Committee backs plan to expand bike parking, push heat‑maps into mapping apps and refine event storage rules

City transportation staff told the committee that Miami Beach has installed more than 1,000 bicycle racks since the 2016 master plan and that the administration is updating that plan to integrate modern trip‑origin/destination data and parking wayfinding.

"We currently have over 1,000" racks, Transportation and Mobility Director Jose Gonzalez said, and the updated master plan will look at bicycle parking as a mode integrated with other city services. Staff recommended a mix of short‑term corrals, vertical parking in garages and better map integration so residents and visitors can find places to lock and store bicycles and e‑bikes.

Commissioners discussed using cell‑data heat maps to identify high‑demand corridors and repurposing striped dead zones (areas lost to parking after street redesigns) for low‑profile bicycle storage. One commissioner suggested placing corrals in first‑floor municipal garages to offer secure, weather‑protected long‑term parking.

The committee supported four recommendations to send to the full Commission: repurpose suitable striped areas for bike parking; develop a bicycle‑parking master plan with predictable rack spacing; obtain heat maps from Google/Apple and other sources to target infrastructure; and integrate bike‑parking locations into common mapping apps and event organizer guidance.

On event storage, tourism staff said a June–December pilot for large events (threshold 5,000 attendees) had low and uneven utilization and that events were concerned about liability and fees; staff recommended a combination of permanent structures, clearer event guidance and fee waivers where appropriate.

The committee approved sending the bicycle‑parking recommendations to the Commission for action and directed staff to coordinate with Tourism on event storage policy and promotion.