Some Miami drivers are raising safety concerns about the intersection of Bird Road and US 1.
Drivers are calling the intersection, already one of the busiest corridors in the country, increasingly dangerous due to confusing lane usage and reckless driving behavior.
Residents report years of dangerous driving
“This situation has existed for years, it’s just only now getting worse and becoming even more frustrating,” said JC Lopez, who drives through the intersection multiple times a week on his commute.
Lopez said eastbound drivers coming from Coral Gables into Coconut Grove frequently misuse the center lane. According to Lopez, although the center and left lanes are designated for left turns only, some drivers use the center lane to merge right through the intersection, cutting off others.
“They’ll use that center lane to merge into the right lane as if it were a normal thing, as if it were allowed,” Lopez said. “And it’s very dangerous because they’re merging into a lane that can actually turn left, so at any time they have the right to turn left, but there’s somebody trying to merge right.”
CBS News Miami visited the intersection several times and witnessed the same behavior.
Pedestrians also concerned about speed, distraction
Paul Bauch, who walks through the intersection almost daily, said he feels unsafe due to speeding and distracted drivers.
“People not realizing they need to move and get over at the last minute, no one is paying attention, everyone is on their phone,” Bauch said. “All those cars are flying by at like 80 miles an hour like two feet away from you—it’s kind of scary, frankly.”
Following a complaint from Lopez, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said its motorcycle unit conducted a traffic enforcement detail at the end of May and issued several citations and warnings, though it did not disclose how many.
FDOT proposes changes to improve safety
Despite existing signage and road markings, Lopez believes more needs to be done.
“I think this could be rectified really with some simple changes and some more signage,” he said.
CBS News Miami contacted the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and the Florida Highway Patrol to determine who is responsible for improvements.
All agencies directed inquiries to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which shared that a recent traffic study recommended enhancements.
“A recent traffic study was recently conducted in the area. Based on the findings, the study recommends enhancements to pavement markings and overhead signage,” FDOT said. “The final lane configuration will maintain the existing two eastbound left-turn lanes. The current outside lane, however, will be reconfigured to accommodate both right-turn and through movements.”
FDOT did not provide a specific start date but said the changes are expected to improve safety and traffic flow.
