SWFBUD Working Behind The Scenes For Tampa Bay Bicyclists

SWFBUD is proud to put on the Bicycle Bash festival every year. But we work year-round to represent the interests of bicyclists. Did you know . . .

-- The city of Tampa is looking at bike routes to the new downtown waterfront Curtis Hixon Park after SWFBUD approached City Public Works and Utilities Director Steve Daignault at the park opening last month and asked him about installing bike routes to the new park. Then just recently, the Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena got the city council to instruct staff to look at potential bike routes to the park.

John Marsh of the city's Transportation Division handed out city maps to the MPO's Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee yesterday and asked for suggestions on bike routes from all directions to the park.

The city is also looking at installing more bike racks after SWFBUD pointed out to city parks officials that the new park lacks bike racks. Here are bikes locked up against the riverwalk railing because of lack of bike racks at the park.



-- HART is preparing signs advising motorists to clear bicyclists and pedestrians by the minimum required space of three feet after SWFBUD approached the HART board last month. A HART bus nearly struck me while passing me on Rowlett Park Drive, violating the three-foot buffer law.

In response, instead of taking the case to Tampa Police I took the incident to the HART board and advised them to please use this incident as a learning experience for not only its drivers but also all drivers to give clearance of at least three feet when passing bicyclists.

Katharine Eagen of HART is working on signs that will be posted inside the bus, on bus shelters and also, in some cases, on the outside of buses. The signs will also warn drivers to pass pedestrians by a minimum of three feet as well.

-- Tampa Police will be sitting down with George Martin, the bike laws expert of the Florida Bicycle Association, to discuss being trained to better understand bicycle laws after SWFBUD introduced George to Assistant Police Chief John Bennett at a meeting recently.

SWFBUD and George met John Bennett and two other officers at an introductory meeting at police headquarters after a bicyclist was cited for being in the road and impeding traffic although the lane was too narrow and the cyclist had the right to be in the lane under those circumstances.

SWFBUD supports bicyclists and the motoring public understanding laws to allow both bicyclist and motorized vehicle operator to share the road safely in compliance with law.