Twenty-five Floridians are visiting Washington, DC, the week of March 7-11 as part of the National Bike Summit.

Members of the delegation will be visiting most if not all Florida congressional offices on Thursday, March 10, 2011, making the case for better, safer bicycling and walking in Florida.

You can help since your message of support to your own members of Congress really multiplies the impact of the delegation’s visit.  It only takes about three minutes.

Click here to look up your members and find their contact information.

Sample message:

Dear Congressman/woman X,

The National Bike Summit is taking place today in Washington and a delegation from Florida will be visiting your office. I hope you’ll take the time to meet with them because bicycling and walking is very important to Florida and to me.

Federal funding for bicycling and walking is a very, very small amount–just 0.03% of the federal budget–but it is very, very important:
- Federally funded roads and highways are among the biggest impediments to bicycling and walking
- Destinations that people want to bicycle and walk to cluster along federally funded roads and highways
- Federally funded roads and highways cut right through every city and town in Florida, and when they are not built to allow people to bicycle or walk along or across them, the result is that entire neighborhoods become unwalkable and unbicycleable.
[Add a sentence or two about why bicycling and/or walking is important to you.]

Sincerely yours,

THANK YOU! When you contact your elected representatives, it really does make a difference!

Thanks also to Kathryn Moore who is leading the Florida Delegation.  Follow her updates HERE.

“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.

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.

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

Thanks! to everyone who came together to form what became BikeWalkLee.  Lee Co DOT should also be congratulated for coming around.

“BikeWalkLee is gratified by the continued leadership and commitment demonstrated by the MPO led by Chairman Judah to complete Lee County’s streets and to integrate the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists in road projects,” said Darla Letourneau, a local community advocate and BikeWalkLee leader. “Not only is the MPO leading the county’s efforts, its quick endorsement of this policy statement puts Lee County in the forefront of communities around the country who recognize the significance of this bold action by the Secretary of Transportation. In fact, Lee County may be the first in the country to have officially endorsed the new policy.”

The new USDOT policy embraces a complete streets approach, calling for fully integrated active transportation networks, which are important components for livable communities. The policy states that transportation agencies should plan, fund, and implement improvements to their walking and bicycling networks, including linkages to transit. In addition USDOT encourages transportation agencies to go beyond the minimum requirements, and proactively provide convenient, safe, and context-sensitive facilities that foster increased use by bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. The entire policy is available online HERE.

The USDOT policy encourages state and local governments, among others, to adopt similar policy statements. “We are pleased that Lee County has already taken steps to move in this direction,” Letourneau said. In 2009, Lee County ― through adoption of complete streets resolutions by both the Metropolitan Planning Organization and by the Lee County Commission ― embarked on a path to safer streets for everyone. In addition, the county has just launched the development of a countywide bicycle pedestrian master plan that will provide the blueprint for a safe, accessible, and connected bicycle/pedestrian system throughout the county.

“Having strong national leadership in support of complete streets as the county begins to implement its adopted policies provides a real boost to our local efforts. Now we need support and leadership from Gov. Charlie Crist, the Legislature, and the Florida Department of Transportation for Lee County to be successful, since policies for building roadways are directed by the state and many roadways in our county are state roads,” Letourneau said.

“This USDOT policy should convince our state officials once and for all that a complete streets approach is the path Florida needs to embrace without any further delay,” Letourneau said. “As the ‘Dangerous by Design’ report release late last year made clear, complete streets are safer streets and save lives of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, as well as to help promote healthy lifestyles. Bold action is needed to make Florida, the most dangerous state in the nation for pedestrians and cyclists, a safer state for vulnerable users on our roadways. It makes good economic sense, as well as safety sense to become a state that fosters walkable, bikeable and livable communities.”

BikeWalkLee has called upon state leaders — the governor, the Legislature, and the Secretary of Transportation — to adopt this new federal policy statement as Florida policy and integrate it into the state’s policies, planning processes and guidance documents, including the pending FDOT draft revisions to the “Green Book”–the manual used by local governments in designing their road projects. Florida should follow the lead of other states, such as California, in developing and implementing a statewide complete streets program and action plan, and aggressively promoting its adoption in communities throughout Florida.

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: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.

For more information, contact Darla Letourneau, 239-850-3219, dletourneau@bikewalklee.org.

“Today (3/15/10), I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.

We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

To set this approach in motion, we have formulated key recommendations for state DOTs and communities:

• Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
• Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
• Go beyond minimum design standards.
• Collect data on walking and biking trips.
• Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
• Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
• Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.

Now, this is a start, but it’s an important start. These initial steps forward will help us move forward even further.”

Click here to read the full story & see video clip: http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/03/my-view-from-atop-the-table-at-the-national-bike-summit.html#more

Click the link below to the new policy statement: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/policy_accom.htm

Come to Lakeland for the fifth ProBike/ProWalk Florida Conference “The Dollars and Sense of Bicycling and Walking” brought to you by the Florida Bicycle Association.  The conference will be held May 11-13, 2010 at the Lakeland Center.  Pre-conference activities will be held May 11. The conference begins May 12. The official host hotel is the Hyatt Place at Lakeland Center. Highlights include:

National, state and local dignitaries

Florida Bicycle Association Annual Meeting and Awards presentation

Educational and advocacy breakout sessions

Mobile Workshops

Continued education credits

Speakers will provide information and data to begin making the case that routinely accommodating pedestrians and cyclists makes total economic sense.

For more information and to register, go HERE!

Contact: Winona Bateman, 800-755-2453 x219, Email: wbateman@adventurecycling.org

The director of North America’s largest cycling membership organization will visit Florida from January 11 – 16, 2010, to speak about the life-changing potential of cycling and bicycle travel. Events will be held in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and in the Miami/Dade area.

Jim Sayer, executive director of Adventure Cycling, will share the latest news on bicycle travel and adventures in North America, including new bike-friendly routes, maps, tours, and policy initiatives at the national level — such as an official U.S. Bicycle Route System, now being considered by Congress. At each event, there will also be time for participants to share their thoughts, ideas and stories. Whether you have made a New Year’s Resolution to get in shape, lower your carbon footprint, or you want to plan an overnight (or epic) cycling adventure, there will be inspiration for everyone.

Invite your cycling buddies, other friends, or family. These events are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

Please RSVP by contacting Beth Petersen at Adventure Cycling Association: 800-755-2453 x 211, or via email at bpetersen@adventurecycling.org.

TALLAHASSEE – MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010

What: Presentation on the latest news and resources for bicycle travel

Who: Jim Sayer, executive director of Adventure Cycling Association, North America’s largest cycling membership group, based in Missoula, MT (www.adventurecycling.org). This event is co-sponsored by Capital City Cyclists.

When: Monday, January 11 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Where: Florida Education Association, 3^rd floor board room, 213 South Adams Street, one block from the State Capitol. Directions at http://feaweb.org/about-fea.

Why: Meet people interested in cycling, bike travel and touring, and find all the resources and inspiration you’ll need to enjoy the life-changing activity of bicycle travel.

Cost: Free and open to the public. Bring friends interested in cycling and bike travel.

RSVP: Please RSVP by January 6th

JACKSONVILLE – TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2010

What: Presentation on the latest news and resources for bicycle travel

Who: Jim Sayer, executive director of Adventure Cycling Association, North America’s largest cycling membership group, based in Missoula, MT (www.adventurecycling.org).

When: Tuesday, January 12 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Where: Brooks Family YMCA, 10423 Centurion Parkway North in Jacksonville. For more information about the location visit http://www.firstcoastymca.org/brooks-branch, or call 904-854-2000.

Why: Meet people interested in cycling, bike travel and touring, and find all the resources and inspiration you’ll need to enjoy the life-changing activity of bicycle travel.

Cost: Free and open to the public. Bring friends interested in cycling and bike travel.

RSVP: Please RSVP by January 8^th

ORLANDO – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2010

What: Presentation on the latest news and resources for bicycle travel

Who: Jim Sayer, executive director of Adventure Cycling Association, North America’s largest cycling membership group, based in Missoula, MT (www.adventurecycling.org).

When: Wednesday, January 13 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Where: Grace Hopper Hall (Baldwin Park), located in central Orlando on 1913 Meeting Place. For directions, click on http://www.baldwinparkfl.com/web/directions.asp — or call 407-529-3800.

Why: Meet people interested in cycling, bike travel and touring, and find all the resources and inspiration you’ll need to enjoy the life-changing activity of bicycle travel.

Cost: Free and open to the public. Bring friends interested in cycling and bike travel.

RSVP: Please RSVP by January 11^th

MIAMI/DADE AREA – THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010

What: Presentation on the latest news and resources for bicycle travel

Who: Jim Sayer, executive director of Adventure Cycling Association, North America’s largest cycling membership group, based in Missoula, MT (www.adventurecycling.org).

When: Thursday, January 14, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Where: Coral Gables Branch Library, located at 3443 Segovia St., in Coral Gables. More information on location here: http://www.mdpls.org/info/locations/cg.asp.

Why: Meet people interested in cycling, bike travel and touring, and find all the resources and inspiration you’ll need to enjoy the life-changing activity of bicycle travel.

Cost: Free and open to the public. Bring friends interested in cycling and bike travel.

RSVP: Please RSVP by January 12th

TAMPA – SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2010

What: Presentation on the latest news and resources for bicycle travel

Who: Jim Sayer, executive director of Adventure Cycling Association, North America’s largest cycling membership group, based in Missoula, MT (www.adventurecycling.org).

When: Saturday, January 16 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm

Where: Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium, located in central Tampa at 14407 B North Dale Mabry. For directions, click on http://cbebikes.com/storelocator/ — or call 813-963-5765.

Why: Meet people interested in cycling, bike travel and touring, and find all the resources and inspiration you’ll need to enjoy the life-changing activity of bicycle travel.

Cost: Free and open to the public. Bring friends interested in cycling and bike travel.

RSVP: Please RSVP by January 13th

# # #

Adventure Cycling Association is the premier bicycle travel organization in North America with over 44,000 members. A nonprofit organization, its mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. It produces routes and maps for cycling in North America, organizes more than 40 tours annually, and publishes the best bicycle travel information anywhere, including Adventure Cyclist magazine and The Cyclists’ Yellow Pages online. With 38,158 meticulously mapped miles in the Adventure Cycling Route Network, Adventure Cycling gives cyclists the tools and confidence to create their own bike travel adventures. Contact the office at (800) 755-BIKE (2453), info@adventurecycling.org, or visit www.adventurecycling.org.

2. Florida’s average pedestrian danger index, at 176.6, is 2.7 times the national average of 65.6.

3.   For all size metro areas, Florida has 11 of the nation’s top 25 in pedestrian danger.

4.   Florida has either been ranked #1 in the nation or in the top 3 states for both pedestrian and bicycle fatalities every year since 2001.

5.  1 in every 10 US pedestrian fatalities is in Florida.  1 in every 6 US bicycle fatalities is in Florida.

6.   How each of Florida’s metro areas, including our local areas, rank and compare, statewide and nationally.

7.   That 13 of 20 Florida metro areas spend less than the national average of available federal dollars for pedestrian safety, $1.46/person, including Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice and Palm Coast, which spend $0.00/person.

8.  Causes and solutions for the problem, including how one local city has dramatically reduced pedestrian accidents and an effort for a solution with Florida Congressman Vern Buchanan.

Orlando-Kissimmee, Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, and Jacksonville, are ranked 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the nation’s 52 large metro areas (pop.1,000,000+) by Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) for 2007-2008, according to a recently released report, Dangerous By Design, published by the Surface Transportation Policy Project and Transportation for America. These are the only large metro areas in Florida.

Separately, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Traffic Safety Fact reports show that, in every year from 2001 to 2008, Florida has been in the top three states in both pedestrian and bicycle fatality rates.  Further, Florida was #1 in bicycle fatality rates for six years and #1 in pedestrian fatality rates for two years.   No other state comes close to matching this record. Statistics compiled by Bicycle/Pedestrian Advocates (BPA) from NHTSA data, shows the rankings for these years and shows Florida accounted for 1 in 6 (16.8%) of all national bicycle fatalities and 1 in 10 (10.9%) of all national pedestrian fatalities.

As Dangerous by Design listed national rankings only for the large metro areas and only provided state rankings for smaller areas, BPA recompiled the data that provides national rankings by PDI for all of the country’s 416 metro areas, a national PDI average, and other statistics.  The spreadsheet shows that the worst metro area in the country is Macon, GA with a PDI of 398.9, narrowly edging Punta Gorda, FL at 398.2.  Third is Sumter, SC at 328.8.   It shows that the national average PDI is 65.6 but that Florida’s average PDI is 2.69 times the national average at 176.6. The spreadsheet also shows that Florida leads the country with eleven metro areas in the top 25, followed by South Carolina with four, and Georgia with three.   Florida’s 20 metro areas are listed below with their national rank, their PDI, their PDI as a percentage of the national average PDI of 65.6, and for a comparison with the country’s largest city, their PDI as a percentage of the New York City metro area’s PDI of 28.1.

National         PDI         PDI as %         PDI as %         Metro area

Rank                              of Nat Avg      of NYC PDI

2                       398.2            606.6%               1417.1%           Punta Gorda

5                       293.1             446.5                  1043.1             Sebastian-Vero Beach

12                     236.6            360.4                   842.0             Ocala

13                     222.5            339.0                    791.8             Panama City-Lynn Haven

14                     221.5            337.4                    788.3             Orlando-Kissimmee

16                     220.7           336.2                    785.4             Lakeland-Winter Haven

17                     205.5           313.1                      731.3             Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater

18                    201.8            307.4                     718.1             Palm Bay- Melbourne-Titusville

23                    183.3            279.2                    652.3             Cape Coral-Fort Myers

24                   183.0            278.8                    651.2             Palm Coast

25                   181.2             276.0                   644.8             Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Pompano Beach

38                   157.4             239.8                  560.1             Jacksonville

45                   150.8            229.7                  536.7             Port St. Lucie

46                   147.7            225.0                  525.6             Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach

58                  126.3            192.4                   449.5             Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice

69                  109.4            166.7                   389.3             Tallahassee

72                  105.4            160.6                   375.1             Naples-Marco Island

127                   74.1            112.9                   263.7             Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin

165                  58.3             88.8                  207.5             Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Parker

176                  55.5              84.6                  197.5             Gainesville

Thus, Florida’s four large metro areas, Orlando-Kissimmee, Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, and Jacksonville, have pedestrian danger indexes, respectively, 3.4, 3.1, 2.8, and 2.4 times the national average and 7.9, 7.3, 6.4,  and 5.6 times that of New York City.

The leading cause of pedestrian fatalities identified by Dangerous by Design is America’s shift from Main Street to high-speed arterial roads which account for 56% of pedestrian fatalities. According to the report, “These deaths typically are labeled “accidents,” and attributed to error on the part of motorist or pedestrian.  In fact, however, an overwhelming proportion share a similar factor.  They occurred along roadways that were dangerous by design, streets that were engineered for speeding cars and made little or no provision for people on foot, in wheelchairs, or on a bicycle.”

The conventional wisdom is that there is not much we can do about pedestrian danger.  But, Dangerous by Design identifies five ways to locally address the problem; creating walkable communities, street designs such as pedestrian refuges, better signals, and roundabouts, road diets which reduce lanes or lane widths,  “Complete Streets” policies which design corridors for all users, and use of Safe Routes to Schools, a federally funded program that improves pedestrian access near schools. Indeed, one Florida city has succeeded with such tactics.  St. Petersburg used federal funding to implement better street designs and become the first in the country to adopt innovative pedestrian signalization, along with efforts in education, enforcement, and bicycle facilities. Their annual pedestrian accidents fell by more than 50% from 2000 to 2008.   Yet, Dangerous by Design reports that 13 of Florida’s 20 metro areas opted to spend less than the national average of $1.46 of federal dollars spent per person on pedestrian safety, including Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice and Palm Coast, which spent $0.00.

On the national level, Dangerous by Design identifies four ways to address the problem; a national Complete Streets policy, increased funding for Safe Routes to Schools, holding states accountable for safer streets, and ensuring that bicycle/pedestrian safety programs gain their fair share of safety funding.  Currently, though bicycle/pedestrian fatalities account for 13% of the nation’s traffic fatalities in 2008, the USDOT spends less than 1% of its safety funding on bicycle/pedestrian efforts.  In August, 2009, BPA contacted USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood and Congressman Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota,, FL, a member of the House Transportation Committee, asking that the next USDOT budget raise bicycle/pedestrian safety spending to 13%.  As of this writing, the request is still being reviewed.

All data/material sources used in this press release can be obtained by contacting:

Mike Lasche, Executive Director, BPA, 941-544-7788, mikel.modem@verizon.net.