SWFBUD -- South West Florida Bicyclists United With Dealers: SWFBUD Asks Senate Committee To Not Cut Trails Office

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

SWFBUD Asks Senate Committee To Not Cut Trails Office

SWFBUD sent this letter today to:

Chair: Senator Carey Baker (R) -- baker.carey.web@flsenate.gov
Vice Chair: Senator Alfred "Al" Lawson, Jr. (D) -- lawson.alfred.web@flsenate.gov (last year Senator Lawson made a proposal that saved OGT)
Senator Dave Aronberg (D) -- aronberg.dave.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Charles S. "Charlie" Dean, Sr. (R) -- dean.charles.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Steve Oelrich (R) -- oelrich.steve.web@flsenate.gov

Dear members of Senate General Government Appropriations Committee,

My name is Alan Snel and I just returned from the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., where more than 725 bicycle leaders from around the country met to grow bicycling in our country and meet our local congressional members. There is a bicycle movement in the U.S. as more and more people realize that getting around by bicycle is a great source of exercise and transportation. That's why I am asking you to reject a proposal to eliminate the Florida Office of Greenways and Trails and merge its functions with the state park system.

The elimination of the 16 positions that run the Greenways and Trails program would essentially kill one of the shining stars of Florida’s recreation and tourism businesses, all to save $1 million. The Greenways and Trails system receives 4 million visitors a year in Florida and has an economic impact of $95 million a year. This program cannot run without a staff and this small investment is yielding strong returns on our investment.

Florida led the nation in bicyclist deaths in 2008, and we need infrastructure to safely accommodate the increasing numbers of bicyclists in Florida. In addition, the U.S. and its Transportation Secretary are focused on alternative forms of transportation and on more healthy lifestyles to fight obesity, Florida would be eliminating one of its most successful programs to make progress on both those fronts.

The residents and visitors of Florida consider the greenways and trails important to the quality of life here and what brings visitors back each year. I urge you to make smart economic decisions when you make budget cuts, and this proposal is not one of them. This office actually brings in revenues to the state. Please do not eliminate the Office of Greenways and Trails.

Sincerely,

Alan Snel
Director of nationally-recognized SWFBUD -- South West Florida Bicycle United Dealers
9 Tampa Bay bicycle stores and 2 lawyers committed to getting more people on bikes
Home of the award-winning Bicycle Bash festival
www.swfbud.blogspot.com

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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