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Two cyclists, a male and female, died in a collision Sunday on the Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami police said. Officials had few details about how the collision took place. 

A pair of mangled bicycles could be seen on the inbound approach to the William Powell bridge. The Causeway was shut down for hours as police documented the scene. Miami Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Ignatius Carroll said the man and woman were pronounced dead on the scene. 

A video circulating on social media, whose authenticity could not be verified, depicted the victims strewn in the roadway. 

Miami police Sgt. Kenia Fallat said the investigation was continuing into Sunday night, and could not provide the identities of the victims. Officials hoped to resume normal traffic by 11 p.m..

UPDATE Mon May 16 11 AM: Officials said the driver of the vehicle was given “several” citations but police did not provide further information.

Key Biscayne resident Miranda Stasulli was one of hundreds delayed in traffic, which slowly improved as police established a detour. She said she saw a Jeep SUV near where one of the bicycles lay.

“It’s so, so sad,” she said.  

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Sunday’s twin fatalities renewed calls for action to make the cycling environment safer.
“We must separate cyclists from the cars,” said Luis de la Cruz, a former Village council member. “How many people need to suffer before it happens? It’s not rocket science.” 

Plans to renovate the Causeway with safer lanes for cyclists are on hold after the Miami-Dade County Commission scrapped a proposal from the Plan Z Consortium. 

The privatization proposal drew fierce criticism from many on the island for what critics said were inadequate plans to address traffic. A smaller proposal to replace the Bear Cut Bridge is moving forward while the County works on a new Rickenbacker plan. 

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Editor-in-Chief

Tony Winton is the editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He worked previously at The Associated Press for three decades winning multiple Edward R. Murrow awards. He was president of the News Media Guild, a journalism union, for 10 years. Born in Chicago, he is a graduate of Columbia University. His interests are photography and technology, sailing, cooking, and science fiction.

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Tony Winton is the editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He worked previously at The Associated Press for three decades winning multiple Edward R. Murrow...