Miami-Dade County Crash Count Summary
Comparison of the prevalence of bike, vehicle and pedestrian crashes in low-income and high-income neighborhoods
When living in a bustling and traffic-heavy city like Miami, most people prefer to travel by bicycle or walking rather than driving. However, due to the city’s unsafe and inaccessible road infrastructure, bicyclists and pedestrians are extremely vulnerable to injuries from car accidents. According to Transit Alliance Miami, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in Miami-Dade County are almost double the national average when adjusted for population. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) documented 550 bicycle accidents in the county, causing nearly 260 deaths and 660 injured bicyclists.
The Miami-Dade Bicycle & Pedestrian Data Collection of 2018 counted a total of 106,981 pedestrians, and a total of 22,335 bicyclists for the periods counted.
The built environment includes road design, land-use types, surrounding establishments, and infrastructure and it can be a determining factor for which areas turn into hotspots or cold spots. Lower-income areas experience an increased incidence of traffic crashes, injuries, and deaths than higher-income areas. The maps below show the number of crashes - bike, pedestrian, and vehicle - that have occurred in Miami-Dade county from 2015-2019.
The image on the left shows the prevalence of crashes in areas with higher household incomes (darker blue colors). The image on the right shows the prevalence of crashes in areas with lower household incomes (lighter colors). The size of the dots represents higher numbers of crashes that have occurred in a certain area.
Little Havana is a working, blue-collar neighborhood home to many Cuban immigrants. However, its street life, restaurants, music, and other cultural activities attract a lot of people to the area, especially tourists. After analyzing Miami-Dade's Crash Count Summary data from 2015-2019, it was apparent that SW 8th Street in Little Havana was a hotspot for pedestrian and vehicle crashes. All of these crashes were in lower household income areas, a few of them caused by drivers under the influence.
Little Havana is a densely populated area with a high number of older residents who have experienced a lot of pedestrian crashes and fatalities due to lower access to cars. The community is calling for clear demarcations on sidewalks, improved signs on one-way roads, removal of tripping hazards, and defined bicycle paths.
The intersection at SW 67th Avenue has had a mixture of pedestrian and bicycle crashes. The second image clearly demonstrates the lack of sidewalks and bike lanes on the main road. The sidewalks already in place are too narrow and inaccessible.
Miami-Dade County Crash Count Summary (2015-2019) by 2021 Mean Household Income
Acknowledgement
GEG 310: Dr. Larissa Montas Bravo
