beach might be. I am standing by for his response.
“Sir,” I approached a uniformed man who was standing by a squad car doing nothing, “does the
Police Department have a traffic division?”
He gave me what I can only call a hateful look — I noticed he was not a cop but was with Parking
Enforcement. I repeated my question. “No!” he gruffly responded.
“So all units are responsible for making traffic stops?”
He did not answer, turning his back on me. There was another gentleman in the intersection, inplain clothing, apparently watching over the scene. I approached him and addressed him, but he
did not respond either, except to also turn his back on me. There are many public employees
including top public officials in Miami Beach who do not really work for the public. Fortunately,
there are others, most often than not in the lower ranks, who are more than eager to serve.
I found a friendly police officer, and noted that there had been another car overturned there a few
weeks prior. “They don’t stop at the signs,” he said knowingly, shaking his head.
8/3/2019 South Beach Traffic Cuidado Muy Peligroso
Quite a crowd had gathered around the scene, taking photos, speculating on whether the car had
rolled several times, and so on.
“The cop said people don’t stop at the signs,” I offered by way of understatement.
“Why should they?” one man said. “There are no consequences for breaking the laws until youhave an accident around here. When was the last time that you ever say a cop giving a ticket on
the back streets for running a stop sign? They run the signs themselves.”
“Good point,” I said. “When cars do stop they stop in the crosswalk so you have to walk around
them.”
“That’s because they can’t see far enough either way to see if a speeding car is coming,” a
woman said. “Some signs are not visible. Not all have signs on both sides of the streets either.”
“All they give a damn about is towing. They’re the f---ing mafia here,” a neighbor added.
“I guess towing illegally parked cars is a more cost-effective way of raising money,” I remarked.
“Yeah, right, and think about who gets paid off, and how much the tow drivers steal from the
cars.”
“My dad got a ticket at a stop sign on Jefferson,” volunteered a gentleman. “He did not come to a
complete stop. He’s very careful about that now.”
“I’m sad for your dad but glad for us,” I said. “How long have you lived in this area?”
“All my thirty-six years.”
“Do you know of anyone else getting a ticket for not completely stopping on these back streets?”
“No.”
“Maybe if the cops handed out tickets like candy, people would eventually be a lot safer,”
someone said.
“Never happen—that would cut down on towing charges,” a man joked. “Maybe if Jack
Nicholson gets killed crossing the street, something will be done. I saw him around the other
day.”
“Who’s in charge of traffic management?” I asked
“Who knows? The morons who run the city. Sometimes they change the two-way stops to four-
way stops, and then there are even more accidents as people blow through the new stops.”
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Gonzalez, a task that has naturally fashioned her into a somewhat calloused but caring and
communicative bureaucrat. I sent her a preliminary draft of the above, which included some
critical remarks about the old crony system that runs the city, and offered that she might be able
to prevent injuries and deaths and save the city from liability for negligence in not attending to
reported problems. I also asked to be directed to the city’s comprehensive traffic management
plan; if there is one, I supposed should be online somewhere. As far as I am concerned, the cityshould also have an interactive online map that displays where accidents have occurred, and
summary reports of incidents should be posted regularly.
Ms. Fernandez responded immediately, stating that she had forwarded my observations to the
Public Works Department for their response.
“However, and as I am sure you may be aware, traffic stops, etc., are regulated by Miami-Dade
County, not the City. As such, the City works with the County to identify solutions where there
may be any issues. Through the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association, there have been
discussions about the traffic conditions in the area you describe below. The County is already
conducting warrant analyses for all the intersections in the Flamingo Neighborhood withoutmulti-way stop control. To date, MDCPWWM has completed the studies north of 11th Street and
has issued work orders for the installation of multi-way stop controls at Michigan Avenue and 13
Street, Lenox Avenue and 13 Street, Lenox Avenue and 14 Street. The remainder of the studies
between 6th and 11th are due to be completed by the end of January.”
The State of Florida uses the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic
Control Devices as its guideline for “warrants” (standards). Local agencies that do not consider
the MUTCD warrants may expose themselves to legal liability for neglecting them. Average
traffic volume per hour is one consideration for installing stop signs and signals. My particular
concerns at this time may not meet the volume criteria. Another consideration is the number of
crashes at a location, where the volume of traffic may be lower than the ordinary warrant for
installing a device. We are now waiting for three more serious crashes over the next nine months,
perhaps some involving serious injuries and fatalities, on one corner of my block, in order to
meet the standard of five crashes over a year, providing that the traffic volume criteria is met.
And then there is the special circumstance; that of poor sight distance, which might warrant a
control device to enhance safety.
I am advised by a resident that the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association, which many
residents of my area are not aware of and do not even know they are part of the neighborhood
itself, does in fact meet regularly with traffic officials and goes into “excruciating detail” over
traffic issues. It is worth noting for balance that citizen requests for stop signs and signals are
hardly unusual in the traffic business. Neighborhood residents tend to want a stop sign or light at
every corner, and the indiscriminate placement of stops can actually result in more accidents forvarious reasons. Like medicine, a certain number of disasters are acceptable for the benefit of
users; say, a certain ratio of crashes per million miles travelled. There must be some relative
scientific standard for controlling traffic even though a uniform system also has its disadvantages
wherever rules give drivers a right-a-way right to kill each other in lieu of the “mutual
forbearance” of the old common law, that operators should look out for one another, control their
vehicles, and avoid collision.
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As of this writing, I am standing by for a response from Public Works. I informed Ms. Fernandez
that, due to a recent experience with Public Works, I was concerned about how long it might take
to get actually something done once a decision was made act. I said that I was following up an
allegation that someone had pleaded for a stop sign at one intersection following numerous
accidents to no avail, and that rumors were circulating that a pedestrian was eventually killed
there, which might leave the city liable for some portion of the negligence if that were true.Further, I expressed some doubt as to the efficiency of the neighborhood association because of a
longstanding issue a stone’s throw from its headquarters, and further noted that my brief
experience with the association led me to conclude that it was a quasi-public instrument of the
city manager’s office and subject to the usual old cronyism.
Beware of South Beach traffic. It is dangerous. Do obey the traffic laws but do not depend on
them, for dependence on others to obey the law is one of the chief causes of accidents.
