Transportation summit coming to Cape Coral

Photo: the news-press

A new event will share ideas on how to create safe and accessible road transportation systems that enhance a community's well-being.

Streets Alive SWFL and the Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association are hosting a two-day Transportation Summit featuring national and international experts, area planners, engineers and government leaders.

Organizers say it will bring together the experts on integrating transportation and community design for the benefit of walkers, bicycle riders, public transit users and motorists.

"It’s an opportunity to learn from the best, get questions answered and concerns addressed,” said Ann Pierce, education chairwoman for Streets Alive SWFL.

The first conference day will be held in Bonita Springs, and offers continuing education units for certain professional participants. It’s already sold-out.

The public is invited, however, to attend the second day, in Cape Coral.

That’s 8 a.m. to noon Friday, Sept. 30, at the Cape Coral Yacht Club Ballroom, 5819 Driftwood Parkway, Cape Coral.

Admission is $42, and includes breakfast.
Go to www.rpcra.org/transportation-summit to register.

The keynote speakers will be: Billy Hattaway, secretary, District 1, Florida Department of Transportation; Ian Lockwood, livable transportation engineer for the Toole Design Group; Dan Burden, Blue Zones director of innovation and inspiration; and Paula Benway, international president of the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

More in the News-press article.

BikeWalkLee's "Take-Aways" from Tampa Bike Summit

Secretary LaHood being interviewed by NBC-2 News

 As reported in Friday's blog story about the Bike SafetySummit, BikeWalkLee participated in the April 11th Bike Summit hosted by USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood and came away inspired and energized.  While our first post shared links to the local news coverage, a video of the opening session featuring Secretary LaHood, and our photo album, this blog post focuses on what we learned at the summit that can help us improve the safety of Lee County's roads for cyclists, make a more multi-modal transportation system for our community, and change the culture.

Below are some of the highlights from our report.  Click here for the full report.

USDOT Announcements of Interest:

TIGER V:  Secretary LaHood announced that there is going to be a 5th round of grants for TIGER grants, the highly competitive discretionary grant program to fund innovative multi-modal transportation infrastructure projects.  There will be $475 million available and the grant announcement will be coming out shortly.  This is exciting news, since Lee County had a highly ranked complete streets initiative application ($10 million request) in rounds 3 and 4.  As Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said, it took them 3 tries before they got their Riverwalk project funded ($10 million) in TIGER IV last year, so the third time is the charm.  BikeWalkLee will be requesting the MPO Board to re-submit a strengthened complete streets initiative grant application for TIGER V.

Performance Measures:  One of the themes of the summit was the shift to a performance-based transportation system as called for in the MAP-21 Act.  USDOT officials announced that the draft regulations for the new performance measurement system will be coming out shortly for public comment and that it will require states to set strong performance measures and targets for reducing pedestrian and cyclist fatality and serious injury rates. These will require accurate, timely data collection and accountability. This is welcome news and we should start planning now for setting local targets to reduce the rate of bike/ped fatalities and injuries in Lee County. 

Overarching messages:  Secretary LaHood's themes can guide our efforts: 

• develop zero tolerance for people who don't respect cyclists. 
• continue effort until we reduce cyclist deaths and injuries to zero.
• as more people use biking for transportation needs,  we have to step up our safety agenda
•  bike and pedestrian safety is a long-term campaign that requires cultural/behavior changes, along with laws and enforcement.  Think of the successes with the "Click It or Ticket" seatbelt campaign and Mothers Against Drunk Driving...with a combination of tools over a decade or more, the desired behaviors have become the norm.  That's the kind of sustained and multi-faceted approach we need for our bike safety campaign.
• To succeed, we must change the culture in Florida--a long term and systematic shift. 
• Secretary LaHood and other officials voiced strong support for Complete Streets policies as a way to make our streets safer for everyone.

  

  Secretary LaHood with Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn

Economic Benefits:  Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn focused on the economic benefits of investing in biking infrastructure and making it a safe biking community.

• Being a bikeable/walkable city is key to a city being able to compete with other cities for the intellectual capital workers. Saying “We recognize that intellectual capital is mobile and if we don’t want to keep losing to Charlotte, Austin, and Minneapolis we need to be competitive, we need to be a connected city. So, we are all in and we are getting out ahead”. 
• He wants to make Tampa a "hip" and "cool" place to attract and keep  smart, talented professionals want to live.  Is it a city where you can live, work and play and not get into your car?  Biking is a big part of positioning the city to attract those workers.
• This message resonated with the Lee County participants --this is an economic development tool and an important part of positioning our county to be vibrant and sustainable into the future. 
•  Buckhorn says “We don’t have the money to road build our way out of congestion, it has to be multi-modal; walking, biking, BRT, light rail.”

Celebrate the Progress we've made:   At the close of the summit Beth Osborne, USDOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, made some important points about what's been accomplished in the past 4 years...yes, we've got a long way to go, but we should also realize the progress we're making.

Four years ago the first bike share opened up and now it's in 40 cities; and mayors are now creating economic vibrancy in their cities by focusing on bikeable communities--something that has changed profoundly in 4 years.

FDOT encouraged to adopt complete streets policy:  We were also encouraged to hear the call from participants for FDOT to adopt a statewide complete streets policy and are hopeful that with District 1 Secretary Hattaway's support, FDOT will take up this leadership challenge.

This approach, which BWL has recommended to Florida Governors since 2010, could help shape the culture change needed to make our streets safer for all users, and provide needed leadership and support to the 32 communities in Florida (including Lee County) that have adopted complete streets policies.  BikeWalkLee will redouble its efforts, in collaboration with other advocates throughout Florida, to encourage FDOT to adopt a complete streets policy this year.

The full report includes lots of specific "take aways" organized by the following topics:  education, engineering, enforcement, policy/law/regulatory changes, messaging, coalition-building, advocacy, and policy and data.  We encourage you to read the full report for ideas from national leaders and other Florida communities about how Lee County can step up its efforts to make our roadways safer for cyclists and pedestrians and achieve the economic benefits that come from investing in safe and accessible biking and walking infrastructure.

   

Report by Darla Letourneau and Ann Pierce (4/14/13)

BikeWalkLee and Lee County staff participate in Bike Summit with Secretary LaHood on April 11th in Tampa

 It was inspiring to participate in Thursday's Tampa Bike Summit with Secretary LaHood and other national, state, local officials and advocates to focus on ways to make the roads safer for cyclists.

Lee Co.team with Secy LaHood--Ann Pierce, Tessa LeSage, and Darla Letourneau

As noted in our April 8th press release,  Lee County was one of  Florida's communities invited to share its complete streets implementation experiences at the Bike Summit. Tessa LeSage, Lee County's Sustainability Director and co-leader of the county's complete streets team, did an outstanding job of highlighting Lee County's efforts as part of a panel discussing how planning and the built environment can make our communities safer for cycling.
 BikeWalkLee representatives attended, as did several staff from LeeDOT and Lee MPO.

It was gratifying to have national and state officials single out Lee County government as well as BikeWalkLee advocacy efforts for praise.

I've posted a photo album (with captions) about the summit, so check it out. To be inspired, watch the recording of the opening session, featuring Secretary LaHood and other federal and state officials, click here. (this was posted on the Secretary's "FastLane" blog)

Secretary LaHood urged summit participants to "go back to your community and share what you've learned with as many people as you can so today's ideas can be the seeds of tomorrow's solutions."  With that in mind, there will be a another blog story by Monday about our "take aways" from the summit, so stay tuned! 

Reporters from both NBC-2 News (Chad Oliver) and News-Press (Christina Cepro) spent the day with us in Tampa and did an excellent job covering the event.  Below are links to the videos and stories.
News-Press:
Video:
 
 News-Press Article 

NBC-2 News Story
Video:
 NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral

WGCU also did a short story on the summit, with an interview with BikeWalkLee's Letourneau on their 5:30 p.m. NPR.  Click here for story and audio.

Secretary LaHood addresses the National Bike Summit

Today Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood addressed the national bike summit, and reports on his remarks in his "Fast Lane" blog.  His strong support for complete streets and livable communities and how TIGER grants are being used in support of those efforts are music to our ears here in Lee County. 

National Bike Summit ready to climb the Hill

Bicycles have played an important part in America’s story. After all, it was a pair of bike-mechanics – the Wright brothers – who applied their knowledge of bicycles to begin mankind’s journey into the heavens. It was bike manufacturers who helped invent the modern automobile. And it was the bicycle that gave new freedom to American women and girls.

Through much of that history--132 years--the League of American Bicyclists has been advocating for the interests of the biking public. This week, nearly a thousand Bike League members have come to Washington, DC, for the National Bike Summit. The theme for this year is "Save Cycling," and it's an important task.

This is a thrilling time for bicycling in America – there are now 57 million cyclists on the road, and we are truly building a transportation system that makes it easier, safer, and more convenient to ride your bike.

Between 2000 and 2008, bicycle commuting increased by 43 percent nationwide. Cities like Portland, Minneapolis, and Chicago – leaders in the effort to create bicycle facilities – saw increases greater than 100 percent.

At the Department of Transportation, we're happy to support innovative policies to give more Americans the option to embrace cycling, and we’re working to end prejudices that treat riding and walking differently from other forms of transportation.

Most importantly, we’re helping local communities take the lead in building walkable, bikeable, and livable cities and towns by letting them make the transportation choices that fit their needs. That means breaking down antiquated barriers that prevented cities from installing bike paths and bike lanes, making sure cities and communities know they have a green light to begin building right away. 

And it means creating a variety of funding options that support local solutions to local challenges. 

Through our TIGER grant program, we’ve continued supporting the creation of livable communities that treat bicycling and walking as valued elements of our nation’s transportation system. In our last cycle of TIGER grants alone, we invested more than $64 million for our “Complete Streets” program – ensuring the roads we build and repair are safe and convenient for everyone who uses them.

We’re also encouraging children to walk and bike safely to school through our Safe Routes to Schools programs. We know that when kids can walk or bike to school, it’s good for student health, it reduces congestion on neighborhood roads, and it’s good for mom and dad’s wallets in tough economic times.

Earlier this year, President Obama laid out his blueprint for “an America that’s built to last” – including his vision for a six-year reauthorization of the surface transportation bill. He committed to rebuilding and modernizing America’s roadways, railways, and runways – and to directing resources toward making livable communities a reality. Bicycles are part of that blueprint.

There will always be cars and trucks – and DOT will always be committed to keeping America’s roadways the safest and most efficient in the world.  But, Americans want transportation choices – and as President Obama has said, that means an all of the above solution.

Now, I loved my first car, but I also loved my first bike. And whether we're talking about a nation or an individual, just because we grow up doesn't mean we have to leave everything behind. Bikes are still a terrific option, as are passenger trains, streetcars, and other parts of our transportation toolkit that we have ignored for too long.

The time has come to time to invest in a 21^st century transportation network, and if that network takes a few cues from the past, well, I'm okay with that.  This week the advocates from the National Bike Summit will be sharing a similar message with their legislators on Capitol Hill. I thank them for their effort--and for the warm welcome today--and I wish them well.

Dan Moser's Florida Weekly Column: We spoke, but did they hear?

Florida Weekly
April 6, 2011

I went to the National Bike Summit expecting to be less than encouraged, but it was impressive and uplifting in more ways than I imagined. About 800 advocates for improvements to the cycling and pedestrian environment took our case to Washington, D.C., for the 11th annual National Bicycle Summit last month. We had hundreds of meetings with elected officials, as well as numerous mass gatherings that featured U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenhauer; bike/ped’s champion from Oregon, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood; Secretary of the Interior Ken Salizar; and New York City’s commissioner of transportation among others ,who are important to the cause.

At the federal level, we focused on the many and varied economic benefits cycling and walking enhancements reap, from reduced need for expensive roadway expansion to significant health care cost savings. In attendance at the National Bike Summit were an impressive number of independent bike shop owners as well as manufacturer and distributor representatives. We brought to our meetings with members of U.S. representatives district-specific data about bike shop employment, tax revenue collection and federal tax dollars spent on projects. We did the same on a statewide basis for senators. One need not be an economist to see that bike/ped expenditures provide a significant return on investment and should be supported on that basis alone, never mind the social, health, and ecological payback. At the risk of sounding overly optimistic, I’m hoping facts and common sense (as measured in dollars) mean more than politics when it comes to reauthorizing the various programs that fund bike/ped infrastructure and other programs that make communities a better place to ride and walk.

Admittedly it wasn’t quite the same, neither in numbers or energy level, when some of us headed to Tallahassee a week later for the third Florida Bike Summit. Nevertheless, we did our best to get similar messages to our state elected representatives. In this case, FBA had identified a number of priorities for this legislative session, which include: distracted driving legislation that makes violations a primary offense; enhanced penalties for violations that cause serious injury or death; clarification of Chapter 316 statutes to reflect present-day needs of motorists and cyclists including the Mandatory Bike Lane Law; bicycle access to limited access highway bridges; and opposition to efforts to eliminate the Office of Greenways and Trails. We also asked that federal monies and other dollars intended for bike/ped and transit not be moved into roadway capacity projects that benefit only motor vehicles, something that’s got real potential to happen in this year’s session.

Besides our advocacy efforts in Tallahassee, FBA announced the winners of its 2011 annual awards. This year three came from Lee County: Elected Official of the Year went to the entire Lee County Board of County Commissioners; Bike Club of the Year to the Sanibel Bike Club; and one of two Volunteer of the Year awards went to a couple from the Sanibel Bike Club, Norm and Helen Flemington. Congratulations to each of them and all other winners.

Although at both gatherings we were generally well received by the elected officials we visited with, it’s hard to say if that sentiment will translate into good news for cyclists, pedestrians or transit users at either level of government. Your input is still very necessary.

Local happenings

FCGU is the location of a new 5K, Skirts On the Run; the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club is managing a new ride, the Immokalee Ride for Literacy , on Sunday, April 17 (there’s a 5K race / 1-mile run the day before); Taking it to the Streets is a multi-day, multi-event effort tied in with Earth Day on April 22. Finally, are you ready to ascend High Point Place’s 30 floors of stairs? Saturday, April 30, is the date for the American Lung Association’s signature event, Fight for Air Stair Climb.

Until next time, I’ll look for you on the roads and trails. ¦

— Dan Moser is a league cycling and instructor/ trainer and program director for the Florida Bicycle Association who cycles, runs and walks regularly for transportation, recreation and fitness. He can be contacted at dan@floridabicycle.org or 334- 6417.

Secretary LaHood's Blog:For bicycle enthusiasts, next week's National Bike Summit looms large

FastLane: March 04, 2011
Here's the word from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood:
Today is Friday, March 4, and for the nation's bicycling enthusiasts that means only one thing: 4 days until the 2011 National Bike Summit. And to get the bike folks geared up for this year's gathering, on Tuesday I went on BicycleRadio.com's "Escape The Peloton" show.

As you can imagine, host Sean Mellor and I talked about a range of bicycling-related topics. From the thrill of watching my grandkids get their first bikes to the way distracted driving affects the bicycling community, we covered a lot of ground.

Click here to listen to my Bicycle Radio interview!

But I think what listeners really wanted to hear us talk about is President Obama's budget request for 2012.

We are very fortunate that, in these hard economic times, the President knows the economic importance of investing in transportation. He has proposed a 127 percent increase to fix our roads and bridges, and to build big projects that will yield economic development and jobs, like high speed rail. And don’t forget our emphasis on livable communities, so that people will have more options for getting around.

I've been to more than 100 cities in more than 40 states across this great country, and everywhere I've gone, people have said they want more ways of getting around. Often, they want to be able to leave their cars behind. This means improved transit like streetcars and buses. But it also means more opportunities--whether as a form of recreation or as a way of commuting--to walk or ride a bicycle safely. We can achieve that through off-street trails, as in the Philadelphia Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Network, or through on-street bike lanes, as along DC's own Pennsylvania Avenue.

One of the most important things to remember is this: the Department of Transportation can help set standards and support programs, but many of the best ideas have come from the grassroots. And that's where next week's summit-goers come in.

Thanks to programs like Bicycle Radio and the Outspoken Cyclist and magazines like Spokes; thanks to the President's willingness to promote bicycling; and thanks to the cycling enthusiasts who have come together in organizations like Transportation For America, America Bikes, the League of American Bicyclists, Complete Streets, and Safe Routes to School, the stars have aligned over the last two years for greater awareness of the valuable role bicycling plays in American transportation. But, as I said in January, if you want that momentum to continue, you'll have to continue that terrific grassroots work.

Finally, as to the burning question of how I will top my famous "tabletop speech" at the 2010 Summit, you'll just have to stay tuned.

Dan Moser's Florida Weekly Column 2/23/11

Litter, litter, everywhere

Rarely am I so taken aback by a scene I encounter in my daily travels as I was just last week. Being on a relatively intimate level with our area’s natural and built environment because I get around a lot by foot or bike — often taking a route less traveled — I’m used to seeing both stunning and disturbing sights up close and personal. Click here to continue reading.


Advocacy update

I’ll be attending both the National Bike Summit (www.bikeleague.org/conferences/ summit11) in Washington D.C. in early March and our own Florida Bike Summit (www.floridabicycle.org/joinus/summit) in Tallahassee later in the month. They’re both vitally important forums in these tumultuous political and economic times. While in Washington I’m looking forward to handing off the executive directorship of Florida Bicycle Association to Tim Bustos who will be replacing FBA’s very competent and dynamic former director, Laura Hallam, who recently retired. Thankfully for us, Ms. Hallam’s been staying on board as a volunteer to help me handle interim duties and to make Mr. Bustos’ transition that much smoother.

To say FBA picked a winner to fill some big shoes is an understatement. Mr. Bustos has 28 years of experience in the field of bicycle transportation planning, design and engineering, including 12 as the Bike/Ped coordinator for Davis, Calif., where he was instrumental in attaining platinum level for the League of American Bicyclists’ “Bicycle Friendly Community” the first in the U.S. to receive the highest designation. Mr. Bustos started out in Florida, serving as the regional bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for seven counties in Northwest Florida. He has an extensive background in bicycle advocacy and legislative work, having served on the original board of directors for FBA in its first incarnation in the late 1980s, and two terms on the board for the California Bicycle Coalition. On behalf of all those who cycle in our state, I’d like to welcome Tim Bustos home.

Until next time, I’ll look for you on the roads and trails. ¦

— Dan Moser is a league cycling instructor/ trainer and program manager for the Florida Bicycle Association who cycles, runs and walks regularly for transportation, recreation and fitness. He can be contacted at dan@floridabicycle.org or 334- 6417.