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

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

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

Below are the before and after photos:

Before

After

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

BikeWalkLee Related Blog Posts:

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

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

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

BWL Column: Patience pays off for Fiddlesticks Blvd. community

This week's BWL column highlights the recent celebration of the completion of the Fiddlesticks Blvd. shared use path, and what other communities can learn from this project's long journey to successful completion.  Thank you to the many people who made this project happen!  Be sure to let the officials, staff, and community advocates know that you appreciate this project.  During the holiday break,  plan to get on your bike or put on your running shoes to try out the new path, which connects to the extensive path system on Daniels Parkway and beyond. Click here to see BWL's full photo album from ribbon-cutting event.

 BikeWalkLee's Column in News-Press "Go Coastal" section: 12/22/16

Dec. 8th Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony (L to R: David Murphy (David Murphy, Andy Getch, Matt Spielman, Christine Deramo, Antionette Johnson, Doug Meurer, Darla Letourneau, Commissioners Pendergrass, Pat Connor, and Ray Gonzalez)

What does it take for a neighborhood to improve its biking/walking infrastructure?

Tireless champions, a committed community and patience… lots and lots of patience.

That’s the lesson from the Fiddlesticks Boulevard Shared Use Path, which marked its opening with a county-sponsored ribbon cutting Dec. 8.

For background: Fiddlesticks Boulevard is a road leading off Daniels Parkway to four major communities totaling some 5,000 residents. Like so many thoroughfares around here, the road was flat, fast and potentially fatal to walkers and bikers alike.

Enter the dedicated champions, Ben and Kelly Bishop, who moved to one of the communities in 2004 and quickly committed themselves to improving the bike/walk safety of the boulevard. While requests for improvements had been made before, no sign of widespread support was ever in evidence. (Patience…)

That soon changed. The Bishops worked with the four Fiddlesticks communities to get their associations to sign on to supporting bike/ped improvements with county officials. With the larger circle of community champions, the project gained momentum to move it on to the county’s five-year Capital Improvements Project budget. Due to the backlog of requests, such projects usually can hope to be funded only at the end of that CIP cycle. (More patience…)

Possible improvements to the boulevard were suggested, from “share the road” signs to sidewalks and more. But community support and pressure resulted in a county commissioner-convened community meeting in 2012 where residents turned out in force to push for a shared use path – a wider, more useful and more expensive solution. (More patience…)

County officials saw the strong support as reason to agree to a higher priced shared use path. The design phase turned up some new issues, necessitating changes and additional permitting. (More patience…)

Ben and Kelly Bishop committed themselves to improving the

bike/walk safety of Fiddlesticks Boulevard.

However, the many community champions monitored the project progress closely, calling on residents to turn out when necessary to show just how strong the neighborhood support continued to be. This, in turn, kept county officials engaged and enabled obstacles to be overcome to keep the project on track. (Just a little more patience…)

Permits and plans finally in hand, the county awarded the construction contract in June 2016… and six months later, everyone gathered on a December afternoon about two weeks ago to celebrate a project well done, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by District 2 Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass.

The new path connects the Fiddlesticks Boulevard communities to the Daniels Parkway path, and from there to the larger county bike/walk network. Residents can now ride or walk to shops and more in safety… they could even ride to the spring training games just up the road and cruise past all those cars stuck in all that traffic.

Congratulations to everyone who helped bring this project to fruition, adding another crucial connection to the bike/walk network.

Other communities can learn from this, of course. Want to make your neighborhood safer to bike and walk?

• Identify a need and propose a  specific project.

• Have a community champion willing to hang in there to the end.

• Build and maintain community support start to finish (however long it takes).

• Learn the county process and players to get things started and keep things moving.

• Be there for the long haul, with patience to spare.

-- 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

Biking, walking to happier holidays

While we always encourage people to enjoy the plentiful opportunities to bike, walk and run in Southwest Florida, holidays are an especially excellent time to hit the trails and paths.
Why?

• To create family-friendly moments. Biking and, in particular, walking is something almost all of your family and visitors can do… so you can do it together.

• To give everyone a little space. Getting on each other’s nerves? Get out and go for a walk or ride… it breaks up the routine and break downs some of the bad family habits we all can fall prey to.

• To burn off some calories. Even the most prudent among us can partake a little too festively this time of year. Moving around is still the best remedy to too much food… so get moving!

• Finally, to beat the traffic. The week between holidays is often approaching gridlock on our roads… but not necessarily on our paths. Would you rather be stuck in traffic, or pedaling by it?

Enjoy your holidays – and any walks or rides you can fit in.

Ready to ride or run?

Run: There’s a break in organized events with the holidays coming, so you’ll need to find friends and family (or too much food) to keep you motivated to move. You can celebrate the new year with a 5K and plunge in Naples (gcrunner.org), or keep in training for the River Roots & Ruts Half Marathon/5K on Jan. 8 (ftmyerstrackclub.com)

Ride: Celebrate New Year’s Eve early with Critical Mass, with a night ride Dec. 30 in Cape Coral, a morning ride in Fort Myers on Dec. 31, and the original CM downtown ride Jan. 6 Details and RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events.

Both: The HITS tri series returns to Naples on Jan. 7-8 with distances for everyone, from the short Open to the full Ironman (hitstriathlonseries.com/naples-fl)

Attend Fiddlesticks multi-use path ribbon cutting on Dec. 8

Now that the Fiddlesticks multi-use path project at Daniels Parkway in South Fort Myers nears completion, all interested parties are invited to attend the multi-use path unveiling ceremony by Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass, whose District 2 includes this site.

The ribbon cutting will take place on Thursday, December 8 at 9:00 a.m. in the southeast corner of the Publix parking lot at the Fiddlesticks Shopping Plaza. Refreshments will be provided by Publix at 8:45 a.m.

For more on the Fiddlesticks multi-use path, see:
https://bikewalklee.blogspot.com/2012/03/want-bikeped-improvements-on.html
https://bikewalklee.blogspot.com/2012/03/report-from-town-hall-meeting-on.html
https://bikewalklee.blogspot.com/2014/04/bocc-approves-palomino-lane-shared-use.html
http://www.news-press.com/story/news/2016/08/03/work-begin-fiddlesticks-bicyclepedestrian-path/87995024/

TIGER contract in hand, county bike projects to start

In addition to the News-Press article, NBC-2 News did a story on 3/17, which included an interview with BikeWalkLee's Darla Letourneau.  Click here to view.

News-Press 3/16/15: TIGER contract in hand, county bike projects to start
By CRAIG HANDEL, CHANDEL@NEWS-PRESS.COM

When Darla Letourneau and members of BikeWalkLee saw the final signatures completing a contract with the Department of Transportation on a $10.4 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant, a couple of thoughts passed through their minds:

 We can actually start doing the work.
And when it’s done, people will be safer.

(Photo: Jack Hardman/The News-Press)

 This summer, construction is expected to start in Lee County on bike paths that will give cyclists pathways — sidewalks, paved shoulders — to keep them away from motorists.

In a little more than a year, 12 cyclists have been killed in Lee and Collier counties. While Lee County had eight cyclists killed in 2014, Collier County ranked seventh among Florida counties in the rate of bike crashes per 100,000 people.

During a news conference in September 2013 to announce Lee County had received a Tiger Grant, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx called it an investment in safety.

Complete Streets Initiative Project Map

“The big picture is trying to fill in gaps,” metropolitan planning organization staff director Don Scott said. “We have facilities around the county, but they’re not always connected.

“We have higher crash rates than the national average. If cyclists don’t have facilities on both side, people have to cross the road, that’s part of the problem.”

The main work is being done along Colonial Boulevard, Daniels Parkway, Six Mile Cypress, San Carlos Park, Florida Gulf Coast and U.S. 41. Scott thinks the project will take about 18 months. He said projects which are permitted first will be worked on first. He added projects also won’t be worked on during heavily congested times, such as Daniels during Spring Training.

Ben Bishop, who lives just off of Daniels, has tried to get bike paths in his neighborhood nearly 10 years. He said many people don’t ride their bikes “because they fear for their lives.”

Bishop said he’s been hit with ice thrown from a passing vehicle, and motorists have driven dangerously close to him. Besides wearing a helmet, he also has a rear-view mirror.

“I’ve had some close calls,” he said. “Drivers are supposed to be at least 3 feet away but I think that’s not enough. We don’t have much of a shoulder.”

Bishop said when a bike path is installed, he estimates about one-fourth of residents living in the area communities — about 1,300 —will use it.

The DOT has invested in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve critical national objectives. Since 2009, Congress has dedicated more than $4.1 billion to fund projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or a metropolitan area.

Since 2011, BikeWalkLee officials have worked to get Tiger Grant funding. Letourneau said there were many steps, including intricate contracting and bidding processes.

She said it took three tries to get the grant before it was accepted. Letourneau credited local politicians, contractors and Florida Greenway and Trails Foundation*, as well as citizens, for their help.

Of approximately 1,000 cities that applied for the grant around the country, about 40 to 50 were accepted.
“There was a lot of support for this,” Letourneau said. “You not only had to have a good proposal and ready, but be committed to moving in a new direction.

“It also was not about starting something. It was to help you finish something you already had committed to. This wasn’t intended to jump-start something.”

Now that projects will be continuing, Letourneau said she and BikeWalkLee members feel pressure.
“Safety has so many factors in it,” she said. “You never get instant results. It’s building an infrastructure, then marrying it with education and enforcement.”


What is a Tiger Grant?
The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grant program, provides a unique opportunity for the Department of Transportation to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve critical national objectives. Since 2009, Congress has dedicated more than $4.1 billion for six rounds to fund projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or a metropolitan area.

*Note: article incorrectly states that Florida Greenway and Trails Foundation was involved in the TIGER grant when they were not...reporter confused this with their involvement in the ROGG project, which was also discussed in interview.

Click here for BikeWalkLee's One-Stop Shop TIGER Complete Streets Project Resource (BWL Blog post 3/13/15)

Lee County Commission Proclaims May Bike Month

At the May 6th BoCC meeting, the Board proclaimed May Bike Month.  

The County's Bike Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) attended the ceremony and Chairman Keith Kibbey and Ileana Sisson thanked the Board and County staff for their support for biking and walking in Lee County.  They stated that the county has  made a great deal of progress in the past five years.  Keith challenged the BoCC members to ride their bike to work this month, or to participate in the May 21st Ride of Silence, or the May 24th BikeWalkLee bike ride and audit.

BikeWalkLee thanks BPAC, LeeDOT staff, and the BoCC for their ongoing support of complete streets and for the progress that's been made over these past 5 years.  We especially appreciate the service of citizens who give of their time and talent to serve on BPAC and other committees throughout the community that are doing the hard work on an ongoing basis to ensure that complete streets and a more bike/ped friendly community are becoming a reality throughout our county.

Also at Tuesday's Board meeting, the Fiddlesticks community came out en mass in support of the Fiddlesticks pathway project that will begin the design and then construction of the project shortly. Kudos to Ben Bishop, who spoke in support of the project, on behalf of the Fiddlesticks community.  We can't wait for this project to be completed in 2015/16!

Also at the Tuesday Board meeting, the BoCC approved funding for a safety improvement project at the College Parkway and Whiskey Creek Drive/Edison Parkway intersection.  The project will also evaluate potential bicycle lane improvements. There have been safety problems at this intersection and we're pleased to see these concerns being addressed.

Report from Town Hall meeting on Fiddlesticks bike/ped improvements

 3/14/12  Report by Steve Rodgers

Over 2,600 residents that live in the communities in the Fiddlesticks corridor South of Daniels were invited by Commissioner Brian Bigelow to attend a town hall meeting at the Riverside Church last night.  Over 200 concerned citizens showed up to hear about proposals from LeeDOT officials Sarah Clarke and Mike Tisch that would improve the roadway there to include paved shoulders or a bike/pedestrian path in the near future.

Each proposal called for narrowing the road lanes from 12 feet to 10 feet and necessarily lowering the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph.  The narrower road lanes would be required to add the shoulders or the 10 wide path and at the same time provide for continued water management along Fiddlesticks. 

The overwhelming majority of those in attendance were in favor of the "bike/pedestrian path" option, citing better safety for bicyclists and pedestrians overall.  There were concerns about the narrowed roadway, that motorists already exceed the speed limit, that a lot of trucks use the road, etc.  Those concerns were eased when it was explained that the center turn lanes would still be there, that there are a number of 10 foot lanes throughout Lee County, and that a person traveling at 35 mph might take 15 seconds longer to get from the housing developments to Daniels Pkwy,   In fact, one audience member asked everyone else, "why are we in such a hurry to get to Daniels when we will have to stop for the light there anyway?"

A survey and engineering study is already in the CIP budget for FY2014-2015, and construction funds are set for the project for FY2015-2016.  Both LeeDOT officials did not think that it would be possible to move this project up to be completed any sooner.

Want bike/ped improvements on Fiddlesticks Blvd? Come to 3/13 town hall meeting

Notice of Meeting from Lee County Board of County Commissioners

RE: Fiddlesticks Boulevard Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements

WHEN:  Tuesday, March 13^th – 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

WHERE:  Riverside Church of Fort Myers, 8660 Daniels Parkway, Fort Myers

This meeting is intended to give Brian Bigelow, Commissioner – District 2 and the Lee County Transportation department a better sense of our community’s desires for bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Fiddlesticks Boulevard.

Several alternatives will be presented, but before any construction funding can be appropriated your county government must first know what the community wants.  Brian Bigelow, Commissioner of District 2 hopes you will share with him any comments, suggestions, concerns or questions related to improving Fiddlesticks Boulevard.