Another perspective

How people interact as we move about always fascinates me. So it's a real treat when I have an opportunity to experience something very different from the status quo of Southwest Florida. A recent trip to Spain offered just that.

What might be considered by some Americans to be a lethal mix of pedestrians and motor vehicles sharing very tight spaces are merely part of daily living in the towns my wife, Maria, and I had the good fortune to visit. During the week we spent in towns like Toledo, Avila, Madrid, and Segovia, we witnessed only one very minor fender-bender when a work vehicle bumped a building wall while attempting to make a turn on what was essentially an ally-sized street.

The driver merely backed-up, adjusted his angle, and drove away; we saw no damage to the building or his vehicle. Even more impressive, I never saw an incident between a motor vehicle and a pedestrian or cyclist. Not even harsh words, gestures, or inappropriate horn blowing. How refreshing, especially from the perspective of a Lee County cyclist who is the victim of one or another of those behaviors almost every time I get on my bike.

DAN MOSER / FLORIDA WEEKLY A full array of transportation options on display. Even transit buses got around the very narrow streets. Over the seven days of our visit to very old towns — some over 2,000 years old — we walked more than 50 miles and took a 5-mile run. It was rare to be the only pedestrians no matter where we went. The dynamics of walking among throngs of others, as well as within close proximity to motor vehicles, often entering the same space, shows how people manage to adapt to their environment. The trick is to keep moving, even when it seems counterintuitive to do so. It doesn't take long to learn the nuances of sidestepping, hesitating, and slowing down or speeding-up for short distances in order to keep the flow going when it's wallto wall people and vehicles. During our experiences, no one was overly courteous but neither were they rude or pushy.

As for cyclists, within the city centers those on bikes behaved much differently than they did on highways and other roads that are more similar to ours. Because of the hilly terrain, cobblestone surfaces, and blurred distinction between vehicle lanes and pedestrian spaces, most cyclists were on mountain bikes.

Almost without exception, the cyclists outside city centers used skinny-tired road bikes, donned performance bicycling clothing, and wore helmets. Most of the roads we traveled between towns had paved shoulders that accommodated cyclists safely and efficiently. Their numbers weren't overwhelming, but it was early spring so I'm guessing that cycling increases significantly as it gets warmer.

One thing that struck me was how well maintained the infrastructure appeared, from freshly painted reflective road markings to the lack of roadside litter. And the safety of workers, from maintenance crews to law enforcement, was clearly a priority as all wore retro-reflective clothing and had highly visible markings on their vehicles.

Lee County Board of Commissioners recognize Florida bicycle month

On March 24, Lee County Commissioners once again restated their commitment to improving conditions for cyclists and for creating "Complete Streets" when they read into the record a resolution that concluded with the statement: "Now, be it resolved, that Lee County joins in concert with the 200 U.S. cities to implement a bicycle and pedestrian action plan to achieve the intended goals of good health, improved safety, lessen the carbon footprint, and increase bicycling and walking as a standard mode of transportation."

Something even more significant than this ceremonial action occurred at a recent goal-setting meeting where these same commissioners made it clear to each other and senior staff that this is indeed what they want for Lee County.

Until next time, I'll look for you on the roads and trails…..

— Dan Moser is league cycling instructor/trainer and program manager for Florida Bicycle Association who cycles regularly for transportation, recreation, and fitness. He may be contacted at dan@floridabicycle.org or 334-6417

Upcoming Events

Valor 5K Road Race & Trail Run, Saturday, April 18, Alico Arena, FGCU For details of this and other running events check with the Fort Myers Track Club (www.ftmyerstrackclub. com) and for Naples running info it's the Gulf Coast Runners (www.gcrunner.org).

>>Cycling: Ride for the Red, Saturday, April 18, Cape Haze Trailhead, Charlotte County (www.redcrosscharlotte. org) Visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club at www. caloosariders.com, Florida Mudcutters at www. mudcutters.org, and Naples Pathways Coalition at www.naplespathways.org for more information on local bicycling activities, including weekly rides. The Florida Bicycle Association (www. floridabicycle.org) is your source of statewide happenings.

>>Triathlon: FGCU EagleSprint Tri, Sunday, April 26, Florida Gulf Coast University Aquatics Center, Estero (www.active.com)