Bonita Springs makes safe paths for biking, walking a priority

Thanks to Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor, Peter O'Flinn, for writing this article for the  Naples Daily News that updates the citizens on what the City is doing to make Bonita Springs a safer place for walking and biking.     Naples Daily News, May 22, 2019

Bonita Springs makes safe paths for biking, walking a priority

By Peter R. O’Flinn, deputy mayor of Bonita Springs

Safe pathways for bicyclists and pedestrians support quality of life and healthy living. They are proven attractors of good economic development.

However, there is another, more important reason, why safe pathways have become a priority in Bonita Springs. Unfortunately, Florida has consistently topped the most dangerous list in the national Dangerous by Design report, and the Lee County area has ranked among the most dangerous in Florida.

Peter O'Flinn, Deputy Mayor, Bonita Springs

That’s a designation Bonita Springs must have zero tolerance for. Terry Street between U.S. 41 and Old 41 Road has been selected as the city’s first priority on its bike/pedestrian master plan.

The goal of the West Terry Street Project is to have something special — a transformative project to serve as a template for future improvements in town. It will include a wide, shaded pathway for recreational bikers and pedestrians, replacing the narrow sidewalk on Terry Street’s north side, near the Bonita Springs Middle School. An expanded roadway will allow better separation of road bikers and automobiles, enhancing safety for all. 



Rendering of bike and walking path alongside Terry Street in Bonita Springs,
subject to final design.



Members of the Pelican Landing and Bonita Bay bike clubs, and the city’s Bicycle/Pedestrian advisory group, have shared safety ideas with design professionals from Alta Planning, the national firm engaged by Bonita Springs. Groups like the Blue Zones Project, BikeWalkLee and BonitaEstero Safetravelways have provided important insight.

The West Terry Street design plans are 90% complete, and the project has received the required clearances from the South Florida Water Management District. Construction is anticipated to start in late summer, with completion anticipated in the mid-winter of 2019/2020.

Terry Street in Bonita Springs as it looks today

Other priority projects include the creation of a new east-west route, north of the Terry Street roundabout, so that students living in Rosemary Park can better access the middle school; and building a pathway along Terry Street east of Imperial Parkway and over I-75 toward the YMCA, Bonita Nature Place and Cullum’s Bonita Trail.

We are also working with our friends in Estero, and the railroad owners, on the possibility of a pathway along the railroad right-of-way from Bonita Beach Road to Estero Parkway.
The funding for future flood control projects is, of course, Bonita’s top priority, but we are assiduously working to fund pathway projects. For example, we have applied for a federal BUILD grant for the extension of the Terry Street project eastward. Our city staff, with the help of volunteer residents, has garnered more than one-half million dollars in grants for the West Terry Street Project.

 

Bonita Springs' Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn recevies FBA 2018 Annual Award for Elected Official Champion

At the March 20th meeting of the Bonita Springs City Council, the Florida Bicycle Association* (FBA)'s Executive Director, Becky Alfonso, presented Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn with FBA's 2018 Annual Award for Elected Official Champion.  Each year, FBA presents awards in recognition of outstanding leaders in various categories--from Club of the Year, Citizen Advocate, Law Enforcement Agency, Elected Official Champion, to Volunteers. Congratulations to Deputy Mayor O'Flinn, and thanks to FBA for recognizing his contributions to SWFL.



Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn (holding plaque) with Councilman Mike Gibson (L), FBA's Becky Alfonso (R), City Manager Arlene Hunter, and Deputy City Manager Matt Feeney [Mayor Peter Simmons in back]

 In presenting the award FBA's Becky Alfonso made the following comments:

 


 "Deputy Mayor Peter O’Flinn has demonstrated his outstanding leadership both in the City and throughout SWFL to advocate for complete streets as the best way to realize the City's vision of human-scale development and quality of life. He made this issue his #1 priority. As a result of these efforts, Bonita Springs received national recognition (by Smart Growth America) as one of the12 communities in the United States for its exemplary work on implementing complete streets.

Peter has led the effort to educate the public about the value of roundabouts and road diets, which has been critical to bringing these changes to SWFL.  Equally important, since he was elected he has been committed to bringing to reality a rails-to-trails trail to connect Bonita Springs and Estero (10 miles) and make it part of the statewide network, with a vision of how to take these two cities to the next level.

Peter has built strong relationships with the Greenways and Trails Foundation, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Conservation Fund. Through his hard work, leadership and commitment, these leaders are now part of "Peter's team” to make Bonita Springs a complete community.

 It is my honor to present Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O’Flinn our 2018 Elected Official Champion of the Year award."

 

In receiving the award, Deputy O'Flinn said he was part of a team effort, highlighting the contributions of outstanding staff--City Manager Arlene Hunter and Deputy City Manager Matt Feeney--along with Councilman Mike Gibson who has worked on these issues for many years and is the Council's liaison to the City's Bike/Ped Advisory Committee.

*The Florida Bicycle Association (FBA) is a membership-based 501c3 non-profit whose mission is bicycling education and promotion of smart cycling. FBA is not a bicycle club - we are and always will be people, businesses, organizations and communities working together to build a bicycle-friendly Florida to benefit all.

 

To see the full list of the recipients of FBA's 2018 Annual Awards, click here. 

 

Congratulations to all the award recipients!

 

 

 







On March 25th Plan to attend Estero's final Bike/Ped Workshop

Visit our website Council News Plan to attend Estero’s final Bike/Ped workshop  on Monday, March 25, 2019 When: Monday March 25, 2019 5 - 7 p.m. Where: Estero Community Park Recreation Center Want to learn about the preliminary results and findings of Estero’s first Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan? Please plan on attending the final public workshop at 5 – 7 p.m., Monday, March 25, at the Estero Community Park Recreation Center. The workshop will provide a brief summary of the overall project. But the focus will be on the preliminary results and recommendations of the master plan.  Topics will include: Public Engagement Results Bicycle & Pedestrian Vision and Goals Draft Recommendation Residents will have time to provide input and feedback about each topic as well as any interests related to bicycle and pedestrian facilities within Estero.  Hope to see you there.

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.”

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

 

Bonita Springs exemplary complete streets work highlighted in national report

Congratulations to the City of Bonita Springs for being in the national spotlight as one of 12 communities across the country that were singled out in Smart Growth America's new report for their exemplary Complete Streets initiatives. It is gratifying to see one of the five agencies/municipalities in Lee County that adopted complete streets policies in 2009-2015, to have on-the-ground results from their successful implementation of their complete streets policies.  We hope to see other communities in Lee County recognized for exemplary complete streets work in the future.

This week Smart Growth America/National Complete Streets Coalition released its new annual report: The Best Complete Streets Initiatives of 2017.  We're excited that the City of Bonita Springs was one of the 12 communities selected nationwide to feature as doing exemplary work on implementing complete streets.  The write-up on Bonita's work highlights its Downtown Improvements Project, and starts with the following statement:  "Motivated to improve accessibility and safety in its downtown area, the City of Bonita Springs, FL worked with both the community and private sector to create a more people-friendly downtown area.  Through its Downtown Improvements Project, the city created a better connected street network for people walking, biking, and taking transit.  The city also incentivized development that promotes job growth and affordable housing."  (See p. 31-33 of the report for the full Bonita Springs write-up.

As the Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition stated in the report's introduction, "We hope that these stories will not only provide inspiration, but also spur other communities into action so that in 10 more years we are celebrating tangible and lasting changes to our streets, with the benefits extending to everyone."

The Best Complete Streets Initiatives of 2017 For the last month, we’ve been profiling one exemplary Complete Streets initiative each week. But now the full report from our National Complete Streets Coalition is out, highlighting 12 people and places doing exceptional work when it comes to making a tangible difference on building safer, more complete streets. Unlike our usual annual report which grades and ranks policies, we took a different approach this year to celebrate a brand new framework for evaluating what makes a successful Complete Streets policy. The new policy framework, which will be used to grade all policies passed in 2018, moves beyond merely passing a policy and puts a greater emphasis on equity and implementation, reflecting the progress that the Complete Streets movement has made over the last decade. The 12 communities and people highlighted in the report reflect this more ambitious and effective approach. Congratulations to everyone who had a role in these 12 initiatives and to all the other communities that have passed Complete Streets policies in the last year.

Link to full report:  The Best Complete Streets Initiatives of 2017 by National Complete Streets Coalition/Smart Growth America.

Link to information on the Downtown Improvements Project, found on the City's website.

BWL Blog, July 16, 2015: Kudos to Bonita Springs City Council on approval of downtown redevelopment design.

Opportunity to participate in Bonita Beach Road Land Use Public Meetings

If you live in Bonita Springs and support a more walkable and bikeable community and a multi-modal transportation system, here's your chance to participate in a series of public meetings, including interactive sessions, to envision future built possibilities for Bonita Beach Road.  Mark your calendars for April 9-12th and plan to attend as many of the evening sessions as you like.

Background

You may have already heard that the City of Bonita Springs took a major step in 2016 to envision the many possibilities to increase biking, walking, and multimodal transportation when it contracted with Toole Design Group to develop a vision for Bonita Beach Road. The result of that visioning was documented in a Final Report that emphasizes safe multi-modal transportation, an extensive multi-use pathway, human scale design, increased road networks, efficient movement of cars and people, and enhancements to the aesthetic quality of the corridor. You can view the Toole Design's entire BBR Vision Study final report or their PowerPoint presentation.

Report by: Darla Letourneau

Links to Bonita Documents:

Toole Design's entire BBR Vision Study final report

Toole Design's PowerPoint presentation

LPA 1/19 meeting agenda and packet.

Links to Previous BWL Blog posts re: Bonita Beach Road Vision Study:

• 5/24/16: Bonita City Council considers Bonita Beach Road corridor vision study 
• 2/28/16: A vision for the Bonita Beach Rd. corridor begins taking shape 
• 8/5/15: Bonita Springs City Council selects consultant team for Bonita Beach Rd. visioning study

Making Bonita Bike-Friendly

Exciting to see all the work going on in Bonita Springs to make the city a friendlier (and safer) place to bike and walk. Thanks to Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn for writing this commentary in Spotlight Magazine. Be inspired...and get involved.

Bonita Spotlight Magazine:  Making Bonita bike friendly
March 1, 2018

By Peter R. O’Flinn
Deputy Mayor
City of Bonita Springs

A few weeks back, a group of cyclists from around town gathered near the community pool on Terry Street. During the course of an hour-long discussion and subsequent walk along the roadway, members of the Pelican Landing and Bonita Bay bike clubs and the city’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Group shared safety ideas with design professionals from Alta Planning + Design, a national design leader engaged by the city.

From left to right, Bonita Bay's Bill Drum and Dave Timm, and Pelican Landing's Steve Gunther and John VanderMeer meet with Arleen Hunter, assistant city manager, and Matt Feeney, public works director, and representatives from Alta Planning + Design to discuss Terry Street bike safety.

The meeting place was fitting. Terry Street between US 41 and Old 41 has been selected as the city’s first priority on its new bike/pedestrian master plan.

The goal of the Terry Street project is to have something special – a transformational project to serve as a template for future improvements in town. It will include a safe, shaded pathway for recreational cyclists and pedestrians, replacing the narrow sidewalk on Terry Street’s north side. An expanded road right of way on both sides of the road is expected to allow better separation of road bicyclists and automobiles, enhancing safety for all.

Around the country, the creation of mobility infrastructures for bicyclists and pedestrians are pathways to healthy living and quality of life. It also enhances good economic development. As a result, this initiative is a city priority.

For the sake of public safety, it’s a necessity.

Florida has consistently topped the most dangerous list in the national “Dangerous by Design” report; the Fort Myers- Cape Coral metropolitan sta­tistical area has ranked as the most dangerous in Florida. Obviously, this is a designation Bonita Springs must have zero tolerance for.

Terry Street as it appears today, before pathway.

After taking additional public in­put, Alta will be designing the Terry Street project this spring, with a goal of construction beginning later this year. Other priority projects include exploring the creation of a route, north of the Terry Street roundabout, so that students living in Rosemary Park can better access the middle school, and building a pathway along Terry Street east of Imperial Parkway toward the YMCA, Bonita Nature Place and Cullum’s Bonita Trail.

As we know, Bonita’s selfless volunteers are the heartbeat of kindness in town. Their efforts also ease the taxpayer burden, and the city’s bike safety initiative is no exception.

Earlier this year I mentioned to Bonita Bay’s Jim Wurster that I had just learned, a bit too late I thought, of a state grant program for bike paths. Two weeks later, Jim beat the deadline by work­ing with our public works staff, and a full grant application was submitted. When the results were announced, Bonita Springs was awarded a $200,000 state grant for the Terry Street project. Thank you, Jim Wurster.

In a presentation to the city, Alta Planning + Design showed before and after concepts depicting a new Terry Street pathway near the city’s community pool. The actual design awaits the formal process.

Public involvement also has proved essential to a longer-term project we are investigating with our friends in Estero – the possibility of a pathway along the railroad right of way from Bonita Beach Road to Estero Parkway. When its “Priority Trail” status recently was in jeopardy with the state of Florida, Estero Village Council member Nick Batos and I traveled to Tallahassee to advocate before the state’s Greenways and Trails Council. The council unanimously re-approved Priority Trail status, making special note of nearly 1,000 emails of support from Bonita and Estero, together with letters from Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto and Rep. Ray Rodrigues.

The Bonita Spotlight provides this space to members of the Bonita Springs City Council for commentary on their person­al views about city matters.