News-Press continues its year-long focus on bicycling safety and its "Share the Road" campaign, with another Sunday feature edition. The first feature article highlighted 7 cities across the country that are doing innovative things to create a bicycle-friendly environment. (Link: "Bicycling--7 cities that will make Florida riders jealous") This second feature article below looks at some solutions from SWFL communities. (see links at bottom of blog to each of the four cities featured--Sanibel, Naples, Bonita Springs, and Cape Coral). The bottomline message--we need to step up our game! Thanks again to reporters Jaine Zeitlin and Laura Ruane for their excellent work.
SWFL communities taking different
routes, at different speeds
By Janine Zeitlin and Laura Ruane
 |
| Janine Zeitlin and Laura Ruane |
SERIES: Share
the Road
Taking different routes, at
different speeds.
That describes Southwest Florida
communities' journeys toward making bicycling and walking safer.
At stake: Lives and quality of life
in our region.
Last year was especially somber for
Lee County bicyclists. Lee tied with two Florida counties twice its size for
the third-highest number of bicyclists killed statewide. This ranking comes in
a state with the worst record for bicyclist fatalities. Law enforcement stepped
up outreach, but grants to do so have largely ended.
But it will take more than
enforcement and education, said Billy Hattaway, Florida Department of
Transportation's "champion" for bicyclist and pedestrian safety.
"We've got to change the
design. We can't just keep doing what we've been doing and change the
results."
As FDOT District One secretary,
Hattaway is an inside guy making strides. One safety coup he scored last year
was increasing the state standard for a bike lane to a 7-foot buffered bike
lane. Engineers typically designed for 4 feet. He has more design solutions on
tap and hopes local governments will follow suit.
 |
| Bike Route Opening (NP Photo: Jim Paré) |
That takes political will. Advocates
for improvements include BikeWalkLee, Naples Pathways Coalition, Cape Coral
Bike-Ped, the Blue Zones Project of Southwest Florida and bicycle groups
including Sanibel Bicycle Club, Naples Velo and Caloosa Riders.
SWFL Critical Mass has captured
attention through its monthly nighttime rides through Fort Myers' downtown.
Group leaders believe the more
bicyclists of all ages, ethnicity and abilities are visible in the community,
the more seriously government leaders will take their requests for safety
measures. How Critical Mass will sway political action is yet to be seen.
This doesn't encompass everything
and everybody working toward safer roads, but here are some solutions from
Southwest Florida communities:
Link to 3/8/15 News-Press in-depth feature edition on biking safety: Overview of News-Press March 8th feature coverage on biking safety and a call to action
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