BikeWalkLee: Helmets: For all ages, at all times

BikeWalkLee Column ‘Go Coastal’
The News-Press, March 11, 2021
by Jody Van Cooney, Special to the News-Press

The Pilot Club of Fort Myers participates in
the Children's Network of Southwest Florida
annual "Walk." At a recent "Walk," Pilot Club
member Patsy Tortora is with a child who
has just been fitted properly with a bicycle helmet.

Bicycling has become an important means of transportation for both adults and children in Lee County. Helmets are an essential part of being on a bicycle (or any kind of wheels, such as skates, skateboards and scooters); it has been documented that wearing a helmet can save a life.

But, you say, “I don’t need to wear a bicycle helmet; I’m only riding in my community.” Would you rather have a messed-up hairdo or brain damage? Many bicyclists think that just because they’re biking in their own community, it’s not necessary to wear a helmet – they feel they’re invincible.

But crashes happen when least expected, and can occur riding around your home just as often as if you were on a long ride or going to work. There are bumps in the streets (or sidewalks) and an individual, no matter how experienced he or she is, can take a bad tumble! That helmet that wasn’t needed might be the reason the person survives the tumble.

Pilot Club member Diane Jensen fits a
bicycle helmet on a young boy during
a recent "End of School, Stop the
Violence" event. A state trooper is
observing the proper fitting technique.

Helmets should not be purchased or obtained just because the adult or child likes the color or shape! They must be fitted to the individual who will be wearing it. It’s also important that the helmet is worn properly; an improperly fitted or worn helmet is like no helmet at all.

Helmets need to be replaced periodically, especially for children as they grow and their heads increase in size. Bicycle helmets have an expiration date, typically five years after date of manufacture, tied to how the materials used in making the helmet can break down over time. Also, be careful in accepting a used helmet – and never purchase a helmet that’s been involved in a crash.

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital recommends the following five steps in the proper procedure for fitting and wearing a bicycle helmet:

• The helmet should be level on the head.
• You should be able to place one or two fingers on the forehead between the bottom of the helmet and the eyebrow.
• The front and back straps should be equally tight and meet a “V” just below the ears.
• You should be able to fit one or two fingers between the chin and the chin strap.
• A proper fitting helmet will not move on your head.

Each year the Heights Foundation presents new bicycles
to selected students during the Christmas holiday
season. The Pilot Club coordinates fitting bicycle
helmets for those students. Here, Pilot Club member
Joy Augustine fits a helmet on a young student who
just received his bicycle.

A helmet worn at the back of the head won’t protect the bicyclist’s head (and brain); it must cover the front part of the forehead. Also the helmet should not be worn over something else (such as a baseball cap).

NOTE: Motorcyclists in Florida are especially vulnerable to traffic mishaps. That’s why they are required to wear helmets unless they have proof of $10,000 insurance in medical benefits, and they must be 21 years of age, to legally not wear a helmet.

The Injury Prevention Coalition of Lee County, in partnership with other nonprofit organizations, promotes safety in all walks of life. The Pilot Club of Fort Myers distributes (and fits) about 1,000 helmets at various children’s safety events each year under normal circumstances; these are provided at no charge. 

Jody Van Cooney serves as secretary for both the Injury Prevention Coalition of Lee County and the Pilot Club of Fort Myers.

EVENTS: Here’s the latest in organized running and biking events locally… but confirm with the organizers and be flexible in case conditions change and large-group activities are limited. Of course, wear a mask and act appropriate to your age, physical condition and medical concerns.

FORT MYERS TRACK CLUB (ftmyerstrackclub.com):

• Run for the Youth 5K, March 27, LCSO Central District
  
• Downtown Dash, 1-mile run/walk, in person in downtown Fort Myers Friday, April 16
• Head & Neck Cancer A Hard Thing to Swallow 5K Run & 2-Mile Walk (in-person and virtual), Saturday, April 24

GC RUNNERS (gcrunner.org):

• Baker Park 5K, Saturday, March 27
• Run for the Music 10K, Saturday, April 10
• SNIP Collier 5K, May 31
  

ELITE EVENTS (runeliteevents.com):

• Paradise Coast Half Marathon and 5K, Saturday, March 13
• Naples Distance Classic, 5K/10K/half marathon, Saturday, April 10
  
• City of Palms Half Marathon and 5K, TBD

OTHER RUNS

• Cape Coral Animal Shelter Rescue Run 5K (dogs welcome), Saturday, March 20, 3dracinginc.com.
• Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation Virtual 5K fun run/walk, March 27 - April 3 (virtual, runsignup.com)
  
• Publix Run to the Arts 5K run/walk – iin-person is now delayed to April 18 runsignup.com or runtothearts.com
  

OTHER RIDES

March: CSW Florida Bike Challenge. Individuals, workplaces and bike clubs can sign up to see how many miles they ride and how many people they can encourage to get out on their bikes. Miles add up to points, which add up to prizes. The challenge covers Central Southwest Florida (hence the CSW), from Polk County to Collier County, and kicks off March 1. Details are online at www.lovetoride.net/csw. 

March 14: CRBC-Trek-Member Appreciation Day/Royal Palm Challenge Ride. Caloosa Riders members only, limited to 100 riders (they may open it up to the public if they don’t hit the cap, but don’t count on it). Caloosahatchee Regional Park, Alva; 33, 45 and 60 mile rides, no support. 

The Caloosa Riders are offering member rides, but some are open to non-members (and it wouldn’t hurt you to join the club); check their ride calendar (caloosariders.org) for a description of the distance and speed, and to see if the ride is open to all.

SW Florida Critical Mass is offering their usual slate of family-friendly rides. Check out their line-up online (www.meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events/) for details and times (and to make sure the ride is still rolling).

• SW Florida Critical Mass ride, first Friday of the month. A family-friendly slow night ride through Fort Myers. Front and rear bike lights required. Helmet and lights required, meet in the parking lot at 2180 West First Street, Fort Myers. 
• Sanibel Critical Mass night ride, second Saturday of the month. Gathers at Jerry’s Shopping Center, 1700 Periwinkle Way, on Sanibel. Lights required, helmets recommended.
• NE Lee Critical Mass ride, third Friday of the month. Gather in the Winn Dixie parking lot on Palm Beach Blvd. about five miles east of the Interstate; gather at 7 p.m. and roll at 7:30 p.m. for a slow ride through Fort Myers Shores.
• Cape Coral Critical Mass ride, fourth Friday of the month. Gather at the Southwest Florida Military Museum parking lot at 4820 Leonard Street for a family-friendly night ride through the Cape; helmets and lights required.
• Saturday Morning Slow Roll, fourth Saturday of the month. Meet-up at 2160 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. Recommended for inexperienced/young riders. Distance is 6 miles, includes group ride instruction.

If racing is not your thing but you’d like to support their return nonetheless, consider volunteering to help out at the few in-person offerings ahead. With Covid concerns still confining some of the usual volunteers, a few new helping hand would certainly be welcomed.

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.

 

 

Drivers, do your part to keep students safe

This week's column focuses on the responsibility of drivers to make our streets and bus stops safer for students on their way to school. Be part of the community effort to take action to address these problems--attend the School District Town Hall Meeting on April 16th. 

 

BikeWalkLee's April 11, 2019 Column in News-Press "Go Coastal" Section

Drivers, do your part to keep students safe

The community response to the death of a little girl waiting for her bus has been as heartening as the tragedy itself was heart-breaking.

But amid all the actions and activism following the death of Layla Aiken, there has been one glaring omission in the overall discussion: The responsibility of motor vehicle drivers to operate their vehicles responsibly.

It’s good that people have come together to push for better bus-stop safety. It’s good that the school district and the Sheriff’s Office have partnered with others to raise money for LED lights that student can put on their backpacks to ward off the early-morning darkness and make themselves more visible.

It’s good to have the discussion about benches and sidewalks and lights. It’s good to debate whether having students standing in the dark waiting for a bus to school is a smart idea.

It’s even good to publish reminders on how students can stay safe while at bus stops. But it would be better to remind drivers to do their part to keep students safe as well.

That means being extra careful in the pre-dawn hours, particularly in the vicinity of bus stops. That means watching out for kids (and, well, anyone else) along the side of the road. Mostly, that means hanging up the phone, putting down the breakfast sandwich and getting rid of any other distraction – and make driving the only thing you do behind the wheel.

It’s tragic – and galvanizing – when a child is killed in a hit-and-run. That’s the stuff that can bring about real change.

But beyond this very sad event, we’re seeing a lot of carnage along the roadside of Lee County, with cyclists and pedestrians at increased risk. We’re seeing concern about better lighting, better evasive measures, better visibility on the part of the vulnerable road users.

So why aren’t we seeing drivers being asked to do their part to keep our roadsides safer? Why is the focus on what the potential victims can do to be more visible, and not on what the potential perpetrators should be doing to keep us all safer?

Still time to comment on Sanibel paths

Since February, the City of Sanibel has been working on the update of its Shared Use Path Master Plan, and the period of public input ends on April 30. If you live, work, or play on Sanibel, please take advantage of this opportunity to help update the city’s Shared Use Path Master Plan. Go online to www.sanibelbikeped.com to include your comments.

Public input is important for developing a visionary plan (with a 10- to 20-year horizon) for one of the community’s crown jewels—its shared use path system.  Be sure to check out the Interactive Comment Map online at www.sanibelbikeped.com/interactive-comment-map/

Rather make your comments in person? On Monday, April 22, there’s an open house between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., to share citizen input and recommendations to date, at the Sanibel Recreation Center, 3880 Sanibel Captiva Road, Sanibel.

Ready to ride or run?

Run? On Saturday, head to the North Collier Regional Park for the Wellfit Girls Hop to the Top 5K timed run and fun run, and 1 mile walk. The following Saturday (April 20) there’s the 21st annual Rotary of Fort Myers-Sunrise Eggs and Ears 5K at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers, and the One Human Race 5K at Golden Gate High School, Naples. Details at gcrunner.org, active.com and 3dracinginc.com.

Ride? Upcoming Critical Mass rides include the Sanibel ride on Saturday night, the NE Lee ride April 19 and the downtown Cape Coral ride April 26.Lights are required and helmets are recommended; details at www.meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events/.

Both? Upcoming events include:

·         Saturday, May 11: Cape Coral Sprint Tri (trifind.com)

·         Saturday, May 18: Life’s a Beach Tri, Sarasota (trifind.com)

·         Sunday, June 2: 33rd Annual Fitness Challenge Triathlon, Naples (trifind.cm)

·         Sunday, June 9: Heartland Sprint and Olympic Tri, Sebring (trifind.com)

·         Sunday, June 23: Sirens Sprint Tri, Sarasota (trifind.com)

·         Registration is open for this year’s Galloway Captiva Tri on Sept. 7-8, which offers a new format this year with the sprint race on Saturday morning and the kids’ events Sunday morning. Details at www.gearedup.biz/captiva-triathlon.

·         Willing to drive? Check trifind.com or active.com for tris around the state.

# # #

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.

 

Action Alert: Attend April 16th School District Town Hall Meeting re: bus stop safety

The recent tragic deaths of two Lee County school students while waiting at school bus stops have caught the attention of citizens throughout Lee County.  The School Superintendent, the Sheriff's Office, the Cape Coral City Council and Cape Coral Police are actively working to address school bus stop safety problems, and parents, neighbors, and citizens are doing their part..  Superintendent Greg Adkins is leading the way, and citing the Dangerous by Design study that ranks Lee County as one of the most dangerous communities in the country for pedestrians, and how those dangers impact school students.  As Superintendent Adkins says in his letter: "The reality is, we need to work together as a community to make our roads and streets safer, not just for students, but for all pedestrians and bikers. We plan to be a leader in that charge."   BikeWalkLee welcomes his leadership and encourages the many other community leaders to join him.  No one agency or organization can bring about the changes needed to make our streets and bus stops safer for students and everyone. And the willingness of all of us to change our behavior while on the streets of our community is key to making our roadways safer for all users.

School Superintendent's Message on Bus Stop Safety

On April 5th Superintendent Adkins sent a message to all parents about Bus Stop Safety:  Superintendent's Message - Bus Stop Safety.pdf 

The School District is holding a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, April 16th to talk about bus stop safety, and invites the public to participate.  Come to share your ideas about how to address these problems, or watch the live streaming of the meeting on your electronic devise or PC.

What:  School District Town Hall Meeting
When:  Tuesday, April 16th at 6:00 -7:30 p.m.
Where: District Office Board Room
             2855 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers



The School District of Lee County SUPERINTENDENT MESSAGE

On Tuesday, April 16, we will hold a Town Hall Meeting focusing on bus stop safety from 6pm – 7:30pm. It will be held in the Board Room at the District Office (2855 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers), however, you can participate from your home, as we will stream it live on the District’s YouTube and Facebook accounts.  You can submit questions using the above email address, or in the comments section of the Facebook feed.

Keeping our students, staff, and schools safe is of highest priority and the responsibility of everyone in our community. We are thankful for our partnerships with law enforcement and local governments in this endeavor and thank you for your ongoing support to make our schools and your students as safe as possible.

Sincerely, 

Dr. Greg Adkins Superintendent

Superintendent's Message - Bus Stop Safety.pdf 

April 5, 2019

Dear School District of Lee County Families, 

Last week one of our families lost their 8-year old daughter in a tragic accident at a bus stop.  Earlier this year, another family suffered the same loss when their 12-year old daughter was hit and killed while walking her sister to the bus stop. 

While these accidents were the cause of drivers not paying attention, they rightly raise questions about the safety of school bus stops and walking areas.  Over the last week, hundreds of you have reached out, asking how to make stops safer and offering solutions.

I want to let you know that we hear you. In the last few days, we have met with representatives from each law enforcement agency in Lee County as well as a team from the City of Cape Coral.  We hope to engage other municipalities in the coming days. 

To give you some background, The School District of Lee County has 6,958 bus stops.  We have 753 routes on which we transport 49,231 riders.  Our buses make 35,599 stops a day. Since August, we have had to make 16,149 stop changes. The majority of those are parents wishing to move their children from one established stop to another. However, we have had to physically change stop locations due to parent requests, student mobility, student growth, construction, and safety concerns like sexual offenders/predators moving into an area.  It is a herculean task. 

I know many people say that if we simply got rid of school choice that would help, and to a certain extent, it would.  In the next few years, we will move to an elementary proximity plan where parents will be able to choose from the closest 4-6 schools from their home.  This will help with transportation and possibly school start times.  However, infrastructure issues would still exist.  

Each year Smart Growth America releases its Dangerous by Design study, which ranks state and metropolitan areas around the country using a “Pedestrian Danger Index” (PDI).  Based on PDI, Cape Coral/Fort Myers ranks as the 8th most dangerous metro area for walking in the United States. 

The reality is, we need to work together as a community to make our roads and streets safer, not just for students, but for all pedestrians and bikers. We plan to be a leader in that charge.  

This week we launched an updated page on our District website devoted to walkers and bus riders with videos, safety tips and information for parents to share with their students: www.leeschools.net/safety. In addition, we created email address where you can send ideas: busstopsafety@leeschools.net.

BikeWalkLee's message in the words of Cindy Banyai, mom of kids in Lee County schools and BikeWalkLee Steering Committee member:

"It is a dream of mine to let my children walk or bike to school without being worried sick that a motorist is going to mow them down - even with the sidewalks and lights that my neighborhood is fortunate enough to have. All our children deserve to be able to get to school without undue risk of death. Every parent deserves that peace of mind. It is all our responsibility to provide this. Drivers need to be alert and cautious, following speed restrictions. Schools need to make policies that make sense for families and their environment, not just a logistical bottom line. Local governments need to secure funding and plan for infrastructure that is safe for all users, including people on bikes and walking. Let's keep all our kids safe!"

Related Links:
News-Press articles (all were posted on BWL's Facebook Page):

April 5, 2019: 8-year-old's death spurs Cape Coral residents to put benches in yards for school bus riders.

April 2, 2019: Benches, sidewalks, safety top concerns for local leaders after death of Cape Coral girl.

March 28, 2019: Lights for Layla: local agencies raising money for LED lights on student backpacks after girl's death at school bus stop

March 28, 2019: Cape Coral, Lee County School District to analyze bus stop safety after student deaths.

March 26, 2019:  Cape Coral police seize truck, eye person of interest in hit-and-run that killed 8-year-old girl.

March 25, 2019: 8-year-old dies in Cape Coral hit-and-run accident Monday morning.

 

BWL Blog January 23, 2019: BikeWalkLee's Statement on the 2019 Dangerous by Design Report: Assessment of Efforts in Lee County to Improve Pedestrian Safety and Future Improvements Needed 

 

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.