Rolling The Bicycle Bash Billboard To St. Petersburg

I promote the Bicycle Bash by the Bay by all means -- including advertising the bicycle festival via the famed Bicycle Bash rolling billboard. This morning I biked from Tampa to St. Pete to promote the Oct. 11 bicycle festival and enjoyed bumping into some old bike pals and spreading the word to the folks in downtown St. Pete today. A tip of the helmet to my bicycle pal Ellen Pierson of the Police Unity Tour, who snapped some photos while I cyclked the Bash-board.







Matt, owner of Tour de Pizza, off 4th Street has a Pizza Diet and keeps in shape by cycling. Matt supports bicycling and is the Bicycle Bash by the Bay.


The famed Boston Bill enjoys posing next to the Bicycle bash billboard in downtown St. Pete today. Boston Bill lost his foot to MRSA but keeps on cycling.

Cycling -- The New Golf

Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe went to bat for bicyclists recently when he worked with SWFBUD to keep Hillsborough County's parks open seven days a week and he has also worked behind the scenes to connect the Upper Tampa Bay Trail with the Suncoast Trail.

Commissioner Sharpe believes cycling is the new golf, and that the way to attract high-tech and medical research businesses to Tampa Bay is to support quality-of-life issues and public amenities such as bicycling.

That's why I attended Sharpe's fundraiser last night in Tampa and I urge you to back political leaders and elected officials who support bicycle infrastructure and improving conditions for bicyclists and work to remove politicians who do not have the best interests of bicyclists at heart.

SWFBUD Speaks at Open Mic Night at Bamboozle Cafe Wednesday

I will be representing SWFBUD next Wednesday at 7:30 PM at Bamboozle Cafe in downtown Tampaand discussing my 10-point plan to improving bicycling around the Tampa area next week at an open mic night event held by the Urban Charrette. The Urban Charrette is a group of eager and intelligent planners, architects, sustainability folks etc. who want to make Tampa a better-designed place to live. The open mic night will focus on greenways and green space.

SWFBUD's Working On The Bash With A New Bash-board Trailer and Tampa Tribune Preview Coverage

This afternoon the famed Bicycle Bash rolling billboard-trailer got a new sign just in time for this year's event on Oct. 11.


Thank you Tampa Tribune for some nice previews of the 2009 Bicycle Bash by the Bay. The Trib ran this story by Mary Shedden and also this story this afternoon.

SWFBUD's Lobbying Pays Off As Hillsborough County Plans To Start Connection Between Upper Tampa Bay and Suncoast Trails

As you know, SWFBUD lobbied Hillsborough County Commissioners to extend the Suncoast Trail south while county officials work on extending the Upper Tampa Bay Trail north to make the connection between the two trails. Nice to see some progress in the connection between the two trails as this St. Pete Times story explains that ground will be broken in the first part of the connection.

The Times story says that construction of a 4.2-mile stretch running west and south from Lutz-Lake Fern Road and the Suncoast Parkway will begin next spring or summer. Stretching the Upper Tampa Bay Trail northward hit a snag when several homeowners balked at selling easement properties, so the alignment is being altered to run west to Lake Rogers Park and then will cross Gunn Highway again eastward to eventually hook up with the trail. The entire connection will be about 10 miles and this first phase from Lutz-Lake Fern Road will be one of three segments to make the full connection.

When connected into one continuous trail, this paved multi-use path will run 57 miles long and be the longest trail in the state of Florida. Nice to see Hillsborough County can make positive headlines by saying it will be host to Florida's longest trail.

SWFBUD Appears On A Share The Road Plate Minus The Dub

I tried to give SWFBUD some love on a Share the Road car plate. But with a maximum of five characters that are available, I dropped the "W" so it's SWFBUD minus the dub.

SWFBUD Invites Gov. Charlie Crist To The Bicycle Bash By The Bay

Dear Charlie,

You've hit the jackpot, my friend.

I heard you live in a downtown St. Pete condo, so all you have to do on the morning of Oct. 11 is stumble out of bed, dab a little gel into your lovely hair and saunter over to North Straub Park for the 2009 Bicycle Bash by the Bay.

The Bicycle Bash is Tampa Bay's bicycle festival and there will be all types of fun bicycle activities for you and the Mrs. to enjoy.

Your pal Rick Baker is getting a SWFBUDdy award for making the 'burg a bicycle-friendly place.

The Columbia Restaurant and Richard Gonzmart will be on hand serving up the paella.

Not sure if you have noticed guv, but more and more Floridians are turning to a bicycle to get around. So if you want those votes for your U.S. Senate race, you might want to mingle a bit with the bicycle enthusiasts who will be hanging out at the Bicycle Bash on Oct. 11 in St. Pete.

Hope you can make it and if you do come, stop by the SWFBUD headquarters tent.

Happy pedaling,

Alan.