SWFBUD -- South West Florida Bicyclists United With Dealers: On Sunday, 1 Bicyclist Killed In Hillsborough and 1 Critically Injured In Pinellas

Monday, March 19, 2012

On Sunday, 1 Bicyclist Killed In Hillsborough and 1 Critically Injured In Pinellas

SWFBUD is saddened to report that there were more bad bicyclist news from car-bike crashes over the weekend in the Tampa Bay area.

On late Sunday night in Seminole in Pinellas County, bicyclist Roger Hiers, 54, of Gibsonton suffered life-threatening head injuries when police said he pedaled into the path of a vehicle driven by John Collins on Park Street N., the Times said.

"Hiers appeared to have been drinking and alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash, investigators said," according to the Times.

Here's the Times story, which offers a few more details.

And early Sunday morning at 3:16 am on US 41 in Lutz in north Hillsborough County, a bicyclist tried to cross US 41 at Crystal Lake Road, police said. He was killed.

TBO.com did not have many details excapt to say, "A man on a bicycle tried to cross U.S. 41 and pulled in front of a northbound Ford Fusion, deputies said. The Ford struck and killed the bicyclist. The names of the victim and the driver of the Ford were not available Sunday."

In less than the last three months in Hillsborough, seven bicyclists have been killed. A common factor is bicyclists killed at night or faint light conditions.

1 comment:

Julia said...: Such news are so sad because stupid drivers can take the life of an innocent person very easy and we realize that whoever should do something to increase our safety is not doing a good job.
Drunk drivers shouldn't drive again if they are caught one but unfortunately they do...I recently heard about another careless driving Toronto case...the driver was sending a text message and lost the control of his ca...guess what? another innocent person died...that's not fair :(; March 19, 2012 at 4:45 AM

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