SWFBUD Prompts Hillsborough County To Create Bike Safety Program

After several weeks of bicyclist death tragedy in Tampa Bay, some good news today. Hillsborough County commissioners -- led by Commissioner Mark Sharpe -- agreed to create a bicycle safety action plan.

Kudos to Sharpe for saying enough is enough -- that the loss of life on bicycles in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties has to end. Six bicyclists in two months have been killed.

I will join others such as Gary Tait in Hillsborough County government, John Marsh of Tampa city government and Theo Petritsch and Jennifer Bartlett at Sprinkle Consulting to work on a multi-faceted plan to turn things around in the Hillsborough County area. I hope it includes education programs for drivers and bicyclists, public awareness campaigns through TV spots and other media, new design of roads in problems spots and stepped-up police enforcement. It has to be a wide-ranging, comprehensive and sweeping program -- not just the sheriff's office giving out free helmets to kids.

Channel 8 and Channel 10 did reports today, while the Tampa Tribune filed this report.

After the county commission meeting, I bicycled from downtown Tampa to Ballast Point Park where I joined the family members and friends of the late Diane Vega, killed while cycling to work Friday, to celebrate her life with a gathering of people who cared deeply about her. Diane, as you might recall, was waiting to cross Himes at the Spruce corner when a car ripped through a red light and caused a pinball accident where a car caromed into Diane and killed the 53-year-old woman during her commute to her FedEx job.

It was wonderful to see Diane's daughter, Selena, who I met Friday night when I returned from the memorial bike ride at the Seminole Heights Bicycle Center. Selena was holding a lit white candle in her mom's memory as bicyclists returned from Monday's ride -- just 14 hours after her mom died.

There was JoAnn Vega -- Diane's sister, who still can't believe the red-light running driver who caused the crash that killed Diane won't face criminal charges because she wasn't showing signs of reckless disregard.

I met Diane's brother and Selena's dad, Scott, and Selena's sister, Genevieve, and a host of Diane's wonderful friends.

I gave helmets to both Selena and JoAnn, and they both said they will ride. Here's Selena with her helmet. I just need to suggest to Selena that she slide her helmet front over her forehead to fit it better.

A touching obituary includes this passage about Diane: "Diane chose to be a cyclist, commuting between her places of employment at FedEx, Macys and all her beloved destinations she loved to visit daily. She loved the freedom of cycling and the feeling of the wind in her face and sun on her tan soft skin."

Here is Diane's complete obituary.

Thursday morning is another big day.

It's off to Tampa City Hall where I'm scheduled to present a powerpoint presentation on bicycle infrastructure based on photos I took of the bicycle road scene in metro Denver. I have shared many of those photos on this blog and with three committees of the local MPO -- Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Diane's two daughters, Selena and Genevieve, said they plan to attend Thursday's council meeting to share their thoughts about improving bicycle safety in Tampa.

And Ed Collins, who would have spoken to the county commission today except a broken-down car kept him away, said he plans to attend, too, to offer a few comments. His dad, LeRoy was killed was bicycling in Tampa on July 29.

Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, has also weighed in with wonderful essay previusly posted and a a terrific League blog post.

The city council meeting begins at 9 AM. Hope you can attend -- and speak, too.

SWFBUD Appreciates League President Andy Clarke Issuing Statement On Tampa Bay's Recent Bicyclist Deaths

I'm proud to be a member of the League of American Bicyclists. The president of the League -- Andy Clarke -- wrote a compelling and authorative letter to the Hillsborough County commissioners in light of the recent string of bicyclist deaths in Tampa Bay. I spoke on behalf of SWFBUD at the commission meeting this morning and Andy's letter was sent today. The commission will also discuss this matter at 2:15 PM if you care to attend.

Here is Andy's letter:

Bicycling Safety in Tampa and Hillsborough County
A Statement from the League of American Bicyclists
By Andy Clarke, LAB President

The tragic deaths of six area bicyclists in recent weeks is an awful reminder of the terrible toll – and excruciating personal loss – caused by traffic crashes in the Tampa area. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims and to all those touched by these fatalities. There is nothing we can do to bring these loved ones back.


Perhaps the best we can hope for is that their deaths serve as a wake-up call to the community: a clarion call to the cowardly hit-and-run drivers and red-light runners who show such disdain for human life; a clarion call to the Mayor, city council, and county commissioners striving to create safe, livable communities; and a clarion call to every bicyclist, pedestrian and driver on area roads. Please – take care, pay attention, and show some respect for each other.


Part of the tragedy unfolding in Tampa is the fact that crashes like this are generally on the decline nationwide, even as more and more people in cities across the country get back on their bikes and enjoy the healthy benefits of active transportation. One out of every six bicyclists killed in the United States each year loses their life on Florida roadways; the recent spate of fatalities in Tampa alone is one percent of the annual national total.


Our plea to the elected leaders of and the entire Tampa Bay community is that you decide today that this is unacceptable and must stop. The way communities react to tragedies such as this truly defines their commitment to bicyclist safety and to their “bicycle-friendliness”. Three years ago, the leading bicycling city of Portland, Ore., suffered two bicyclist deaths just a couple of weeks apart. The immediate response of Mayor Sam Adams in pulling together the law enforcement, traffic engineering, public safety, and bicycling communities to coordinate a powerful and effective response clearly demonstrated their true commitment to ensuring their city streets are safe for bicycling. Nothing short of that will suitably honor the lives of these Tampa cyclists.


Our plea to the residents of Tampa, especially those behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, is to stop treating cyclists like animals. The callous disregard for human life shown by the driver who won’t even stop when they hit someone is inexcusable; as is the level of vitriol towards cyclists on display in the on-line newspaper comments that follow every such incident. We understand that many cyclists flout the rules of the road and that such behavior is irritating – the organized bicycling community, including the League, tries hard to change that dynamic through our education and club programs. But not only are the recent deaths NOTHING to do with cyclist misbehavior, the last victim was on the sidewalk when they were hit by a car involved in a red-light running crash.


As this last fatal crash highlights, traffic safety in Tampa is really not about bicyclists, or bicyclists versus motorists. It is much bigger than that and deserves a much bigger response. The temptation to crack down on bicycling as somehow inherently unsafe must be resisted. People out riding and walking are the indicator species of a healthy, vibrant, safe and livable community. Street design, community development, and driving behavior that discourage people from bicycling and walking should not be tolerated – not least because it makes everyone vulnerable and unsafe. Distracted, drunken and drugged driving is a scourge that affects every motorist as well as every cyclist and pedestrian. Speeding and red-light running, turning without slowing or stopping, failing to yield or signal will catch up with us all whether we are behind the wheel of a car or simply trying to get across the street. For the last several decades, more than 40,000 people a year have been killed in traffic crashes in the United States – mostly car drivers and passengers. That simply wouldn’t happen if we were all following the rules.


Our plea to the law enforcement community is to take these fatalities and crashes seriously. We understand that rarely does someone get into their car with the intent of causing harm, let alone death. The impact of killing someone must be devastating, and remarkably rarely do the families of the victims want revenge. They do want justice, and I believe they do expect the serious impact of a driver’s careless, inattentive or dangerous disregard for the safety of others to be taken into account. There may be new laws that are required to adequately prosecute “causing death by careless or dangerous driving”, so people take the everyday function of driving a little more seriously. By all means crack down on cyclist behavior that is a real threat to public safety or a common cause of bicycle-motor vehicle crashes, but please don’t assume that a cyclist is in the wrong simply for being on the road in the first place. We really don’t deserve that.


The Tampa area is blessed with numerous League Cycling Instructors, active bicycling clubs, bike shops and bike-related businesses that promote more and safer cycling. Our bicycle-friendly community program provides a roadmap for improvements. There are expert traffic engineers and planners who know how to design safer streets for ALL road users. There are examples across the country of where this is being done – even the formerly-mean streets of New York City are being transformed into complete streets that people can walk across, ride along, drive down, and park in safely and conveniently.


Even though the tools are there, that kind of transformation doesn’t happen easily or overnight. We urge Tampa Bay area elected officials to work constructively with the local cycling community, traffic safety experts, law enforcement, public health, business leaders and local neighborhoods to make the tough decisions to usher in a new era of safer streets and more livable communities – not just for a bunch of bicyclists or for the grief-stricken families of fallen riders, but for the good of the entire community.

Tell Elected Leaders To Bike A Mile In Our Shoes

Share your thoughts about bicycling in the Tampa Bay area today and tomorrow at the Hillsborough County Commission and Tampa City Council meetings.

Public comment periods are at the start of both meetings at 9 AM.

At today's Hillsborough County Commission meeting, just fill out a quick speaker form with your name. I believe the county commission will also discuss bike safety at 2:15 PM today as well.


Thursday is Tampa City Council, also at 9 AM.

Bicycle Bash Parking Will Be At Branchton Park On NOV 7

This year, the Bicycle Bash festival will be in Flatwoods Park outside Tampa and we have a parking plan for you to know.

I hope that you can ride a bicycle into Flatwoods for the Bicycle Bash on NOV 7.

But if you plan to drive and are not a Bicycle Bash exhibitor or a Cure on Wheels rider, you will have to park in a designated parking area at Branchton Park on Morris Bridge Road.

You can either bike two miles along Morris Bridge Road to the Flatwoods entrance or take a county shuttle bus, which will drop you off inside Flatwoods Park. Either way, the county parks' regular $2 parking fee will be in affect.

Tampa's First Sharrows and SWFBUD Met Tampa Transportation Staff Monday

You're looking at the first "sharrows" in the city of Tampa -- shared-road markings just painted today on Euclid Avenue between Bayshore and Westshore. They have been in the works for several months now after Mayor Pam Iorio killed the plan for bike lanes on Euclid. City staff replaced the bike lane plan with sharrows and signs along Euclid that tell drivers that bicyclists will be in the traffic lane.






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I share everyone's concern over the recent string of bicyclist deaths in Tampa Bay and I believe there's no single way to fix things.

We need a multi-faceted action plan that includes driver and bicyclist education, a public awareness campaign explaining bicycles have a right to the road, many more bike lanes and shoulders, share the road signs, sharrows and a regional paved trail system that links up with key roads and business centers. I'm sure you have other ideas, too.

Yesterday afternoon, I spent 90 minutes with Tampa Transportation Manager Jean Dorzbeck and two department staffers -- Ben Money and John Marsh. John attends many local MPO transportation planning meetings and other local government sessions representing the city of Tampa's interest in bicycling and walking.

They want to convey that they do value bicycling as part of a multi-modal transportation system in Tampa and are looking for your opinions about what can be done to improve bicycling in three general areas: downtown, Westshore and the USF area.

They also shared information about an interesting road project that will help bicyclists.

It's reworking of North Boulevard from Main Street to Martin Luther King Blvd. The four-lane road will be reduced to three lanes with a southern stretch of the road including bike lanes, then transitioning to sharrows -- the shared-road markings you see in the photos above.

The three lanes will include a center-turn lane and single-traffic lanes going in opposite directions.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns about bicycle infrastructure in Tampa, contact John Marsh at John.Marsh@ci.tampa.fl.us; Jean Dorzback at Jean.Dorzback@tampagov.net or Ben Money at Ben.Money@ci.tampa.fl.us

Thank You HART For Bicycle Bash Bus Ads

HART is a sponsor of the 2010 Bicycle Bash and SWFBUD appreciates HART placing an ad for the event on its buses.


Thank you HART!

SWFBUD Found Mayors Around The U.S. Take Action To Make Cities Safer For Bicyclists

Mayors around the country routinely identify bicycling as an issue. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa recently rolled out the city's new bicycle safety campaign -- posters reminding drivers to give cyclists a three-foot buffer. The campaign will also include TV commercials and it's part of his efforts to implement bike-safety measures after he held a bike summit in mid-August.

It took me only five minutes to find other typical examples around the country:

-- Former St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker extended the Pinellas Trail three miles to his city's downtown waterfront and had a mayor's bicycle advisory committee. I was there for the trail extension opening and saw Baker leading the pack.


-- Boston Mayor Thomas Menino hired a bicycle czar a few years ago and vowed to make his city more bicycle friendly. Check out this story. In fact, the Boston mayor even has a "Mayor Menino's Boston Bikes" Facebook page.

-- Former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz endorsed a Bicycle Action Plan in 2008 to kickstart that city's bicycle turnaround.

Bicycling Magazine said Miami was one of the best 5 bicycle turn-around cities in the country. It's because a mayor helped make it happen.

-- Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper announced major bicycle infrastructure improvements.

This is just a sampling I found in a few minutes. Why not Tampa too?