At today's Lee MPO Board meeting the members approved sending a letter in support of HB 231 to the Lee Legislative delegation, asking them to enact the bill this legislative session. BikeWalkLee spoke in support of the proposal and applauds the Board for taking action.
P.O. Box 150045, Cape
Coral, Florida 33915-0045 •
(239) 244-2220 • www.leempo.com
February 20, 2015
RE: MPO Board letter to the Lee County Legislative
Delegation
As
the Florida Legislature begins this legislative session, the Lee County MPO
Board is writing to urge your support of HB 231, a bill introduced by Rep.
Kathleen Passidomo. The proposed legislation strengthens and clarifies current
laws and toughens penalties, to make our roads safer for all road users,
especially vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. We are pleased that a member of the Lee
delegation, Rep. Passidomo, is sponsoring this important bill.
For
most of the past decade, Florida has consistently been the most dangerous state
in the country for pedestrians and cyclists. Lee County's pedestrian fatality
rate is almost twice the national average, while the cyclist fatality rate is a
startling four times higher than the national average. Due to these alarming
statistics, Lee County has been one of the 10 communities included in FDOT's
comprehensive bike/ped safety initiative launched in 2011.
The
Lee MPO has placed a high priority on improving bicycle/pedestrian safety in
Lee County. In 2013, the MPO Board
adopted a Bicycle Pedestrian Safety Action Plan which is aimed at greatly
reducing bicycle/pedestrian injuries and fatalities through a wide range of
recommended activities--from education, engineering to enforcement.
As
part of our commitment to improve bike/ped safety, we support the need for
stronger laws and enforcement tools to make Florida roadways safer for
pedestrians and cyclists. We believe HB
231 helps clarify rules and responsibilities for cyclists, pedestrians, drivers,
and people in wheelchairs. There are
several conflicts in the current law that need to be cleared up so that the
laws are more enforceable. We believe
that the increased penalties for violation of the laws that protect cyclists
and pedestrians are also warranted. The
provisions in the bill focused on education, such as creating a requirement for
the state to include safety information regarding cyclists in driving handbooks
and on driver's exams, is also part of the comprehensive approach needed to make
Florida a safer place for walking and biking.
We
urge you to support HB 231 this session to help make Florida roadways safer for
pedestrians and cyclists.
Sincerely,
Councilman Tom Leonardo, Chairman
Lee County Metropolitan Planning
Organization
Members
of the Lee County Delegation:
Rep. Ray Rodriguez
Rep. Dana Eagle
Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen
Rep. Matt Caldwell
Rep. Kathleen Passidomo
Senator Garrett Richter
Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto
cc:
Governor Rick Scott
FDOT Secretary Jim Boxold
FDOT District 1 Secretary, Billy Hattaway
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