SWFBUD Interviews Tampa Mayoral Candidate Rose Ferlita

This morning SWFBUD interviewed Tampa mayoral candidate Rose Ferlita about her views on bicycling and how she will approach bicycling as a public policy if elected in March. Here is a summary of today's inteview:

-- "Educating has to be done. Bicyclists and drivers have to respect each other. Bicycles are smaller but they should not be intimidated by motorists. This can't be the case."

-- We have to do traffic calming.

-- Bicycling will be incorporated as transportation policy.

-- "It's embarassing there are so many (car-bike) accidents. And it's not just happenstance."

-- Giving cyclists an ear in local government.

-- You are part of a bigger committee called a transportation department.

-- Rose was disappointed TBARTA did not include bicycling more in its planning. "Bicycling was not a big component -- and it has to be."

-- I was pleased that Rose brought up the topic of enforcement. "Education should be extended to the officers."

-- Rose is tired of reading media stories about bicyclists being killed and injured. "We don't want to be in the news because of that . . . It's a public safety issue."

-- She stressed education.