December 31: Upcoming running/walking/bicycling/tri events

Upcoming events

Running/walking:

• Saturday, Jan. 5: Snowman’s Shuffle 5K run/walk. Welcome to the 2019 Snowman Shuffle! Join us for a fun run/walk to support the Lee County Strikers U15 Girls Team.  All proceeds from this event will help offset the travel expenses for the team to travel to Austria in June to compete in the Cordial Girls Cup Soccer Tournament. (active.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 6: Hooters River, Roots & Ruts Trail Run, Alva. 10-mile run, 10-mile relay and 5K fun run (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 19: Run to Home Base 5K Run/Walk, 1 Mile Walk & Kids' Dash, JetBlue Park, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 20: Naples Daily News Half Marathon, Naples (gcrunner.org)
• Saturday, Jan. 26: Calusa BUG Chase 5K run/1K walk, Calusa Nature Center, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 26: Run for the Paws 5K, Civil Air Patrol, Naples (gcrunner.org) 
• Saturday, Jan.26: 2019 Hancock Creek Elementary Snowflake Shuffle 5K, Cape Coral (3dracinginc.com)
• Sunday, Jan.27: Hands Across the Harbor half marathon & 5K, Port Charlotte (trifind.com) 
• Saturday,Feb. 2: Strides for Education 5K run/walk, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com) 
• Saturday, Feb. 2:Inaugural Running Water 5K, Cape coral (3dracinginc.com) 
• Sunday, Feb.3: Publix Run to the Arts 5K run/walk, downtown Fort Myers (runtothearts.com) 
• Saturday, Feb.9:Scout Strong 5K run/walk, Naples (gcrunner.org) 
• Saturday, Feb.9:Rotary's Run for the Rose Garden 5K, Cape Coral (active.com) 
• Sunday,Feb. 10: Edison Junior Races, downtown Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com) 
• Saturday, Feb. 16: Edison 5K run/walk, downtown Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com) 
• Sunday, Feb.17: Paradise Coast half marathon &5K, Naples (eliteevents.org/paradisehalf.com) 
• Saturday, Feb. 23: Swamp Stomp 5K run/walk, Labelle (ftmyerstrackclub.com) 
• Saturday, Feb.23:Naples High School Golden Eagle Run, Naples (gcrunner.org)
• Saturday, Feb. 23: Run the Lakes for Cypress Lake Middle 5K, Lakes Park, Fort Myers (runsignup.com) 
• Sunday, March 3: Lazy Flamingo half marathon and relay, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com) 
• Saturday, March 2: City of Palms half marathon & 5K, Fort Myers (eliteevents.org/cityofpalmshalf.com)
• For more running events visit gcrunner.org/calendar.html; ftmyerstrackclub.com/race-calendar; and 3dracinginc.com

Cycling:

• 
  Friday, Jan. 4: SWFlorida Critical Mass ride. A family-friendly slow ride through Fort Myers gathering at 7:14 p.m. and starting at 8 p.m. Front and rear bike lights required. Grab your helmet, bring all your friends and meet in the open field next to Publix at First Street Village, 2160 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers. (meetup.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 6: Wakey, Wakey! Weekly Sunday Morning Ride. All levels, all bikes, leaves from Fort Myers Trek store at 7:30 a.m. on a different route each week (mostly on bike paths).The ride is sanctioned by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, so helmets are required, no ear buds, and no aero bar use while in the group. (meetup.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 12: Sanibel Critical Mass ride, gathers at 7:30 p.m. at Jerry’s Shopping Center, 1700 Periwinkle Way, on Sanibel. Lights required, helmets recommended. (meetup.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 13: Wakey, Wakey! Weekly Sunday Morning Ride. All levels, all bikes, leaves from Fort Myers Trek store at 7:30 a.m. on a different route each week (mostly on bike paths).The ride is sanctioned by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, so helmets are required, no ear buds, and no aero bar use while in the group. (meetup.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 13: 2019 Hamster Wheel 200, 12.5-mile loop you can ride up to 16 times (or less, of course), 30337 Cedar Road, Punta Gorda (peaceriverridersbicycleclub.com)
• Sunday, Jan.20: Tour de Cape with 15-. 30-. 62- and 100-mile routes through Cape Coral starting from Cape Harbour. Also includes a 5K run and 3-mile family ride on Saturday, Jan. 19 (tourdecape.net)
• Ongoing: Join the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club on one of their many weekly rides for members and potential members, with an array of paces and routes to choose from. Check them out online at www.caloosariders.org.
• For more Lee County cycling and tri events, visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (caloosariders.org); Florida Mudcutters (mudcutters.org); and SW Florida Biking Meetup Group (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL).

Triathlons:

• 
  Sunday Jan. 6, 2019: HITS Triathlon Series, with sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances. Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (hitstriathlonseries.com)
• Sunday, Feb.11: Tri Your Heart Out sprint, Sarasota (trifind.com)
• Check trifind.com to find regional and state tris.

December 24: Upcoming running/walking/bicycling/tri events

Upcoming events

Running/walking:

• Saturday, Jan. 5: Snowman’s Shuffle 5K run/walk. Welcome to the 2019 Snowman Shuffle! Join us for a fun run/walk to support the Lee County Strikers U15 Girls Team.  All proceeds from this event will help offset the travel expenses for the team to travel to Austria in June to compete in the Cordial Girls Cup Soccer Tournament. (active.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 6: Hooters River, Roots & Ruts Trail Run, Alva. 10-mile run, 10-mile relay and 5K fun run (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 19: Run to Home Base 5K Run/Walk, 1 Mile Walk & Kids' Dash, JetBlue Park, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 20: Naples Daily News Half Marathon, Naples (gcrunner.org)
• Saturday, Jan. 26: Calusa BUG Chase 5K run/1K walk, Calusa Nature Center, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 26: Run for the Paws 5K, Civil Air Patrol, Naples (gcrunner.org) 
• Saturday, Jan.26: 2019 Hancock Creek Elementary Snowflake Shuffle 5K, Cape Coral (3dracinginc.com)
• Sunday, Jan.27: Hands Across the Harbor half marathon & 5K, Port Charlotte (trifind.com) 
• Saturday,Feb. 2: Strides for Education 5K run/walk, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com) 
• Saturday, Feb. 2:Inaugural Running Water 5K, Cape coral (3dracinginc.com) 
• Sunday, Feb.3: Publix Run to the Arts 5K run/walk, downtown Fort Myers (runtothearts.com) 
• Saturday, Feb.9:Scout Strong 5K run/walk, Naples (gcrunner.org) 
• Saturday, Feb.9:Rotary's Run for the Rose Garden 5K, Cape Coral (active.com) 
• Sunday,Feb. 10: Edison Junior Races, downtown Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com) 
• Saturday, Feb. 16: Edison 5K run/walk, downtown Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com) 
• Sunday, Feb.17: Paradise Coast half marathon &5K, Naples (eliteevents.org/paradisehalf.com) 
• Saturday, Feb. 23: Swamp Stomp 5K run/walk, Labelle (ftmyerstrackclub.com) 
• Saturday, Feb.23:Naples High School Golden Eagle Run, Naples (gcrunner.org)
• Saturday, Feb. 23: Run the Lakes for Cypress Lake Middle 5K, Lakes Park, Fort Myers (runsignup.com) 
• Sunday, March 3: Lazy Flamingo half marathon and relay, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com) 
• Saturday, March 2: City of Palms half marathon & 5K, Fort Myers (eliteevents.org/cityofpalmshalf.com)
• For more running events visit gcrunner.org/calendar.html; ftmyerstrackclub.com/race-calendar; and 3dracinginc.com

Cycling:

• 
  Friday, Dec. 28: Cape Coral Critical Mass ride. Gather at 7 p.m., start at 7:30 p.m. at the Southwest Florida Military Museum parking lot at 4820 Leonard Street for a family-friendly ride through the Cape. Lights required, helmets recommended. (meetup.com)
• Saturday, Dec. 29: Saturday Slow Roll 8 a.m. meet-up at 2160 McGregor Blvd. Recommended for inexperienced/young riders. Distance is 6 miles, includes group ride instruction. (meetup.com)
• Sunday, Dec. 30: Wakey, Wakey! Weekly Sunday Morning Ride. All levels, all bikes, leaves from Fort Myers Trek store at 7:30 a.m. on a different route each week (mostly on bike paths). The ride is sanctioned by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, so helmets are required, no ear buds, and no aero bar use while in the group. (meetup.com)
• Friday, Jan. 4: SWFlorida Critical Mass ride. A family-friendly slow ride through Fort Myers gathering at 7:14 p.m. and starting at 8 p.m. Front and rear bike lights required. Grab your helmet, bring all your friends and meet in the open field next to Publix at First Street Village, 2160 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers. (meetup.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 6: Wakey, Wakey! Weekly Sunday Morning Ride. All levels, all bikes, leaves from Fort Myers Trek store at 7:30 a.m. on a different route each week (mostly on bike paths).The ride is sanctioned by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, so helmets are required, no ear buds, and no aero bar use while in the group. (meetup.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 12: Sanibel Critical Mass ride, gathers at 7:30 p.m. at Jerry’s Shopping Center, 1700 Periwinkle Way, on Sanibel. Lights required, helmets recommended. (meetup.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 13: Wakey, Wakey! Weekly Sunday Morning Ride. All levels, all bikes, leaves from Fort Myers Trek store at 7:30 a.m. on a different route each week (mostly on bike paths).The ride is sanctioned by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, so helmets are required, no ear buds, and no aero bar use while in the group. (meetup.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 13: 2019 Hamster Wheel 200, 12.5-mile loop you can ride up to 16 times (or less, of course), 30337 Cedar Road, Punta Gorda (peaceriverridersbicycleclub.com)
• Sunday, Jan.20: Tour de Cape with 15-. 30-. 62- and 100-mile routes through Cape Coral starting from Cape Harbour. Also includes a 5K run and 3-mile family ride on Saturday, Jan. 19 (tourdecape.net)
• Ongoing: Join the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club on one of their many weekly rides for members and potential members, with an array of paces and routes to choose from. Check them out online at www.caloosariders.org.
• For more Lee County cycling and tri events, visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (caloosariders.org); Florida Mudcutters (mudcutters.org); and SW Florida Biking Meetup Group (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL).

Triathlons:

• 
  Sunday Jan. 6, 2019: HITS Triathlon Series, with sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances. Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (hitstriathlonseries.com)
• Sunday, Feb.11: Tri Your Heart Out sprint, Sarasota (trifind.com)
• Check trifind.com to find regional and state tris.

NDN: BikeWalkLee awards "Champion of the Year" while calling for cyclist safety

 BikeWalkLee awards Champion of the Year while calling for cyclist safety

Thaddeus Mast, Naples Daily NewsPublished 11:36 a.m. ET Dec. 21, 2018

The cyclists of south Lee County are getting a little safer as BikeWalkLee declares it’s Complete Streets Champion of the Year.

Bonita Springs Councilor Peter O’Flinn went above and beyond other area leaders as he helped map future bike trails through the city, the organization said.

“I think the thing is to really become a part of the city’s DNA,” said Darla Letourneau, of BikeWalkLee. “A leader that makes this a top priority and sticks to it and drives it.”

While he’s not alone in the endeavor with the City Council and members of Estero aiming for a better biking experience, O’Flinn is a real driver, Letourneau said.

“Obviously, it’s not done alone,” she said. “The council is helping. But (O’Flinn is) the person who keeps moving it along. We need more Peters around the county.”

Current initiatives include a remake of Terry Street. The roadway is undergoing a major redesign with an emphasis on pedestrians and cyclists — sidewalks will be expanded and more permanent crosswalks will be added.

Planned expansions are also on city, county and state maps, giving the city grant options to kick off construction. One example is a state bike trail running alongside unused railroad tracks.

“It takes 10-20 years to get a Rails-to-Trails project from beginning to end,” she said. “These things take a dedication that most elected officials are looking at the short term.”

Despite the plans in place, current roadways are dangerous for all but the experienced street cyclists, said Doug Saxton of the Estero BikeWalkLee.

“Some people won’t leave their immediate community,” Saxton said. “Just imagine if you could ride with your kids or grandkids to go get an ice cream and it be a safe thing.”


Peter O'Flinn (Special to The Banner)

Dangerous by Design, a group that ranks communities based on pedestrian danger, listed the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area as the worst contender in the nation in 2016. Another report is set to come out in January.

“Pedestrian safety is an indicator of bicycle safety,” Letourneau said. “It’s as if they don’t care. We want to make sure everyone talks about it.”

A new study to be released in January will show whether Lee County has made improvements.
“This has been a bigger issue over the past 10 years — distracted drivers,” Letourneau said.

Local bike safety groups are pushing expanded sidewalks and short additions instead of major trails.

 “We are big champions of walkability to the new (Bonita Springs High School),” said Sarah Baker, chair Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Advisory Board. “It’s kind of getting in on ground level, integrating it in on paper and then seeing it happen.”

The expansions mostly include shared use paths — in short, a widened sidewalk that both cyclists and pedestrians can use together.

“It’d be nice to have space for the cars, bike lane for the bikes and a shared use path,” he said. “If you’re not comfortable riding next to the road, then don’t.”

Going for the gold

BWL's column this week spotlights both Sanibel's designation as a "Gold" Bicycle Friendly Community, and Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn, who was honored by BWL this week as its 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year. It's great to be able to celebrate progress being made towards making our communities more walkable and bikeable...places people want to live, work, and play.
BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, December 20, 2018
by Ken Gooderham

From left: Sanibel Councilor Holly Smith, Mayor Kevin Ruane and BikeWalkLee’s Darla Letourneau at the announcement of Sanibel
achieving gold status as a Bike Friendly Community (Courtesy Photo)

Sanibel has long been known locally as setting the gold standard for bike-friendliness. Now the city has an actual gold award to back that up.

Earlier this month, the League of American Bicyclists awarded Sanibel with its Gold level as a Bike Friendly Community, making it only the second community in the state to earn the top award. This comes after the city earned a bronze in 2010, followed by a silver in 2014.

“We invest heavily and systematically into our Shared Use Path system as a city-wide alternative to motorized transportation,” said Sanibel Mayor Kevin Ruane. “We are fortunate to have many partners who support the city’s efforts to focus on the health benefits and safety of biking on Sanibel. To have our collective efforts recognized nationally as one of the nation’s premier programs is a source of community pride for Sanibel.”

Among the elements that earned the city this higher status:

1. Biking infrastructure improvements, including a new shared-use path to Bowman’s Beach and upgrades/repairs to the 26-mile system following Hurricane Irma
2. Island-wide shared use path intersection updates and safety improvements, 
3. Education efforts to promote safe cycling, including an award-winning “Cycling on Sanibel” video spearheaded by the Sanibel Bicycle Club.
4. Promoting the importance of the shared use path system to Sanibel, including increased focus on the “bikeable and walkable community” brand.
5. A commitment to future improvements, including a Sanibel Master Plan update and continued improvements and expansion of the path network.

The Bike Friendly America program run by the League offers communities a roadmap to improvements that make cycling more accessible and safer based on five “building blocks”: Enforcement, education, engineering, evaluation and encouragement.

Cape Coral and Naples have earned the bronze level in bike friendliness from the League. We hope both communities follow Sanibel’s lead and keep working to move up the ladder – and that other communities (and businesses and institutions) in our region opt to apply to see if they can improve (or even just prove) their bike friendliness.

O’Flinn’s a champion

Speaking of awards, BikeWalkLee recently honored Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O’Flinn as its 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year for his outstanding leadership, vision, and commitment to bringing complete streets concepts to reality on the ground in Bonita Springs.

“Deputy Mayor O’Flinn is a tireless leader who is focused on bringing that vision to reality one project at a time, each building on the other attracting grant funds, and gaining state and national recognition,” said BikeWalkLee’s Darla Letourneau.

Vice Mayor O'Flinn (center with trophy) with BWL representatives (Darla, Doug, Sarah, to his right),
along with Mayor Simmons (L) and member of Bonita Springs City Council

Bonita Springs is a shining example of a community making a paradigm shift into a new way of thinking and doing business. The city has taken the complete streets approach and, through collaborations and partnerships, adapted and built on the foundation put in place over the past decade.

Prior to joining the Bonita Springs City Council in 2016, O’Flinn was an engaged community leader, advocating for enhancing the quality of life in Bonita through a complete streets approach.

Once on the council, he made complete streets one of his top priorities. He has provided visionary leadership on the council, throughout the community and countywide. His goal has been to consistently advance these concepts and help educate the public about its benefits.

“Thanks to Deputy Mayor O’Flinn’s efforts, the citizens of Bonita Springs will have safer streets, a community with more options for getting around town, a trail that will serve present and future Bonitans for generations, and a burnished reputation as a great place to live, work, and play,” said Letourneau.

Ready to ride or run?

Run? Running races take a break for the holidays, with the exception of the Marco 5 Mile Hill Run this Saturday (Dec. 22 – details at gcrunner.org). Keep on training, though, as the events come back strong in the new year.

Ride? Tomorrow night is the month NE Lee Critical mass ride, followed on Dec. 28 with the Cape night ride and the Dec. 29 downtown Fort Myers Slow Roll. Front and rear bike lights required for the night rides, so grab your helmet, bring all your friends. The regular Sunday morning rides continue as well; details on all at meetup.com.

Both? Upcoming events include:

• Sunday, Jan. 6: HITS Triathlon Series, with sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances. Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (hitstriathlonseries.com)
• Sunday, Feb.11: Tri Your Heart Out sprint, Sarasota (trifind.com)
• Willing to drive? Check trifind.com or active.com for tris around the state.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

# # #

Ken Gooderham writes this on behalf of BikeWalkLee, a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County — streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at www.BikeWalkLee.org. 


 

Sanibel Island wins gold for attention and care for cyclists, pedestrians

Florida Weekly 'Outdoors' column, 12/19/2018
danMOSER
bikepedmoser@gmail.com

Bike parking is not overlooked at Sanibel’s Farmers Market. Darla Letourneau / Courtesy Photo.

Congratulations to the city of Sanibel for achieving gold-level Bike Friendly Community status from the League of American Bicyclists, a designation that was announced earlier this month. After being awarded bronze and then silver status the last two go-rounds (re-certification is required every four years) a very strong application resulted in moving up a notch to the next-to-highest platinum level.

Anyone who lives on or has visited Sanibel Island can attest to the functionality and beauty of its pathway network. Some of the improvements made in the last four years include widening of two miles of pathway, a new path to Bowman’s Beach (one of the best beaches on the gulf, in my opinion), removal of unnecessary/inappropriate STOP pavement markings (getting that done was like pulling teeth), additional and enhanced crosswalks, repair and resurfacing of much of the network, an ongoing robust public-private campaign promoting the use of the pathway network as an alternative to driving and safety awareness aimed at both users and motorists.

Also added was a new unpaved path running parallel to Periwinkle Way from Causeway Road at the Island Welcome

Center to Roadside Park, just beyond the historical Bailey Homestead, which is accessible from the trail. It’s more of a foot trail but bikes are allowed. This nature trail is a real gem and has free parking/ trailheads at both ends, something very rare on the island. There are also many other equally wonderful unpaved trails on the island, most being within various parts of J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge.

While the pathway network is world-class, there remains a glaring lack of on-road facilities and bike-friendliness for those who ride bikes too fast for pathways. Although there will probably never be significant roadway accommodation due to limited right-of-way space, signage and pavement markings (i.e., sharrows) making clear to drivers that cyclists are to be expected as part of the traffic flow and an overall acceptance of on-road cycling by city leadership would go a long way.

Making roadway operation a practical and welcoming option for those who routinely hit speeds of 18-22 mph would also make it safer for pedestrians and novice/inexperienced/shaky cyclists on the paths — many of whom are riding bikes for the first time in many years as part of their vacation experience. A safe pathway speed is no more than 15 mph, much slower when congested and where frequent driveway openings exist, two common conditions on many parts of the network.

In terms of the pedestrian environment, Sanibel may want to consider applying for Walk-Friendly Community status, which is modeled after LAB’s Bicycle Friendly Community program and is operated by the University of North Carolina’s Highway Safety Research Center, one of our country’s most respected bike/ped research institutions. WFC is also supported by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, a national clearinghouse on bicycling and walking funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Preparing the application for WFC status would perhaps lead to ideas and policies that would benefit pathway users and on-road cyclists alike.

Sanibel actually has an opportunity to consider applying for that designation as it begins an update of its Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan, an effort that’s funded through Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization and is just now getting off the ground. As was the case with the BFC application process, Sanibel Bike Club will be a major player. But just as relevant in developing the BPMP is the inclusion of nonclub residents and visitors (i.e., daytrippers and island-based tourism professionals who will represent non-local visitors). That vital element should include both a formal stakeholder committee (a requirement of the funds being used) and robust outreach beyond the usual one or two in-person input sessions (think online opportunities). Considering that Sanibel was able to move from being a bronze BFC to silver and now to gold in three consecutive cycles, it’s very likely it will do a great job in updating its Shared Use Path Master Plan. You can find Sanibel’s current plan (from 2009) at mysanibel.com and bikewalklee.blogspot.com. ¦


- 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. 

For Lee County cycling and tri events visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (caloosariders.org); Florida Mudcutters (mudcutters.org); and SW Florida Biking Meetup Group (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL). The Florida Bicycle Association (floridabicycle.org) is your source for statewide happenings. BikeWalkLee’s blog site has all the information you’ll need to stay abreast of advocacy efforts in Southwest Florida as well as statewide and nationally.

Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn Honored as 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year

It was an honor to present the 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year Award to Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn at the Bonita Springs City Council meeting on Dec. 19th.

Vice Mayor O'Flinn (center with trophy) with BWL representatives (Darla, Doug, Sarah, to his right),
along with Mayor Simmons (L) and member of Bonita Springs City Council

In presenting the award to Deputy Mayor O'Flinn, Darla Letourneau of BikeWalkLee spoke of  O'Flinn's rare combination of talents--a big picture vision along with the skill-set, passion, and focus to drive this vision to results on the ground.  "These are special gifts, and the citizens of Bonita and the larger Southwest Florida are lucky to have Peter is a leadership role in the community," said Letourneau.

"BikeWalkLee is deeply grateful to Deputy Mayor O'Flinn for serving as an inspiration and role model for elected officials, staff, and advocates throughout Southwest Florida," said Letourneau.

She also thanked the Mayor, Councilmembers, and the staff "for staying the course on this decades-long and continuing complete streets journey."

In his remarks, Vice-Mayor O'Flinn acknowledged the Council, staff, and community leaders who were all instrumental in these accomplishments.  He emphasized the importance of the context-sensitive approach that is at the core of complete streets.  This approach is a way to make sure the City's development and transportation plans are consistent with the community's vision of preserving Bonita's small city charm.

NEW:  Dec. 20th: Smart Growth America's reported on Peter's award as part of its bi-weekly national newsletter.
Dec. 22nd:  Naples Daily News: BikeWalkLee awards Champion of the Year while calling for cyclist safety

Report by Darla Letourneau



BWL Dec. 19, 2018 Press Release: Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn Honored as 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year

Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor





BikeWalkLee Press Release

Issued December 19, 2018

 Contact: Darla Letourneau, (239) 850-3219, dletourneau@bikewalklee.org

Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O’Flinn

Honored as 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year

 
BikeWalkLee, a community coalition advocating for complete streets in Lee County Florida, has selected Bonita Deputy Mayor Peter O’Flinn as its 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year for his outstanding leadership, vision, and commitment to bringing complete streets concepts to reality on the ground in Bonita Springs.

“Today, we honor Peter O’Flinn as an outstanding champion of complete streets, not only in Bonita Springs but throughout Lee County and beyond," said BikeWalkLee’s Darla Letourneau.

“Deputy Mayor O’Flinn is a tireless leader who is focused on bringing that vision to reality one project at a time, each building on the other attracting grant funds, and gaining state and national recognition,” Letourneau continued.

 BikeWalkLee has always understood that an advocacy group can only provide the spark of inspiration. For the effort to be successful and long-lasting, it must have committed government champions. The most successful efforts have elected leaders, staff and community volunteers working collaboratively towards a vision. 

 Bonita Springs is a shining example of a community making a paradigm shift into a new way of thinking and doing business.  The city has taken the complete streets approach and, through collaborations and partnerships, adapted and built on the foundation put in place over the past decade.

 
Prior to joining the Bonita Springs City Council in 2016, O’Flinn was an engaged community leader, advocating for enhancing the quality of life in Bonita through a complete streets approach.

 Once on the council, he made complete streets one of his top priorities.  He has provided visionary leadership on the council, throughout the community and countywide. His goal has been to consistently advance these concepts and help educate the public about its benefits.

He has worked tirelessly with city staff to ensure a complete streets approach is incorporated into the land use planning for the city.  Just as important, he has proactively initiated the implementation of complete streets projects on the ground. These projects are immediately beneficial to improving the quality of life for residents, which then helps build a broader base of support for future action, all in support of the goal of burnishing Bonita Springs’ reputation as a great small city.

 

O’Flinn has provided leadership and convened residents and elected officials in the Southwest Florida region, resulting in the following:

·     Bonita Springs, working with the nationally recognized Alta Planning + Design firm, is transforming West Terry Street into a beautiful multimodal corridor with safety improvements for school children, recreational and road cyclists, and drivers alike.  This project complements the Downtown Improvement Project, for which Bonita Springs received national recognition as one of the 12 communities in the United States for its exemplary work on implementing complete streets in The Best Complete Streets Initiatives of 2017, prepared by Smart Growth America.

·     Bonita Springs partnered with the Village of Estero and the Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation to launch a long-term effort to create of a “rails-to-trails” trail, connecting the City of Bonita Springs to the Village of Estero via a 10-mile trail along the railroad right-of-way.  This joint Bonita/Estero partnership led a community campaign in 2018 to add this local segment to the statewide Priority Florida Greenways and Trails Map.  As a result of the strong show of community support, this trail segment is now on the official State Trails Map, making it eligible for state funding through the Florida Shared Use Non-motorized (SUN) Trail funds, managed by Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT).

o   Bonita Springs prepared a $12 million application for U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s national competitive BUILD program (previously named TIGER).  The city’s proposal ties together the Downtown Improvement Project, the West Terry Street project, and the vision for the Bonita/Estero Trail (on the railroad right-of-way), to transform the entire 5-mile Terry Street corridor that runs through the heart of Bonita Springs. If funded, the project would leverage even larger transformative changes in the community.

o   Bonita Springs collaborated with Blue Zones to implement quality of life changes in the local area.

o   Bonita Springs was successful in gaining support from FDOT and the Lee Metropolitan Planning Organization for a U.S. 41/Bonita Beach Road Quadrant Study (part of the Bonita Beach Road Visioning Study); with the goal of developing an expanded roadway network between Bonita Beach Road and U.S. 41 that provides a multi-modal transportation approach, using complete streets concepts.

“Thanks to Deputy Mayor O’Flinn’s visionary efforts, the citizens of Bonita Springs will have safer streets, a community with more options for getting around town, a trail that will serve present and future Bonitans for generations, and a burnished reputation as a great place to live, work, and play,” said Letourneau. “BikeWalkLee is deeply grateful to Deputy Mayor O’Flinn for his leadership and many contributions to implementing a complete streets approach in Bonita Springs, and serving as a model for other communities throughout Southwest Florida.”

Key Links:

• BikeWalkLee Dec. 19, 2018 Press Release: Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn Honored as 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year
• History of BikeWalkLee's "Complete Streets Champion of the Year" Awards: 2010-2018 
• Bonita Springs' Complete Streets Journey to date (2014-2018): Links to Key BikeWalkLee Blog Posts

 

BWL letter to BoCC in support of Joel Blvd. "road diet"

BWL sent a letter to the Board of County Commissioners voicing its full support for the County's upcoming Joel Blvd. lane reconfiguration (known as a road diet), which is scheduled to be implemented as part of the regular resurfacing of this road in the Spring.  Road diets (along with roundabouts) are one of the best ways to improve the safety of all road users, esp. the most vulnerable.

 

Before and After photo of road diet

December 15, 2018

 

Dear Commissioners:

 

BikeWalkLee is a volunteer community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County and promoting policies that enhance the safety of Florida's roadways.  At a recent Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST) meeting, we became aware of LeeDOT’s planned new safety treatment on Joel Blvd. in Lehigh.  Given BikeWalkLee’s commitment to improving the safety of Lee County roadways, we wanted to voice our full support for the County’s scheduled Joel Boulevard lane reconfiguration (called a road diet), to be implemented in the Spring of 2019 as part of the regular resurfacing of this road.

 

As you know, for more than a decade, Lee County has consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians and cyclists both in Florida and nationwide, and Florida has ranked the most dangerous state in the country.  In the 2016 national “Dangerous by Design” report, Lee County was ranked as the most dangerous community in the country, demonstrating the urgent need for safety improvements on our roadways.  This road diet project is one way the County can demonstrate that it is taking action to turn around our “worst in the nation” ranking. 

 

We are pleased to see the County following through on the implementation of one of the elements of its 2010 Complete Streets Implementation Plan, developed to carry out the Board’s Complete Streets policy adopted in 2009.  A “road diet” (which typically entails converting an existing 4-lane road into two lanes with a center turn lane and bike lanes), is one of the key proven safety treatments promoted by FHWA and FDOT as part of its efforts to improve safety for all road users, especially pedestrians and cyclists who are the most vulnerable.

 

Road diets are proven to save lives by reducing the number of crashes by 20-50%; and by reducing speeds; the severity of the injuries is less, resulting in fewer fatalities.  This is particularly important for road users at the greatest risk—pedestrians and cyclists.   Safety is of paramount concern at the Joel Blvd. location, where 83 crashes have occurred over the past two years, six of which were fatal.  It is also an excellent choice for a road diet, given its current and projected vehicle volume loads.

 

One of the most cost effective ways to implement new complete street safety treatments is to incorporate them into the planning for road resurfacing.  We applaud the County for taking a holistic approach at this location, and urge you to make this a routine practice to integrate the complete streets and resurfacing planning in order to bring needed safety improvements on the ground faster and for much less cost than if done separately.

As with many safety improvements that are new to the public (e.g., road diets and roundabouts), there is often some opposition from residents and businesses when first proposed because it’s a change.  It’s clear from the research and reporting on the experiences of communities around the country that most public opposition is quickly forgotten after residents experience the new treatments and see the significant safety benefits associated with them.  It is important for our elected officials to stand by the importance of making safety of our roadways the top priority.

Thank you for making the safety of all road users, esp. pedestrians and cyclists, a top priority in your reconfiguration of Joel Blvd.

 Sincerely,

Dan Moser
On behalf of BikeWalkLee

 

 

 

December 17: Upcoming running/walking/bicycling/tri events

Upcoming events

Running/walking:

Marco 5 Mile Hill Run (Photo naplesnews.com)

• Saturday, Dec. 22: Marco 5 Mile Hill Run, Marco island (gcrunner.org).
• Saturday, Jan. 5: Snowman’s Shuffle 5K run/walk, Lakes Park. To benefit the Lee County Strikers Soccer Team (active.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 6: Hooters River, Roots & Ruts Trail Run, Alva. 10-mile run, 10-mile relay and 5K fun run (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 19: Run to Home Base 5K Run/Walk, 1 Mile Walk & Kids' Dash, JetBlue Park, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 20: Naples Daily News Half Marathon, Naples (gcrunner.org)
• Saturday, Jan. 26: Calusa BUG Chase 5K run/1K walk, Calusa Nature Center, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 26: Run for the Paws 5K, Civil Air Patrol, Naples (gcrunner.org)
• For more running events visit gcrunner.org/calendar.html; ftmyerstrackclub.com/race-calendar; and 3dracinginc.com

Cycling:

• Sunday, Dec. 23: Wakey, Wakey! Weekly Sunday Morning Ride. All levels, all bikes, leaves from Fort Myers Trek store at 7:30 a.m. on a different route each week (mostly on bike paths). The ride is sanctioned by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, so helmets are required, no ear buds, and no aero bar use while in the group. (meetup.com)
• 
  Friday, Dec. 28: Cape Coral Critical Mass ride. Gather at 7 p.m., start at 7:30 p.m. at the Southwest Florida Military Museum parking lot at 4820 Leonard Street for a family-friendly ride through the Cape. Lights required, helmets recommended. (meetup.com)
• Saturday, Dec. 29: Saturday Slow Roll 8 a.m. meet-up at 2160 McGregor Blvd. Recommended for inexperienced/young riders. Distance is 6 miles, includes group ride instruction. (meetup.com)
• Sunday, Dec. 30: Wakey, Wakey! Weekly Sunday Morning Ride. All levels, all bikes, leaves from Fort Myers Trek store at 7:30 a.m. on a different route each week (mostly on bike paths). The ride is sanctioned by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, so helmets are required, no ear buds, and no aero bar use while in the group.(meetup.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 13: 2019 Hamster Wheel 200, 12.5-mile loop you can ride up to 16 times (or less, of course), 30337 Cedar Road, Punta Gorda (peaceriverridersbicycleclub.com)
• Ongoing: Join the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club on one of their many weekly rides for members and potential members, with an array of paces and routes to choose from. Check them out online at www.caloosariders.org.
• For more Lee County cycling and tri events, visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (caloosariders.org); Florida Mudcutters (mudcutters.org); and SW Florida Biking Meetup Group (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL).

Triathlons:

• 
  Jan. 6, 2019: HITS Triathlon Series, with sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances. Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (hitstriathlonseries.com)
• Check trifind.com to find regional and state tris.

December 10: Upcoming running/walking/bicycling/tri events

Upcoming events

Running/walking:

• Saturday, Dec. 15: Second Annual Citygate Ministries Downtown Christmas Run 5K and 1 Mile Walk, downtown Fort Myers (3dracinginc.com)
• Saturday, Dec. 15: Naples Christmas Glow Run 5K, 6 p.m., Sugden Regional Park, Naples (eliteevents.org)
• Saturday, Dec. 22: Marco 5 Mile Hill Run, Marco island (gcrunner.org).
• Saturday, Jan. 5: Snowman’s Shuffle 5K run/walk, Lakes Park. To benefit the Lee County Strikers Soccer Team (active.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 6: Hooters River, Roots & Ruts Trail Run, Alva. 10-mile run, 10-mile relay and 5K fun run (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 19: Run to Home Base 5K Run/Walk, 1 Mile Walk & Kids' Dash, JetBlue Park, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 20: Naples Daily News Half Marathon, Naples (gcrunner.org)
• Saturday, Jan. 26: Calusa BUG Chase 5K run/1K walk, Calusa Nature Center, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 26: Run for the Paws 5K, Civil Air Patrol, Naples (gcrunner.org)
• For more running events visit gcrunner.org/calendar.html; ftmyerstrackclub.com/race-calendar; and 3dracinginc.com

Cycling:

• Sunday, Dec. 16: Wakey, Wakey! Weekly Sunday Morning Ride. All levels, all bikes, leaves from Fort Myers Trek store at 7:30 a.m. on a different route each week (mostly on bike paths). The ride is sanctioned by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, so helmets are required, no ear buds, and no aero bar use while in the group. (meetup.com)
• Friday, Dec. 21: NE-Lee Critical Mass ride, gathers at 7:30 p.m. at the Winn-Dixie, 14600 Palm Beach Blvd. Lights required, helmets recommended. (meetup.com)
• Sunday, Dec. 23: Wakey, Wakey! Weekly Sunday Morning Ride. All levels, all bikes, leaves from Fort Myers Trek store at 7:30 a.m. on a different route each week (mostly on bike paths). The ride is sanctioned by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, so helmets are required, no ear buds, and no aero bar use while in the group. (meetup.com)
• Friday, Dec. 28: Cape Coral Critical Mass ride. Gather at 7 p.m., start at 7:30 p.m. at the Southwest Florida Military Museum parking lot at 4820 Leonard Street for a family-friendly ride through the Cape. Lights required, helmets recommended. (meetup.com)
• Saturday, Dec. 29: Saturday Slow Roll 8 a.m. meet-up at 2160 McGregor Blvd. Recommended for inexperienced/young riders. Distance is 6 miles, includes group ride instruction. (meetup.com)
• Sunday, Dec. 30: Wakey, Wakey! Weekly Sunday Morning Ride. All levels, all bikes, leaves from Fort Myers Trek store at 7:30 a.m. on a different route each week (mostly on bike paths). The ride is sanctioned by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, so helmets are required, no ear buds, and no aero bar use while in the group.(meetup.com)
• Sunday, Jan. 13: 2019 Hamster Wheel 200, 12.5-mile loop you can ride up to 16 times (or less, of course), 30337 Cedar Road, Punta Gorda (peaceriverridersbicycleclub.com)
• Ongoing: Join the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club on one of their many weekly rides for members and potential members, with an array of paces and routes to choose from. Check them out online at www.caloosariders.org.
• For more Lee County cycling and tri events, visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (caloosariders.org); Florida Mudcutters (mudcutters.org); and SW Florida Biking Meetup Group (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL).

Triathlons:

• 
  Sunday, Dec. 16: Christmas Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon, Sugden Regional Park, Naples (eliteevents.org)
• Jan. 6, 2019: HITS Triathlon Series, with sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances. Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (hitstriathlonseries.com)
• Check trifind.com to find regional and state tris.

Looking for rides, or riders?

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, December 6, 2018
by Ken Gooderham

New to the area, or new to cycling in general? Looking for places to ride? We’ve got some ideas for you.

You may be a recent transplant or a newly arrived snowbird… ready to ride, but looking for good routes. Or perhaps you’re just starting your cycling, drawn by the fitness, fresh air and freedom to roam on two wheels… looking to expand your cycling horizons or just build up your skills.

Either way, the first question you should ask yourself: Are you looking for places to ride, people to ride with, or both? Your answer will affect the resources you need.

If you just want ideas on where to ride, there are a variety of options. From online maps to in-person suggestions from your local bike shop, you should be able to find the rides – with both the right locales and distances – you want… and enough to offer some variety once you start hitting the trails with purpose.

For an easy place to start, the BikeWalkLee website (bikewalklee.org) has a selection of Lee County bike maps, including the most recent guide to facilities throughout the county – a great option if you want to make up your own routes but need to know the conditions to help you make decisions. (Note: Remember that bike maps become out-of-date the minute they are printed, and that roadwork and other issues can impact the ride-ability of any route on a temporary [or not so temporary] basis.)

Click here for all our online bike maps.

Click here for an updated guide to biking resources in Lee County.

If you live close to a bike path, you can start from home and meander as far as your legs are able. If you’re not so lucky, there are a number of places you and your bike can drive to that can serve as a start/finish point for your bicycle excursions. Either way, the big overview maps will give you lots of options.

In other Southwest Florida counties, look for local resources that offer the same options. In Collier County, check out the colliermpo.org site for county bike facilities. In Charlotte County, traillink.com has a few routes listed. You can also find a lot of different options via Google, of course, with the usual warning about accuracy… for example, mapmyride.com pops up on many local searches, but most of the rides shown are five years old or older and thus may not reflect current conditions.

If you prefer the more social aspect of cycling, then you’re looking for fellow enthusiasts with which to share the road (or path or lane). Here; you also have plenty of choices.

The most accessible and plentiful group rides (at least in Lee County) is Critical Mass… less a bicycle club and more a bicycle social hour (or two). Offering five different rides a month and an easy-to-ride pace, it’s a great introduction both to riding and riders. Note: Most of the rides are at night, so you’ll also need lights (helmets recommended as well). If you’re looking for some paceline practice and faster speeds, look elsewhere… this will be far too relaxed (and probably festive) for your taste. Interested? Find out more at http://www.meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events/.

For more serious riders (and rides), you’ll want to check out some of the local bicycle clubs. Here, where you live will probably determine who you’ll join:

• Lee County: Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (http://www.caloosariders.org/)
• Sanibel: Sanibel Bicycle Club (http://sbcsite.altervista.org/SBC-Site/Home.html)
• Bonita Bay: Bonita Bay Bicycle Club (https://bonitabaybicycleclub.com/)
• Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte: The Peace River Riders Bicycle Club (http://www.peaceriverridersbicycleclub.com/)
• North Port: Coastal Cruisers Bicycle Club (http://www.coastalcruisers.net/)
• Naples: Naples Velo Community (https://naplesvelo.com/)

What does joining a club get you? Plenty of rides (usually multiple rides/multiple distances are scheduled each week, especially in season) and people to ride with; great skills-building opportunities, very useful if you want to become a better bicyclist; discounts at local bike shops and other businesses, and more. Most of all, if you’re interested in getting to know other people who love cycling, a club is a great place to look.

So, grab your maps or submit your membership… and get out and ride!

Ready to ride or run?

Run?  Tis the season to be running, with plenty of seasonal events during the lead-up to the holidays (which are another good reason to grab those running shoes). You’ll find Xmas 5Ks on the calendar the next two weekends in Babcock Ranch, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples… and if you need more distance than that, there’s a half marathon in Sarasota this Sunday as well. Details at 3dracinginc.com and eliteevents.org.

Ride? Back-to-back Critical Mass rides ahead, with the big downtown ride Friday night and the Sanibel ride Saturday night; front and rear bike lights required. Grab your helmet, bring all your friends. The regular Sunday morning rides continue as well; details on all at meetup.com.

Both? Upcoming events include:

• Sunday, Dec. 16: Christmas Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon, Sugden Regional Park, Naples (eliteevents.org)
• Jan. 6: HITS Triathlon Series, with sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances. Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (hitstriathlonseries.com)
• Willing to drive? Check trifind.com or active.com for tris around the state.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

# # #

Ken Gooderham writes this on behalf of BikeWalkLee, a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County — streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at www.BikeWalkLee.org.