There’s still time to register for the Florida Bike Summit to be held next Thursday, April 2, from 10:00-11:30 in Tallahassee at the Capitol Courtyard. Keep your fingers crossed for Governor Charlie Crist’s address to more than 250 enthusiast cyclists, many of which will be participating in the 16th Annual Bike Florida “Capitol Tour” taking place March 29 through April 4.
FBA would like to thank those of you who have already registered. We’re counting on you to meet with your elected officials in order to help move forward FBA’s legislative vision, a vision we believe will benefit all Floridians, part-time residents, and our state’s visitors.
You’ll find key points to discuss, a brief history of bicycling advocacy in Florida, and a meeting request sample/template letter to schedule a meeting with your legislators on the Summit information page. You can also schedule a meeting by phone. If you don’t know your district or legislators, go HERE. Along with the website resources, the following tips are useful:
Arrive no later than 10:00 am. Visit the registration table for meeting packets, name tag, bicycle pins (for you and your legislators), and other goodies.
Please dress in business attire if you plan to meet with legislators.
If you are using your bike as transportation to the Capitol something a bit less formal may be necessary, but please don’t wear cleats or form-fitting bike clothing (or shorts). We’ve been told by many in the know that a professional appearance is imperative when meeting with elected officials and their staff. If you don’t plan on meeting with legislators, bike attire is fine.
Secure bike parking as part of the courtyard event is available only until 11:30am. The bike corral will be dismantled at noon. For those on bikes you may want to schedule meetings for 11:00 or 11:15 (meetings should last only 15 minutes). If your meeting is after that time, bring a lock to secure your bike after the bike corral is closed. There are other areas in the courtyard to secure your bike with a lock. For all others the late morning and entire afternoon should be considered for meetings. For those attending from the same area represented by the same legislator(s) you can make one appointment and go together. We also suggest attempting to schedule meetings with key committee members, even if they aren’t your representative or senator. Background information to help identify those officials will be forwarded to registered participants.
In all cases it’s a good idea to do some homework on the legislators you’ll be visting.
MyFlorida.com is the place to start or
HERE. And if you’re not able to schedule a meeting, it is acceptable to drop by the office and leave a packet of information for the legislator or his/her staff. Feedback forms will be provided to document your meetings. Please return a copy to FBA so we can tally the visits and provide appropriate follow up.
If you’re in town by early evening on Wednesday we invite you to come to Camp Indian Springs at Wakulla Springs to take part in a short “how to” training session at 7pm. On Thursday evening you’re invited to Wakulla Springs Lodge to celebrate our inaugural Florida Bicycle Summit and be recognized as the pioneers of what we anticipate to be an annual undertaking. Go
HERE for Bike Florida options if you’d like to join the ride. Meal options are no longer available, but it is not too late to register online. Onsite registration is also available.
For questions and suggestions please feel free to contact Dan Moser. Dan and Laura have already left town for Bike Florida which begins tomorrow in Madison, but we can be reached by phone.
Go HERE for more details and to register. No fee required, but we want to know who will attend and the district you represent.
Let’s show Florida’s legislators how serious we are about bicycling in Florida.
Summit Contact:
Dan Moser, FBA Program Manager; dan@floridabicycle.org; (239) 334-6417
Laura Hallam, FBA Executive Director; laura@floridabicycle.org; (407) 399-9961
