Sanibel's successful promotion of biking and walking as a way to get around the Island provides ideas for other communities

Sanibel's efforts to help reduce traffic congestion by encouraging more people to bike and walk while on Island is yielding results.  Their multi-pronged approach has many good ideas that other communities may want to try.  The best part about it...the successful strategy is essentially at little if any additional costs to the city! Thanks to the Mayor, City Council, City Manager and staff for focusing on biking and walking as one of the solutions to traffic congestion, and for making the bike/ped safety message a part of their overall traffic communications strategy.

In January the City of Sanibel launched a traffic communications strategy focused on reaching peak season visitors about ways to best enjoy their visit to Sanibel. One of the three key messages was "Plan in advance to travel around the Island by foot and bike."

Since 2012, the City of Sanibel has promoted itself as a "walkable and bikeable" community, and its weekly "special events" press releases, as well as its emails to Sanibel residents, encourages people to bike or walk rather than drive to these special events. Over the past 4 years, the City has continuously emphasized and enhanced this message.

This year they developed a special logo that appears on the city's weekly special events press release, with message "Bike or Hike Sanibel and leave your car behind!" 






It's gratifying to see that the Sanibel message is resulting in more people biking and walking as a mode of transportation, esp. to special events on weekends.  As City Manager Judie A. Zimomra reported to the City Council on Feb. 18th:
"This past weekend when we hosted three public events (the Rotary Art Fair, the Farmers’ Market and the Outdoor Boler Garden Jazz Concert) over two days in our public space we did experience a noticeable increase in biking and hiking to, from and between events (see attached photos). The Rotary Art Fair was attended by just over 4,000 on Saturday and 2,600 on Sunday. Though we did experience heavy Periwinkle vehicular traffic on both days we never did reach gridlock on either day. We are continuing to adjust our bike and hike friendly special event accommodations for further improvement."

Biking to Sunday Farmer's Market on Sanibel

Many people also walk to the Farmer's Market

This year, the City started including a shared use path safety message from the Police Chief in most of the weekly press releases.  Here's a sample of some of the safety messages:

• The City of Sanibel Chief of Police Bill Tomlinson reminds cyclists if you choose to bike to this event, State Law Statute No. 316.2065, Subsection 8 requires your bike be equipped with lamp on the font exhibiting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and a lamp and reflector on the rear exhibiting a red light visible from a distance of 600 feet to the rear.  A bicycle or its rider may be equipped with lights or reflectors in addition to those required by this section.
• Sanibel Chief of Police Bill Tomlinson reminds everyone that auditory distractions inhibit safe driving.  Florida law, Statute 316.304(1), prohibits the use of headphones, earbuds, headsets and other listening devices, other than hearing aids, while operating any vehicle, be it a car, motorcycle, truck, or bicycle.  Be safe!
• The City of Sanibel Chief of Police Bill Tomlinson reminds cyclists if you choose to bike to the event, State Law requires children 15 and under to wear a helmet while riding a bike...and it's a smart idea for all!

This past week, they had yet another creative way to communicate the message, as shown in the press release below:

Sanibel Island Special Events Weekend Alert Thursday, March 3^rd through Sunday, March 6^th

When you bike on Sanibel bike like your neighbor Marty Arnowitz.....

Sanibel resident Marty Arnowitz models good cyclist behavior when he bikes to the Sanibel Farmers Market.  Marty wears his helmet, which is required by Florida law by cyclist 15 years old and younger but a good idea for all bikers.  He wears bright, highly visible clothing so he can easily be seen by motorists.  Consistent with State law Marty  does not wear headphones or earplugs while biking.  Marty reduces traffic and congestion when he combines his errands with his fitness and exercise.

When you Leave the Car Behind and Bike, Bike like Marty!

Shell Fair this weekend--city ready for bikers and walkers!

City's Website
The City's home page now highlights the various parts of the traffic message, and includes the excellent "Cycling on Sanibel" You-Tube video, a recent successful project spearheaded by the Sanibel Bicycle Club.

Link to City's home page

Mayor Kevin Ruane "Traffic Message" You-Tube video hits just the right tone and message.

Last week, the City launched the next component of their traffic communications strategy--four PSAs for broadcast on the HD screens in waiting areas of Sanibel restaurants and business lobbies operated by Blue Ash Media.  Since the Fall, these same screens have been playing shared use path safety PSAs.
 Click here to view the 12 slides being used around Sanibel to amplify the "Cycling on Sanibel" video.

Here's the City's traffic PSA with their biking and walking message:

 Since 2010, Sanibel has been designated by the League of American Bicyclists'(LAB) as a Bicycle Friendly Community, and was elevated to "Silver" status in 2014 (one of only four Florida communities to achieve this status).  With that designation, LAB recognized "Sanibel's commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investments in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies."  Integrating the biking and walking message into the City's traffic strategy is an example of what it means to be a Bicycle Friendly Community.

New buttons that City is now distributing!

So, if you are a resident, a visitor, or a worker on Sanibel, try biking or walking to your next Island activity.  You'll find that it's not only the quickest and healthiest way to get around (esp. during season), but also the most enjoyable as you can experience the unique Sanibel environment and community "up close and personal."

Report by Darla Letourneau

Links to related articles/blog posts:

•  City of Sanibel Website Homepage, featuring Traffic Communications Strategy 
•  City of Sanibel 3/17/16 press release: Real-time "Sanibel Street Cams" Activated thru Pilot Project
• Sanibel  3/3/16 Weekend Events Alert email 
• Santiva Chronicle 2/25/16:  Sanibel paths busier than ever...

• BikeWalkLee Blog, January 24, 2016: FBA Board Impressed by Sanibel Bicycle Club's Bike Safety Programs

• BikeWalkLee Blog, June 3, 2015: Sanibel Bicycle Club Releases New Bicycle Safety Video

•  BikeWalkLee Blog, November 18, 2014: Sanibel awarded "Silver" Bicycle Friendly Community Status 

• BikeWalkLee Blog, November 19, 2012: Something all local governments can do to promote biking and walking to special events

 

Opportunity to improve walking and biking in Cape Coral

Cape Coral was designated a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) last year, which recognized the new 90 mile biking routes system that Cape Coral Bike-Ped and the City of Cape Coral, with its many community partners, created.  Now the Cape is ready to take biking and walking in the Cape to the next level and is developing a bike/ped master plan for further improvements.  An exciting interactive map has been created to allow you to participate in the process. Here's your chance to share your ideas and concerns.  Help spread the word, encouraging your network of friends, neighbors, and social media circles to participate.

Also mark your calendars for the April 20th public workshop and we'll provide you details next month.

Cape Coral Community Input Map

Want to improve walking and biking in the City of Cape Coral?  This is your chance! The Cape Coral Community Input Map is the first step in a larger effort to improve walking and biking in the Cape.  The City of Cape Coral, in partnership with the Lee County MPO is undertaking the development of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.   This interactive map allows you to note walking or biking issues and/or make comments on improvements to the network you’d like to see, such as a particular bike route you’d like built, attention to a missing link, etc.  The results will be used to identify and prioritize projects during the planning process.

Please note that you can post comments of pedestrian, bicycle, transit or motorized nature.  In addition, you can also propose a desired bike and/or walking route.  Below is the link that will take you to the map: 

http://wikimapping.com/wikimap/Cape-Coral-Bicycle-Pedestrian-Master-Plan.html

In addition to the online map, there will be other opportunities to provide your input in person and help shape the goals for the project.  The first opportunity will be on Wednesday April 20, 2016.  More information about the public kickoff meeting will be provided once the location and meeting times are finalized.

The Cape Coral team would like to gather as much input as possible.

 Announcement from City of Cape Coral

BWL Column: Get involved to make your community safer

Most people who get involved in making Southwest Florida a safer and more accessible place for people to walk and bike often come by their involvement through their involvement on a specific project in their community, or as a result of a tragedy that prompted them to make our community safer. Today's column is the story of just one of those accidental advocates – John Harney. As John says in his column, "Improvements only happen when citizens get engaged." We hope you'll be inspired by John's story to get involved in your community. Contact info@bikewalklee.org for more information. BWL editor
 News-Press "Go Coastal" section, March 3, 2016

http://www.news-press.com/story/life/outdoors/2016/03/02/involved-community-safer-john-harney-bikewalklee-palomino-bpac/81163988/

 
By John Harney [BWL guest columnist]

We bought a house in Fort Myers in 2010 to be able to spend more time with our family. We would walk and bike in our neighborhood, but never past the gate. We're recreational cyclists, so we just wanted to get out for exercise. Our house was at the end of Palomino Road, which is one of those main feeder roads into Daniels Parkway, with a half-dozen developments off this road.

Palomino Road has two lanes, no shoulders, and no bike or pedestrian path. The posted speed limit is 35 mph, but most drivers are traveling at over 50 mph. In addition, large trucks were frequently hauling materials for new homes into our development. These truck bodies were wider than the lanes, and nobody could walk or bike safely on the road. As a result, more than 6,000 people -- including families with school-age children -- were more or less trapped from accessing the world outside their neighborhood on foot or by bike.

Palomino Rd. (in south Lee County, off Daniels opposite Fiddlesticks)

I looked into whether there were plans to improve the road to make it safer. While a complete streets team review had been done by the county in 2010, staff determined it was too costly and potentially unfeasible to add bike lanes or a shared-use path on the road due to right-of-way and environmental concerns. My work in previous jobs had involved building teams for projects. I decided to become a team leader to get something done. In a few months I was able to develop a work group which created a mailing list to include all of the homes in the area north of Daniels road.

I contacted our district county commissioner who met with us to discuss our goals. He suggested that we work through the Lee County Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) to get our project done. After our Palomino work group made a presentation to BPAC about our requested project, I was appointed to fill a vacancy on the BPAC. I learned that this group is committed to bringing the county up to date with bike/pedestrian paths, and is responsible for prioritizing all the bike/ped retrofit projects needed in the county.

As a result of the efforts of the Palomino work group and its involvement with the Lee County Commission (who also worked out an agreement with the City of Fort Myers), our project, which provides a shared use path, was approved by the Board of County Commissioners in 2014. The project  is now scheduled to begin construction in 2016-2017, which is very fast in terms of the normal transportation planning process.

Unfortunately, I won't be in the community to enjoy the path system when it's completed, since in late 2014 we sold our house and moved to Naples. Upon arriving in Naples, we were surprised by some of the letters to the editor, which expressed hostility toward sharing the road with cyclists. I decided to continue my involvement in trying to make my new community better for biking and walking, so I joined the Naples Pathways Coalition (NPC).

I'm working now as a volunteer for NPC on a project to partner with car dealers, car rental agencies, and bike dealers to distribute share the road safety information. We're trying to help people understand that we all have a place and a way to get around safely, and that working with each other on road safety serves the community and ourselves best.

I didn't know much about safety when I started. I just pitched in and helped where I could see a need. Anyone could pitch in to do projects like I have. It doesn't take much time, and it's fun to work on something that helps the community. So get involved in your community -- volunteer for BikeWalkLee, Naples Pathways Coalition, Cape Coral Bike-Ped, a local bike club or advocacy group, become a member of a government bike/ped advisory committee, or organize your community to seek funding for safer biking and walking in your neighborhood.

Improvements only happen when citizens get engaged.

Ready to ride or run?

Run? This weekend features the Hooters Half Marathon on Sunday, always a fast and fun event that draws a crowd (www.hootershalfmarathon.com). The following weekend has two 5Ks – one tied to the Shrimp Festival on Fort Myers Beach, the other at Hammond Stadium to support colorectal cancer research locally.

Ride? Tomorrow night is the monthly Critical Mass ride in Fort Myers, so riders should take advantage of the cooler weather while it lasts. Sunday is the Cycling for Fallen Heroes ride, based in Estero. On March 12, you can be part of the Miracle Limbs Courage in Motion Benefit Bike Ride at North Collier Park. The Royal Palm Classic ride is Sunday, March 13, so join the Caloosa Riders for what is always a fun event, whatever the distance you choose. Or you can head for the swamp – literally – for the Annual Everglades Ride out of Everglades City, with on- or off-pavement options.