Thought-provoking questions for our community by the CEO of SWFL Community Foundation, which provide us an
opportunity "to come together to form our own bright orange flag moments".
News-Press Sunday 3/8/15 Bike Safety Feature:
By Sarah Owen
 |
| Sarah Owens (Photo by Mila Bridger) |
In middle school, my 10-speed bike
was my life. My friends and I embraced cycling as vehicle of independence.
Naive and fearless, we rode our
bikes to school, babysitting jobs and most all of our social gatherings and we
rode in packs — without shoes, helmets or lights.
Luckily, things changed thanks to
the efforts of a group of concerned citizens to create safer conditions for all
cyclists, not just my gang of friends. Suddenly, action groups were meeting us
at our make shift bike racks, installing reflectors and mirrors on our freedom
mobiles. To be sure kids under 18 could be seen by motorists, the group began
an intensive effort to install 6-foot tall florescent orange bike flags on
flexible rods that followed us everywhere as a beacon of safety.
I hadn’t thought about my orange
flag bike brigade until several years ago when it was time for my own middle
schooler to get himself to school. I had picked a school close enough so he
could ride his bike because of my fond memories. But I soon learned that times
had changed and the culture of biking and walking to school had made a
significant shift.
This made me sad for my family and
it made me question what needs to happen in our community to bring back a
culture of multi-modal transportation. I wasn't just nostalgic for a different
day in age, I was longing for a solution to a much bigger issue — one not
simply about middle schoolers, but the region we are trying to create together.
Fortunately, through my work at the
Southwest Florida Community Foundation I can learn from those who understand
transportation, livable streets and community planning as it relates to a
vibrant, sustainable region. I also knew that in thriving, emerging regions
across the nation, one of the first issues that stakeholders work on at a
common table is transportation.
The erosion of multi-modal
transportation culture in Southwest Florida brings some questions to mind.
What happens when a community with
one of the highest rates of fatalities for cyclists and pedestrians in the
country is not actively adapting to a demand for safe transportation choices?
Will residents with limited
financial resources who can't afford the average yearly cost of $9,000 to
operate a car be able to get to work or school to provide for themselves and
their families?
What role does transportation play
in brain-drain? Can we retain and attract millennials who are waiting until
later in life to acquire drivers’ licenses? Will they see our car-centric
community as a viable place to live and work?
Will we lose economic development
opportunities if companies considering locating or expanding here aren’t able
to find the needed workforce that desires a variety viable of transportation
options?
For those who will always choose
their car, can we afford to continue to continue to expand and maintain our
roads? What is the cost, financially and to our quality of life?
What about moms like me? Can we make
the changes needed to allow our kids the experience and freedom to walk and
ride bikes to school or just around our neighborhoods the way we did when we
were kids?
All of these questions provide us an
opportunity to come together to form our own bright orange flag moments.
We could talk to our schools and
municipalities about creating roadways that accommodate all forms of
transportation. We could talk to our business associates about creating more
vibrant opportunities for employees to travel to work. I imagine steps toward
positive regional change require collaboration and significant commitment.
The issue and need are clear, and if
we were to pick up the proverbial 6 foot flag we could start small and work our
way up.
Let’s work together and create our
own visible beacon of change.
Sarah Owen is president and CEO of
the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, she can be reached at
iamlistening@floridacommunity.com or at 274-5900.
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