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Florida Weekly 'Outdoors' column, March 11, 2020
danMOSER
bikepedmoser@gmail.com

Carolyn Conant has a plan to fulfill a long-overdue need to provide appropriate access across the Caloosahatchee River for non-motorists.

Southwest Florida draws people from many parts of the country and world, including quite a few who decide to make it their home. Among those who end up here are those who can be considered visionaries, bringing ideas from their own imagination or from what they’ve experienced in the places they’ve lived or visited. Carolyn Conant is one of our visionaries whose dreams have a very good chance of becoming reality.

Those of us in the world of bike/ped advocacy know Carolyn for being the driving force behind Cape Coral becoming a Bike Friendly Community. Although she’s only an occasional bike rider, Carolyn’s background as a budget manager for a major national construction firm, along with her urban studies and social services education, gives her the tools she used to make that happen.

A while back Carolyn spearheaded the public-private effort to get almost 100 miles of bike route designed and marked in that city, the trigger that moved Cape Coral to its BFC. Now she wants to take it to the next level by making Cape Coral a destination for those who want to have a top-notch bicycling and pedestrian experience. Her idea would also fulfill a long-overdue need to provide appropriate access across the river for non-motorists. The lack of access between Cape Coral and Fort Myers is a major shortcoming the League of American Bicyclists noted in its review of the Cape’s Bike Friendly Community application.

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 239-334-6417.

As I point out any chance I get, the only pedestrian access across our major bridges is a narrow sidewalk on one span of the state-owned Edison Bridge between downtown Fort Myers and North Fort Myers. It’s not safe or legal to cross the Midpoint Bridge, Cape Coral Bridge or the Sanibel Causeway, all bridges designed, constructed and managed by Lee County government. Accommodation for those operating bicycles is only by default on those bridges, thanks to breakdown lanes (although the old westbound span of the Cape Coral Bridge lacks even them). There are no bike lanes or safe approaches to or exits from some of the bridge structures. Carolyn has a vision that would drastically change these conditions on at least one river crossing.

The westbound span of the Cape Coral Bridge was opened in the early 1960s and is due to be replaced before the end of this decade. Carolyn seized on this fact by introducing her vision to go well beyond constructing a spartan structure with a signature bridge that would attract visitors, vastly improve safety and access for all users, create economic development and enhance quality of life for residents on both sides of the river. It’s early in the process and Carolyn has brought her vision to any and all government and non-government bodies that would listen, from civic and business organizations to government councils and advisory committees. She has been well received.

Just like any transportation project that’s designed beyond the basics there’s a higher cost. But the additional resources expended will pay off in benefits over time. In this case the vision is for a bridge, or multiple bridge structures, that provides access for all users along with upgrades such as pedestrian-friendly underpasses with artistic lighting, sound features, art installations and the possibility of keeping one of the old spans and turning it into a dedicated bike/ped linear park that will connect to other parks and business districts on both sides of the river.

When looking at the current configuration on the Fort Myers side, the design is about as bad as it gets for all those who must traverse it. It’s confusing for drivers, unattractive for those on bicycles, and downright hostile for pedestrians who can’t use the bridge but also can’t get to the neighborhoods leading to it. The Cape side isn’t nearly as confusing, but because of its wide-open nature, speeding is a problem. Any new design should address all the approach issues while also adequately accommodating every user. In fact, if the right design is chosen, it’ll do much more than that.

Of course, there are many hurdles to jump, the primary one being whether Lee County and the city of Cape Coral have the political will to expend more money than what a usual spartan structure would cost. But based on Carolyn’s track record of convincing folks that matter, getting a final product that’s the destination signature bridge she envisions is a very real possibility. And we’d all benefit from it.

To learn about this topic and more, visit bikewalklee.blogspot.com and www.streetsaliveswfl.org.¦


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.

Cape Coral Community Foundation presents check for bike racks at May 6th Cape Coral Council meeting

 

At May 6, 2019 Cape Coral City Council meeting, Mayor Coviello, Carolyn Conant and Diane and Mike Holm accepted the $8200 check from Beth Rivera and Joe Cerino for the purchase of bike racks in the newly renovated downtown area on SE 47th Terrace. Mike & Diane Holm and Mike Swanson worked together with Cape Coral Community Foundation to raise funds to make Cape Coral more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.  The Cape Coral partnership sponsoring the bike racks was highlighted in BikeWalkLee's April 29th blog post.
May 6, 2019 check presentation by Cape Coral Community Foundation to the City of Cape Coral. From left to right, Mayor Coviello, Beth Rivera, Grant Manager of Cape Coral Community Foundation (CCCF), Joe Cerino, CCCF Board Member, Carolyn Conant, Cape Coral Bike Ped, Diane & Mike Holm of Fort Myers Cyclery and Cape Coral Bike Ped members. Absent Mike Swanson, Cape Coral Bike Ped.

The bike racks along with the new outdoor furniture will enhance the bicycle-pedestrian ambiance of downtown. As Michael Chatman noted, “The Cape Coral Community Foundation’s mission is to foster a healthy and dynamic community where individuals are inspired to support, strengthen and enrich quality of life through generosity and civic engagement. This project is a good example of enriching quality of life and civic engagement.”

 

 

Partnership sponsoring bike racks in Downtown Cape Coral

Kudos to the Cape Coral Community Foundation for sponsoring bike racks in the newly renovated downtown section of Cape Coral--a successful partnership with the City of Cape Coral and with Cape Coral Bike Ped.

 

City of Cape Coral Press Release

Working Together to Create A Bicycle-Pedestrian Friendly Downtown--Cape Coral Community Foundation, Cape Coral Bike Ped & City of Cape Coral

 

The Cape Coral Community Foundation is sponsoring bike racks for the downtown area.  Working in partnership with Cape Coral Bike Ped,a fund was established to make Cape Coral more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.  These bike racks in the newly renovated downtown area on SE 47^th Terrace will encourage cyclist to visit the downtown area and enjoy its many amenities--restaurants, Farmers Market, retail shops as well as participating in the many events in the downtown area, such as the Critical Mass Ride.

The bike racks along with the new outdoor furniture will enhance the bicycle-pedestrian ambiance of downtown.As Michael Chatman noted, “The Cape Coral Community Foundation’s mission is to foster a healthy and dynamic community where individuals are inspired to support, strengthen and enrich quality of life through generosity and civic engagement.This project is a good example of enriching quality of life and civic engagement.”

Visit the City of Cape Coral bicycle website at www.CapeCoral.net/Bicycling for interactive maps and more information on cycling in this Bicycle Friendly Community.

  Special thanks go to Mike Swanson of Cape Coral Bike Ped and Mike Holm, Fort Myers Cyclery, for working together to raise these funds initially.

 

The check presentation will take place at the beginning of the Cape Coral City Council meeting on May 6^th at 4:30pm.Mayor Joe Coviello and City Manager John Szerlag will be accepting this donation from Beth Rivera, Grants Manager and Joe Cerino, Board Member, Cape Coral Community Foundation.Please come and lend your support and thanks to those who have made this generous gift to enhance the bicycle-pedestrian friendly atmosphere downtown then either ride or watch the colorful cyclist ride off on their Critical Mass Ride.

CONTACT:  Persides Zambrano, City of Cape Coral, 239-574-0733

Cape is walking the walk

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, 5/10/2018
by Ken Gooderham


If you like to walk in Cape Coral, the city has had a lot of good news for you lately.

The recent announcement that some five miles of sidewalks will be constructed in the next few years is welcome indeed. The additional mention that these projects will be in areas near schools is even better.

The fact that this project joins an ever-growing list of sidewalk efforts is the best news of all.

All this is solid evidence that Cape Coral is working to build on its recent (and successful) efforts to improve biking in the sprawling city – a mission made very clear in the recently (2017) adopted Bicycle + Pedestrian Master Plan.

You can find the complete plan online at: https://www.capecoral.net/department/parks_and_recreationhome/bike-ped/Report.pdf

The plan’s goals are:

• Achieve Silver or Gold Bicycle Friendly Community designation by the League of American Bicyclists
• Achieve Walk Friendly Community designation by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
• Reduce the number of bicycle and pedestrian crashes by half within five years
• Reduce the share of all bicycle and pedestrian crashes in Cape Coral that occur along Del Prado Boulevard, Cape Coral Parkway, Santa Barbara Boulevard, and Pine Island Road from approximately 50% to 25% within ten years
• Double the combined walking, biking and transit commute mode share to 3% within 5 years (Currently 1.5% for walking, biking and transit in Cape Coral)
• Create a 228-mile walkway network within 20 years (135 miles currently; 93 miles proposed)
• Create a 202-mile on-street bikeway network within 20 years (66 miles currently; 136 miles proposed)
• Create a 31-mile multi-use path network within 20 years (9 miles currently; 22 miles proposed)

Focused goals, tangible results and a specific timetable… this might just happen!

That would be good news for Cape students (safer routes to school) bikers/walkers (more facilities and safer streets) and residents (more transportation options that could mean fewer cars). This kind of infrastructure is also going to be crucial as Cape Coral works to grow into its massive boundaries – 110 square miles of dry land plus 10 square miles of water – and as transportation alternatives become more necessary (because you just can’t build that many new roadways when your population races past a half-million).

While we’re congratulating the City of Cape Coral, kudos also should go to the Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT), which is funding much of this infrastructure investment. This kind of partnership can bring real results, and both governments should be thanked for making this happen.

Ride of Silence reminder

Those wishing to honor killed or injured cyclists should remember to join one of the two Rides of Silence being held in Lee County on May 16.

The Fort Myers ride, sponsored by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, gathers by 6:45 p.m. to start at 7 p.m. from Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers.

The Sanibel ride, sponsored by the Sanibel Bicycle Club in partnership with Matzaluna Restaurant and Billy's Bikes, gathers at 6:15 p.m. at Matzaluna (1200 Periwinkle Way) to leave at 7 p.m.

Riders are requested to wear black arm bands or red if they have personally been injured in a cycling versus motor vehicle accident. Everyone welcome, free of charge, and no registration is necessary. Helmets are required, lights are recommended no headphones please.

Lehigh meeting

If you live, work, or play in Lehigh and support the proposed 5.5-mile pathway that will connect Lehigh Acres Trailhead Park to the Lehigh Acres Community Park and the Harnes Marsh, allowing residents and visitors to bike or walk between these popular destinations, now is the time to make your voices heard. This proposed FDOT-funded project has been in the study/planning phases since 2013, and is now at the stage when alternative locations and conceptual designs are available for public input. It's important that pathway supporters attend this open house to show their support for moving forward to implementation of this important project.

The meeting will be 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, at the Veterans Park Recreation Center, 55 Homestead Road South, Lehigh Acres, FL 33936. The meeting will be an open-house format with no formal presentation.

Ready to ride or run?

Run? Some 5Ks ahead to get you moving: Turtle Trot 5K on May 12, 8 a.m., Lovers Key State Park, Fort Myers Beach; and the Cape Cops 5K on May 19, 7:30 a.m., Cape Coral Yacht Club, Cape Coral (details for both at ftmyerstrackclub.com).
 
Ride? Critical Mass meets up for its NE Lee ride tomorrow (May 11), and for its Sanibel ride Saturday. For the night rides, lights are mandatory; for all rides helmets are suggested. Details at meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events/.

Both? Next up is the Cape Coral sprint at the Yacht Club on Saturday, May 12 (details at active.com or capecoral.net). Ahead:

• Sunday, June 3: Fitness Challenge Sprint Tri, Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, Naples (active.com).
• Saturday, July 14: Englewood YMCA Sprint Triathlon, Englewood (active.com)
• Also, registration opened for the Galloway Captiva Tri on May 1; the race weekend is Sept. 15-16, with the kids’ events Saturday and the sprint tri Sunday.

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. 


 

Cape Coral Council takes actions in support of its complete streets policy and receives award from FBA

Cape Coral's City Council meeting on April 3rd highlighted the City's ongoing progress in implementing complete streets in the Cape.  There were three items on the agenda related to these efforts. 

FBA's Afonso, CM Szerlag, Mayor Sawicki, PW's Zambrano, CCBP's Conant, Swanson, and Aubuchon

First, The Florida Bicycle Association's (FBA) Executive Director, Becky Afonso presented the FBA 2016 Bicycle Friendly Community of the Year award to the City of Cape Coral, recognizing both City officials and Cape Coral Bike-Ped group.  
 
 Second, the Council approved the City's first Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.  Third, the Council approved the project design for the SE 47th Terrace Streetscape Project, which focuses on revitalizing this area by making it a "complete street", making it a safe and welcome place for pedestrians.  Kudos to the City Council, City staff, and the Cape Coral Bike-Ped group for their outstanding efforts, and to FBA for bringing statewide recognition to these local accomplishments.  Below is an article reporting on yesterday's Council actions, along with links to the Master Plan, and previous BWL blogs about these initiatives.

April 4, 2017 CapeCoral.com blog:  5 Things to Know from the Cape Coral City Council Meeting (Apr. 3)  

[excerpts below--#3 and #4]

#3:  Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan approved

The city's first Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is now official.

During Monday night's meeting, the city council unanimously approved the plan that will add 93 miles of sidewalks, 22 miles of multi-use paths, and 138 miles of on-street bike paths over the next 15 to 20 years.

The plan was created to provide a cycling network safe for bicyclists and pedestrians that will spread throughout the city.

The cost to construct the network is estimated at $63 million.

Alta Planning and Design, the company hired by the city to create the master plan, recommended the city seek state and federal grants, make the improvements part of the city's UEP and Road Repaving initiatives, as well as using future gas tax allocations to fund the projects. According to the firm, with those allocations, 30% of the proposed bike and pedestrian projects would be funded through Fiscal Year 2022.

The city has already utilized an over $3 million grant it received from the state to begin construction of a multi-use path along Kismet Parkway.

In related news, at the beginning of Monday's meeting, the City of Cape Coral and the Cape Coral Bike-Ped organization received the 2016 Bicycle Friendly Community Award from the Florida Bicycle Association.

The non-profit organization was created to promote bicycle safety throughout the state of Florida and annually recognizes contributions to accomplish that goal. Florida Bicycle Association President Becky Afonso was on hand at the meeting to present the city and Bike-Ped the award, and commended both for their partnership to create a network of bicycle paths in the city making it safer for both bicyclists and pedestrians.

#4: Council/CRA approves SE 47th Terrace Streetscape Project design
Before Monday's regular meeting, the city council, acting in their roles as CRA Commissioners held a special meeting to discuss whether or not to approve the proposed design plan for the SE 47th Terrace Streetscape Project.

Called a "legacy project" by City Manager John Szerlag, the $8.5 million initiative will completely revitalize the look of SE 47th Terrace from Del Prado Boulevard to Coronado Parkway.

According to the proposed design, the project will include brick paver expanded sidewalks on both sides of the road, new landscaping, custom street lighting, elimination of on-street parking, and a roundabout at the intersection of SE 47th Terrace and Vincennes Boulevard.

It has been the roundabout that has caused the most publicity since the design plans have been released, with some concerned the roundabout could cause traffic issues on the busy street.

However, city traffic engineer Bill Corbett explained during Monday's presentation that roundabouts provide a safer option for both pedestrians and drivers reducing traffic crashes by 48% than other traffic calming options on the average.

Regarding the size of the roundabout, Corbett also assured the board of commissioners that the city has enough land in the surrounding right-of-ways to accommodate for the roundabout.

In addition to the aesthetic upgrades, the project will also include water and sewer upgrades. The $1.9 million cost for those upgrades will be paid through the city's water and sewer fund. The remaining $6.6 million cost of the project will be shared by the city and CRA. Szerlag says the current plan is for the city and CRA to equally share that cost. However, as time comes closer to pay for the construction that could change depending on the financial health of both entities. Meaning if one fund has a stronger financial setting, it could cover more of the cost burden for the project.

After hearing the presentation, the commissioners unanimously voted to approve the design, and later during the regular city council meeting, council members once again unanimously approved the design moving the project to the next phase.

Szerlag says the goal is to have shovels in the ground later this year to begin the project with a projected construction timeline of nine to twelve months to complete.

 Related Links:

Cape Coral Bike Ped Master Plan--approved 4/4/17

Agenda Pkg for Cape Coral Council 4/3/17 Meeting

BWL 2/17/17 Blog:  Cape Coral selected as 'Bicycle friendly community of the year' by Florida Bicycle Association

BWL 4/22/16 Blog: Cape Coral residents share ideas for improving walking and biking

Cape Coral selected as 'Bicycle friendly community of the year' by Florida Bicycle Association

The Florida Bicycle Association has selected Cape Coral as Bicycle Friendly Community of the Year. 

"Your efforts and achievements for bicyclists is shaping our vision for Florida to be a state where bicycling is safe, respected and encouraged as a means of transportation and recreation" wrote Becky Afonso, Executive Director of the Association in a letter to Cape Coral Bike-Ped.

"Your hard work and dedication to bicycling is to be commended and celebrated", she wrote. The award will be presented later this spring, probably in March (Florida Bike Month) or May (National Bike Month).

BikeWalkLee would like to congratulate Carolyn Conant and the entire group of volunteers of CCBP with this award. It is yet another encouraging sign of the continuing developments to improve conditions in Cape Coral and the entire area for bicycling and walking, as a mode of transportation as well as for recreation and tourism.

Gulf Coast Trail: Dream Trail Closer to Reality

It's exciting to see momentum building for the Southwest Coast Connector trail that's part of plans for a Florida statewide connected trail system.  
The News-Press feature article has several components, including a piece on the economic benefits of trails and a video that highlights the vision.  Thanks to Laura Ruane of News-Press for the great coverage. See links to previous BWL blogs on topic at end of this post. [Note: Photos in blog are not the ones in the News-Press article.]

News-Press, Sunday 2/12/17:  Southwest Florida dream: 300-mile, paved bike-ped trail closer to reality
By LAURA RUANE , LRUANE@NEWS-PRESS.COM

Front page of Sunday 2/12/17 News-Press

Picture a 300-mile ribbon of pavement for walking, running, bicycling or skating that stretches from Clearwater through Naples.

It runs past scenic waterfronts, bucolic landscapes and lively downtowns.

That’s the dream for The Gulf Coast Trail, known by some as the Southwest Coast Connector.

Its proponents say the trail will be a boon for bicycle-pedestrian tourism, and in some spots also serve commuting workers and schoolchildren.

It’s a big dream Isobel Hitchcock hopes will come true.

“There was no need for me to have a driver’s license until I moved to Florida,” said Hitchcock, a transplant from Denver who owns and operates the Ancient Art Tattoo Studio in North Fort Myers.

That was nearly 25 years ago. Today, Hitchcock doesn’t think she would commute to work on the trail, but envisions long weekends or even a weeklong vacation “riding 30 or so miles a day” on her bicycle, seeing some of the region’s best beaches, wooded areas and downtowns.

Not for recreation only

Support for paved trails is growing nationwide because they’re catalysts for safer walking and bicycling, increased tourism, higher property values, business development, health and wellness and overall community well-being.

But there’s much work to be done. The Gulf Coast Trail is a network of existing paved segments with numerous gaps to fill, and routing decisions yet to be made.

The good news is that Southwest Florida counties are uniting behind the concept – and substantial new state funding has started to roll in for bike-ped trail development across the Sunshine State.

Why the push for major, named regional trail networks?

With some noteworthy exceptions – New York City’s famous 1.8-mile High Line among them – long trail networks get more bang for their buck than individual, short trails.

Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation says when a trail is 150 miles or longer, that trail becomes a national and international destination, pumping up the overnight stays and economic benefits.

The SUN Trail breakthrough

Historically, bike-ped trail-building in the Sunshine State has been sporadic, with city and county governments scraping up what they could, competing with each other for state and federal grants.

Statewide, bike-ped trails’ big breakthrough came in 2015. That’s when the Florida Legislature passed a bill establishing the SUN (Shared-Use Non-motorized) Trail program, which makes $25 million available yearly for the development of paved, multi-use trail networks for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The money comes from a portion of the fees drivers pay for new motor vehicle license tags.

The Florida Greenways and Trails Council recommends priorities for links in the system.

The Coast to Coast Trail – nearly 230 miles long and connecting St. Petersburg with Titusville – got first dibs.

The council next recommended the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop, a 260-mile route that will link the St. Johns River, St. Augustine and Titusville.

The remaining third of SUN Trail funds is designated for helping to fill gaps in other major trails.

Gulf Coast Trail proponents hope to qualify for dollars in that third spot, and ultimately move up in priority as the Coast-to-Coast Trail is substantially completed.

But they aren’t waiting for that to occur.

Transportation planners from the seven Florida counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier have joined the Gulf Coast Trail Alliance, a collective effort aimed at raising public and private dollars to fill the gaps.

These planners and other bike-ped facility experts and enthusiasts met in Venice on Jan. 23 for a trail summit organized by the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority.

Staffers from County Metropolitan Planning Organizations reviewed the status of local trails included in the route map, gaps and possible detours.

What's happening in Collier, Lee?

In Collier County, the MPO will continue to collaborate with other agencies on completing the trail, said Eric Ortman, senior planner.

"There are financial challenges. Extending the Richard King Greenway may be a next logical step in the process," Ortman said.

The Richard King Greenway connects Radio Road and Rattlesnake Hammock Road, and is used by some work commuters as well as recreational walkers and bicyclists.

Lee County's MPO is seeking the Florida Greenways and Trails Council's endorsement for a coastal loop detour from the mostly inland trail route which would lead to Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Springs.

Lee MPO's Proposed Coastal Loop Detour Trail

That would make the trip more scenic and compatible with the Gulf Coast Trail theme, said Don Scott, Lee County MPO executive director.

The detour would pass by Lovers Key State Park, with one version also skirting Estero Bay State Preserve State Park and its lakes.

Portions of the detour, though, would have limited separation from busy beachfront Estero Boulevard, which is undergoing a county-funded bike, pedestrian and transit enhancement.

The Estero Boulevard improvement project already underway will build or include existing sidewalks anywhere from 8 feet to 9 1/2 feet wide in those sections of the boulevard where constrained rights-of-way won't allow bike lanes or would permit only sharrows. The latter are those shared road markings, often with a picture of a bike, reminding motorists that cyclists have a right to use regular road lanes.

That's OK with food safety manager Linda Anders, recreational cyclist who prefers trails to roads – even those with bike lanes.

Anders likes the idea of the Gulf Coast Trail  despite the likelihood some stretches will be on or near busy roads.

“Because it will be a designated trail, people will use it more often," Anders said. "And drivers will understand there will be bicyclists on it.”

It all comes with a cost. Lee County MPO estimates that total needs, including the coastal loop alternative, will cost nearly $36.5 million.

Grant paves way for new Cape Coral bike-ped trail

Considering the cost and complexity of acquiring rights of way, designing and building bike-ped trails, will gaps remain in Lee County's share of the Gulf Coast Trail 20 years from now?

“There might be,” the MPO’s Scott said. However, he thinks progress in some areas can be made in five years or less. That might be establishing a new link from the northern end of the John Yarbrough Linear Park Trail to Hanson Street.

Still to be answered are questions such as how the Gulf Coast Trail would flow through downtown Fort Myers and cross the Caloosahatchee River into North Fort Myers.

Lee Health backs bike-ped trail promotion

These kinds of challenges were summarized at  the Venice bike-ped trail summit in January. It drew a crowd of close to 200 people – easily three times the number organizers initially expected.

The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority organized the event, with Lee County-based Lee Health public hospital system paying for deli box lunches for the crowd.

Lee Health also has pledged $2,500 seed money for a video that would acquaint people with the Gulf Coast Trail's benefits and what it might look like.

The hospital system will host a meeting of Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation at Cape Coral Hospital in May.

Lee Health supports the Gulf Coast Trail because “being able to safely move about, outside of our automobiles would be a huge benefit to our health, to our lifestyle and to our economy,” said Christin Collins, who helps the hospital system plan wellness programs for its staff and the community at large.

Cape Coral, Fort Myers area most dangerous in U.S. for pedestrians

In January, the National Complete Street’s Coalition released its “Dangerous by Design” report naming Lee County as the most dangerous place in the nation for pedestrians.

Collins called the report “a gift.” Asked to elaborate, she said:

“If we don’t know about the problem, we won’t take time to educate ourselves and work for change.”

Connect with this reporter @Alvascribe (Twitter) and LauraPatrickRuane (Facebook).

Trails attract tourists, dollars

Generally, the longer a bike-ped trail, the likelier it has significant economic impact.

One happy exception to this is New York City’s High Line, a 1.8-mile linear park and bike-ped trail built on a defunct elevated freight line.

High Line’s ground-breaking was in 2006. It opened to the public in 2009.

By 2014, here's how parks consultancy GreenPlay LLC summed-up the financial rewards:

*Four million visitors yearly;

*$900 million more in city tax revenues annually;

*$2 billion in new economic activity; and

*Soaring property values:. One block from High Line, values doubled, with the rest of downtown Manhattan increasing by 75 percent.

In Florida, one of the biggest bike-ped trail successes hinged on a single county's initiative: “Penny for Pinellas” is an additional 1 percent sales tax voters in that county approved more than 20 years ago.

Pinellas Trail

It was a major funder for the 47-mile Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail that was built along a former railroad corridor, and which gets more than one million visitors yearly.

The Legacy Trail in Sarasota County is an up-and-comer that would be part of the Gulf Coast Trail network. It’s a $40 million investment to date that’s been paid for primarily through a variety of local taxes.

 The trail stretches from the city’s historic train depot near its downtown, runs north more than 10 miles, and passes Oscar Scherer State Park, before ending at Culverhouse Nature Park.

However, a 7.5-mile extension to Payne Park in the heart of downtown Sarasota is a long-term goal that's getting tantalizingly closer.

In a recent newsletter, Friends of Legacy Trail said it’s learned the owner of the rail corridor intends to sell it to a public land trust that would then transfer the title to Sarasota County.

About 175,000 people use  the trail yearly, according to a recent study by Friends of Legacy Trail.

“That’s pretty amazing given that the trail does not yet link the two major population centers in the county: the cities of North Port and Sarasota,” said Roger Normand, who speaks for the friends group.

Things are improving for cyclists and pedestrians in Florida, but danger abounds. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area was recently named the deadliest in the nation for pedestrians. However, that study didn’t include improvements over the past two years. For example, a local initiative called the Bike-Ped Master Plan for Cape Coral should help make conditions safer for pedestrians and other non-motorists. A new grant is paving the way for 7 miles of improvements primarily along Kismet Parkway in the Cape.

Go to news-press.com for more.
See News-Press video 
--------------
Links to Previous BWL Blogs on topic:

BWL Blog 10/12/16: Cape Receives $1.8 Million SUN Trail Grant to Design Multi-Use Trail in North Cape

BWL Blog 3/7/16:  BikeWalkLee supports Southwest Coastal Regional Trail 

Cape Coral Bike-Ped's leader Carolyn Conant finalist for 2016 Trailblazer of the Year award

At the end of every year, News-Press announces the finalists for its People of the Year awards, which honor "those who have made tremendous community impacts and changes lives along the way." There are eight award categories, including Person of the Year and Trailblazer of the Year.  Over the past six weeks, News-Press has featured profiles of the finalists for all the 2016 People of the Year awards. Today the paper focused on the three finalists for the Trailblazer of the Year award, including Carolyn Conant, the leader of  the Cape Coral Bike-Ped group. The award winners will be announced on Feb. 21st. See the original December BWL blog post about all the finalists.
 
News-Press, Jan. 31, 2017, by Frank Bumb:  Carolyn Conant puts the trails in trail blazer

Photo: Kinfay Moroti/news-press.com

 Sometimes the term “trailblazer” is a term of art, meant to convey the image of a bold person showing their comrades the path forward through a figurative wilderness or laying track for others to follow in their footsteps.

Carolyn Conant, is literally making the paths for others to follow. Ideally through walking and cycling. Carolyn Conant leads Cape Coral Bike-Ped volunteer organization.

Dedicated to increase the amount of walking and cycling opportunities in the 10th largest city on Florida and one of the country's fastest growing areas, the group has turned Cape Coral into a cycling destination.

Her efforts are why she, along with Barbara Manzo of Lee County's 20/20 Conservation Committee and Karthryn Kelly of the Heights Foundation were nominated for The News-Press' Trailblazer of the Year. They will be honored Feb. 21 during the News-Press People of the Year Awards at FGCU.

Conant, 67, and her group has already made significant progress.

In 2015, the city was recognized as a bicycle-friendly city for the first time. In October, the city’s public works division secured a nearly $1.8 million Florida Department of Transportation grant for preliminary engineering and design of a 7-mile long, 12-feet wide trail. The trail will run along Kismet Parkway from Del Prado to Burnt Store Road.

Grant paves way for new Cape Coral bike-ped trail

Cape Coral Spokeswoman Connie Barron praised Cape Coral Bike-Ped’s partnership to help secure the grant.

“The partnership we’ve had with Cape Coral Bike-Ped has been extraordinary,” Barron said.

But Conant, a Cape Coral resident for almost 23 years, and Cape Coral Bike-Ped are not done yet.

“We’ve got three main goals for 2017,” Conant said. “We’ve got our Complete Streets Bike-Ped Master Plan, promoting bicycle tourism and our education and safety initiatives.”

The master plan represents a report of community concerns over cycling and pedestrian concerns for areas in their neighborhoods and how the city can expand those opportunities from the 90 miles of paths it has already.

Conant emphasized over and over that the master plan and the group’s other works are not meant just for cyclists but for runners, joggers, walkers, parents with their kids in strollers and more.

“I’m actually not much of a cyclist myself,” Conant said.

But Conant wants to keep Cape Coral thriving, adding miles of accessible bike paths to provide options for some car-averse millennials and others, will keep Cape Coral along that path.

That goes hand-in-hand with promoting Cape Coral as a bicycle tourism destination. Which, if the paths are constructed right, will highlight the city’s burgeoning entertainment and dining options.

“We want to get the word out that this is a good community to come to, ride your bike from one spot, and see what the Cape has to offer while you’re doing it,” Conant said.

The third goal, education and safety initiatives, is all the more pressing because of recent report from Smart Growth America released Jan. 10 that had Lee County as the most dangerous areas for pedestrians and cyclists in Florida and the country. But while that report looks back, Conant hopes increasing education about safety will get Lee County out of that cellar.

"We've got a real opportunity this year."

CAROLYN CONANT

• Her role: Leads the volunteer Cape Coral Bike-Ped group

• Three goals for 2017: Complete Streets Bike-Ped Master Plan, promote bike tourism and improve safety awareness.

Cape Receives $1.8 Million SUN Trail Grant to Design Multi-Use Trail in North Cape

Vision of Florida interconnected trail system

The City of Cape Coral announced today that it has received an $1.8 million FDOT grant to design a multi-use bicycle and pedestrian trail in North Cape Coral along Kismet Parkway. The trail will be part of the Florida SUNTrail, a statewide system of paved multi-use trails for bicyclists and pedestrians, physically separated from vehicular traffic.

The new trail will be a welcome addition to the existing bike/ped facilities in the Cape, in particular for residents of the Northern parts of the city. It will expand the opportunities for safe outdoor exercise and recreation in the area.

The trail will eventually connect Cape Coral to the statewide SUN Trail network of bicycle pedestrian trails, enhancing the city's profile as a tourist destination and its image as a bike/pedestrian friendly community.

BikeWalkLee was an early supporter of SUN Trail and has submitted letters of support. Our annual letter to the Lee Legislative Delegation for the past four years has made bike tourism and the statewide network of bike/ped paths, now called SUN Trail, one of our top priorities. Congratulations to the City of Cape Coral and the volunteers of Cape Coral Bike Ped who have been instrumental in this grant application.


From the 10/12 Cape Coral press release:
‘The City of Cape Coral has received a $1.8 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation for the preliminary engineering and design of a multi-use trail along Kismet Parkway in the north Cape. The Cape's individual trail project was one of 45 projects to receive funding for bicycle and pedestrian trail expansion in Florida through the new Shared Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail Program. FDOT awarded $44.4 million in statewide grants in the first year of the program.

"Cape Coral continues to achieve success in obtaining grant funds to help with our goal of expanding bicycle and pedestrian opportunities throughout the city," said Connie Barron, Public Affairs Manager for the City. "This project along Kismet Parkway will provide a signature destination for recreational activity in the north Cape."

The multi-use trail will be on the north side of Kismet Parkway from Del Prado Boulevard west to El Dorado Boulevard, and passing by the City's future Festival Park. The trail will continue on the west side of El Dorado south to Van Buren Parkway, and then on the north side of Van Buren Parkway west to Burnt Store Road. The 12-foot-wide trail spans about seven miles and potentially could include exercise components similar to the linear park along Del Prado Boulevard.

The Cape Coral Bike-Ped group was instrumental in the successful application for grant funding from the SUN Trail Program. The volunteer group continues to work in partnership with the City to advance the goal of developing a bicycle and pedestrian friendly Cape Coral.

Lee Co. segment of SW Coastal Regional Trail

From the 10/11 FDOT press release:

‘All of the selected projects are in the identified SUN Trail network, which consists of the developing statewide system of paved multi-use trails for bicyclists and pedestrians, physically separated from vehicular traffic.

FDOT Secretary Jim Boxold said, “This initial SUN Trail funding will provide safer opportunities for bicyclists and pedestrians, advance the completion of the state trail system and enhance the state’s partnership with local communities throughout Florida.”

Twenty-two of the funded projects help to advance two major regional trails systems selected as priorities by the Florida Greenways and Trails Council. Five of these are part of the Coast to Coast Connector, a 250-mile trail system linking the Gulf and Atlantic coasts through Central Florida, and 17 are part of the St. Johns River Sea Loop, a 270-mile trail system that will link together several communities including St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Titusville, DeLand and Palatka. 23 projects are for individual trail segments throughout the rest of the state.

The SUN Trail Program was established during the 2015 legislative session. More information about the program can be found at floridasuntrail.com.’

BikeWalkSafely2Live Contest: Make a video to make Cape biking safer

The News-Press, 'Go Coastal',  9/15/2016

By Carolyn Conant-Adair

In the United States, “every year, about 300,000 kids go to the emergency department because of bike injuries, and at least 10,000 kids have injuries that require a few days in the hospital. Some of these injuries are so serious that children die, usually from head injuries,” according to Nemours Kids Health website.

The city of Cape Coral and Cape Coral Bike Ped volunteers are working to reduce the number of bicycle and pedestrian crashes – and they want your help. The Cape Coral Police Department’s High Visibility Pedestrian/Bicycle Enforcement effort has already resulted in a 10% year to year decreased bicycle and pedestrian accidents, by giving out more warning tickets and citations.

These types of initiatives work but, as Sergeant Jon Kulko of the Cape Coral Police Department Traffic Unit notes: "There is still a great need for the youth of Cape Coral to wear bicycle helmets and to have their bicycles equipped with brakes. Those riding at night need to have bicycle lights (front and rear) and are encouraged to wear high visibility clothing." So, while the city is working to build more and safer bike routes and sidewalks every year to try to keep children and adults safe, it’s not enough.

The city’s newest safety strategy is to ask student in middle and high schools (through their media teachers) to create bicycle and pedestrian safety videos. Through peer-to-peer safety and education videos, students can help educate their fellow students on the rules of the road, the need to wear a helmet and other safety initiatives.

Thanks to a grant from the Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition, the city of Cape Coral is able to send the winning Lee County middle and high schools up to $1,000 to purchase media equipment or for bicycle and pedestrian initiatives. The best middle and high school students’ Public Service Announcement (PSA) videos will be aired on TV ads, school media outlets, websites and blogs. Winning students are encouraged to list the winning videos on their resumes and job applications.

Encourage students you know throughout Lee County public, private, charter and parochial schools and their media teachers to participate in this contest. Middle and high school students and their teachers can go to www.CapeCoral.net/Bicycling and click on the big blue “BikeWalkSafely2Live PSA Contest” button to get started by reading the Contest Rules and applying on the online Entry Form. The deadline to submit your video is Nov. 18, 2016.

The city is looking for creative approaches to encourage more students to ride and walk to schools and throughout the region in a safe manner. Participants need to create 10-, 15- or 30-second videos that highlight bicycle and pedestrian safety initiatives (such as wearing a helmet) as well as the rules of the road (such as walking or riding on the correct side of the road).

These student-created bike/ped videos will help everyone learn the rules of the road and safe bicycling and walking practices.

Let’s bring the number of bicycle and pedestrian crashes down even further this coming year through these bike/ped safety videos. Let’s make our roads safer for everyone!

Lend a hand by getting students you know excited about participating in this video contest. The roads belong to all of us; let’s make them safer by getting everyone - motorist, cyclist and pedestrians - to learn the rules of the road and be courteous to each other.

Carolyn Conant-Adair is president of Cape Coral Bike-Ped, a volunteer organization working in partnership with the city of Cape Coral to make a difference in the way the city improves and builds its bike lanes, paths and sidewalks.

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.

Cape Coral BikeWalkSafely2Live PSA Video contest launched today

As a result of the tireless work of Cape Coral Bike Ped in partnership with the City of Cape Coral, a safety video (PSA) contest for all Lee County schools was launched today at Cape Coral City Council Meeting.

From the press release:
'Calling all middle and high school students in media and audio-visual classes and your teachers, join this effort to create videos that encourage students to learn about bicycle and pedestrian safety issues.

The City of Cape Coral could send your Lee County school up to $1,000 to purchase media equipment or for bicycle and pedestrian initiatives. The best middle and high school students’ Public Service Announcement (PSA) videos will be aired on TV ads in Lee County.

This contest through media or audio-visual teachers is open to all Lee County Public, Charter, Private and Parochial schools.

As part of the City of Cape Coral’s bicycle and pedestrian safety initiative, Cape Coral Bike Ped volunteers and the City are asking for your help to increase the number of students who ride their bicycle and walk to school safely.

As Carolyn Conant, of Cape Coral Bike Ped, states: “With the help of middle and high school students’ in Lee County and their effort to create positive bike/ped safety messages in PSA videos that appeal to their peers, we can make this region safer for bicyclist and pedestrians. We believe that peer-to-peer safety and education videos will be a very effective method to get the message out on the rules of the road, the need to wear a helmet and other safety initiatives.”

So get your teachers to commit to be part of this contest, have your teacher go to www.CapeCoral.net/Bicycling and click on the big blue BikeWalkSafely2Live PSA Contest button to get started. Read the Contest Rules, get your parents or guardians to sign a Parental Release Form and have your teacher submit the best 15 video submissions on the online Entry Form. You can do it, get started today!

We are looking for creative approaches to encourage more students to ride and walk to schools and throughout the region in a safe manner. Participants need to create 10, 15 or 30 second videos that highlights bicycle and pedestrian safety and rules of the road and can be shown on TV ads if winners.

The Lee County School District will be sending out information on this contest to their principals today. Notice will also be going out to private and parochial schools.

The details:

• Open to all Lee County middle & high school students in media or audio-visual classes.
• Entries must be completed and sent in using the online Entry Form by the Lee County teacher (or designee) along with your uploaded video.
• Videos must be uploaded at www.CapeCoral.net/Bicycling, click on BikeWalkSafely2Live PSA Contest button then click on the Entry Form to upload the videos.
• Media production or audio-visual teachers, at the middle or high school level, will submit their students’ up to 15 best PSA video on the online Entry Form after reading the Contest Rules.
• Every student involved in the video must return a signed Parental Release Form to your teacher for uploading onto the Entry Form for that project submission.
• A project submission is as follows: one 30 second video, up to two 15 second videos or up to three 10 second videos.
• Submissions will be accepted from September 5, 2016 through November 18, 2017. 

Winners will be chosen on originality, creativity, and how well the students use their artistic vision to portray the theme and how successfully the bicycle and pedestrian safety concept is conveyed. Be sure that what is being conveyed meets with bicycle and pedestrian safety laws in the State of Florida. Check out http://flbikelaw.org/ or www.alerttodayflorida.com websites for bicycle and pedestrian safety laws in Florida. The decision of the judges is final.

For more information contact: Carolyn Conant, Cape Coral Bike Ped, at 239-851-9737 or Jodi Walborn, Safe Routes to School coordinator and Bike Ped member, at 239-738-3155.'

August 24: second public workshop Cape Coral bike-ped Master Plan

As we reported in April, the City of Cape Coral is developing a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The goal of the plan is to provide a research-based roadmap for the City to become a safer, friendlier, and more attractive cycling and walking community for all residents and visitors.

The plan is funded through a $150,000 state grant via the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization and will be completed in 2017.

'Complete street' design

After the public kick-off meeting in April, the consultants and the City did a great job at collecting and analyzing large amounts of data. With the expertise of the consultants and a wealth of public input via the community input map, the plan is now reaching the draft stages.

A look at the community input map shows the engagement of the people of Cape Coral, with valuable suggestions and innovative ideas for better and safer (bike) paths, intersections, and other improvements everywhere you look.

On August 24, there will be another opportunity for residents of the Cape (and elsewhere) to be informed and get involved. The draft plan will be presented, and everyone will have another opportunity to take part in the process, and give feedback.

So save the date of Wednesday, August 24, bring your friends and neighbors, and come to the community workshop at the Cape Coral Public Works Building (Green Room),  815 Nicholas Parkway East, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. 

 

External links:

City of Cape Coral bike/ped master plan page: www.capecoral.net/bicycle_and_pedestrian_master_plan/
Community input map:  wikimapping.com/wikimap/Cape-Coral-Bicycle-Pedestrian-Master-Plan.html

Cape Police bike/ped safety focus shifts from education to enforcement

Kudos to CCPD for their continuing bike/ped safety efforts, supported by a 2nd FDOT grant, and thanks to News-Press for their ongoing coverage.

News-Press, April 29, 2016: Cape Coral PD says bike-ped scofflaws to get tickets not pamphlets

By  MICHAEL BRAUN

Main objective is to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities involving pedestrians and bicyclists

(Photo: Special to The News-Press)

The Cape Coral police will be targeting areas of the city where bicycle and pedestrian traffic is more active and will issue warnings and/or citations to pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists who commit violations of Florida statutes.

The activity is part of a transition in the department's Bike-Ped Operations to a new phase.

Initially, the department Bike-Ped Operations focused on distributing informational materials to violators, educating them about applicable traffic laws, the importance of wearing a helmet, and other issues regarding bicycle and pedestrian safety.

The main objective of this effort is to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities involving pedestrians and bicyclists through the use of selective traffic enforcement operations.

During May officers will be actively looking to enforce the rules of the road as they relate to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. They will be looking to enforce the bicycle helmet laws in order to keep those cycling in the city safe.

The funding for these operations is provided through a $20,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation for High Visibility Enforcement addressing pedestrian and bicycle safety. This is the second such grant awarded to the Cape Coral Police Department by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Cape Coral police reminders

• Pedestrians should always walk on the sidewalk and if no sidewalk, walk facing traffic.

• Pedestrians and bicyclists should not wear headphones or talk on their cell phones.  

• Pedestrians and bicyclists should cross streets at marked crosswalks or intersections when possible and obey traffic signals such as WALK/DON'T WALK signs.

• Bicyclists should have their bicycle equipped with a white light on the front visible from a distance of 500 feet and a red light visible from a distance of 600 feet, between sunset and sunrise during operation.

• Bicyclists operating on the roadway are subject to obeying all traffic control devices to include stop signs and lighted traffic signals.

• Bicyclists operating upon a sidewalk or crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian.

Unsafe driver behaviors

• Speeding (5 MPH can make the difference between types of injuries)

•  Failure to stop for red lights or stop signs

•  Failure to yield to pedestrians and bicyclists

• Distracted driving

• Blocking crosswalks

• Turning on permitted light (green signal) but not looking for pedestrian properly crossing in crosswalk- Right and Left turn crashes with pedestrians.