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 

 

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.'

BikeWalkLee: With school out, make sure caution is in

This week's BWL column reminds drivers and cyclists that school is out for the summer and they need to be watching for kids playing, walking or biking on or near the roadways and bike paths.
 
News-Press "Go Coastal" BikeWalkLee Column, June 9, 2016

School’s out! For most students, those are words worth celebrating.

But, for drivers and cyclists, they should ring a more cautionary note – because it means more kids riding and playing on our roadways and bike paths.

That not only means more people out and about, but more people who may not have the full scope of skills necessary to interact with other traffic will be on the roads. So if the kids aren’t always paying attention, the adults need to.

For drivers, that means watching out for kids playing or riding near the roadway, and being prepared if they get too near to traffic. It’s always important to follow ALL the rules of the road – such as stopping for school buses (as last week’s tragedy underscored), being aware of bike and pedestrian traffic (particularly at intersections) and adjusting your driving when weather conditions change (such as allowing more time to stop on a wet road). So, slow down and anticipate – and hope nothing will happen.

For cyclists, it can mean being similarly watchful on bike paths and roadways, wary for the unexpected or unconventional and ready to react to avoid a collision. Biking defensively is always a good plan, whatever traffic you’re traversing.

Also look out for kids on the Sanibel path

Parents, this is a good time to remind your children about being smart and safe this summer. You want them to go out and play (gets them out of the house, which is usually a good thing) – so tell them how to do it right:

• Teach them the rules of the road. Bike with traffic, walk against it. Unless their skills are sharp, tell them to stay away from sharing the road. On shared-use paths, yield to pedestrians and be consistent around other cyclists

• Helmets on – it’s the law. If your child (under age 16) has a helmet, they have to wear it while biking, according to state law. If they don’t have a helmet, you need to buy them one – today.

• Pay attention. It’s always fun to be a clueless kid, but not being aware of your surroundings can be dangerous on a whole bunch of levels. You don’t want to raise a fearful kid, just a watchful one.

• Kids, there’s nothing better than the fun and freedom a bike can bring. Just remember the three Bs: Be visible, be predictable and be careful.

Enjoy your summer – those school bells (if they still have those) will be ringing again way too soon.

 By Ken Gooderham, BikeWalkLee

-- BikeWalkLee is 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.

Ready to ride or run?

Run: On Saturday, you can support Oasis High School football in Cape Coral at its inaugural 5K (3dracing.com). The following Saturday, there’s the Summer Sizzler 5K at Cape’s Jaycee Park (3dracing.com) or the Sugden Stride 5K in Naples (eliteevents.org).

Ride: Critical Mass rides dominate the calendar again: Friday it’s Northeast Lee (gathers at 7:15 p.m. for an 8 p.m. roll out at the Winn-Dixie, 14600 Palm Beach Blvd.);  on Saturday the site is Sanibel (gathers at 7:15 p.m. for a 7:45 p.m. roll out at Jerry’s Shopping Center, 1700 Periwinkle Way). Both are night rides, so lights are required and helmets recommended.

Both: Your next local tri is Saturday, June 25, with the TRISK Tri Siesta Key, sprint and Olympic tri plus duathlon (multirace.us). July brings tris in Naples and Englewood – and if you’re planning to do one in September (such as the local Galloway Captiva Tri), now’s the time to sign up before all the slots are gone and start training.

#BeSeenLee

#BeSeenLee: To keep people safe at night while biking, we’re working to provide free bike lights to those unable to afford them (but who have to ride at night). BikeWalkLee partners (including Pawnbroker Marketing and Billy's Bikes) will be coordinating events during this campaign. Be sure to watch the BikeWalklee Facebook and Twitter pages for more #BeSeenLee event announcements and details.

BWL Column: Pay attention to walkers, bikers with school in session

(Photo: Sarah Coward/news-press.com)

School’s open next Monday, a milestone that can provoke a range of emotions from anticipation to anxiety to celebration. That means it’s also time to remind drivers — and students and parents — about some of the rules of the road.

Watch out close to schools: With kids (and parents) biking and walking to school, the immediate area around a school can be a busy bike/ped place. Slow down (speed limits usually are lower anyway) and pay attention.

Watch out for drop-off lines: This one applies both ways. First, the line of cars leading up to some schools can be long and slow-moving, which messes up regular traffic and often means inattentive drivers. Then, once their little darling has been safely deposited, some drivers can be a little too eager to make up for lost time, speeding away from school at an imprudent pace while often attempting to do something completely unrelated to driving — say, texting, eating or applying makeup — at the same time.

Watch out for stopped buses: Not only so you don’t hit them, but so you don’t break the law by not braking. If a bus is stopped in a two-lane road, both lanes to traffic must stop when the red lights start flashing. If it’s a multi-lane road paved across all lanes, that also means everyone (in both direction) must come to a complete stop while the bus is loading. It’s only on truly divided highways — with a landscaped or barricaded median — where only the traffic behind the bus must stop… but those driving in the other direction are urged to pay attention, of course.

Watch out for bus stops: Even (especially) if the bus hasn’t arrived, it doesn’t mean you can zoom right by. Any place where students congregate is a place where something could go quickly wrong —someone dashing into the street, kids making their way inattentively to the stop, parents parked nearby waiting for the arrival of the bus, and more. All good reasons to pay attention.

If you’re a student (with or without a parent) who’s decided to bike or walk to school, good for you! It’s a great way to start the day, it gives you some independence along with your exercise — heck, it may even make you a better student (but it unfortunately won’t get you out of homework).

You may be walking or biking because you live closer than two miles to the school — which means the school district does not have to provide transportation except in special circumstances. Or it may be because it’s fun. Either way, remember a few simple things:

•If you’re under age 16, put on that helmet before you ride… it’s the law. Parents, if you’re riding with young kids, put your own helmet on. It not only sets a good example, but it can keep you safe if accidents happen… and don’t you want to see your kid grow up and graduate?

•There’s safety in numbers… on foot or on bikes. Some neighborhoods organize walking school buses or bike trains so kids and adults can move together, making them more visible and (hopefully) safer.

•Be predictable and follow the rules of the road. Stay out of the driving lanes, walk facing traffic (but bike with it if you can’t be on a sidewalk), stop at all intersections and don’t expect drivers to pay attention to everything you do (even though they supposed to do so).

Groups such as Safe Routes to Schools (http://saferoutespartnership.org/) and Walk/Bike to School (http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/), among others, have ideas for ways parents and communities can work to keep bike/walk kids safe. And the Lee County School District (leeschools.net) has all the bus routes, school details, calendars and rules you’ll need to keep this school year on track.

At the beginning of every school year, we ask our kids to work hard and learn. Let’s all of us — drivers, bikers, walkers, parents and anyone else — work just as hard to keep them safe.

BikeWalkLee is 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.

Ready to ride or run?

Run: The dog days offer slim pickings for organized runs —there’s one in Naples on Saturday (North Collier Regional Rampage, www.eliteevents.org) — so plan your own run to keep in shape or get ready for a full fall calendar ahead.

Ride: There’s a Global Solidarity Ride on Sunday, Aug. 30, to support the Afghan National Women’s Cycling Team. It starts from Go Girl Cycling, 9377 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers. Also, mark your calendars for the next SWFL Critical Mass gathering on Friday, Sept. 4, in downtown Fort Myers.

Both: While the Sept. 12-13 Galloway Captiva Tri is sold out, if you’re willing to drive north a little there are two choices: A traditional tri is the Venice YMCA Triathlon (sprint) on Sunday, Sept. 5 (www.swflymca.org/programs/venice-triathlon) and the Life’s A Beach Triathlon on Lido Key is a more easy-going tri on Saturday, Sept. 12 (www.lifesabeachtriathlon.com).

View article from News-Press here

Cape Coral Police Department Bicycle Challenge Week Held at Oasis Middle School

Kudos to the Cape Coral Police Department and the Oasis Charter Middle School for developing and implementing Lee County's first Summer Bicycle Week Challenge program.  We hope this pilot project serves as a model for other programs throughout the county in the future.

Oasis Charter Middle School students with award certificates. 

 Back row, far right: Luciella Sangiovanni. First row, left to right: Maxwell Shank, Carson Lytle, 
Alexandra Mangrum, Issac Bendezu-Perez, Ethan Hoover, Abbey Kane, Linda Eiberger,
 Lea Eiberger.  (Students not available for photo: “CJ” Arentsen, Hunter Nicely, Emerson, Gibbs, Jacob Satfield).  
 CCPD School Resource Officers and program coordinators: Sandy Negron and Gene Raphael;
 CCPD bicycle unit officers: Ray Schilke, Clint Atkinson, Patrick Taylor, Ismael Perez, 
Jon Kulko, Dan Costa, Jack Lytle. Janiris Caraballo, physical education instructor; 
Shayna Scalise, Oasis High School JROTC student.

Thirteen Oasis Charter Middle School students participated in the Cape Coral Police Department’s (CCPD) first Summer Bicycle Week Challenge, June 29 to July 3. The five day 30-hour program was developed and coordinated by CCPD School Resource Officers Sandy Negron and Gene Raphael who are assigned to the City of Cape Coral Charter Schools.

The goal was to create an innovative and fun bicycle safety education demonstration program for a small number of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students.

Classroom instruction emphasized the importance of obeying the helmet wearing law and other basic rules of responsible riding. Hollywood Bicycle Center staff led the students through a practical and fun competition on how to change a flat tire.

Most of the time was spent “learning while riding.” Obstacle course practice and a 17-mile ride on city bike lanes and bike path sharpened skills and tested endurance.

One day was spent in Sanibel riding on a variety of trails and included a visit to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Other adventures were pedaling to watch a demonstration by experienced riders at the BMX Park in Cape Coral. A competition ride and awarding Certificates of Achievement took place on the final day at Sunsplash Waterpark.

Officers Negron and Raphael described the program as a team effort of CCPD officers and volunteers and Charter School personnel, with planning assistance from a BikeWalkLee and CapeCoralBike-Ped volunteer. Student evaluations and feedback were very positive. Information about the program will be available to interested Lee School District and Lee County Sheriff’s Department staff.

Report by Steve Chupack

 

Moser Column: Coach’s death a loss to entire community

Dan focuses on the impact of Coach Jeff Sommer's death on many in our community. He also reports on the Bike to School Day last week, and the upcoming June 5th SWFL Critical Mass Ride.

Florida Weekly May 13, 2015, Dan Moser's Outdoors column

From my perspective, our society puts way too much attention on organized sports and the people who participate as athletes and coaches, sometimes to the point of obsession. All too frequently, those who are revered for their athletic prowess or win-loss record end up disappointing their fans by the things they do in their real lives. When that kind of reality happens, it’s especially tough on kids.

 

On the flip side, there are some cases where there’s good reason to truly admire certain individuals because their positive influence is much bigger than any game or competition. Our community has just lost one of those people.

Jeff Sommer, longtime coach at Estero High School, died suddenly while on the sidelines as his team competed in the State Track and Field Championships in Jacksonville. Losing a coach who had a history of motivating track athletes and cross country runners to be winners in their respective events is tragic in itself. But Jeff’s influence beyond the tracks and race courses will be most missed. He prepared many young people for success in life.
Edsion Park ES Bike Corral on Bike to School Day I know Jeff from our road running world here in SW Florida, one that’s been very active since the late 1970s. His influence was apparent from the early days of his appearance on the scene by virtue of the fact that former athletes he coached formed the 3D Running Club in 1985 as a way to stay connected with running during the off-season. In all the years since they came together I don’t recall a local race that didn’t include runners of all ages wearing 3D colors. To me, this is a testament to Jeff’s positive and far-reaching influence that not many coaches in any sport can claim.

Since Jeff’s passing, there have been many stories told by those he influenced, with almost all of them focusing on the positive things Jeff did that were above and beyond the sport he coached. Based on those accounts and from what I know about Jeff; it’s not only those of us in the running community who will feel the void now that he’s gone.

Bike Month update
The first event of Bike Month, SW Florida Critical Mass Ride on Friday, May 1, brought together 326 people on bikes who rode around Art Walk and the McGregor Boulevard area. The sight of that many bikes all lit up was quite impressive as well as entertaining. By all accounts, this was the most attended ride in the two years it’s been taking place and went off with little trouble or inconvenience to other road users. Rob Siebert, the ride’s organizer, is to be commended for the excellent job he does. If you haven’t been to one yet, you can join in on June 5 for a clown/circus themed ride in memory of John “Sugar” Donaldson, a creative and fun-loving guy who was involved with SWF Critical Mass and who recently passed away. Just show-up at the big empty lot next to Publix on McGregor near downtown Fort Myers at 7:30 p.m.

Last week a number of Lee County schools took part in Bike to School Day. I was at Edison Park Elementary School, where at least 40 student participated — up significantly from the usual halfdozen or so. Many of the kids had their parents in tow as they used their bikes to get to and from school. The trick now is to make it a habit rather than a one-time thing. And from what I observed and from talking to students, parents and personnel at Edison Park, it brought lots of smiles to many faces, so one would hope it does become a habit or at least regular option to kids being chauffeured. One idea that might be considered is to create a “bike train” and “walking school bus,” in which one or more parents ride or walk along with their kids and pick up other kids along the way to school, replicating a school bus route. The school district has a Safe Routes to School expert on staff, Lisa Indovino (who recently won Florida Bicycle Association’s Educator of the Year award), who can assist those wanting to get a bike train or walking school bus up and running. If you’re interested in learning more, you can ask your child’s school administration how to enlist Lisa’s assistance.

Learn more about this and many other important community matters at bikewalklee.blogspot.com.
Until next time, I’ll look for you on the roads and pathways.

Upcoming Events
>> Running/Walking:
 Cape Cops 5K, Saturday, May 19, Cape Coral Yacht Club, CC (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
 Run on the Green 5K, Monday, May 25, Eastwood Golf Course, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com)
>> Cycling and other events:
 Ride of Silence, Wednesday, May 20, Fort Myers & Sanibel (rideofsilence.org)
 Bike to Work Day, Friday, May 15 (bikeleague.org)
SWFL Critical Mass, Friday, June 5, Downtown Fort Myers (swflcriticalmass.wordpress.com)

— 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 or 334- 6417.

Bonita Springs participates in Global Road Safety Week

Kudos to Bonita Springs officials and Bonita Springs Middle School for participating in last week's event to raise awareness about the need to enhance the safety of children on our roads.   The Bonita Springs City Council is participating in the national Mayors' Challenge for bike/ped safety, and this event was a great way to raise community awareness.

5/8/15 Press Release by Safe Kids Lee/Collier Counties

BONITA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE GIBSON JOINS LOCAL CHILDREN AND SAFETY ADVOCATES TO PROMOTE GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY
United Nations and communities around the world call for safer roads for children during Global Road Safety Week.

Bonita Springs, FL - Students from Bonita Springs Middle School, safety advocates, City of Bonita Springs personnel including City Council Member Mike Gibson and Code Enforcement Director Frank Cassidy, and the Lee County Sheriff's Office met today at Riverside Park to raise awareness and challenge local leaders to enhance the safety of children on the roads. The event was one of hundreds around the world during Global Road Safety Week in which communities came together to take action on the issue of road safety for children. As part of the the City of Bonita Springs Mayors' Challenge for Safer People & Safer Streets Challenge city staff assisted in the #SaveKidsLives campaign.

"Road safety is a serious issue that is likely to grow significantly in the immediate future, if we don't act now," said Sally Kreuscher, Safe Kids Coordinator at the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida. "Today's event is about taking action and spreading the word during Global Road Safety Week and beyond to make a real difference in the lives of our most vulnerable road users."

Global Road Safety Week supports the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 and draws attention to the urgent need to better protect children from death and injury due to road traffic collisions. Each day, more than 500 children die in road collisions globally and 11 here in the United States, while tens of thousands are injured, often suffering lifelong disabilities. By 2015, road traffic injuries will be the leading cause of death for children over the age of five years in developing countries.


About Safe Kids Lee/Collier Counties
Safe Kids Lee/Collier Counties works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States.  Safe Kids Lee/Collier Counties is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Lee/Collier Counties was founded in 1996 and is led by Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida. For more information, visit www.safekidsleecollier.org<http://www.safekidsleecollier.org/>.


About Safe Kids Worldwide
Safe Kids Worldwide is a nonprofit organization working to prevent childhood injury, the number one killer of children in the United States. Throughout the world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and almost every one of these tragedies is preventable. Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 500 coalitions in the U.S. and with partners in more than 25 countries to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more. Since 1988, Safe Kids has helped reduce the U.S. childhood death rate from unintentional injury by 60 percent. Working together, we can do much more for kids everywhere. Join our effort at safekids.org<http://www.safekids.org/>.

About #SaveKidsLives
#SaveKidsLives is the worldwide and official campaign for the Third United Nations Global Road Safety Week (4-10 May 2015). The campaign is calling for action to save children's lives on the roads around the world. It does so by highlighting the plight of children on the roads; generating worldwide action to better ensure the safety of children on the roads; and calling for inclusion of safe and sustainable transport in the post-2015 development agenda. The campaign operates on the principles of the Decade of Action<http://www.who.int/roadsafety/decade_of_action/en/> for Road Safety 2011-2020 and is managed by a broad coalition of members from the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration<http://www.who.int/roadsafety/en/>.