Friday, April 4, 2014
Flying Fish Joins SWFBUD
SWFBUD announces that Flying Fish Bicycles is the newest SWFBUD member and will be at the Bicycle Bash festival on Sunday in downtown Tampa.
Friday, March 28, 2014
2014 SWFBUDdy Award Winners For Tampa Bay
SWFBUD is pleased to announce the WINNERS of the "SWFBUDdy AWARD" for
2014. These are individuals who embody the mission of SWFBUD to "Make
the Bay Areas Better for Bicycling."
From the City of Clearwater our SWFBUDdy Award Winners Chip Haynes.
Chip is a lifelong Clearwater resident. His uncle Dick Phillips owned
Clearwater Schwinn which was the Schwinn franchise in town back in the
day when many of started discovering bicycling as a lifestyle. Chip grew
up around bikes. He rode around the country on his bike back in the
70’s. He has an antique bike collection and has always championed
cycling. He is an example to all of us because he practices what he
preaches and travels by bike most everywhere and when possible. Chip has
served on the Pinellas County Bike Advisory Board. Whenever there is a
cycling cause in our area he is on it. He provides weekly road condition
reports to the city of Clearwater. He wrote a couple of books about
cycling one of which is “The Practical Cyclist.” Because of this
excellent work as a champion and an shining example of the bicycling
lifestyle for bicycling in the Bay Area, SWFBUD is proud to announce
Chip Haynes as a 2014 SWFBUDdy Winner.
Our next SWFBUDDy award winner is also from Clearwater. She is an
employee of the City of Clearwater, she has worked hard over the years
to make Clearwater the bicycle friendly city it is today. That Bay Area
Bicycle Activist is Felicia Leonard, from Clearwater Parks and
Recreation Department where she is the City’s Parks & Recreation
Administrative Support Manager. Felicia has made sure that bicycles have
a place in the City’s recreation areas and that there are safe ways for
us to ride in and around the many parks of which she is in charge. This
City of Clearwater employee has been consistent and unfailing in her
commitment and support of bicycling as both viable transportation and
recreation, making Clearwater a better place for us cyclists. Because of
this excellent work making places where the bicycling community of the
Bay Area can safely enjoy our passion for bicycles, SWFBUD is proud to
announce Felicia Leonard as a 2014 SWFBUDdy Winner.
Our next a SWFBUDdy winner come from Tampa, Assistant State Attorney
Barbara Coleman is a SWFBUDdy winner. She is a Hillsborough County
Assistant State Attorney. This wonderful person, In her career as a
prosecutor, has convicted and sent to prison many dangerous drivers who
have killed or seriously injured other motorists, pedestrians, and
bicyclists. Her skill as an advocate for the bicycling community is
prodigious.
She obtained a 7-year, 3-month prison sentence for the hit-and-run
motorist who killed bicyclist and USF cancer researcher Kayoko Ishizuka,
She obtained a 10-year prison sentence for the hit-and-run motorist who
killed bicyclist Humberto Saez, and just recently, obtained on behalf of
all Bay Area cyclistsa 13-year prison sentence for the racing motorist
who killed one our us, bicyclist and veterinarian Robert Niedbalec.
Barbara Coleman has not stopped there putting motorist who kill
bicycylists. Currently, she has upcoming cases against the second
motorist who contributed to the crash that killed Dr. Niedbalec, against
the motorist charged for the hit-and-run crash that killed bicyclist
Ivan Miller, and against the motorist charged for the hit-and-run crash
that killed bicyclist Michael Lee. SWFBUD and all bicyclists using the
roads of Hillsborough coungy appreciate her hard work, commitment, and
dedication to locking up dangerous drivers who threaten the lives and
bodies of bicyclists and everyone else who uses our public streets.
Because of this excellent work bringing Justice to the bicycling
community of the Bay Area, SWFBUD is proud to announce Assistant State
Attorney as a 2014 SWFBUDdy Winner.
Our next SWFBUDdy winner is Detective Jennifer Shelton. For so long we
have watched and experienced motorist violating 3 foot law, hitting us
with mirrors of all kinds and sizes, with trailers and driving so close
as to make us feel the presence of death. The death of bicyclist Mike
Lee is a chilling tale. Last year, on August 6, Mike Lee, 29, was riding
at 7:50 a.m. Tuesday on the right shoulder of the U.S. 92 overpass near
an off ramp for Interstate 4 and the Florida State Fairgrounds on his
way as usual to work when he was hit by a hit and run driver. The
murderer drove away from the crash and left Mike to die. Detective
Shelton was called in. There seemed to be no clues. But The
investigative team lead by Detective Shelton combed over the scene found
one and only one. A small chip of green paint. Working on tips from the
800 number tip line. She matched this small chip of pain to a section of
missing paint from the hood of a suspect’s truck and lead to the
killer’s arrest. All of this in ONE DAY later. Today that bicycle killer
was in jail awaiting prosecution. This was stunning news to the
bicycling community. When somehting like Mike Lee’s death happens on a
road with a wide bicycle lane as Tim Bustos executive Director of the
Florida Bicycling Association was quoted: “it’s inexplicable.” Because
of this excellent work bringing Justice to the bicycling community of
the Bay Area, SWFBUD is proud to announce Detective Jennifer Shelton as
a 2014 SWFBUDdy Winner.
There are individual citizens who are making the bay area a better place
for bicyclists. The next recipients of our SWFBUDdy award are Nancy and
Gary Chapin. As you know, we have had a wonderful place given to the
cyclists as a result of the Rails to Trails program. One such trail is
the Pinellas trail. Despite being provided to us by the state and
federal government, it’s like anything good, it takes work. One
organization doing that work is the Auxiliary Rangers of the Pinellas
Trail. Nancy and Gary joined the 2011 Auxiliary Rangers on the Pinellas
Trail in February 2011. To describe the amount of work Gary and Nancy
speaks to the goodness and greatness that Bicycle Advocates give to the
community. Gary spends 500 hours a year alone riding the trail and Nancy
250 hours a year also riding the trail. As Auxillary Rangers they help
people with flat tires, sweep up glass left by the decrepit vandal, and
patrol the the trail making sure suspicous activities don’t turn into a
threat to the bicyclists on the trail In 2012 they encouraged their
church, the Allendale United Methodist Church, to adopt several miles of
trail as their own to keep the trail clean and safe. In addition, Nancy
and Gary adopted their onw mile to do on their own. Think about that. A
full mile, to clean, watch over and maintain. Imagine you do that
yourself. Their dedication to bicycling and making the Bay Area has
inspired us all to do more for us to enjoy bicycling. SWFBUD Thanks Gary
and Nancy Chapin you for volunteering your time, all the help you have
given, for making the Bay Area a Better Place for Bicycling.
2014. These are individuals who embody the mission of SWFBUD to "Make
the Bay Areas Better for Bicycling."
From the City of Clearwater our SWFBUDdy Award Winners Chip Haynes.
Chip is a lifelong Clearwater resident. His uncle Dick Phillips owned
Clearwater Schwinn which was the Schwinn franchise in town back in the
day when many of started discovering bicycling as a lifestyle. Chip grew
up around bikes. He rode around the country on his bike back in the
70’s. He has an antique bike collection and has always championed
cycling. He is an example to all of us because he practices what he
preaches and travels by bike most everywhere and when possible. Chip has
served on the Pinellas County Bike Advisory Board. Whenever there is a
cycling cause in our area he is on it. He provides weekly road condition
reports to the city of Clearwater. He wrote a couple of books about
cycling one of which is “The Practical Cyclist.” Because of this
excellent work as a champion and an shining example of the bicycling
lifestyle for bicycling in the Bay Area, SWFBUD is proud to announce
Chip Haynes as a 2014 SWFBUDdy Winner.
Our next SWFBUDDy award winner is also from Clearwater. She is an
employee of the City of Clearwater, she has worked hard over the years
to make Clearwater the bicycle friendly city it is today. That Bay Area
Bicycle Activist is Felicia Leonard, from Clearwater Parks and
Recreation Department where she is the City’s Parks & Recreation
Administrative Support Manager. Felicia has made sure that bicycles have
a place in the City’s recreation areas and that there are safe ways for
us to ride in and around the many parks of which she is in charge. This
City of Clearwater employee has been consistent and unfailing in her
commitment and support of bicycling as both viable transportation and
recreation, making Clearwater a better place for us cyclists. Because of
this excellent work making places where the bicycling community of the
Bay Area can safely enjoy our passion for bicycles, SWFBUD is proud to
announce Felicia Leonard as a 2014 SWFBUDdy Winner.
Our next a SWFBUDdy winner come from Tampa, Assistant State Attorney
Barbara Coleman is a SWFBUDdy winner. She is a Hillsborough County
Assistant State Attorney. This wonderful person, In her career as a
prosecutor, has convicted and sent to prison many dangerous drivers who
have killed or seriously injured other motorists, pedestrians, and
bicyclists. Her skill as an advocate for the bicycling community is
prodigious.
She obtained a 7-year, 3-month prison sentence for the hit-and-run
motorist who killed bicyclist and USF cancer researcher Kayoko Ishizuka,
She obtained a 10-year prison sentence for the hit-and-run motorist who
killed bicyclist Humberto Saez, and just recently, obtained on behalf of
all Bay Area cyclistsa 13-year prison sentence for the racing motorist
who killed one our us, bicyclist and veterinarian Robert Niedbalec.
Barbara Coleman has not stopped there putting motorist who kill
bicycylists. Currently, she has upcoming cases against the second
motorist who contributed to the crash that killed Dr. Niedbalec, against
the motorist charged for the hit-and-run crash that killed bicyclist
Ivan Miller, and against the motorist charged for the hit-and-run crash
that killed bicyclist Michael Lee. SWFBUD and all bicyclists using the
roads of Hillsborough coungy appreciate her hard work, commitment, and
dedication to locking up dangerous drivers who threaten the lives and
bodies of bicyclists and everyone else who uses our public streets.
Because of this excellent work bringing Justice to the bicycling
community of the Bay Area, SWFBUD is proud to announce Assistant State
Attorney as a 2014 SWFBUDdy Winner.
Our next SWFBUDdy winner is Detective Jennifer Shelton. For so long we
have watched and experienced motorist violating 3 foot law, hitting us
with mirrors of all kinds and sizes, with trailers and driving so close
as to make us feel the presence of death. The death of bicyclist Mike
Lee is a chilling tale. Last year, on August 6, Mike Lee, 29, was riding
at 7:50 a.m. Tuesday on the right shoulder of the U.S. 92 overpass near
an off ramp for Interstate 4 and the Florida State Fairgrounds on his
way as usual to work when he was hit by a hit and run driver. The
murderer drove away from the crash and left Mike to die. Detective
Shelton was called in. There seemed to be no clues. But The
investigative team lead by Detective Shelton combed over the scene found
one and only one. A small chip of green paint. Working on tips from the
800 number tip line. She matched this small chip of pain to a section of
missing paint from the hood of a suspect’s truck and lead to the
killer’s arrest. All of this in ONE DAY later. Today that bicycle killer
was in jail awaiting prosecution. This was stunning news to the
bicycling community. When somehting like Mike Lee’s death happens on a
road with a wide bicycle lane as Tim Bustos executive Director of the
Florida Bicycling Association was quoted: “it’s inexplicable.” Because
of this excellent work bringing Justice to the bicycling community of
the Bay Area, SWFBUD is proud to announce Detective Jennifer Shelton as
a 2014 SWFBUDdy Winner.
There are individual citizens who are making the bay area a better place
for bicyclists. The next recipients of our SWFBUDdy award are Nancy and
Gary Chapin. As you know, we have had a wonderful place given to the
cyclists as a result of the Rails to Trails program. One such trail is
the Pinellas trail. Despite being provided to us by the state and
federal government, it’s like anything good, it takes work. One
organization doing that work is the Auxiliary Rangers of the Pinellas
Trail. Nancy and Gary joined the 2011 Auxiliary Rangers on the Pinellas
Trail in February 2011. To describe the amount of work Gary and Nancy
speaks to the goodness and greatness that Bicycle Advocates give to the
community. Gary spends 500 hours a year alone riding the trail and Nancy
250 hours a year also riding the trail. As Auxillary Rangers they help
people with flat tires, sweep up glass left by the decrepit vandal, and
patrol the the trail making sure suspicous activities don’t turn into a
threat to the bicyclists on the trail In 2012 they encouraged their
church, the Allendale United Methodist Church, to adopt several miles of
trail as their own to keep the trail clean and safe. In addition, Nancy
and Gary adopted their onw mile to do on their own. Think about that. A
full mile, to clean, watch over and maintain. Imagine you do that
yourself. Their dedication to bicycling and making the Bay Area has
inspired us all to do more for us to enjoy bicycling. SWFBUD Thanks Gary
and Nancy Chapin you for volunteering your time, all the help you have
given, for making the Bay Area a Better Place for Bicycling.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Florida Bicycle Association, God's Pedal Power, Sierra Club Coming to the Bicycle Bash April 6!
-- Mike Olsen of God's Pedal Power will be collecting old used bicycles and bicycle parts, or accessories, as part of his group's efforts to fix them up and give them to people in need of a bicycle. Come by and drop off your old used bike at Mike's tent.
-- The Sierra Club will have a booth telling us how wonderful our Florida environment is and how they are trying to preserve and restore it. Stop by and say hello to this nice bunch of environmental cyclists.
-- Florida Bicycle Association will be joining us at Bicycle BASH! The is our statewide advocacy group that has the wonderful Cycling Savvy program and the wonderful Bicycle Messenger newspaper. It's a group that you and your whole family can join. the FBA motto is: "Creating a Cyclist-Friendly Florida." www.floridabicycle.org. Stop by and speak with Dan Moser.
Check out the Bicycle Bash sign at Flatwoods Park!
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And the Bicycle Bash poster is up at Randy Myhre's Oliver's bike shop in New Tampa.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Thank You Hillsborough County For The Bicycle Bash Supplies
SWFBUD wants to thank Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation for its continued support of the Bicycle Bash festival by providing tents, tables and chairs for the 2014 Bicycle Bash on April 6 at 10 AM. Specifically, Jason Gilson and Kevin Church have been very helpful and kind to provide the resources to help make the Bicycle bash the premier bike advocacy event in Florida! Cheers to Hillsborough County!
Sign Up For A Bicycle Bash Table
The Bicycle Bash is open to everyone who loves bicycling in Tampa bay!
To sign up for a table for your bicycle or community group, call SWFBUD at 813-388-0673 and talk to one of the Board of Directors and she/he will hook you up.
We LOVE community and we love our bicyclists.
The MORE the merrier at SWFBUD Bike BASH 2014!
Bicycle Bash List Of Events
The Bicycle Bash is fast approaching and here is your list of activities for the April 6 Bash at 10AM at Cotanchobee Park.
10 am -- Start of Bicycle Bash
10:30am -- Group stretch
11am -- Best New Thing
1:00 noon -- SWFBUDDY Awards
2 pm -- Kids bikes along Riverwalk
3 pm -- Free gear raffle
4 pm -- Bike Bash ends
10:30am -- Group stretch
11am -- Best New Thing
1:00 noon -- SWFBUDDY Awards
2 pm -- Kids bikes along Riverwalk
3 pm -- Free gear raffle
4 pm -- Bike Bash ends
Bicycle Bash -- April 6 at Cotanchobee Park Behind the Forum in Downtown Tampa
Cicrcle the date! It's Bicycle Bash time again.
April 6 at 10 AM at beautiful Contanchobee Park behind the Forum next to the Tampa Bay History Museum.
April 6 at 10 AM at beautiful Contanchobee Park behind the Forum next to the Tampa Bay History Museum.
Tampa BayCycle Is Now A SWFBUD Member
Tampa BayCycle is now adding its strong bicycle advocacy voice to SWFBUD's efforts to make the Tampa Bay area more friendly for bicyclists. SWFBUD is proud to report that Tampa BayCycle is a SWFBUD member.
Look for Tampa BayCycle at the upcoming Bicycle Bash festival on April 6 at 10AM at Cotanchobee Park behind the Forum in downtown Tampa.
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Look for Tampa BayCycle at the upcoming Bicycle Bash festival on April 6 at 10AM at Cotanchobee Park behind the Forum in downtown Tampa.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Bicycle Bash is April 6 in Downtown Tampa
SWFBUD is re-born!
It is now South West Florida Bicyclists United With Dealers and it's also bringing the Bicycle Bash festival to you on April 6 at Cotanchobee Park, the beautiful waterfront park behind the Forum and next to the Tampa Bay History Museum.
Get involved with growing bicycling in Tampa Bay!
Contact J. Steele Olmstead at floridabicyclelaw@jsteelelaw.com
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Tampa Trib Story on Front Page Highlights Bicycle Bash
Nice story by Keith Morelli who wrote about Sunday's Bicycle Bash:
http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2012/nov/02/tampa-bicycle-bash-organizers-peddles-safety-ar-551692/
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Perfect Weather for Sunday's Bicycle Bash
Sunday's weather for the Bicycle Bash in downtown Tampa looks exquisite -- High of 80 degrees, sunshine and zero chance of rain! Special thanks goes to Jim James E Shirk whose work on the Bash is making this annual bicycle advocacy event possible. To my bicyclist friends in Pinellas, please come and enjoy the bike stores of SWFBUD, a short, easy bike ride with Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Columbia Cafe foo
d, free bike helmets courtesy of the Hillsborough County sheriff's office, bicycle legal advice from Steele Olmstead, Cigar City beer, chats with national bike advocacy leaders like Andy Clarke of the League of American Bicyclists, a swap meet and free raffle for free bike goodies. And don't forget the first-ever Tampa Bay Bicycle Summit the next day on Monday Nov 5 from 1-4PM at the History Center. More info here --www.bicyclebash.info
You want to turn around Tampa and make it into a bicycle town where bicycling is both safe and enjoyable? Then get involved. See you at the Bash and stop by the SWFBUD table to say hi.
You want to turn around Tampa and make it into a bicycle town where bicycling is both safe and enjoyable? Then get involved. See you at the Bash and stop by the SWFBUD table to say hi.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Rahm Says Build Bicycle Infrastructure To Recruit High-tech Start-ups
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Bike Bash/Post-Bash/Bike Summit Sked -- Nov 4-5
Bicycle Bash Schedule
Sunday NOV 4 10 am to 4 pm Cotanchobee Park, Old Water Street in Downtown Tampa
10 am -- Start of Bicycle Bash
10:30am -- Group stretch
11am -- Mayor Bob Buckhorn bicycle ride
12 noon -- SWFBUDDY Awards
2 pm -- Kids bikes along Riverwalk
3 pm -- Free gear raffle
4 pm -- Bike Bash ends
Activities -- swap meet, demos, Columbia Cafe food, Cigar City beer, music
Sunday NOV 4 7 pm to 9 pm Independent Bar, 5016 Florida Ave. in Seminole Heights
Meet and greet Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists; and Tim Bustos, executive director of the Florida Bicycle association
Monday NOV 5 1 pm to 4 pm Tampa Bay History Center Downtown Tampa
"The Big Turnaround: Bridging the Divide to Becoming a Great Bicycle Town"
Speakers/facilitators
Andy Clarke, League of American Bicyclists president -- What makes a great bike town?
Rick Baker, former mayor of St. Petersburg -- Why should an elected official invest in bicycling?
Cheryl Stacks, St. Petersburg bike-ped coordinator -- How do you keep bicycle projects rolling?
Jean Duncan, Tampa transportation director -- How does Tampa turn things around?
Tim Bustos, Florida Bicycle Association executive director -- How do we bridge the hopes of advocates with the goals of public officials?
Friday, October 12, 2012
Congrats To This Year's SWFBUDDY Award Winners
One of the best things I enjoy most about the annual Bicycle Bash is giving the coveted SWFBUDDY Award to local citizens and elected officials who step up and make Tampa Bay a more bicycle-friendly place. SWFBUD is proud to announce the 2012 Class of SWFBUDDY Award winners, who will receive their SWFBUDDYs at the Bicycle Bash event on Nov 4 in downtown Tampa. Our SWFBUDDY Award winners are:
-- Cindy Roberts, wife of fallen Tampa Police Officer Cpl. Mike Roberts. Cindy rode her bike 250 miles as part of the Police Unity Tour last year and she showed how truly inspirational bicycle riding can be when she rode in the memory of her husband during the PUT.
-- Tampa City Councilwoman Lisa Montelione, who has consistently supported bicycling on the city council and as a member of MPO panels. Lisa knows bicycling makes Tampa a better place to live and has used her position to support steps to improve bicycling.
-- Architect Ken Cowart and political consultant Kevin Thurman, who this year submitted a business plan to the Hillsborough County Commission that prompted the commissioners to not demolish the Friendship TrailBridge. Not only did their report stop the demolition of the beloved Friendship TrailBridge, which was used by 600,000 annual users before it was closed, but their work has resulted in Hillsborough County government now working on a request for proposal to draw bids to rebuild the Friendship TrailBridge.
-- Antiques specialist Myron Griffin and Tampa Heights community leader Lena Younghave spearheaded a central Tampa bicycle and pedestrian trail movement called the Green Artery to build a network of paths and trails connecting the green spaces of central Tampa. Their unrelenting efforts have resulted in monthly neighborhood meetings in 20 different central Tampa communities over the past two years and have prompted Mayor Bob Buckhorn to support the concept.
SWFBUD congratulates the 2012 class of SWFBUDDY winners and looks forward to the Bicycle Bash on Nov 4 when they will be publicly recognized for their work.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Creative Loafing Continues Great Bicycle Coverage
I urge you to support businesses and political candidates that support bicycling. Creative Loafing has used its editorial space to spotlight bicycling and kudos to Mitch Perry and Julie Garisto for their coverage, including Julie's latest. Thanks CL, Mitch and Julie
http://cltampa.com/tampa/
http://cltampa.com/tampa/
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn Leads Bike Ride During Bicycle Bash Festival NOV 4
Ride with Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn at the 2012 SWFBUD Bicycle Bash Festival on NOV 4. The Bash is from 10 am to 4 pm and the Mayor Bob Ride will be a short ride in downtown at 11 am.
Here's Mayor Bob inviting you to the Bash:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr0sn5S3AxY&feature=share
Monday, October 1, 2012
Bicyclist Economic Spending Power
Friday, September 28, 2012
Mayor Bob Invites You To 2012 Bicycle Bash on Nov 4
Check out Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn inviting everyone to this year's Bicycle Bash Festival on NOV 4 at Cotanchobee Park:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr0sn5S3AxY&feature=share
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