Ride For Safety : In Honor of Aaron Cohen

Saturday, February 18th
8:30am

Cyclists are asked to meet at 8:30am at the Bayfront Park Fountain on Biscayne Blvd & Flagler Street in downtown Miami, pedals up 8:45am. We will be riding as a group in honor of fellow cyclist Aaron Cohen who was struck and killed by a hit & run driver this week. The group will ride towards Key Biscayne via Brickell Avenue and up the William Powell Bridge were Aaron and his friend Enda Walsh were hit. Between 9:00am-10:00am the police will have the south side of the Rickenbacker Causeway closed to motor vehicles. Aaron Cohen, 37, was an avid cyclist, married and father of two. It's very unfortunate that we have to come together under such tragic circumstances to honor his life.

Event info on Facebook, please spread the word to the cycling and running community.

Please read: We were just informed that the 12th Annual Walk for the Animals is also taking place at Bayfront Park on Saturday morning. Registration for the event starts at 8:30am but the actual walk doesn't begin until 10:00am. Remember, pedals up at 8:45am, we do not wish to interfere with the dog walk. On the morning of the ride if we feel that we are in the way, we will move about half a block south and congregate on the corner of Biscayne Blvd & Chopin Plaza. If you feel uncomfortable with this feel free to meet the group at the top of William Powell Bridge at 9:00am.

2 Cyclists Struck In Hit & Run on the Rickenbacker

[Update 2/16]

In honor of Aaron, various cycling groups are planning a large ride on the Rickenbacker this Saturday morning (2/18).

Aaron Cohen was taken off life support and has passed away. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Michele Traverso, 25, the driver involved in the hit & run is in police custody. The similarities between him and Carlos Bertonatti are strikingly eerie. Both men are in their mid 20s, live at 600 Grapetree Dr in Key Biscayne, have suspended licenses, and both struck a cyclist(s) on the Rickenbacker then left the scene of an accident.

-------

Early this morning CBS4 reported a hit & run on the Rickenbaker Causeway which left 2 cyclists seriously injured, leaving at least one of them in critical condition. The cyclists were riding eastbound on the causeway when a motorist struck them from behind and fled the scene. Police are searching for the driver of a 2009 – 2011 silver Honda Civic. The vehicle will have right side damage and missing a right side mirror.

Hoping for the best and a speedy recovery to Aaron Cohen and Enda Walsh.

[News Updates]

Hit-and-run driver who injured cyclists arrested via WSVN 7.

Driver Charged In Rickenbacker Cyclist Crash via CBS Miami.

Police are questioning a person of interest in the case via NBC Miami.

Local 10 News reported a video story and interviewed Enda Walsh which was just released from the hospital, they also spoke with Aaron Cohen's wife, unfortunately Cohen remains in critical condition.

Stolen Bike Alert

Origin-8 Uno fixed gear bike stolen on Monday, February 13th in South Miami. Bike was locked to stair railing behind Starbucks on Sunset Dr & 58th Ave. Contact Billy at (305) 215-3314 if you have any information.

Support Bike Lanes on CR-905

Support bike lanes on County Road 905 from Ocean Reef to MM 106 in Key Largo, 11 miles of bike lanes in both directions, 22 miles total. The Key Largo Chamber of Commerce along with the Ocean Reef Community Association are pushing for the bike lanes which will also benefit cyclists who take Card Sound Road in and out of the Florida Keys.

Wednesday, February 15th
9am

Murray E. Nelson Government & Cultural Center, MM 102.5
102050 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, FL 33037

Discussion And Direction On Proceeding With Funding, Design And Construction Of Bike Lanes On CR 905 From MM 106 In Key Largo To Ocean Reef.
Time approximate of 10:00 A.M.
Documents: H1.PDF

Please email Ocean Reef Community Association President David Ritz with your support for the bike lanes. Mr. Ritz will be attending the meeting and can use supportive letters and emails to better argue the case for bicycle facilities.

You are also encouraged to contact Monroe County District #5 Commissioner Sylvia Murphy with your support of the bike lanes.

Jack The Bike Man | Video

Excellent and inspirational short film about Jack The Bike Man in West Palm Beach. The video is part of Road Holland's "Good People In Cycling" series. Road Holland is a cycling wear company based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

MAM Contemporaries Art Crawl | Photos & Video

[Updated 2/15]
Excellent footage courtesy of Night Vision Video from the Wynwood Art Crawl.




An estimated 60-70 art enthusiasts participated in the MAM Contemporaries Art Crawl: Graffiti by Bike event earlier this afternoon. The crawl was very similar to previous graffiti bike tours of Wynwood by the Street.Art.Cycles group, the main difference between the two is that MAM provides these tours exclusively for their dynamic support organization, MAM Contemporaries. Also, Deco Bike, Miami Beach's bike sharing & rental program provided a small fleet of bicycles for the participants.

The ride began with a tour of Wynwood Walls and lasted approximately 2 hours, local graffiti artist Atomik was the guide and provided insight on the murals and pieces, photojournalist Martha Cooper who is most notable for documenting the New York graffiti scene of the 1970s and '80s also joined us on the crawl. Others spotted in the area were Futura, Hec One Love, and Louis Aguirre (see photo) of Deco Drive. It was great to see many folks on bicycles enjoying the ride even though it was evident that some had not ridden in years. Hopefully events like these encourage them to get on a bike more often and reap the benefits of cycling.

The Kid With A Bike

Saturday, March 3rd (5pm) and Monday, March 5th (7:30pm)

Tower Theater
508 SW 8th Street
Miami, FL 33135

The Kid with a Bike (Le Gamin au vélo) is a 2011 drama film written and directed by the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. It will be showing during the 2012 Miami International Film Festival.