Florida Bicycle Association helps kick off the touring season

Florida Weekly 'Outdoors' column, 10/5/2016
 
danMOSER
bikepedmoser@gmail.com

If you care about the bicycling environment but you’re not familiar with Florida Bicycle Association, you should get to know and support them. It is our one and only bicycle advocacy and education organization representing all of Florida and it works tirelessly to be the voice of anyone who rides a bike. FBA’s mission is “to network and share best practices, to educate and advocate, and to build awareness as a unified voice.”

Its vision is “for Florida to be a state where bicycling is safe, respected and encouraged as a means of transportation and recreation.” Efforts to meet its mission and vision range from representing bicyclists in Tallahassee to providing education and awareness programs, and identifying resources and expertise for those working on local, regional and statewide levels.

As the ride season begins this month, FBA will be conducting its annual membership meeting in St. Petersburg on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Riders lined up for a ride in Cape Coral last year. October
marks the month that bike events begin in Florida.

The featured speaker is DeWayne Carver, the Florida Department of Transportation’s state complete streets program manager. Mr. Carver had been the state bicycle/pedestrian coordinator, so between the two positions he’s held with FDOT and his private sector transportation planning background, he’ll have plenty of valuable insight to share.

Regional advocacy updates, audience engagement on bicycle laws, infrastructure and education outreach are on the agenda. The event is free to the public.

A week after its annual membership meeting, FBA is partnering with Bike Florida to present the Share the Road Celebration of Cycling 2016 in Gainesville. This two-day event is Oct. 28-29. It includes workshops and the Share the Road annual awards. Programs include discussions by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Active Streets Alliance of Gainesville, Joyride Bicycle Collective of Tallahassee and SUN trail. There will be a demonstration of solar powered in-ground reflectors. The summit if free; the Bike Florida tourism session costs $40, which includes the awards luncheon. For more information, see sharetheroad.org.
On Nov. 19, the day before and in conjunction with one of Florida’s best century rides - The Horrible Hundred in Clermont - FBA presents Florida Bicycle Best Practices Workshop. Group riders, bike club members and those who are part of local and regional advocacy organizations should consider attending this workshop.

According to Becky Afonso, FBA’s executive director, “This year we are happy to have Hugh Aaron of Bike Walk Indian River County and Vero Cycling Inc. to lead the discussion of ‘Best practices for working with state and local officials to make your community more bike friendly.’ Mr. Aaron promises to share his own experiences working with local bicycle advisory committees, community traffic safety teams, county commissioners or city councils, local planners, local public works departments and local FDOT district staff. These experiences have helped Indian River County become a League of American Bicyclists Bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community.”

The workshop is free and open to anyone. Those who register in advance will be eligible for a complimentary entry to the Horrible Hundred the following day.

For a full listing of bike rides and tours around Florida and the Southeast U.S., see FBA’s Bicycle Touring Calendar at floridabicycle.org.

In Southwest Florida the first big ride of the season is Coastline Cyclery’s Epilepsy Awareness Rides, 15-, 30-, and 62-mile options, on Sunday, Oct. 23. See www.facebook.com/CoastlineCyclery. ¦
 


- Dan Moser is a long-time bicycle/pedestrian advocate and traffic safety professional who cycles, runs and walks regularly for transportation, recreation and fitness. Contact him at bikepedmoser@gmail.com and 334- 6417.