Plan Z for Miami

Architect and cycling enthusiast Bernard Zyscovich has a plan to turn Miami’s Rickenbacker Causeway into a “scenic road through a park.” The idea originated after the cycling death of Aaron Cohen along this same stretch of roadway. The proposed plan, known in social media circles as #PlanZforMiami, complies with the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan, and it was approved by the Miami- Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. By downgrading the functional classification of Rickenbacker Causeway to enable an alternate roadway design standard, i.e. Principal Arterial to Minor Arterial, a new design strategy for the causeway could be implemented, formally converting Rickenbacker Causeway into Rickenbacker Park. In the first iteration of the plan, one of three vehicular lanes would be removed, providing two vehicular lanes in each direction from the mainland to the entrance to the Village of Key Biscayne. The newly liberated space would be used to expand bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Landscaped medians planted with shade trees and native species would separate vehicle lanes from bike and pedestrian paths.

Plan Z 2.0 involves the addition of a signature gateway at the causeway entrance to Key Biscayne. New lanes would be constructed solely for bikes, and a striking entranceway linking up with the planned Underline Park would be built. The dedicated biking and jogging lanes would continue into Key Biscayne. An observation deck is called for at the William Powell Bridge. In the interim, a pilot program to increase cyclist and pedestrian safety is proposed to provide: Physical Barriers: where there are three lanes, the right lane would be acquired as bike lanes separated with traffic delineators; Paint: where unprotected, the entirety of the existing bike path would be painted green with reflectors added to the lanes; and Crossing Striping / Signage: when vehicles approach a turn lane or cross a bike lane, there will be visible signage and white or green striping clearly defining the crossing area.