Florida Bicycle Association

2010 ProBike/ProWalk Florida Conference

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!

Florida Bike Summit 2010

Get Ready to Make a Difference!

Come to Tallahassee for the 2nd Annual Florida Bike Summit at the State Capitol April 8, 2010, 10:00 am-2:00 pm, and help protect the rights of bicyclists to ride safely and freely.

Learn what Florida is doing for bicyclists

Meet with legislators throughout the day

Connect with other bicycle advocates

Secured bicycle parking

Summit gathering spot: Tallahassee/East KOA Campground

Summit legislative training: 4/7/10; 7:00 pm

Summit celebration reception: 4/8/10; 5:00-6:30 pm

The 2010 Florida Bike Summit is FREE – register today

Press event at 10:30 am

FBA Winter Board Meeting in Lakeland

Join us this weekend, January 8-9, for the FBA Winter Board meeting in Lakeland at the Hyatt Place Lakeland Center, 525 West Orange Street, Lakeland, FL 33815, (863) 4153-1122. When making reservations, use corporate ID #46575 to receive the $89 rate. The fun begins Friday evening from 6:00-8:00 pm for a Meet & Greet at Texas Cattle Company, 735 East Main Street, Lakeland, FL 33801-5038, (863) 686-1434. A Saturday morning bike ride from 7:30-9:00 am originating from the hotel precedes the meeting which begins at 10:00 am.  The meeting adjourns at 5:00 pm.

I hope you can join us. Please RSVP if you plan to attend to insure space is available by contacting Laura Hallam at laura@floridabicycle.org.

National Cycling Organization Hosts Gatherings In Florida

JANUARY 4, 2009

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.

Greenways: A win-win for everyone

I was happy to see the East Coast Greenway featured in The Times-Union (Jacksonville newspaper). Contrary to feedback from some of your readers, greenways and trails accommodate more than just bicyclists.They welcome walkers, runners, in-line skaters, hand cyclers, horseback riders and baby carriages. In addition, when it comes to typical trail users, variety is the standard. I have seen everything from spandex to cargo shorts and tricycles to skateboards. I know one man whose wife is confined to a wheelchair and they are regular greenway riders via a custom bicycle-built-for-two.

When it comes to cyclists alone, the following economic returns are documented:

- They contribute $133 billion to the U.S. economy annually.

- They support nearly 1.1 million jobs across the country.

- They generate $17.7 billion in annual federal and state tax revenue.

- They produce $6.2 billion in bicycling gear sales and services.

- They create $46.9 billion in bicycling trip-related expenditures.

Regarding real estate values, in 2003, Marion County, Ind., was studied and trails were credited for increasing property values by $140 million. A new trail corridor in Austin, Texas raised land values and generated $13.64 million in new property tax revenues. In 2006, the Dallas Morning News reported a 25 percent premium on land abutting the Katy Trail.

In Florida, the Pinellas Trail draws 1.1 million users per year and it propelled downtown Dunedin from a 30 percent vacancy rate to a waiting list for business properties. The West Orange Trail created a similar revival in downtown Winter Garden, adding about 650,000 people. Further north, the Cross Florida Greenway attracts over 2 million users annually.

Corporate America increasingly supports recreational trails. Greenways and trails provide construction jobs and increased economic growth. They offer recreational opportunities, alternative transportation and increased property value.

Most importantly, greenways and trails provide positive experiences and health benefits for generations of users.

STEVEN DAVIS,

Landscape Architect, Fruit Cove

Call for Papers: PROBIKE/PROWALK FLORIDA 2010 “The Dollars and Sense of Bicycling and Walking”

FBA needs your expertise for the ProBike/ProWalk Florida 2010 conference to be held May 11-13 in Lakeland.

At our inaugural Florida 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 aspects 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 think you have something to offer in terms of a conference session topic, please consider submitting a paper that summarizes 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.

Please direct your questions and submit session summaries with the following information to Dan Moser, FBA Program Manager, at dan@floridabicycle.org:

Contact Information, Session Topic, Topic Significance to Conference, Outline of Presentation/Session, Other Proposed Speakers to Compliment Topic, and Date Submitted.

Your input is vital to the overall success of the 5th edition of our conference.

Four events you can’t miss

There are four upcoming events you don’t want to miss beginning with the next FBA Board meeting on Friday, October 9, from 6:00-9:00 pm in Orlando at the office of Metroplan Orlando, 315 E. Robinson Street, Suite 355. For directions go HERE. Your voice counts and the best way to make a difference is to get involved as an Advisory or Board member. Please RSVP to Laura at laura@floridabicycle.org no later than Thursday, October 8.

You definitely want to attend FBA’s Annual meeting held in conjunction with the Mount Dora Bicycle Festival and Lake County Bike Summit Saturday, October 10, in Mount Dora. The Annual meeting is a time to update you on what’s been going on this year and plans for 2010 including our legislative plan, introduce the board members, and present Annual Awards. The Lake County Bike Summit will focus on regional issues. Festival Director Cathy Hoechst has been very supportive of accommodating the Annual meeting and the Summit into Saturday’s ride schedule. The Annual meeting begins at 3:30 followed by the Summit and wrapped up by 5:30.  The Lake County Bike Summit is an example of ways FBA is assisting local advocates to promote positive change in their communities. Both events are FREE and open to anyone interested in bicycle advocacy and education.  Registration fees apply if you wish to participate in the 35th Annual MDBF.

So count ‘em: 1. FBA Board meeting; 2. FBA Annual meeting; 3. Lake County Bike Summit; and 4. Mount Dora Bicycle Festival. See you soon!

National Trails Day: Experience Volusia Trails

Gemini Springs Park, 37 Dirksen Drive, DeBary, FL

Enjoy nature hikes, bicycle rides, canoe fun trips, helmet giveaway (sponsored by the MPO), entertainment, refreshments and displays.

FREE ADMISSION

For more information, please call 386-736-5953, http://www.volusia.org/trails

National Trails Day Bike Ride: Trenton

Nature Coast State Trail

Old Train Depot, 419 North Main Street, Trenton, FL

(25 miles west of Gainesville on SR 26)

For more information, contact Kirk Marhefka, 352-535-5181, Kirk.Marhefka@dep.state.fl.us

Prioritize Bicycling and Walking in the next Federal Transportation Funding Bill

Congress is writing a bill that will define our national transportation system for the next 6 years and we need your help to make sure that your Member of Congress weighs in on the transportation bill to support bicycling and walking.

Representative Daniel Lipinski (D, IL) is circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter proposing that the upcoming Transportation Bill, which is currently being drafted by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I), promotes and funds alternate transportation options.  Representative Lipinski is asking his colleagues in the House of Representatives to join him in a call for increased federal funding for bicycling and pedestrian programs.

We are thankful for Congressman Lipinski’s efforts on behalf of cyclists nationwide and urge you to contact your Representative to ask them to join Mr. Lipinski and lend their voice to this important debate.

Please click here to contact your Representatives office today and urge them to sign onto Congressman Lipinski’s policy letter today.