Wow, just when you thought Gov. Crist liked bicycling and declared his backing for Bicycle Month in Florida comes this sucker punch from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in Tallahassee. My bike pal Jim Shirk sent this letter to me. Read on:
"I’m shocked at the irony, and hope you are too.
"Within weeks of the Florida Governor’s office proclaiming March as Bicycle Month and celebrating our trail victories, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) announced devastating cuts to the Office of Greenways and Trails (OGT), effectively eliminating this nationally renowned program.
"Act now to protect Florida’s greenways and trails.
"These cuts are excessive and disproportionate to FDEP’s other proposed cuts. While other FDEP program budgets are being cut 20 percent, this proposal would, among other things, eliminate more than 80 percent of OGT’s Tallahassee staff! In addition to rolling back the pro-trail clock 10 years, this measure risks nearly $50 million in hard-earned development money for Florida’s future trails.
"RTC understands that cuts are required, and should be fairly distributed. However, the OGT program reduces our dependence on oil, improves health, betters our environment and strengthens our communities. Eliminating it does far more harm than good, and for generations to come.
"Please speak up for trails now.
"Thank you.
Ken Bryan, Florida State Director
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
P.S. Want another opportunity to advocate for bicycling? Join RTC and the Florida Bicycle Association at the Florida Bicycle Summit, April 2, 2009. Help begin a new era of bicycling and trails in Florida. We need you! Please register for this FREE event now."
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
No Problem, Bro
Bicyclists come in all types in Tampa.
Like this guy.
He wanted change to catch a bus.
He wanted a cigarette.
But in the end, he's the one who gave.
"No problem, bro," he told me when I asked to get a snapshot of his bicycle.
This portrait late this afternoon. Near Stephon Foster Elementary School off 22nd Street.
Like this guy.
He wanted change to catch a bus.
He wanted a cigarette.
But in the end, he's the one who gave.
"No problem, bro," he told me when I asked to get a snapshot of his bicycle.
This portrait late this afternoon. Near Stephon Foster Elementary School off 22nd Street.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Rack 'em Up
This morning I biked to the downtown convention center in Tampa to hear Mayor Pam Iorio's state of the city speech. The only formal bike rack parking at the convention center was not under cover and my bike got soaked. But the convention center has an empty area under cover that would be ideal for bike racks. I sent John Moors, the convention center's boss, copies of these racks. They are in Pittsburgh. If Pittsburgh can have these bike racks then there's no reason why Tampa can't do it, too.
Lance Breaks Collarbone In Bike Crash During Tour de France Tune-up In Spain
BALTANAS, Spain -- Lance Armstrong was taken to a hospital Monday after crashing during the first stage of a five-day race in Spain.
Armstrong fell in a pile-up about 12.5 miles from the stage's finish. The seven-time Tour de France champion, who is making a comeback to cycling and is riding with the Astana team in the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon race, may have injured his collarbone.
Team spokesman Philippe Maertens said the American cyclist was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and race organizers said Armstrong was being treated at the Rio Carrion hospital in Palencia.
Garmin-Slipstream leader Christian Vande Velde was in front of the crash and didn't see it, but described the stretch where it happened as "a goat path -- bumpy and not much bigger than a one-lane road.''
"There was a lot of nervousness, people trying to get into position,'' Vande Velde, who rode with Armstrong at U.S. Postal Service for several years, told ESPN.com. "Lance takes more care than anyone. He's always up near the front. That's why it's ironic.''
Pam Gives State of City Chat -- No Bicycling Mentioned
I have seen my share of mayors as an ex-reporter covering city hall for papers around the country and there's few mayors as genuinely likable as our own Pam Iorio here in the city of Tampa. She biked with the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club's inaugural bike ride last year and she has a terrific old-time 'fro that reminds me of my own head of curly hair I sported in high school decades ago.
Pam gave her state of the city speech this morning in a room that was too small at the Tampa Convention Center. To be truthful, the vast majority of attendees were city employees wondering if they would have a city job one year from now. Stuff about cutbacks and layoffs. You know the recession drill during these hard economic times.
There was an upbeat 14-minute video showing city highlights like the Ikea groundbreaking and the 40th Street road project followed by Pam chatting for 25 minutes or so about how Tampa is the fourth most popular city in the country (gee, who knew?) and about how commited she is to mass transit/light rail.
She was preaching to the choir and it was a pleasant lovefest of city employees and a few local movers and shakers.
No mention of bicycling. And there was no Pam at the downtown Tampa crit and festival on Saturday. It would have been nice to see Pam on a bicycle pedaling on the VIP lap around the crit course and it would have been a super photo opp.
City workers arrived to hear if they will have a job next year.
I did meet my new best friend, Irv Lee, the city's public works chief, after the speech and I also met John Moors, the convention center's administrator. I lobbied Moors (no "e" by the way) to install a bike rack near the entrance off Channel Drive and he said he would check it out.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A Few Sunday Rides
Today was a good example about the variety of cycling I do. It began right here with this photo -- doing my base 46-mile roundtrip ride to Flatwoods and back.
There is no one type of bicycling. There are many. You can race, you can tour, you can leisurely pedal your way along a home tour -- such as the Old Seminole Heights Home Tour on Sunday April 5 in two weeks.
I represented the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club today and broke out the errand bike to liesurely bike the home tour with bike home tour master, Jim Shirk. It's a pleasant 5.5 miles mapped out by Jim and it promises to be a pleasant ride for anyone who chooses to visit the houses on the tour via bicycle.
I will be stationed during the OSH Home Tour at Hillsborough High School, inflating tires and basically checking out bikes to make sure they're road worthy. Other SH Bike Club members will be there, too. So, come on down and do the home tour.
Jim checks out an actual house on the tour. The homes will be a real treat to visit.
Jim takes a short sidewalk to cut through to Hillsborough Avenue and continue the home tour.
After the easy 5.5-mile Seminole Heights home tour route, it was off to the Fun Lan market to stock up on strawberries.
There's only one way to transport strawberries -- and that's by rear bicycle rack, my friends. By the way, those strawberries weighed in at a whopping three bucks. But don't tell anyone.
There is no one type of bicycling. There are many. You can race, you can tour, you can leisurely pedal your way along a home tour -- such as the Old Seminole Heights Home Tour on Sunday April 5 in two weeks.
I represented the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club today and broke out the errand bike to liesurely bike the home tour with bike home tour master, Jim Shirk. It's a pleasant 5.5 miles mapped out by Jim and it promises to be a pleasant ride for anyone who chooses to visit the houses on the tour via bicycle.
I will be stationed during the OSH Home Tour at Hillsborough High School, inflating tires and basically checking out bikes to make sure they're road worthy. Other SH Bike Club members will be there, too. So, come on down and do the home tour.
Jim checks out an actual house on the tour. The homes will be a real treat to visit.
Jim takes a short sidewalk to cut through to Hillsborough Avenue and continue the home tour.
After the easy 5.5-mile Seminole Heights home tour route, it was off to the Fun Lan market to stock up on strawberries.
There's only one way to transport strawberries -- and that's by rear bicycle rack, my friends. By the way, those strawberries weighed in at a whopping three bucks. But don't tell anyone.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
A Crit Grows In Tampa
Wow, now there's a sight: bike racers in a downtown Tampa crit flying down Franklin Street.
It was all part of the Twilight Crit that drew several hundred racers in a several different divisions today to bring attention to bicycling in the Tampa Bay area. The Tampa Downtown Partnership put on the crit and accompanying health festival to highlight Bike Month and the Tampa BayCycle program of getting people around Tampa on bicycles. See Tampa Tribune story on the crit.
I was there representing the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club and SWFBUD and was happy to report that several SWFBUD members -- Brian Eckman, Thomas Singletary and David Luppino -- were on hand at the crit. I want to thank everyone who stopped by to say hi.
Tampa has never been too receptive to closing downtown streets and allowing race organizers to stage a twilight crit, which is popular in places like Athens, Ga. But Karen Kress's efforts with the Tampa Downtown Partnership helped make today's crit become a reality.
David Luppino, who used to own Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium and owned parts of Oliver's and Suncoast Trailside Bicycles shops, makes a point to Brian Eckman, who nows owns CBE. David is opening the Just Ride Bicycles store in Fish Hawk Ranch.
They showed up on all types of bicycles.
The famed Ghost Rider, Jack Sweeney, made a cameo on a mountain bike.
Karen grew up in Sarasota but works in Scotland now as a yoga instructor but was in town visiting family in Sarasota. She came for the race.
Racer Trish Cohen shows off her homemade jersey as seen on her www.oyvelo.com Web site.
CBE's Brian Eckman did good business at the Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium store on site.
SWFBUD member Tom Singletary, a Tampa lawyer and bicyclist, chats with Eric Pages -- a big pedestrian advocate who serves on the Bicycle-Ped Advisory Committee in Hillsborough County.
It was all part of the Twilight Crit that drew several hundred racers in a several different divisions today to bring attention to bicycling in the Tampa Bay area. The Tampa Downtown Partnership put on the crit and accompanying health festival to highlight Bike Month and the Tampa BayCycle program of getting people around Tampa on bicycles. See Tampa Tribune story on the crit.
I was there representing the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club and SWFBUD and was happy to report that several SWFBUD members -- Brian Eckman, Thomas Singletary and David Luppino -- were on hand at the crit. I want to thank everyone who stopped by to say hi.
Tampa has never been too receptive to closing downtown streets and allowing race organizers to stage a twilight crit, which is popular in places like Athens, Ga. But Karen Kress's efforts with the Tampa Downtown Partnership helped make today's crit become a reality.
David Luppino, who used to own Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium and owned parts of Oliver's and Suncoast Trailside Bicycles shops, makes a point to Brian Eckman, who nows owns CBE. David is opening the Just Ride Bicycles store in Fish Hawk Ranch.
They showed up on all types of bicycles.
The famed Ghost Rider, Jack Sweeney, made a cameo on a mountain bike.
Karen grew up in Sarasota but works in Scotland now as a yoga instructor but was in town visiting family in Sarasota. She came for the race.
Racer Trish Cohen shows off her homemade jersey as seen on her www.oyvelo.com Web site.
CBE's Brian Eckman did good business at the Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium store on site.
SWFBUD member Tom Singletary, a Tampa lawyer and bicyclist, chats with Eric Pages -- a big pedestrian advocate who serves on the Bicycle-Ped Advisory Committee in Hillsborough County.
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