Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Bicycling The Turnachik Rolling Billboard On Election Day In Tampa

Jan Platt Library, South Tampa -- It's game on for Tampa politics today as I rolled out the Turanchik For Mayor rolling bicycle billboard and pedaled south on Tampa Street from Seminole Heights to downtown Tampa en route to several morning election polling stations in south Tampa.

The day began with a cloudy sky and drizzle, but after a night of minor repairs to the Turnachik bicycle billboard it was all smooth cycling south from Seminole Heights to downtown.

I saw Turanchik supporters (Viv and the hubby) in front of a polling site at a church on Central Avenue north of Hillsborough High, and also Turnachik sign-wavers at the Tampa Street-Columbus intersection and then again along Bayshore Blvd as I biked the Bayshore wide sidewalk with my waves and fist pumps drawing friendly horn toots and smiles.

Biking with the Turnachik sign during rush-hour worked splendidly as I connected with motorists. And from the friendly honks, Ed Turnachik has many supporters out there.

I biked over to Euclid Avenue and made a right turn off Bayshore to enjoy the wonderful sharrows that were placed on the road surface after Mayor Pam iorio killed the proposed bike lane. I biked over to the Jan Platt Library and met a few political supporters of other mayoral candidates, including Frank -- brother of Rose Ferlita. We had a friendly chat and some good-natured ribbing, before I biked over to the Palma Ceia church election site at Himes and Bay-to-Bay, where I met more Turnachik supporters.

The rains came and I sought cover by the Palma Ceia church polling station, chatting about bicycling with Iris -- mother of Council District 4 candidate Harry Cohen.

Then it was off to another polling station at Dale Mabry and Bay-to-Bay, where I talked up Jason Wilson running for District 3 and met Julie Jenkins, running in District 4.

It's quiet now at the polls as I see moms with little kids and seniors strolling into the voting sites.

Remember the Snel endorsements of bicycle-friendly candidates:

Mayor: ED TURANCHIK
Dictrict 2: MARY MULHERN
District 3: JASON WILSON
District 4: JULIE JENKINS
District 6: KELLY BENJAMIN

Please especially vote for Kelly -- his race is a one-on-one face-off today and the others will likely end with runoffs because of the multiple candidates in each race. But today is do or die for Kelly and he has been an incredible supporter of bicycling and a big contrast to incumbent Charlie Miranda who has never said anything about bicycling and appears as if he doesn't care about the topic.

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