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.
The Impact of the Midterm Election: Analysis from America Bikes
The results of the 2010 Midterm Election mean big changes in Congress — changes that will have major implications for transportation policy and other important legislation. For insight on federal issues we turn to our partners at America Bikes. To help us all sort out the impact of Tuesday’s vote, Caron Whitaker has this analysis and call to action.
Caron writes: I’m sure you’ve seen the results of Tuesday’s elections – and you’re thinking about what this means. We are, too. And we don’t have all the answers yet.
As Andy Clarke wrote on the League’s blog, we lost a friend and a champion when Congressman Jim Oberstar lost his reelection bid in Minnesota. During his time in Congress, and particularly in his role as Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, we knew we had someone who would fight for bicyclists.
Our fight for bicycling and walking in the Transportation Authorization Bill will be much harder without Oberstar — but not impossible. I think that those of us who feel defeated and depressed right now need to remember what this movement accomplished in SAFETEA LU under a Republican House, Senate and White House. Safe Routes to School and the non-motorized pilot program were created, funding for Transportation Enhancements went up 35 percent, Recreational Trails funding went up 65 percent, and, during the life of SAFETEA LU, annual funding for bicycling and walking went from less than $400 million to more than $1 billion. While Congress and funding issues are a challenge, we know we have a strong ally in Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and incredible momentum building at the local level.
Yes, it’s going to be challenging. But I think we’re up for it.
Here’s what we know after Tuesday night.
House
- Currently the House stands at 240 Republicans, 184 Democrats and 11 undecided.
- Our major loss was the change in leadership at all levels. Oberstar was a bulldog for our issues when he was in the minority. We won’t have that this time.
- The new leadership includes Representatives John Boehner (R-OH) and Eric Cantor (R-VA), two of our biggest adversaries, and we need to be ready to defend Transportation Enhancements and biking and walking in general.
- Representative John Mica (R-FL) is poised to become the new chair of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Mica has supported bike/ped infrastructure in his district, but that hasn’t translated into federal policy. Mica will also have pressure from leadership to fall in line, which could be challenging to us.
- A number of our friends did survive and we will need to work with them to protect our interests.
Senate
- Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) will remain the chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, but will have even more pressure to compromise with ranking member Senator James Inhofe (R-OK). We’ll need to keep pressure on her — both her California constituents, and through other EPW members who support our issues.
So what happens now?
First, I think that we’ll see a six- to eight-month extension in the lame duck session. However, the President has said that infrastructure is one of the issues the White House can work with Republicans on, so we need to be prepared for debate on the authorization bill this spring. Given this possibility, we need to get to know the new members of Congress, and introduce ourselves and our issues to them. To do that we are asking for your help in several ways:
- First, we’re interested in any information you have on the winners in your state and your district. Did they have an elected position before in which they voted on transportation issues? Have they made any significant statements on transportation or the environment? We’ll be doing some research as well, and, once we compile it all, we’ll share it with you, too.
- Please send a congratulatory note to your elected official and request a meeting. We want to make sure these new members of Congress are aware that there is a well-organized constituency for bicycling and walking in their district/state. They may not have formed their positions on transportation yet; now is a good time to introduce them to our issues.
- Help us with The Next Mile. Please record in our database the next five projects that will be built in your area. Being able to show new members what support for bicycling and walking will mean in their district will help us make the case here in DC — and will help you make the case at home!
- Finally, please consider sending Representative Oberstar a thank you for all his hard work and support for bicycling and walking through the years. He developed the Safe Routes to School Program, supported the Non-motorized Pilot Program, secured Transportation Enhancement funding in the Recovery Act — and has protected transportation enhancements and bicycling and walking for two decades.
Thanks for your continuing work on bicycling and walking, and your support of our work here at the national level. We’ve got a fight ahead of us, but we also have an opportunity to build new leaders and break new ground.
Caron Whitaker
America Bikes
People For Bikes tops 100,000 pledges in support of bicycling!
Take a moment to watch an inspirational YouTube video, called “People for Bikes: If I Ride” ..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEhpUov-adU. The video was actually created as a part of Bikes Belong’s campaign to bring awareness to the need for safer cycling practices (through advocacy and education) in the US.
Since this campaign and our mission share a goal, we feel it’s important to contribute by signing the pledge. If you haven’t already done so, the link is below.
www.peopleforbikes.org/signpledge
Once you sign the pledge, you may opt to receive campaign updates, like the one shown below. The goal of the campaign is to “unite one million voices” – the first goal of 100,000 has successfully been reached! Let’s help reach the next goal of 200,000 by signing the pledge and spreading the word!
Rachel Weissler
Ride Director
Bike Florida & Share the Road
If a Motorist doesn’t see you, he can’t avoid you
Motorists look for danger in the roadway. That ‘danger’ typically comes from other motor vehicles, not from bicyclists. People tend to “see” only what they are looking for, not what is necessarily within their field of view. ‘Danger’ to a motorist appears in the form of an obstruction in their lane or from a vehicle that may oppose them in an intersection and this danger comes from predictable places. As motorists we train ourselves to be keenly aware of these places.
Studies of people on cell phones have shown that they tend to tunnel-vision down to the lane that they’re in even further narrowing their focus.
A major precept of vehicular cycling is to be visible and predictable to motorists. We wear bright colored jerseys and light ourselves up to that end, but does that really mean that we are visible? I think not. We are only visible if we are also where the motorist is looking for danger.
In a through traffic lane, the danger is an obstruction in the lane, such as a cyclist clearly planted in the lane. For instance, 2-3 feet left of the white line. An approaching motorist will see and register the cyclist as an obstruction and make a conscious decision to slow and when it’s safe, go around. By going around, the motorist makes a conscious decision to make a full or partial lane change and unconsciously gives the cyclist the three feet or more clearance that Florida State Law provides for.
A cyclist sitting on or close to the white line (we call them gutter bunnies) poses no danger to a motorist and therefore, requires no decision process. The cyclist may not even register on the motorist’s mind as something to be avoided. They’re not “in the lane,” so they can probably be passed without a lane change. The cyclist has a different perspective. “That @%&?@ just dusted me off!”
Florida law requires a cyclist to ride right or in a bicycle lane only when riding slower than the prevailing traffic. When approaching a stop sign or red traffic light, the prevailing traffic is slowing to bicycle speed. How many times have we ourselves, or seen fellow cyclists slide up to the right of and alongside motor vehicles at the intersection? This is a dangerous practice because it puts the cyclist in the driver’s blind zone and invites a right hook when the light turns green.
A better place would be directly behind the last car in the queue that you can safely snuggle in behind, in the through traffic lane. The motorists behind you will clearly see you.
As you transit the intersection in the through lane, you’ll be in plain sight to opposing cars turning left, rather than hidden from their view by cars traveling with you and to your left in the traffic lane. For motorists entering the intersection from your right and wanting to turn right on red, you will be observed more easily because you’ll right square in their ‘danger zone.’ They will give you the right of way. As you clear the intersection, you can safely move over to the right.
On a one-way road with multiple lanes in Florida, which may be assumed to be traffic lanes in one direction, with some kind of barrier to the opposing lanes (such as an island or a two-way left turn lane), bicyclists who are planning a left turn are allowed to move to the left-hand side as far as practical, of the left lane. When you do this, you’ll find that the traffic flows around you to the right, just as it did previously to the left, when you were near the right-hand side of the road. Again, this puts you in a position where motorists will observe and avoid you.
Fig. 1: 103rd Street, Jacksonville, noon rush hour. What do you see?So how soon do you move? Think about what you do in your car. As you approach your left turn intersection, you ease on over to the left through lane in anticipation of turning into the left turn lane, or turning left at the intersection. The strategy on a bicycle is very much similar. But you have to look for the traffic holes.
“Urban streets, controlled by traffic lights, no matter how busy, have these traffic holes.”
Look at Figure 1. What do you see? Most Traffic Skills 101 students see a busy urban road. I see a half-empty road. Figures 2 and 3 were snapped within moments of Figure 1. Figure 2 looks forward past the stopped traffic and Figure 3 looks back. Notice that the westbound
Fig. 2: Look at all the available road space in front of the stopped cars.lane in Figure 2 is pretty clear. The whole road is clear in Figure 3.
Motor vehicles move in pods from light to light. Between the pods are these stretches of empty road that can last for from 30 to 90 seconds.
It’s in these traffic holes that cyclists may safely and easily cross lanes in the road. So as you approach your intersection, when a traffic hole appears, take advantage of it. Even if it means peddling in the left lane for an extra 100-200 feet.
The cyclist who fully understands the concept of traffic holes will be able to navigate urban roads much more confidently and safely than one who doesn’t.
Fig. 3: Open road in both directionsThese concepts are hard to master outside of a learning environment because of the ‘fear factor’ associated with putting one’s body directly in front of a motor vehicle. We teach the concepts in Traffic Skills 101 and then we go out on the road and practice them. Students leave the class with confidence to practice vehicular cycling as a way of life. In a survey of TS 101 students taken three months to a year after they graduated, 77% regularly used the lane positioning that they learned in class. 82% regularly used the scanning and signaling techniques and over 29% credited emergency maneuvers learned in the parking lot drills with protecting them in an emergency situation.
For more information on the next Jacksonville Traffic Skills 101 course, please click here.
advocacy bike culture safety traffic justice trails Uncategorized
by Laura
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Speak up for Florida’s cyclists, pedestrians and trail users!
Just as Florida’s cyclists, pedestrians, and recreational trail users are making headway in terms of how much is spent to improve conditions, we now face the real possibility of a significant hit in funding.
A provision of a $26 billion Federal Jobs Bill includes $6.7 billion in rescissions, of which $2.2 billion will come from transportation funds. The fact that there is no requirement for equity when determining where cuts come from has resulted in Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) proposing a formula that will result in a significantly disproportional impact on funds for non-motorized projects in our state.
Specifically, $24.7 million from Transportation Enhancement (TE) funds and $3 million from Recreational Trails Program (RTP), figures that represent approximately one-third of monies that would be used for non-motorized projects since Florida historically under-utilizes funds that are available for bike/ped/trails improvements. As compared to a 0.1% overall cut to traditional road projects, this decision by FDOT can only be deemed reprehensible.
Please speak up for TE and RTP to Governor Crist, gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink and Rick Scott, Florida State Transportation Development Administrator Brad Thoburn and FDOT Assistant Secretary for Intermodal Systems Development Debbie Hunt.
Florida’s office of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has made it easy for you to speak up.
Just click on this link and you can send a letter in less than 30 seconds!.
Memorial Day knifer to be prosecuted
Here is an update on the knifing incident that took place at the Kent University, Jacksonville, FL. on Memorial Day. Here is a link to the Sheriff’s report. It is the most complete and accurate account of the incident.
The alleged knifer is 25 year old Matt Salmons. He is charged with two counts of aggravated battery and one count of simple battery. There may be some of you who will want to observe the legal proceedings and maybe even attend the trial. Here is what we know so far:
The defendant is Matt Salmons. The State Attorney case number is 2010-CF-047910 and the Attorney for the State assigned to this case is Theresa Simak. The Clerk case number is 2010-CF-005975. The defendant will be arraigned on June 23rd 2010 at 9AM in Courtroom 9 which is located on the 2nd floor of the Duval County Courthouse. I have left a message for Ms. Simak to call me. I want to make sure she knows the cycling community is very interested in this case.
Pass this info on to anyone interested.
Scott A. Wilson, Assistant to Don Redman, Jacksonville City Council
Both cyclists are expected to make a full recovery.
One way we cyclists could show solidarity with the injured cyclists would be for abot 20 cyclists to sit quietly at the back of the courtroom each day of the proceedings, and observe. This was done last year in California and the offending driver received serious jail time. After the case, the prosecutor stated that the presence of the cyclists made a big difference.
As we receive additional information I will make it available to you.
In addition to being the FBA First Coast Chapter Director, I am the President of the North Florida Bicycle Club and we will be working closely with the City of Jacksonville to find solutions for this kind of behavior.
Memorial Day Bike Ride ends with altercation between motorist and 2 cyclists
The North Florida Bicycle Club took action following a recent altercation following a group ride by sending the following message to club members:
As many of you already know, there was an incident at Monday’s Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) Kent Campus Memorial Day ride where two bicyclists were stabbed in an altercation with a motorist. Both cyclists were transported to the hospital, where one remains with serious injuries. Apparently, neither of the riders are NFBC members as neither were well known to members who were present. We ask that you join in prayers for the injured cyclists and offer wishes for a speedy recovery.
It is not our position to judge the circumstances of this incident. We all, however, need to be aware that we may have encounters with motorists on the road that could lead to tempers being lost and altercations escalating in severity and danger. We urge all members to conduct themselves appropriately on the road, asserting our rights to the use of the roads, but also to be respectful of motorists. While actions of motorists may adversely affect us as cyclists, either by accident or intentionally, we urge everyone to exercise restraint in reacting to such incidents. Should any incident result in an injury or altercation, please do not try to take matters into your own hands…dial 911 and allow law enforcement to appropriately handle the situation.
John M. McDowell, PE
2010 NFBC Ride Director
The NFBC is taking action with respect to leadership in riding skills, rules of the road and rider behavior. Unfortunately, we only are able to influence NFBC members. The two that were stabbed are not NFBC members and we do not know the behavior of the riders leading up to the confrontation. We are aware that cyclists are part of the problem, and we can do just so much to influence cyclists both in our club and have very little influence over non-club members. NFBC is being proactive with the City of Jacksonville to create an understanding for both cyclists and motorists of the rights and responsibilities of all parties.
Steven Davis said, “Tragedy is everyone’s first concern. Damage to organized cycling and the entire cycling economy is close behind in those concerns.”
Share this message with other club cyclists, as well as other organized groups. This problem is not unique to any particular area of Florida and the only way to get through to the worst offenders is to work with law enforcement to crack down on aggressive driving and behavior by cyclists and motorists We need to find ways to educate all users of the road to behave with courtesy and respect. This will take an enormous culture change.
Traffic Skills 101 Special Edition June 12th
This Jacksonville class is specifically designed for endurance road cyclists that typically do the Bike MS, but is also well suited for road cyclists and road cyclist wannabe’s. It covers traffic law, bike equipment, becoming a more confident bicyclist by driving your bike like a motor vehicle and asserting your right to the road. You’ll learn injury prevention, crash avoidance through on-bike skills practice and do a group ride that includes optional pace line training. Student manual included! This is a League certified course.
COST: $35.00 general admission. Members of Bike MS teams receive a special group rate of $30.00.
WHEN: Class is one day: Saturday, June 12, 2010, from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Registration closes Thursday, June 8th. You will receive pre-course study amtreroals and will need to set aside about four hours for pre-course preparation prior to class day.
CONTACT: Jodi Hohlstein at jodi@FBAfirstcoast.org for a registration package.
Blessing of the Bikes in Tallahassee
| May 7, 2010 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 10:00 pm |
May is National Bicycle Month and Tallahassee is kicking it off with a blessing of the bikes at Railroad Square in Tallahassee.
Each year we invite a diverse group of religious figures to come out and do a prayer for cyclists and bicycles.
We have had rabbi, catholic priests, wicken, and native american shaman. Maybe this year we will have a gospel choir on top of it all. This is as a way to come together to appreciate the bicycle, its benefits, its effect on people and the community that is created because of them. Why should we not be blessing the most efficient means of transportation that humanity has ever and probably will ever create?
So come get your bicycle blessed, hang with other cyclists and stay for First Friday.
For more information visit our Facebook page.
Cyclists take over Capitol Courtyard at Florida Bike Summit
Members of the Florida Bicycle Association from around the state gathered with Bike Florida at the Capitol on Thursday, April 8th for the 2nd annual Florida Bike Summit. Modeled after the highly successful National Bike Summit that recently celebrated it’s tenth anniversary in Washington, DC, the Florida Bike Summit generated dozens of meetings with legislators’ support on pending legislation to enhance safe riding throughout the State. Policy reform is a critical element of our program and change requires advocacy from Pensacola to Key West. A focus on Tallahassee and state policy is important for all of us, even those who remain focused on local issues, as many of FBA’s members discovered.
Rep. Adam Fetterman
“Florida has lots of natural advantages that could make it a leader in sustainable transportation and recreation if we make the investment in safer roads, connected trails and communities that support transportation choices,” says FBA Board president David Henderson.
Ken Bryan, director of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Florida Field Office, and Representative Julio Robaina announced the creation of the Florida Pedestrian/Bicycle Partnership Council, made up of state agencies, local governments and private groups to guide to the State agencies on bicycle and pedestrian policy and practice.
Rep. Julio Robaino
Based on responses to a survey administered last summer, FBA established a list of priority actions. The Florida Bike Summit 2010 Agenda included the “Florida Ban on Texting While Driving Law”, House Bill 41/Senate Bill 448, and thanks to a relationship with the Florida chapter of ABATE, American Bikers Aimed Towards Education), “Increased fines for car drivers who cause serious injury or death of a motorcyclist, bicyclist or pedestrian, House Bill 875/Senate Bill 1918.
Advocates walked the halls of the Senate and House of Representatives meeting with key leaders and their staff to encourage their support.
Sen. Paula Dockery & David Henderson, Board Prez
The result of this important event are primarily two-fold: increased awareness of your rights and concerns as a bicyclist among lawmakers as well as inspired and educated FBA members who gained critical hands on experience in effectively advocating for better policies.