Reporting a bike/ped facilities operations problem and getting results: The Fiddlesticks Blvd. story

Last year, BikeWalkLee penned several blog posts about how to report a bike/ped facilities or operations problem and get results. In those blogs we provided information about who to contact to report such a problem and urged you to report problems you see while you're out walking or biking. We suggested that you to track the resolution of the problem, thank the agency staff who addressed the problem and share your stories with the BWL network, including before and after photos, so that we could demonstrate that reporting problems does get action. Today's blog is the story of one success story from the Fiddlesticks Rd. community.

By Ben and Kelly Bishop
 (Residents of the Legends and long-time advocates for safe biking and walking on Fiddlesticks Blvd.)
 
 The long-awaited Fiddlesticks Blvd. shared use path opened in December 2016, with great fanfare
(See BWL Column: Patience pays off for Fiddlesticks Blvd. community), and the road itself was repaved in the Spring of 2017.  When we returned to Lee County in October (after Hurricane Irma), we discovered that the road edge had degraded and there was a 6 inch drop that could damage a car wheel or cause a bike/car crash.  We took photos of the problem and emailed them to the LeeDOT RFA (request for action) team.  We got an immediate response from the team that they would look into it.  Within 3 weeks, the LeeDOT maintenance crew had come out and fixed the problem.

Below are the before and after photos:

Before

After

 

 

 

Thanks to the LeeDOT RFA team for quickly fixing a safety problem for cars, bikes, and walkers!

BWL Note:
So next time you see a problem when you're out walking or biking, take the time to report it to the RFA team.  Take a few pictures of the problem, make notes on the approximate location (e.g., X feet east of Oakwilde Street), and then file a report through LeeDOT's RFA system. You can either fill out a form online, email or call (239-533-9400). 

 Not only is your walk or ride likely to be safer and more enjoyable next time, the fix will benefit everyone who uses these facilities in Lee County. We, the thousands of users of the bike/ped facilities throughout the county, can be the eyes and ears for the staff on a daily basis. And when you get that email from RFA telling you that the problem is fixed, don't forget to send them a thank you email....and share it with us (info@BikeWalkLee.org) so we can share it with the BikeWalkLee network.
Below is the key contact information that you should keep handy:

Form online: https://www.leegov.com/dot/requestforaction
Email: RFA@leegov.com
Call: (239)533-9400
The LeeDOT RFA team does a terrific job of responding to the reports in a timely manner, not only sending you an email response but actually going onsite to fix the problem and reporting back to you when it's done.

Thanks for being an engaged user...and a big thanks to the RFA team that quickly responds to the reports.

p.s. put the RFA contact info in your I-Phone NOW so you have it when you need it.
Click here for a one-pager with all who/what/when/how to report (keep this handy)

BikeWalkLee Related Blog Posts:

BWL blog 4/16/16: http://bikewalklee.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-report-bikeped-facilities-or.html

BWL blog 4/28/16: BikeWalkLee'sColumn in News-Press "Go Coastal" section: 4/28/16

BWL blog 7/26/16: Reporting a problem with a roadway and getting results: The story of one pothole and FDOT