What Richard Schwinn says about how bikes can cut cost of government
“If you are a Republican, you would want to support cycling, because
if you want to see the cost of living go down, then you get people out
of cars and into cycling.”
“If you expect America to succeed, to increase wealth, we have to get
the cost of living down, so that we don’t have to have such high wages
in order for people to live a good life… Cycling is a key part of it.
You want to reduce the cost of education? Get kids back riding bikes
back to school. Because the number two budget item in the school
budget is busing. Everyone is being bused, not for racial integration,
but because the roads are too dangerous to walk or to cycle. If you
fix the problem of the roads and safety for cyclists, you’ve now cut
down the budget for schools. By the way, you’ve also cut down the
budget for roads.”
“If you really want to reduce the things that are driving up the cost
of government, it’s really going to happen by improving the
infrastructure for cycling, and for pedestrian activities, and mass
transit, and things like that.”
Richard Schwinn is a co-founder of Waterford Precision Cycles and the
grandson (I think, maybe a nephew) of the founder of Schwinn Bicycles.
The quotes are taken from a podcast – http://www.wjcu.org/2010/12/18/the-outspoken-cyclist-12182010
Bill Edmonds
btedmond@fsu.edu
All the best for a happy, healthy 2011. Be safe.
Janette Sadik-Khan: Urban Reengineer
Check out this new city of the future HERE.
Robert Seidler, Sopchoppy, FL
FBA Winter Board Meeting in Oldsmar
| January 28, 2011 | ||
| 6:00 pm | to | 8:00 pm |
| January 29, 2011 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 3:30 pm |
Join us January 28-29, 2011 for the FBA Winter Board meeting in Oldsmar. The fun begins Friday, evening from 6:00-8:00 pm for a Meet & Greet at Peggy O’Neill’s Irish Pub in Tampa (SE corner of Hillsborough Avenue and Race Track Road) followed by the meeting on Saturday from 10:00 am-3:30 pm. Advisory Director Becky Afonso will host the meeting at her home located at 250 Strathmore Ave, Oldsmar, FL 34677. A post meeting casual bike ride is planned for 4:00 pm originating from Bicentennial Park. Hybrid or mountain bikes are recommended.
I hope you can join us. Please RSVP if you plan to attend by contacting Laura Hallam at laura@floridabicycle.org.
LCI Training coming to South Florida in January
Register today for the South Florida League Cycling Instructor (LCI) Training January 14-16, 2011 in Miami. We need ten people to register by 12/20/10 in order to bring this opportunity to you. We have homestays available and there are wonderful, affordable accommodations close by, as well.
Full details are available here.
I look forward to spending the weekend with you January 14-16!
Kathryn R. Moore
Executive Director
The South Florida Bike Coalition
Improving and Increasing Bicycling from Miami-Dade to Port St. Lucie
(305) 982-7343
More than 51,000 Object to AAA Money Grab
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) hand-delivered 51,377 signatures (including 3,000+ Floridians) to AAA Headquarters Monday demanding AAA rescind its position to kick trail, walking and bicycling programs out of the federal transportation trust fund. Sixty-five percent of the signers are AAA members.
Thirty-five RTC supporter-cyclists joined RTC leaders and local Florida bicycle and pedestrian advocates on a ride from Out-Spoke’N Bike Shop in Lake Mary to AAA headquarters in Heathrow to deliver the petitions. The ride was on the Federally funded Seminole-Wekiva Trail–a trail in AAA’s front yard that, ironically, was developed using the same funding programs AAA would eliminate.
Go HERE for a report by the Orlando Sentinel as well as RTC’s website.
Thank you Floridians for making the trip, even in such chilly temperatures, and to Michael and Arden Cottle for hosting us at your bike shop.
Ride with Rails-to-Trails to Deliver AAA Petition Monday, December 13
| December 13, 2010 | ||
| 9:30 am | to | 11:30 am |
WHAT:
A 4.1-mile ride on the Cross-Seminole and Seminole-Wekiva trails with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) to deliver tens of thousands of signatures asking AAA to support continued federal funding for trails and bicycle/pedestrian programs.
WHY
AAA Mid-Atlantic recently proposed the elimination of trails and bicycle/pedestrian programs from federal transportation trust fund. This would effectively kill the 20-year-old Transportation Enhancement (TE) program that has helped make nearly 20,000 miles of trail possible. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has been gathering names on a petition asking AAA National to reverse their position, but they have yet to do so and have, in fact, endorsed Mid-Atlantic’s stance. Please add your name to the more than 30,000 signatures on our petition at www.railstotrails.org/AAA.Then ride with us to deliver the petition to AAA’s front door, which happens to look out over the TE-funded Seminole-Wekiva Trail!
WHO:
Riding with us will be Rails-to-Trails Conservancy President Keith Laughlin and Vice President of Policy Kevin Mills, Florida Bicycle Association Executive Director Laura Hallam, and other special guests
WHEN:
Monday, December 13
9:30 a.m. departure from Out-Spoke’N Bike Shop to AAA headquarters
10:30 a.m. press event on Seminole-Wekiva Trail across from AAA and petition delivery
WHERE:
Ride departure: Out-Spoke’N Bike Shop (1061 South Sun Drive, Suite #1073, Lake Mary, FL 32746, Phone: 407-688-1959)
Petition delivery and event location: Seminole-Wekiva Trail at intersection of AAA Drive and International Parkway, Lake Mary/Heathrow, FL
This is an out-and-back ride; total mileage is approx. 8 miles.
ATTIRE:
Please dress in NON-CYCLING ATTIRE opposed to spandex and lycra. We want to show AAA how cyclists come from all walks of life, not just people in tight clothing. Appearance plays a big role in representing the interests of cyclists, walkers and all users of roads and trails. The same holds true when meeting with elected officials. Business attire should be the standard. The moderate bike ride distance should make this dress code workable.
Ride with Rails-to-Trails to Deliver AAA Petition Monday, December 13
WHAT:
A 4.1-mile ride on the Cross-Seminole and Seminole-Wekiva trails with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) to deliver tens of thousands of signatures asking AAA to support continued federal funding for trails and bicycle/pedestrian programs.
WHY
AAA Mid-Atlantic recently proposed the elimination of trails and bicycle/pedestrian programs from federal transportation trust fund. This would effectively kill the 20-year-old Transportation Enhancement (TE) program that has helped make nearly 20,000 miles of trail possible. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has been gathering names on a petition asking AAA National to reverse their position, but they have yet to do so and have, in fact, endorsed Mid-Atlantic’s stance. Please add your name to the more than 30,000 signatures on our petition at www.railstotrails.org/AAA. Then ride with us to deliver the petition to AAA’s front door, which happens to look out over the TE-funded Seminole-Wekiva Trail!
WHO:
Riding with us will be Rails-to-Trails Conservancy President Keith Laughlin and Vice President of Policy Kevin Mills, Florida Bicycle Association Executive Director Laura Hallam, and other special guests
WHEN:
Monday, December 13
9:30 a.m. departure from Out-Spoke’N Bike Shop to AAA headquarters
10:30 a.m. press event on Seminole-Wekiva Trail across from AAA and petition delivery
WHERE:
Ride departure: Out-Spoke’N Bike Shop (1061 South Sun Drive, Suite #1073, Lake Mary, FL 32746, Phone: 407-688-1959)
Petition delivery and event location: Seminole-Wekiva Trail at intersection of AAA Drive and International Parkway, Lake Mary/Heathrow, FL
This is an out-and-back ride; total mileage is approx. 8 miles.
ATTIRE:
Please dress in NON-CYCLING ATTIRE opposed to spandex and lycra. We want to show AAA how cyclists come from all walks of life, not just people in tight clothing. Appearance plays a big role in representing the interests of cyclists, walkers and all users of roads and trails. The same holds true when meeting with elected officials. Business attire should be the standard. The moderate bike ride distance should make this dress code workable.
Free commuter bicycle safety classes offered by Tampa BayCycle at USF
| November 17, 2010 | ||
| 11:30 am | to | 1:00 pm |
| December 1, 2010 | ||
| 11:30 am | to | 1:00 pm |
| Tampa BayCycle is offering free commuter bicycle safety courses at USF on November 17 and December 1.
Complete details are available on the Tampa BayCycle website. Walk Safe/Bike Safe. Seating is limited so please RSVP as soon as possible. |
Pinellas Trail Celebrates “SECOND DECADE”
| December 4, 2010 |
PINELLAS TRAIL CELEBRATES THEIR “SECOND DECADE” ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2010 !!!
The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail officially opened on Saturday, December 1, 1990, along the former CSX Railroad corridor from Largo to Seminole, Florida. Since that historic day, The Pinellas Trail has become one of the nation’s and Florida’s most recognized and popular “linear parks”. The all volunteer, citizens’, 501-c-3 not-for-profit organization Pinellas Trails, Inc., has raised the private donations for all the amenities, additional planting of native Florida landscaping along the trail and support for their volunteer auxiliary who help monitor the Trail along with county park rangers.
Pinellas Trails, Inc. will be hosting the 20th year celebration with cooperation from Pinellas County and municipal governments along the corridor. Public libraries throughout Pinellas County have hosted a “traveling display” complete with maps, memorabilia, photographs, a U.S. Capitol flag, caps and t-shirts from many of the “trail events” and even one of the National Rails-to-Trails’ “Hall of Fame” signs from their October, 2008 recognition.
Trail users and advocates from around the country are planning to travel to Pinellas County to enjoy The Pinellas Trail over the first weekend in December, 2010. This will be a Tampa Bay event with both county and municipal leaders expected to attend to honor the “Second Decade Celebration” and show their support for the planned “loop connection” when trail users can travel completely around Pinellas County on The Pinellas Trail!
For donations, contributions, media support and volunteering: please contact Scott Daniels, President, Pinellas Trails, Inc. via email at: pinellastrail20@gmail.com or by mailing to:
Pinellas Trails, Inc., P.O. Box 356, Clearwater, Florida 33757-0356.