Want to ride your bike to downtown Fort Myers for November 2nd Streets Alive?

Not familiar with how to ride your bike to downtown Fort Myers?  Here are some suggested routes for biking to the Nov. 2nd Streets Alive event.

If you want to ride your bike to the River District/downtown Fort Myers Streets Alive event on November 2nd, here are some suggested routes.  Note that these routes may not be appropriate for inexperienced cyclists or those with young children in tow.  Also, most routes have sidewalks that can be used as an alternative to riding on the road.  Below are links to six suggested routes from various starting points.  The distances range from 4 to 10 miles round trip.  Hope to see you there!

1.     Bicycling directions to Clemente Park, Fort Myers, FL (4.4 miles round trip)

2.     Bicycling directions to N Ft Myers Community Center, North Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers, FL (8.4 miles round trip)

3.      Bicycling directions to Colonial Blvd & Summerset Rd, Fort Myers (9.0 miles round trip)

4.     Bicycling directions to Winkler Ave & Shoemaker Blvd, Fort Myers, FL (9.9 miles round trip)

5.     Bicycling directions to Terry Park, Palm Beach Boulevard, Fort Myers (5.2 miles round trip)

6.     Bicycling directions to N Ft Myers Community Center, North Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers, FL (8.4 miles round trip)
      Note:  There may be construction a few of these routes

this year so you may want to contact Dan Moser
for the latest info:  bikepedmoser@gmail.com.

In addition to these routes, if you're not an experienced cyclist, you may want to try to route that Andy Getch used on the Oct. 13, 2013 bike audit ride .  He took his team in the general direction of the McGregor corridor, riding wherever possible on-road on quieter parallel low volume local streets. The route took riders south on Deleon Avenue to Colonial Boulevard  for a rest stop at the Walgreens parking lot on Colonial Boulevard and Sommerset Drive. The return ride coursed back along Sommerset Drive, connecting to the sidewalk on McGregor Boulevard, around the golf course to reconnect to Cortez Avenue with a return to Centennial Park. Most of these neighborhoods are well connected with many other options and connections to McGregor Boulevard and US 41. 

To read more about riding to Streets Alive, check out the Oct. 17, 2013 BWL blog: "Downtown Fort Myers Bike Audit demonstrates you can bike to Nov.2nd Streets Alive!"

Hope to see you on November 2nd!

To learn more about this year's Streets Alive event, click here.

Want to ride your bike to downtown Fort Myers for November 10th Streets Alive?

Not familiar with how to ride your bike to downtown Fort Myers?  Here are some suggested routes for biking to the Nov. 10th Streets Alive event.

If you want to ride your bike to the River District/downtown Fort Myers Streets Alive event on November 10th, here are some suggested routes.  Note that these routes may not be appropriate for inexperienced cyclists or those with young children in tow.  Also, most routes have sidewalks that can be used as an alternative to riding on the road.  Below are links to six suggested routes from various starting points.  The distances range from 4 to 10 miles roundtrip.  Hope to see you there!

1.     Bicycling directions to Clemente Park, Fort Myers, FL (4.4 miles roundtrip)

2.     Bicycling directions to N Ft Myers Community Center, North Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers, FL (8.4 miles roundtrip)

3.      Bicycling directions to Colonial Blvd & Summerset Rd, Fort Myers (9.0 miles roundtrip)

4.     Bicycling directions to Winkler Ave & Shoemaker Blvd, Fort Myers, FL (9.9 miles roundtrip)

5.     Bicycling directions to Terry Park, Palm Beach Boulevard, Fort Myers (5.2 miles roundtrip)

6.     Bicycling directions to N Ft Myers Community Center, North Tamiami Trail, North FortMyers, FL (8.4 miles roundtrip)

In addition to these routes, if you're not an experienced cyclist, you may want to try to route that Andy Getch used on the Oct. 13th bike audit ride .  He took his team in the general direction of the McGregor corridor, riding wherever possible on-road on quieter parallel low volume local streets. The route took riders south on Deleon Avenue to Colonial Boulevard  for a rest stop at the Walgreens parking lot on Colonial Boulevard and Sommerset Drive. The return ride coursed back along Sommerset Drive, connecting to the sidewalk on McGregor Boulevard, around the golf course to reconnect to Cortez Avenue with a return to Centennial Park. Most of these neighborhoods are well connected with many other options and connections to McGregor Boulevard and US 41. 

To read more about riding to Streets Alive, check out the Oct. 17th BWL blog: "Downtown Fort Myers Bike Audit demonstrates you can bike to Nov. 10th Streets Alive!"

Hope to see you on November 10th!

Resources on Biking in Lee County--maps and stories

BikeWalkLee has pulled together all the maps and stories it has posted over the past year to promote biking in Lee County.  Click here for the updated guide to biking resources in Lee County. Take advantage of some of the new and improved biking opportunities in our community!

 

Oct. 3, 2013 (updated Oct. 21, 2013)

As the Fall arrives and residents and tourists begin to return, arrive, or think about biking more now that the weather is cooling off, we thought it was a good time to pull together all the maps and stories that have been produced over the past year to promote biking in Lee County.   Click here for "Resources on Biking in Lee County", that is now posted on the front page of BikeWalkLee's Website.

In Section I, you'll find the resource section on BikeWalkLee's website front page that directs you to this list of maps.

In Section II, you'll find the seven BikeWalkLee columns in News-Press' "Go Coastal" section that have highlighted new rides and maps.  Here's the list:

1.  Tour de Parks route

2.  University Loop

3.  Biking on Sanibel

4.  Biking in Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge(Sanibel)

5.  Biking in Cape Coral

6.  MPO Countywide biking facilities map

7.  Biking to Spring Training Games
8.  Bike to downtown Fort Myers River District (NEW)

Here are some ways you can use this information:

Cape Coral's new bike route signs

• Post it on your websites, blogs, and/or distribute in your newsletters;

• If you have a bike shop or office, you can print out the key maps (such as Tour de Parks and University Loop) and distribute to your customers or members; and

• If you want hard copies of the MPO Countywide biking facilities map to distribute to your customers or members, contact Brian Raimondo at MPO 239-330-2240.

To keep up on new maps and stories, sign-up for BikeWalkLee's blog emails and our newsletter.  Thanks for helping spread the word about the growing number of good biking opportunities in our community.

 

Report by Darla Letourneau

 Link to BikeWalkLee's "Resources on Biking in Lee County"

Map of Sidewalk Facilities throughout Lee County.

BWL Column: New map highlights Lee County bike routes

News-Press, Feb. 21, 2013

BikeWalkLee's column in this week's News-Press Go Coastal section highlights the new bicycle facilities map produced by the Lee MPO.  Thanks to the BPCC and staff!  Hard copies of the map should be ready for distribution in another week.

Sometimes a map helps you get to where you want to be by showing you the best route. Sometimes, however, a map can show you where you want to be by highlighting what’s missing to enable you to get there.

The new bike map being produced by the Metropolitan Planning Organization achieves both of those goals. It’s a guide for cyclists who want to transport themselves around the county by bike, to show them the routes available. But it’s also a guide for bike advocates and planners to identify gaps in the current bicycle infrastructure, the places where a little bit of new asphalt could make a big difference in bikeability.

Right now, maps are available online only, but printed versions are expected by the end of February. It replaces the last bike map published in October 2006, and comparing the two shows the significant improvements in bike infrastructure the county has seen in the ensuing six-plus years. Looking at the new map also shows the infrastructure work remaining to be done, where a lack of colored lines or a gap between two existing systems is clear.

Thanks for the MPO map goes to the organization’s Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinating Committee, which spearheaded the update and helped review and verify the routes.

“It was a recommendation that came out of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan,” said MPO executive director Don Scott. “For the rider, it does encourage use, enticing some people to take their bike instead of driving, giving recreational opportunities and getting out to different destinations.

The MPO hopes to update this map more regularly, perhaps even annually.

“One important part is to keep working on filling in the gaps,” Scott said. “I encourage people who use the map to forward suggestions that we can incorporate into future versions.”

 

Related Links

• MPO Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan
• Lee County bicycle facility map

The old ballgame

Speaking of maps, if you’re interested in biking to spring training games, BikeWalkLee can help show you the way. On its website you’ll find maps showing routes to both JetBlue Park (for Red Sox games) and the Lee County Sports Complex (where the Twins play). Both sites are bike-accessible from neighborhoods throughout the county – even for those who prefer to ride in a more protected setting.

Biking to baseball not only gets you a little exercise (to work up a thirst for that ballpark beer?), but also helps you avoid the pre- and post-game traffic jams. Bike parking at both facilities is a little sparse… but if enough people start showing up on two wheels, perhaps that can be remedied.