SWFBUD -- South West Florida Bicyclists United With Dealers: Florida Bike Summit Pushes For Pro-Bicycle Initiatives

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Florida Bike Summit Pushes For Pro-Bicycle Initiatives

The 2nd Annual Florida Bike Summit is Thursday, Apr 8, at the Florida Capitol Courtyard from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. The Florida Bicycle Association is coordinating the lobbying efforts and the Summit 2010 Agenda. I am a FBA member and will be there on behalf of SWFBUD to push the following proposals:

SB 448/HB 41, Use of Wireless Communications Devices While Driving

Creates the “Florida Ban on Texting While Driving Law.” Prohibits the operation of a motor vehicle while using a wireless communication device for certain purposes. Provides for points to be assessed against a driver’s license for the unlawful use of a wireless communication device resulting in a crash, etc.

General Bill by Transportation and Senator Detert; Co-Sponsor Senator Dockery

General Bill by Roads, Bridges & Ports Policy Committee and Representatives Holder, Garcia, Chestnut, Thurston, Long & Mayfield; Co-Sponsors Brandenburg; Brise’; Carroll; Glorioso; Gonzalez; Heller; Homan; Hooper, Jenne; Kiar; Legg; McBurney; Nehr; Pafford; Porth; Radar; Rehwinkel Vasilinda; Roberson; Y; Schwartz; Steinberg; Williams, A

SB 1918/HB 875, Traffic Offenses

Provides criminal penalties for a person who commits a moving violation that causes serious injury or causes or contributes to the death of a person operating or riding in a motor vehicle, a motorcycle, a bicycle, or operating as a pedestrian. Requires court to impose certain penalties for such actions.

General Bill by Senator Aronberg

General Bill by Roads, Bridges & Ports Policy Committee and Representative Evers

Re-establish the Florida Bicycle/Pedestrian Council.

Opposition to efforts to eliminate the Office of Greenways and Trails

Like last year, OGT was circled for elimination by the Florida Senate. However due to the enormous and coordinated grassroots support that was demonstrated by us last year, the threat for the most part was quickly dropped. OGT is no longer targeted for elimination and all but two of the cut positions have been restored.

Please take a moment to thank our legislative Champions - Senators Aronberg, Lawson and Baker as well as to our important House friends - Representatives Robaina and Cannon.

Amending high-speed and commuter rail legislation to include accommodations/green alternatives for the intermodal links of walking and bicycling, i.e. secure bicycle parking and lockers for pedestrians at train stations, rails with trails, and allowing bikes on trains.

Fair Share Funding: Ensuring that a higher proportion of federal funding for traffic safety in Florida is spent on bicycle/pedestrian programs. 21% of Florida’s traffic fatalities are bicycle and pedestrian. Currently, less than 2% is funded for bicycle and pedestrian programs.

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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