Monday, April 14, 2008

SWFBUD's Busy Week

SWFBUD is having a busy week.

On Saturday, I attended the Going Green Expo at the USF Sundome on behalf of South West Florida Bicycle United Dealers and enjoyed meeting dozens of bicyclists.

I filled in people about the Bicycle Bash by the Bay, which is tentatively set for October 19 at Vinoy Park in downtown St. Petersburg.

This morning, I visited the Hillsborough County Commission office to hand deliver letters to each county commissioner advising them on SWFBUD's support for earmarking $12 million to connect the Upper Tampa Bay Trail with the Suncoast Trail.

This is a vital trail connector link that has been planned for years. The $12 million would come from the community investment tax fund and I understand that the state DOT will reimburse $7 million of the $12 million.

Here is a copy of that letter:

Dear Hillsborough County Commissioner,

My name is Alan Snel and I am director of an alliance of seven Tampa Bay area retail bicycle stores committed to growing bicycling as a healthy lifestyle and effective mode of transportation in Hillsborough County. Our group is called SWFBUD for South West Florida Bicycle United Dealers and I am writing now to urge you to support earmarking $12 million of the $40 million in community investment tax money toward a trail connector that would link the Upper Tampa Bay Trail with the Suncoast Trail. The planning for this connector trail has been in the works for a long time and it is vital now to complete this connector to link the Upper Tampa Bay Trail and the Suncoast Trail. SWFBUD's seven stores represent thousands of bicyclists and customers, many of whom find refuge on local trails to bike. This connector trail would make this continuous trail the longest in the state of Florida and provide an important amenity for not only bicyclists, but all other outdoors enthusiasts such as runners, walkers, roller-bladers and people who enjoy being outside. It's important to note that of the $12 million, $7 million will be reimbursed to the county by the state DOT.

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