Tour de Parks bike audit for elected officials and staff on Saturday

Commissioner Mann is the leader of the pack

On Saturday, May 18th  BikeWalkLee hosted another Tour de Parks ride and Bike Audit for City and County officials, advisory board members and staff.   

 We had 16 participants, including four elected officials--Commissioner Frank Mann, and three members of the Fort Myers City Council:  Mayor Randy Henderson, Councilman Tom Leonardo, and Councilman Levon Simms; along with the Assistant City Manager and Community Development Director from Fort Myers; Andy Getch from LeeDOT, a BPAC member, Lee Department of Health staff; other staff and local planning consultants.

Starting from the Calusa Nature Center at the early hour of 8:00 a.m. riders received instructions on Rules of the Road from guide Dan Moser before heading out from the Nature Center down the North Colonial Linear Trail.  Several of the elected officials only had an hour for the ride, so the first group rode about six miles.  As you can see from the photo above, Commissioner Mann, who hadn't been on a bike in 30 years, led the way...at a pace of about 7 mph!  Next time he asked Dan to give him a bike with some gears!  Mayor Henderson sported his "Dunk City! FGCU t-shirt".  This was his second ride with BWL this week, having participated in Wednesday night's Ride of Silence. 

Fort Myers Mayor Henderson (notice Dunk City t-shirt!)

The second half of the ride, with the remaining hardy half, took us down 6 Mile Cypress Parkway, where we stopped at the Six Mile Cypress Slough, then headed towards Lakes Park.  We stopped at the Sun Coast OJ place for a much-needed cold drink, then took the John Yarbrough Linear Park Trail back to the Colonial Blvd. path and on up to our starting point at the Nature Center.

Throughout the ride, stops were made to observe and analyze roadway and intersection conditions, assessing design, engineering, and maintenance with an eye to those features that support safe and enjoyable cycling. Some aspects of the roadways and trail system were very well designed and others hindrances to both safety and convenience.

I put together a photo album on Facebook, which you can view here.  Enjoy!

Dan Moser fits Commissioner Mann with helmet.

 Many thanks to the four elected officials who took time out of their busy weekend to participate...and a special thanks to our tour leader, Dan Moser, and organizer, Ann Pierce.  Stay tuned for an announcement about our next ride for officials and staff.

Report by Darla Letourneau

Here's my favorite photo from the day:

BWL's Ann Pierce is wearing her new BWL jersey BACKWARDS--LOL!

Videos of Ride of Silence event in Fort Myers

Filmaker and Century Trek Blog creator/author Gabe has done another magnificent job in capturing the Ride of Silence in Fort Myers on May 15th.  There were 152 riders on a beautiful night.  Thanks to Mike Resnick of Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, along with CRBC President Steve Rodgers, for organizing a successful and meaningful event.   

Dan Moser also did a video of Wednesday night's ride.
Thanks, Dan!

Broward County Mayor letter to BikeWalkLee about complete streets collaboration between counties

In March, the Broward County Commission approved its Complete Streets Design Manual
that had been in the works for a year. (See: Broward County Commission Unanimously Approves Complete Streets - Urban Health Solutions and Urban Heaurbanhs.com.)  BikeWalkLee sent a congratulations note last month to the Broward team and today got a nice note from the Broward County Mayor that I wanted to share with our network. 

From: Jacobs, Kristin [mailto:KJACOBS@broward.org]
Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2013 11:57 AM
To: 'Darla Letourneau'
Subject: RE: Congratulations on Broward County Complete Streets adoption!

Kristin Jacobs, Mayor

Commissioner – District 2                                                                                                                     

115 S. Andrews Avenue, Room 416 • Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 • 954-357-7002 • FAX 954-523-3302

Hi Darla,

I hope this email finds you doing well. It was great to see you at the ISC workshop in November. I am equally excited that the Complete Streets Design was passed by our Board of County Commissioners, and that we were able to pass Lee County’s model. It has been such a help to have Lee County’s Complete Streets model to use as a guide. We were grateful to have Andy and Tessa come to speak at our County Workshop and since then we have had a great response from our cities.

I noticed on the BikeWalkLee blog that you are doing a great job integrating existing work into future Complete Street models. What a big step forward for future planning. 

It has been a great help to have your support throughout this process. Thank you for getting in touch with me and thank you for your leadership on such an innovative program.  I look forward to keeping in touch.

Sincerely,

Kristin

BikeWalkLee's Column: Ready to ride bicycle? It's a good month to start

BikeWalkLee's News-Press column this week encourages "newbies" to give biking a try and what steps you need to take to get started.

News-Press "Go Coastal" Section, May 16, 2013

It’s Bike Month, so if you haven’t been on your bike in a while, now’s a good time to get reacquainted with the road. That said, take a few steps before you start out. There are three areas you’ll want to address before you jump into the saddle:

Your bike:
It’s always a good idea to give your bike a once-over before you go on any kind of ride, but it’s particularly important if it’s been a while since you and your bike spent some quality time together. Be certain to check the following:
• Tires: Are they sound and properly inflated? (Low tire pressure is the quickest route to a flat.)
• Chain: Is it tight (but not too tight) and lubricated?
• Saddle: Right height and angle? (Your knees and hands will thank you later.)
• Brakes: In good working order? (If you want to be able to go, you also want to be able to stop.)
• Other: Everything else appropriately tight or loose. Nothing hanging down or sticking out that might impede forward motion?

Your route:
• Do you know where you’re going (more or less)? You’ll want to ride within your comfort level, so if riding in traffic makes you nervous do you know how to avoid it? Current bike maps covering the entire county can be downloaded from bikewalklee.org or leempo.com – look for the third edition map.
• Do you know how far you want to ride? If you plan out a route that’s 20 miles long and you ride at 10 mph, you’re looking at a two-hour ride – are you ready for that? Google Maps (among others) will map rides using bike-friendly routes (when possible) and can also give you distances and estimated times.
• Does someone know where you’re going? It’s not essential to file a ride plan with your significant other, but it never hurts. Or you could consider riding with someone else, which can make the effort good for both fitness and friendship.

Yourself:
• Are you dressed appropriately for the bike? Consider good shoes (protects your toes and keeps your feet from getting tired), nothing too loose (that could get caught in the chain or elsewhere) or too tight to lessen chafing and blisters).
• Are you dressed appropriately for the climate? Hot and humid is the norm for the next few months, so dress to stay cool – but if rain might threaten you’ll want to be prepared for that, too.
• Are you dressed appropriately for safety? Bright colors help you to be seen by others (such as motorists), and helmets are recommended (unless you’re a big fan of head injuries) – and required if you’re under age 16.
• Are you ready for the sun? Make sure you protect your skin (sunscreen) and eyes (sunglasses … also good to keep things from flying into your eyes). And never go for a ride without some water to keep you hydrated.
• Finally, are you ready for anything? It never hurts to carry a cellphone (in a plastic sealable bag if you’re worried about moisture or in a protective case if you’re worried about damage) and a few dollars.

It only takes a few minutes to prepare, but it can mean the difference between a ride that’s fun rather than frustrating.

— BikeWalkLee is a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County—streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users. Information, statistics and background at www.BikeWalkLee.org.

Lee County's Visitors Convention Bureau launches new "biking and hiking" webpage

 VCB's new biking and hiking webpage is a first step in efforts to market bike tourism in Lee County.
 The new "biking and hiking" webpage on the Lee County Visitors Convention Bureau (VCB) website is now live! This was an outgrowth of an MPO Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinating Committee (BPCC) meeting with the VCB Director in December.  BikeWalkLee has been working with VCB staff for the past 5 months to launch the page...thanks to BPCC Citizen Member Dru Doyle for being BWL's point person on this and thanks to VCB Director Tamara Pigott and her staff for taking this first step towards marketing Lee County's bikeways like they market the blueways.

Share this page with your network and encourage them to try biking and hiking next time they visit Lee County. 

 

Tice walking audit and FDOT/Lee bike/ped safety campaign kick-off receives good media coverage

Thanks to everyone involved in the Tice walking audit and kick-off of Travel SafeLEE campaign!

Background:

On May 8th and 9th, the Tice Historic Community was the site of an in-field Technical Assistance Grant from the US EPA and administered through the Project for Public Spaces, or PPS.  FGCU's Southwest Florida Center for Public and Social Policy partnered with BikeWalkLee, Lee County Office of Sustainability and the Tice Historic Community to apply for this grant, and the community was awarded one of only nine grants given nationally in 2013. 

BikeWalkLee also partnered with FDOT District 1 to integrate the launch of their statewide bike/ped safety campaign in Lee County, called "Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow", with a press conference during the Tice walking audit project.  BikeWalkLee was part of the team that organized the events and did media outreach.  It was great to have BikeWalkLee local representatives and partners in other Lee County municipalities and communities to participate in the walking audits to "learn by doing" and take it back to their own communities.

The story was covered by NBC-2 News, Fox News, WINK, News-Press, Florida Weekly, Univision TV, and WGCU radio.  A special thanks to FDOT District 1 Secretary, Billy Hattaway, who participated in the full 2-day event, leading walking audits, and being a featured speaker at the press conference.  It was great to have Commissioner Mann and Fort Myers Councilwoman Brown's participation and support.  Everyone involved gives a big THANK YOU to Tice Elementary School officials, teachers, parents, and students for their incredible participation and welcoming us to their school and their community.

Below are some photos and links to media coverage.  This is the beginning of a bike/ped safety campaign, not a one-day event, so we'll be working with media over the summer to keep a spotlight on how to improve bike/ped safety in our community.

Links to photos from Tice walking audit (photos by Darla Letourneau):

May 8th

May 9th 
Report by Darla Letourneau 

WGCU/NPR storyhttp://news.wgcu.org/post/community-takes-part-tice-walking-audit

News-Press, May 10, 2013:  Lee County aims to make streets more walkable

Written by

Chris Umpierre

Video link  

Walking with a group of Tice Elementary students near school, Lee County engineers and sustainability officials couldn’t help but notice the lack of sidewalks.

“This is a pretty narrow road so what do you do if two cars pass through here?” Lee’s Sustainability Manager Tessa LeSage asked the children.

Fifth-grader Maria Longoria slumped her shoulders.

“Well,” Maria said, “you have to go into this ditch.”

 

At a school where most of the student body walks to class, Tice students are used to dodging cars traveling faster than the 35 mph posted speed limit. On Thursday, state transportation and county officials took walking tours of the streets around the 86-year-old Fort Myers school and listened to suggestions from students and residents on making the streets more walkable.

Lee, which had 58 pedestrians and 17 bicyclists killed from 2007-10 and ranks in the top 10 in the state for most pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities, recently won a $15,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to study the walkability of its streets. Lee brought in three out-of-state community-building experts to engage the community this week.

“We can’t just build sidewalks on every road. That’s too expensive,” LeSage said. “We have to prioritize. That’s why it’s so valuable to talk to the people who are walking these streets everyday and get their opinions on which streets need improvements.”

Collier County, in comparison, had 22 pedestrian and nine bicyclists killed from 2007-10. The Tice community is one key area in Lee that needs to be improved. Billy Hattaway, the state transportation district secretary for this area, said Palm Beach Boulevard has been the site for many pedestrian/bicycle fatalities through the years.

“We’ve had challenges with the intersection of Palm Beach and Tice Street and as a state agency we’re going to look to see how we can improve pedestrian access at that intersection,” Hattaway said.

Tice teacher Marshall Long believes the community not only needs more sidewalks, but more street lights and crossing guards. The school has just two crossing guards, one stationed at Palm Beach Boulevard and Tice Street and the other in front of the school.

Long said about 75 children and 40 parents walk to school each morning.

“We’ve been so fortunate not to have a student killed,” Long said.

Lee County’s EPA grant allowed it to hire the non-profit Local Government Commission in Sacramento, Calif. and the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute in Port Townsend, Wash. The group will report its Lee County findings and potential solutions in four to six weeks.

Kelly Morphy, the executive director at Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, believes one solution could involve using existing paved asphalt and painting a section for pedestrians. She said that solution should only be used on low-speed streets with little traffic.

“By narrowing the roadway, cars will slow down,” Morphy said. “It’s not a bad thing to create confusion for a driver. It forces them to concentrate.”

Lee County’s code would have to be changed to allow the painted sections, she said. Fifth-grader Tiffany Salinas said changes need to be made for the safety of Tice’s 479 students. Hattaway said part of the solution involves educating pedestrians and drivers.

“I compare this to seat belts,” Hattaway said. “Only 50 percent of people used seat belts in the early ’80s. Now, it’s up to 90 percent. So we can change behavior. You can’t change it in one day.”

Fox-4 Video and story:

 "Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow" campaign starts in Lee County - WFTX-TV Fort Myers/Naples, FL

 

video

FORT MYERS, Fla.- A new study points to Lee County as being one of the worst in the state when it comes to pedestrian safety. 

Alex Lopez, a student at Tice Elementary, is showing a group the path he takes to school every day.

"The dangerous part is the road we have to cross," said Lopez. 

Lopez and nearly half the students who go to his school walk to get there. This has caught the attention of Florida Department of Transportation officials like Billy Hattaway, district secretary for the FL DOT. 

"There's a school bus stop over here for middle school and we don't even have a sidewalk for them, said Hattaway. 

The group is going on what's called a "walking audit" to get a better idea of what kids go through every day getting to school. 

"Alot of what we need are sidewalks. You saw on the walk, we had ditches on both sides of the road and no sidewalks," said Hattaway. 

The state launched on Thursday its "Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow" safety campaign. It's designed to create awareness for pedestrians statewide. State officials in Lee County County neighborhood because of its high foot traffic. 

"We see alot of this in the area... people walking in the street having to bike in odd ways use unpredictable behavior," said Kelly Morphy, Executive Director of Walkable and Livable Communities Institute. 

So what can be done to make this commute safer for students? 

"We're looking at intersections behind me at Tice and Palm Beach Blvd. Palm Beach is a state road and no sidewalk between the state road and school, going to see if we can work with city and county to get a sidewalk ," said Hattaway.