Jax's S-Line Urban Greenway Launches the 2014
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Vol. 17, No. 3 Summer 2014 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE FLORIDA BICYCLE ASSOCIATION, INC. Key West to Calais East Coast Greenway is getting closer to reality... Jax’s S-Line Urban Greenway launches the 2014 ‘Cabot Tour’ by Stephen Tocknell, FBA First Coast Chapter Director wo years ago, the Cabot Cream- ery Cooperative organized the first “Cabot Tour,” a bicycle trip along the East Coast Greenway. The Green- way eventually will run all the way from Key West to Calais, Maine, a distance of 2,900 miles. The pur- poses of the 2012 Cabot Tour were to promote com- munity activism all along the East Coast Greenway, as well as the Greenway itself. PAID Mid-FL, FL Permit #334 Permit U.S. Postage U.S. NONPROFIT ORG NONPROFIT Here in Jacksonville and Northeast one of the most scenic parts of the entire Timucuan Preserve, and also in Nassau Florida, bicycle and trails advocates saw East Coast Greenway, the St. Johns River County. the 2012 Cabot Tour as an opportunity Ferry also provides access from the That 2012 effort to save the St. Johns P.O. Box 916715, Longwood, FL 32791 P.O. to help save the St. Johns River Ferry at Jacksonville and St. Johns County River Ferry has now paid off. The Ferry Mayport. The Cabot Tour demonstrated Beaches to the bike paths and trails that that besides forming an essential link in are located along Scenic A1A in the Please see Greenway, page 7 ADVOCATING A BICYCLE-FRIENDLY FLORIDA 2 Florida Bicycle Association Four ways to be alert to danger... Four horsemen of the ‘Bicyclepocalypse©’ by J. Steele Olmstead, Esq. s you know, one of my lines that can also be attributed to inability to become highly visible: Hi-vis jersey, Horseman #4 HUBRIS on bicycle crashes as to why see the cyclist. pants and a white helmet. Seventy-five percent of crashes occur at bicycle safety is such serious If you agree your life is valuable, why But also, on the road, do a check for intersections. a business is “to cars it’s a can’t you spend $500.00 on gear to make the simple things: an approaching motor Why? The prevalent attitude I see in dent, to us it’s a disaster.” you visible (i.e. high visibility jersey, vehicle has a wide berth for you; at inter- traffic crash reports and depositions There are many lists and suggestions, pants, series of good lights, LED wheels, sections, get and keep eye contact; as the comes in the form similar to these actual articles, books and governmental and etc.) vehicle approach happens, watch the quotes: non-governmental organizations’ publi- Trick up your gear and bicycle. There motor vehicle to make sure it’s operating “I thought [the bicyclist] would get out cations that tell you of things to watch are some amazing light systems for a lit- consistent with traffic laws; assume they of the way.” out for. tle money out there on YouTube. Just won’t stop at that stop sign intersection “She was on the road right in front of I suggest a simple four-item construct search: bicycle LED wheel lights and ahead (they won’t); that oncoming car me. I couldn’t avoid her.” to help you be alert to dangerous situa- watch the videos. will turn in front of you (it will) and the “He swerved in front of me” (when the tions. one that just passed you is making a right cyclist went to lawfully change lanes) or There are so many ways to get hit by a Horseman #2 DISTRACTION turn in 3...2....1 seconds (of course). “I didn’t see him.” (in this one, the 6’2” car, but you can I heard a commercial of one of those cyclist was wearing a day-glow vest with group them Horseman #3 a white helmet in broad daylight on an into four types. DRINKING empty 4-lane in a residential area). I call them Unless you encounter a Your basic hubris is in the form of FOUR severe alcoholic, as a “what are these cyclists doing on the HORSEMEN DARKNESS bicycle hazard drinking (my) roads?” OF THE CYCLEPOCALYSE after the These are lines of motorists who, well-known other horsemen. They are through hubris or ignorance, don’t real- Darkness, Distraction, Drinking and ize we have equal right to the roadway. Hubris. They don’t recognize shared roads, DISTRACTION they don’t want us to be on the road, Horseman #1 DARKNESS and they don’t understand why How much is your life worth? A million incessant billboard/t.v. we are “blocking” traffic. It’s dollars to your family, friends and settlement lawyers talk- their world, why are we there? employer? ing about “all the dis- In any situation, assume the I drive a motorcycle, too, and one of tractions drivers face DRINKING motor vehicle is piloted by the five safety rules my partner and I t o d ay.” someone with this atti- have is “no riding at night.” However, if a To that I could add that the billboards tude. bicycle is your main transport, or if you he plasters the sides of the roads with are Do not assume the commute during winter, it’s going to be distractions too. motorist will yield when dark. There are a lot of visual distractions he or she is supposed to In addition to decreased visibility outside the car, but the point is well HUBRIS do so. Assume hubris, inexperience, and motorists are taken there are multiple things drivers occurs at predictable times and places to ignorance of all motorists. 1. Distracted by their cell phone, have in their cars distracting them. which you can be attuned. Understand some motorists are not It’s not enough that we have the Aaron The times are holidays, Saturday and 2. Sometimes have consumed alcohol willing to share roads. It is up to us to Cohen Life Protection Act now, we still Sunday afternoons, and on week-days make sure we are safe. (“just two ossifer”) and have slow reac- don’t have a real ban on texting, which is between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 tion time or are weaving, and So, please don’t assume you will die in problem #1 in all vehicle crashes. a.m. your sleep. Use this simple list of the 3. Full of hubris so they aren’t looking at A high percentage of my car crash The places are: vacation spots, tourist horsemen of the cyclepocalypse to alert or for you, because they don’t expect cases are, inexplicably, a “no-brakes” centers—like hotels and restaurants yourself to danger and drive safe. anyone to be riding a bicycle at night. impact. (think Orlando and Tampa), Bike Week “Where the #*&% were you looking?” or any community celebration, Oddly enough, there is also a statisti- Attorney J. Steele Olmstead practices law is often heard at these crash scenes. Gasparilla, King Mango Strut, Fantasy cally significant group of crashes that state-wide from offices in Tampa. One of You can’t really tell what mechanized Fest, Lake Eola Celebration, Sail occur in late afternoon toward evening his specialties is bicycle law and he’ll even death is piloted by a distracted driver. So Jacksonville or Tristan DeLuna Day. come to you...wherever you got broken. Be on high alert at these places. Summer 2014 3 Thanks to Our Donors! City names denote board and program staff member distribution. Is your area represented? Contact a board member today! Lifetime members Mighk and Carol Wilson Advocating a Jacksonville Mr. & Mrs. H. Middleton Raynal Orange Park James Nash bicycle-friendly Florida Sopchoppy Duke Breitenbach Gainesville P.O. Box 916715, Longwood, FL 32791-6715 Kimberly Cooper Dr. Joe Warren DeLand William R. Hough Earle and Laura Reynolds Board of Directors Orlando Tampa Walter Long Jodi Hohlstein, President J. Steele Olmstead Executive Director 3838 Cardinal Oaks Circle 14517 N. 18th St. Tim Bustos Orange Park, FL 32065 Tampa, FL 33613 336 N Woodland Blvd. Titanium Partners/Legacy Phone: 904-282-2180 Phone: 813-979-4949 Deland, FL 32720 ($500 - $999) [email protected] [email protected] Phone: 850-238-5328 Stephen Steck Port Charlotte Earl Lang, Vice President Ted Wendler [email protected] 1700 Tamiami Trail, E-5 716 Ohio Ave. Ft Myers Port Charlotte, FL 33948 DeLand, FL 32724 Program/Membership Golden Gears/Champion Phone: 941-258-3400 Phone: 386-235-0057 Director ($250 - $499) [email protected] [email protected] Dan Moser David Henderson Jeff Hohlstein, Secretary 1449 Linhart Ave. 3838 Cardinal Oaks Circle Ft. Myers, FL 33901 Orange Park, FL 32065 Phone/Fax: Phone: 904-282-2180 239-334-6417 Silver Spokes/Benefactor [email protected] [email protected] ($100 - $249) Chapters Seth Krieger & Kathy St. Marks Episcopal Mighk Wilson, Treasurer Operations Manager Peres Church on behalf of 737 S. Mills Ave. Laura Hallam First Coast Chapter Director Panthers Tandem Jerry, Michael & Orlando, FL 32801 367 Buckhorn Creek Rd. Stephen Tocknell, Director Club Robin Potts Phone: 407-488-9990 Sopchoppy, FL 32358 Jacksonville [email protected] Phone: 407-399-9961 Terrence Deeks Emerald Coast Phone: 904-638-6629 [email protected] Richard & Belinda Cyclists Tim Bol [email protected] Carlson Mark Greenberg 301 E. Pine St., Ste 800 www.fbafirstcoast.org Fort Myers Cyclery Jason Aufdenberg Orlando, FL 32801 Membership Michael & Lynn Pilato 407-393-6691 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Christopher G. Burns, Esq. Advisory Board Bronze Pedals/Supporter Terrell Hogan Becky Afonso Herb Hiller, Journalist Robert Seidler, Filmmaker ($50 - $99) 233 East Bay Street - 8th floor [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Jacksonville, FL 32202 John & Kathy Stamp Karabell Phone: 904-632-2424 Michelle Avola Reese Hope Howland-Cook John Sinibaldi, Jr Mark Sussman & Stephen Perz [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Randy Smookler Bruce Lierman Patricia Kovacs Daniel Lehmann Ron Cunningham Don Braverman Dwight Kingsbury, Historian Lisa Walker, Public Affairs Tom & Linda Al & Heidi Parker 2111 NW 20th Street [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Wentzell Steve Diez Gainesville, FL 32605 Keri Caffrey, Webmaster Henry N.