Friday, February 3, 2012

Ride your Bike to JetBlue Park's Feb. 25th Grand Opening Event



Pedal to the Park!
RIDE YOUR BICYCLE TO JETBLUE PARK’S
Feb. 25th GRAND OPENING EVENT FOR THE
NEW SPRING TRAINING HOME OF THE BOSTON RED SOX
Want to the see the new spring training home of the Boston Red Sox?  BikeWalkLee and Lee County want to make it easy for you to “hit for the cycle” by pedaling to the park to avoid the event traffic.

The Boston Red Sox and the Lee County Sports Authority will host a Grand Opening Event on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 1:00 to 4 p.m. at the new JetBlue Park off Daniels Parkway.  The event will be preceded by a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. to mark the first official day of operations at the new facility, and admission to the park will be free of charge.

Bicycle riders of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to ride their bicycles to this event!  Join a planned ride (see below), or urge your neighborhood association or place of business to plan a ride to the ball park to participate in the festivities.

  “Riding your bike to the grand opening ceremony is a great way to celebrate the new spring training home of the Boston Red Sox along with Lee County’s growing commitment to support alternative transportation options and make our streets safer for bicyclists,” said Lee Count Commissioner Ray Judah.   
“It’s also a healthy way to enjoy the beauty of Southwest Florida and avoid the traffic jams to boot!”

Bike Parking Corral
BikeWalkLee will offer a bike parking corral – a designated area to safely park your bike for the duration of your visit to the park.  BikeWalkLee volunteers will check your bike in and out and staff the corral from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at no cost.  So, leave your car behind and park your bike in our secure corral while you enjoy the park’s opening day!

Biking Routes & Maps
Several routes and starting points are being planned to take advantage of the Recreational Loops, a system of roadways and paths that link some of Lee County’s parks and entertainment venues.  These loops are part of the countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan adopted by the Metropolitan Planning Organization in May 2011. 

The JetBlue Park—Bicycle Access Map (http://www.bikewalklee.org/RedSoxArt/JetBluePark.pdf) shows the various ways to access the park by bicycle, along with the types of bicycle facilities on each of these roads.   The preferred entrance to JetBlue Park for bicyclists will be the East Gate on Daniels Parkway, which is noted on the map of the stadium facility, indicating the entrances for cyclists and the bike parking corral.  (Click here:  http://bikewalklee.com/corral.html.)

Maps of eight suggested routes are available at www.BikeWalkLee.org.   On the website you’ll find ride maps from the following starting points: 
1. Gateway Community Pool,
7. FGCU, and
8. Trek Estero.  
 Feel free to plan your own unique route to the event. 

Planned rides:    Paradise Bicycles is inviting cyclists to start their ride from their store in Colonial Square Town Center ((9377 Six Mile Cypress Parkway).  You can park for free in the large lot north of the store.  You can either ride on your own from there, or join in an informal unsupported ride from there, starting at 12:30 p.m. There will also organized unsupported rides from Gateway Community Pool starting at 1 p.m., and at Daniels/Apalossa at 12:30 p.m.  Click on the listed bike route map above for details.

Park & Bike Option:  There are several options for biking to JetBlue Park if you live too far away or want just a short ride. For example, you can drive to Paradise Bicycles (9377 Six Mile Cypress Parkway and park by the store and bike from there.  

Volunteer Opportunities:  BikeWalkLee is looking for more volunteers to help staff the bike corral.  If you can help out, please contact: Kelly Bishop at bkbishop58@msn.com.   Volunteers will receive a free “3 feet please” t-shirt, courtesy of Harvey Software, Inc. and Southwest Florida Bicycling’s “3 feet please” campaign. (http://swfbicycling.blogspot.com/ )

Check for Updates:  Check BikeWalkLee’s blog (http://bikewalklee.blogspot.com/) and its Facebook page for frequent updates and new information about routes, off-site parking, and volunteer opportunities. For more information or help in planning your ride, please contact: Steve Rodgers at Gatewaycyclist@yahoo.com

Post-event: bike to spring training games:  After you’ve biked to the grand opening event, you’ll always want to pedal to the park for spring training games and other events held there.  Not only does it avoid traffic congestion, it is fun, good for your health, and contributes to the sustainability of Lee County.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for providing recent updates regarding the concern, I look forward to read more. bike light set

    ReplyDelete

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