Be Part of the Solution – Be a Conference Presenter
FBA needs your expertise for our upcoming ProBike/ProWalk Florida Conference, “The Dollars and Sense of Bicycling and Walking”, being held in Lakeland, May 11-13, 2010.
At our inaugural Bike Summit at Florida’s state capitol last April it became very clear that for significant headway to be made at this level – or any level, for that matter – it’s necessary to put dollar values on the benefits of creating communities that are bike/ped-friendly. Likewise, costs associated with not having that kind of environment are just as important.
Beyond money spent on bike-related tourism and accompanying tax revenue collected by the state, cycling and walking impacts many aspect of our economy. Some examples include individual and government savings or costs related to health, environmental impacts, and the one with arguably the biggest impact – transportation.
To assist FBA begin what we know will be the complex process of collecting and analyzing credible data, we’ve decided to make bike/ped economics the theme of ProBike/ProWalk Florida 2010.
If you have something to offer in terms of a conference session topic, please submit a paper summarizing what you’d like to present by December 1, 2009.
We’d also like to get sessions that are appropriate for professional development credits certified for planners, landscape architects, transportation engineers, and other professionals, so please keep that in mind when developing your topic.
FBA is looking forward to the information that comes from the conference – and follow-up research – being substantial enough to use to begin making the case that routinely accommodating pedestrians and cyclists makes total economic sense.
Please direct your questions and submit session summaries to Dan Moser, FBA Program Manager, at dan@floridabicycle.org.
Just a quick reminder about the What You Need to Know About Bicycle Lane Risks workshop at the Hampton Inn Fort Lauderdale West / Tamarac. (map and directions are included with attached flyer) on Dec. 3.
We were asked to develop this program due to our unique experience dealing with risk and safety issues with groups such as the American Public Works Association, American Trails, and the Public Risk Management Association. We have also provided assistance to the Government of Canada in the development of the Safe Routes to School/ Walking School Bus program (now used across North America) and have also been fortunate enough to provide advise on roads and trail concerns for individual municipalities from Halifax to Honolulu.
Our experience also includes providing risk management advice to a US municipal insurance pool after they paid $49,890,000 to settle a bicycle lane lawsuit .
Some of the information provided at the workshop will include:
Frequent problems concerns and mistakes
Bicycle Lane policies and procedures
Accident statistics
Liability losses from bicycle lanes
Signs and markings
Managing the risks
A few sample comments from recent sessions:
“Thank you so much. We knew there was more to doing this then painting some lines…..you’ve provided information we needed to know and outlined steps to follow”
” In half a day we saved weeks of meetings…this was great!”
If you’d like an information flyer regarding (including registration form) for the upcoming session just let me know. Since space is limited, we’d suggest those who wish to attend, fax their registrations to 519-537-8553 as soon as possible. Spots can also be reserved by e-mailing dwyseman@rogers.com
Hi!
My name is Gina Ortiz and I’m currently a student at Valencia Community College. I’m currently working on a speech about the development, advantages, and risks of commuter cycling and what we can all do to make the roads a little safer for everyone involved. I’d love to come and share it with you! Keep me posted!
Thanks!,
Gina