Lee must improve to be bike/pedestrian-friendly

At the urging of Lee County’s Bicycle/ Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Lee County applied to the League of American Bicyclists to be designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community (www.bikeleague. org/program/bicyclefriendlyamerica). Unfortunately — but not surprisingly — we failed to achieve even the lowest level BFC designation. Lee DOT staff members who prepared the application did a great job and are to be commended, but the reality of our local cycling environment cannot be denied.

Here’s LAB’s official response:

“After careful review of your Bicycle Friendly Community application and consultation with local cyclists, the League of American Bicyclists has decided that we would like to encourage further improvements for bicyclists in Lee County before being able to present the Bicycle Friendly Community designation.

“We are happy to see the accomplishments Lee County has made for cycling. However, the audit and review indicate that much remains to be done. We are committed to working with you to make further improvements in the community. You will be receiving a feedback on your application in the next few weeks. We hope to have the opportunity to review your progress next year, and we encourage the community to submit an updated application.

DAN MOSER / FLORIDA WEEKLY The bike lane marking on Alico Road has been erased by Lee DOT, which has a policy of refusing to create such full-fledged bike facilities. This policy may be one of the reason Lee County was denied “Bicycle Friendly Community” designation. “Please consider the League a resource in your efforts to create a Bicycle Friendly Community. We are anxious to help you move forward.”

In terms of our pedestrian environment, Lee County fares no better. Previous “Mean Streets” reports, prepared every four to five years by a Washington, D.C., organization, lists the Fort Myers/ Cape Coral metro area as one of the most dangerous places in the country for pedestrians (www.transact.org/report. asp). The latest update is due out in early November (pushed back from Oct. 20) and reaffirms our dismal record, although we do fare a bit better than our last ranking in 2004, which graded us worse than all of Florida’s major metro areas, places that were among the top 10 worse in America for those with more than one million population.

As LAB notes, there have been “accomplishments,” but we clearly have a long way to go. Now that it’s been confirmed and documented by others looking from the outside in, it should serve as a loud wake-up call. BikeWalkLee Update

If what you’ve just read concerns you, or if you disagree and want to set the record straight, you’ll want to attend “Turning Lee County’s Mean Streets into Complete Streets” at Lakes Park in South Fort Myers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8. Drop in and share thoughts, complaints, suggestions, and offers of assistance. BWL will supply maps, surveys, and other tools for documenting ideas. Complimentary food and beverages will be provided to those who participate and volunteer.

Until next time, I’ll look for you on the roads and trails. 

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

.. Upcoming events:

>>BikeWalkLee Event: • “Turning Lee County’s Mean Streets into Complete Streets,” Sunday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Lakes Park, Fort Myers (www.bikewalklee.org)

>>Running/Walking: • FMPD Cops & Joggers 5K, Saturday, Oct. 24 (www.ftmyerstrackclub.com)

• For info on running events, check with the Fort Myers Track Club (www.ftmyerstrackclub.com) and 3-D Runners (www.therunshoppe.com/3dracing). For Naples running info, it’s the Gulf Coast Runners (www.gcrunner.org). Charlotte County running information is at www.zoomersrun.com.

>>Cycling: • Everyone Rides, Sunday, Nov. 1, Buckingham (http://www.everyonerides.org)

• Caloosahatchee River Ride, Sunday, Nov. 22, Alva (http://crca/caloosahatchee.org)

• Visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club at www. caloosariders.com, Florida Mudcutters at www. mudcutters.org, Naples Pathways Coalition at www.naplespathways.org, and Naples Velo at www.naplesvelo.com for more information on local bicycling activities, including weekly rides. The Florida Bicycle Association (www.floridabicycle. org) is your source for statewide happenings.