SWFBUD Store Owner Asks Iorio For Help

Dear Mayor Iorio,

I am writing in support of cyclists, and our right to ride on the road. Cyclists and pedestrians are being hit and killed with startling regularity in the Tampa area in the past several months.

Many of the drivers at fault were guilty of hit and run, running a red light (causing the incident) or some other form of reckless driving. The result of their actions in these cases was someone losing their life.

As of now, almost NONE of these people are being charged with anything more serious than leaving the scene of an accident. I can think of no other instance where a person's reckless actions can cause the loss of someone's life, and the offender not being held accountable for that loss.

We never want to be confrontational about it and cause bad feelings between drivers and cyclists, but I am ,quite honestly, tired of people responding that bikes "shouldn't be out there", or "shouldn't be riding early", "shouldn't be riding late", "shouldn't do this", "shouldn't do that."

Cyclists have just as much "right" to be on those roads as any car out there. I don't LIKE stopping at a million red lights. I don't LIKE going 20mph in school zones.

But I don't do those things because I like them, I do them because it's the LAW to KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. I don't necessarily care if drivers don't think bikes should be on the road. IT'S THE LAW THAT THE CAR DRIVERS GIVE CYCLISTS 3 FT, etc.

I'm sick of this all being about one side vs. the other. It's the law and it's not being enforced.

Mayor Iorio, please do not leave office without having done something real to change the fact that Tampa, your city, is the most dangerous one in America to ride a bikein. I saw you, Mayor Pam at the downtown rally in April, riding your bike. You are not a stranger to cycling.

I have participated in County Commissioners meetings on thesubject of safer ways for cyclist and pedestrians to get around our great city, well before all the cycling related deaths in the past 2 months.

All I ask is that you PLEASE IDENTIFY BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AS A PRIORITY, and that these interests be REPRESENTED. There are many cyclists out here, and we want to be protected, and heard! Thank you, Mayor Iorio, for this opportunity to speak my peace, a small cry for your help in this very important matter

Jackie M. Eckman, co-owner
CARROLLWOOD BICYCLE EMPORIUM

Volunteers Needed For Bicycle Bash NOV 7 at Flatwoods

The Bicycle Bash is only 5 weeks away and this year it's in Flatwoods Park off Morris Bridge Road. It will be held in the parking lot area between the "Y" water station on the 7-mile loop and the Eubanks Trail.

SWFBUD will be hosting the Bicycle Bash and we will have:

-- 10 SWFBUD bike shops
-- Vendors and Exhibitors
-- SWAMP Club Demo Rides
-- Children's Area, including free helmets courtesy of All Children's Hospita;
-- Art and face paint area
-- SWAP Meet
-- Food and Music

Volunteers are needed. Contact Alan Snel to be a volunteer at alansnel@yahoo.com

SWFBUD Prompts County Commisioner To Set Bike Safety As Commission Meeting Agenda Item Wednesday

More breaking news:

Hillsborough Commissioner Mark Sharpe has set bicycle safety as a Hillsbrough County Commission agenda item for Wednesday's meeting on Oct. 6.

The agenda itrem will be heard at 2:15 PM.

But you the bicyclist can talk publicly at 9 AM when the public comment period begins.

Please attend.

Please speak out.

Please advise the county commissioners about what it's like to bike round here. Tell them we need better roads, better educated drivers (and bicyclists, too) and more trails.

Also, the Tampa City Council the next day will be meeting at 9 AM. Attend that meeting, too, and speak out for infrastructure improvements.

I will be giving a presentation about bike infrastructure during the meeting.

As for today . . .


You're looking at a Huffy bicycle and one of the damaged cars being transported from the corner of Himes and Spruce after a car ran a red light, collided with another car and ultimately one of he cars slammed into a bicyclist waiting to cross the road. The woman in her 50s was killed and no ID as of now.

It's the sixth person who has lost her or his life while on a bicycle since Adm. LeRoy Collins was killed on July 29 in Tampa.

Six different people from all walks of life.

Their lives lost simply for pedaling a bicycle.

FOX News ran this about today's Honor The Fallen Bike Ride.

Cure On Wheels Holds Fundraiser Saturday

My friends at Cure on Wheels are having a fun fundraiser Saturday. Cure on Wheels is the presenting sponsor of SWFBUD's Bicycle Bash on Nov. 7.

Friend of SWFBUD Struck By Car

Friend of SWFBUD Picot Flloyd was bicycling Sept. 12 morning when a car struck him from behind. Picot sufered some whiplash, but no broken bones.

SWFBUD Appears On Channel 13 To Promote Bike Safety

I represented SWFBUD today on a Channel 13 FOX-TV news report about an art teacher who was killed while riding his bicycle to Lawton Chiles Elementary School at 7:13 am today.

My message again -- let's all be alert on the roads and share the roads safely.

Bicyclists With 3 Feet Please Jerseys Needed For PSA

SWFBUD is working with Steve Brown on a bike safety PSA and we're looking to shoot some footage of bicyclists wearing Joe Mizereck's yellow "3 Feet Please" jersey in a pace line. We have three bicyclists and we're looking for five to seven more. If you have a yellow 3 Feet Please jersey amd would like to be part of this PSA, contact me at alansnel@yahoo.com.