SWFBUD -- South West Florida Bicyclists United With Dealers: SWFBUD Urges Tampa Police Chief Castor To Advise Officers On When It's OK For Bicyclists To Be In The Lane

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

SWFBUD Urges Tampa Police Chief Castor To Advise Officers On When It's OK For Bicyclists To Be In The Lane

I recently received an email from a bicyclist who was cited by Tampa police for not bicycling to the far right edge of a roadway. While law requires bicyclists to bike to the far right as "practicable," there are several circumstances under which a bicyclist can bike in the lane and not at the edge.

One of which is when a lane is too narrow for a bicycle and a car to travel safely side by side. That happens a lot in Tampa, where lanes are sub-standard in width and less than 14 feet wide.

In response, I sent this email to new Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor in hopes SWFBUD can help educate Tampa police and the motoring public about a bicyclist's right to be in the lane under certain circumstances.

* * *

Dear Chief Castor,

I hope your new assignment is working out well for you. Congratulations on being named police chief.

As director of SWFBUD, I am writing to forward you an email I received from a bicyclist who was cited by a Tampa police officer who apparently believed that bicyclists must stay as close as possible to the far right edge or curb of a roadway -- even in the event of road lanes that are sub-standard in width.

However, Florida Bicycle Law Enforcement Guide cites 316.2065 that explains several situations under which bicyclists do not have to ride as close as practicable to the right hand curb or edge, including "when a lane is too narrow for a bicycle and another vehicle to travel safely side by side." The guide goes on to say: "A cyclist should maintain at least two feet of clearance from a curb or pavement edge. Since the mininum clearance for passing a bicyclist is three feet and the total width of larger motor vehicles is commonly eight feet or more, a lane with less than 14 feet of usable width is usually too narrow for motor traffic to pass."

In this bicyclist's case in the forwarded email, it's clear that his lane was too narrow, and, thus, he had a right to be in the lane to assure his safety.

My purpose of this email is not to argue his case but to use this example as an opportunity for Tampa city police to be advised on the laws for bicyclists on roads and traffic lanes in Tampa, many of which are sub-standard and less than 14 feet in width.

I know you're an experienced cyclist and are aware of the hazards of cycling too close to the right edge of a roadway. And I'm also sure you're aware of the laws for bicyclists regarding their position in the roadway as stated in the Florida Bicycle Law Enforcement Guide.

I am respectfully asking you to please advise your law enforcement staff regarding the rights of bicyclists to be in roadways and the circumstances under which they do not have to ride as close to the roadway's right edge. As you know, many of the roads in Tampa are sub-standard in width and I believe as a veteran bicyclist that the safest place to be is not straddling the roadway's right edge but to be in the lane.

I am requesting that we can meet and discuss the issue so that your police staff and the public can be better informed about this issue.

In addition, the Florida Bicycle Association has staff who can help guide police on bicycle laws. On Nov. 14 in Clermont, I was lucky to hear a presentation by the Florida Bicycle Association that included George Martin, FBA's bicycle laws program director. I am sure Mr. Martin would be responsive to a request to help educate police officers regarding the rights of bicyclists in the roadways. His contact information is flbikelaws@bellsouth.net and 904-392-1193.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Alan Snel
Director of nationally-recognized SWFBUD -- South West Florida Bicycle United Dealers
Nine Tampa Bay bicycle stores and two lawyers united behind bicycle advocacy
813-468-0064
alansnel@yahoo.com
www.swfbud.blogspot.com

Home of the Bicycle Bash by the Bay festival

For the record, Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor responded within an hour to my email request and said, in part: "I will look into this issue. I agree that officers need to be made aware of bicycle laws. Our streets are unfriendly enough to cyclists without the added burden."

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WHAT IS SWFBUD and HOW DID IT START?

SWFBUD (South West Florida Bicycle United Dealers) is a Tampa Bay bicycle advocacy alliance of 12 bicycle store dealers and four law firms committed to raising the profile of bicycling in the Tampa Bay market, getting more people on bicycles and drawing more public resources for bicycling.

The 12 bike shops are: ABC Bicycles, Bicycle Outfitters, Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium, Chainwheel Drive, Just Ride Bicycles, Oliver's Cycle Sports, Street Fit 360, Trek Bicycle Store of Tampa and Clearwater, Trek Bicycle Store of St. Petersburg, The Ironman Store, University Bicycle Center and Velo Champ. The four law firms are Tom Singletary, J. Steele Olmstead and the Mark Roman Law Group.

The SWFBUD members enlist Alan Snel, a bicycle advocate and former metro newspaper reporter, to lobby local governments to provide more bicycle resources and to put on the Bicycle Bash festival.

SWFBUD is a play on words of Swiftmud, the Tampa Bay water district agency.

SWFBUD traces its roots to the summer of 2006, when then-Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium owner David Luppino (who now owns Just Ride Bicycles) hired Snel for promotions, marketing and to help put on the Bicycle Bash festival. At the start of 2007, Luppino believed it was appropriate that other Tampa Bay bike stores get involved in promoting bicycling, so Snel recruited other store dealers to get involved.

The Bicycle Bash was first held in October 2006 on the St. Pete Times Forum plaza before a Tampa Bay Lightning afternoon hockey game before SWFBUD moved the Bicycle Bash to St. Petersburg's Vinoy Park in 2007 and 2008 and to North Straub Park in downtown St. Petersburg in 2009. In 2010, the Bicycle Bash was moved into Hillsborough County's Flatwoods Park on Nov. 7 so that bicyclists can enjoy the Bash's exhibitor village and also have fun doing live biking in the park. In 2011, the Bicycle Bash will be held again at Flatwoods Park on NOV 6.

SWFBUD won national retail bicycle advocacy awards in 2009 from the Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN) and the Trek Bicycle Corporation. The Bicycle Bash won the Florida Event of the Year in 2007 from the Florida Bicycle Association.

SWFBUD's Snel attends many public meetings in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, plus the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C. to lobby political leaders and governing agencies to commit more resources to bicycling. SWFBUD believes communities that embrace and invest in bicycling become more successful and sustainable.

Flatwoods Park Ranger Thanks SWFBUD For Saving Park and Jobs

SWFBUD Wins National Bicycle Advocacy Award

The national magazine that covers the bicycle industry in this country honored SWFBUD with the 2009 Bicycle Retail Advocacy Award at the Bicycle Leadership Conference in Monterey, Calif. SWFBUD is deeply honored by this national recognition and I received the award from Megan Tompkins, editor of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, and Tim Blumenthal, executive editor of Bikes Belong Coalition. Click photo for more info and check SP Times story, too: http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article996595.ece