Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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.

1 comment:

Mariella said...

Rose Ferlita was instrumental in getting the South Coast Greenway included & prioritized in the MPO 2035 Transportation Plan. This Greenway is a multi-use paved trail connecting south Hillsborough to Tampa. More info here: http://mariella.posterous.com/24907928