Cut-through traffic has gotten so bad in one formerly tranquil pocket of Coral Gables that a pickup truck barreling through the neighborhood lost control and rammed into a house, coming to a stop with its nose nudging into the living room. A black skid mark is still visible on the yellow pillar by the front door.
It has come to this in gridlocked Miami: Drivers desperately seeking shortcuts to avoid traffic jams are frightening and angering people who just want to jog, bike, chat or walk their dogs on their own neighborhood streets.
"It’s out of control. At morning rush hour, it’s a spectacle," said Frank Eaton, whose Italian Village neighborhood in Coral Gables is a favorite route for commuters trying to circumvent traffic on Bird Road, Granada Boulevard and Riviera Drive. "We call them runners because they run through stop signs, dodge left through roundabouts and use our streets as a speedway.
"Most of the time they’re on their phones, completely inconsiderate of pedestrians. That’s Miami."
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