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2010 Awards
Florida Bicycle Association
Annual Awards Presentation
May 12, 2010 The Lakeland Center
Florida Bicycle Association annual awards are presented to worthy recipients for their contributions to bicycling. The purpose of the awards is to bring attention to the efforts and achievements of groups, organizations and individuals that help deliver our mission to inspire and support people and communities to enjoy greater freedom and well being through bicycling. Nominations are solicited from FBA members, however, anyone can submit a nomination for a wide variety of categories, two of which are new this year – Developer and Elected Official Champion.
Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee: Pinellas County MPO Bicycle Advisory Committee, Tom Ferraro, Chair, Clearwater
The Pinellas County Bicycle Advisory Committee was the original group to start the Pinellas Trail program 20 years ago by advocating the conversion of a 34-mile rail corridor into the Pinellas Trail. Because they were a standing committee of the MPO, they were able to advocate and support the follow-up funding for trail overpasses and filling in trail segment gaps with enhancement funds and CMAQ funds. The BAC successfully negotiated use of the power company corridor for the Progress Energy Trail, a corridor 20 miles long on the east side of the County. The committee developed the Pinellas Trail Loop plan which is a 75-mile loop connecting all destinations in the county by trail including as the spine, the existing Pinellas Trail and the Progress Energy Trail which has been approved by the MPO and is on the Rails to Trails Conservancy website. The group plans to complete this project within 10 years.
The committee has also supported the recognition and implementation of bike lanes throughout the county initiated 10 years go with a special joint workshop with the County Commission and MPO. The committee has been very active with respect to educating the public concerning safe cycling. It has a close partnership with the MPO's Pedestrian Transportation Advisory Committee on common issues such as bike /pedestrian crossings of roadways. Most recently, the committee has been involved with FDOT in the redesign of Gulf Blvd. In summary, the Pinellas County Bicycle Advisory Committee serves as a role model for how to engage the public and agencies in a positive way to further bicycling as an integral part of our livable community
Club: Florida Freewheelers, Sharon Wolfson, President; Scot Hartle, Executive Director, Orlando
More than 600 members strong, the Florida Freewheelers caters to people who ride bicycles for fitness, recreation and sport. The club’s main function is to offer bike rides in the Central Florida area. All rides have designated leaders, and maps are handed out at the start of each ride. For newer or less experienced riders, the ride leader makes sure no one rides alone. Their members ride all types of bicycles -- road bikes, hybrids, mountain bikes, tandems, and recumbents. Their two flagship events are the Florida Bicycle Safari in the Spring featuring a week of touring and camping in the panhandle, and the Horrible Hundred, held the third Sunday of November, known for its challenging hills throughout Lake County. Both events celebrated 30 years of great riding!
The Flamingos is an initiative of the Florida Freewheelers to reach out to women cyclists of all riding abilities. The Flamingos’ goal is to provide women specific club activities including road bike rides, all-terrain bike rides, educational and social events, plus to promote activities for female recreational cyclists. The club is also dedicated to advocacy. The Florida Bicycle Club Presidents meeting was a joint venture between FBA and the club held last November in conjunction with the Horrible Hundred in Clermont. Meeting participants were offered a complimentary ride registration as an incentive to attend this gathering to connect club presidents with one another. Due to its success, the 2nd annual Florida Bicycle Club Presidents meeting will be held November 20, 2010, the day before the 31st Annual Horrible 100. The club also has a paid executive director to manage the organization.
Enforcement Officer: Officer Bill Edgar, Orlando Police Department
Officer Bill Edgar has demonstrated outstanding leadership as a law enforcement professional in his position as In-Service Training Coordinator for the Orlando Police Department and president of the Law Enforcement Bicycle Association (LEBA). Through his duties, he has used his expertise and influence to encourage the department to enact policies that will help assure uniform and consistent enforcement of the laws about bicycling in Orlando, something that is lacking in some jurisdictions. He was instrumental in developing and distributing a training bulletin on cyclists’ lane position, one of the most misunderstood areas in enforcement. He is assisting in the development of FBA’s Bicycle Law Enforcement Program, and is acting as an active member of the Officer Advisory Panel that is insuring the program will meet the needs of officers and their agencies. His understanding of both the cycling environment and the law enforcement community is a great contribution to FBA and the Program. His participation and advice are greatly appreciated.
Enforcement Officer: Sgt. Tom McKane and Deputy Gabriel White, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Tavares
Lake County is a beautiful county and a particularly attractive cycling venue due to the differences in elevation that are unique to Florida. The county attracts literally thousands of cyclists annually to ride and train in this environment and actively solicits cycling activities. Cyclists and government officials have become aware of an increasing trend in verbal abuse and threats to cyclists by motorists, and are concerned that such acts will discourage cyclists from visiting Lake County. If the trend continues, the resulting negative impact on the otherwise peaceful and friendly environment and economy of the county could be devastating. In July 2009, a group of 35 cyclists, led by leaders of the Lake County Bicycle Alliance, and 15 law enforcement officials, led by Sheriff Borders, met to consider possible solutions. The most important outcome of the meeting was the agreement to form a continuing relationship to address known problems and others that may arise in the future. Sgt. Tom McKane and Deputy Gabriel White were instrumental in working with the cycling community to establish that relationship and are continuing to work to insure the conditions improve. They are also significant contributors to the Bicycle Law Enforcement Program as members of the Officer Advisory Panel and are helping to insure the program meets the needs of officers and their departments. Their efforts are truly appreciated.
Educator: Keri Caffrey, CommuteOrlando.com, Orlando
Keri has made a name for herself across the U.S. for her insightful approach to cycling and cycling education. Her exceptional skill set is being put to good use in Florida including the Orlando area. As a professional graphic artist and excellent writer, she is able to communicate complex ideas to everyone. Keri has been an enormous asset to FBA by designing the website and many print materials. Most recently she took the lead in developing a new adult bicycle traffic course for FBA. That course -- called Cycling Savvy -- has now finished its piloting stage and will soon be launched in Orlando through the Florida Safety Council. Instructor training for the new course will also be coming soon. Keri's CommuteOrlando.com website and blog has not only become a valuable resource for Orlando area cyclists and pedestrian advocates, but hosts some of the best conversations on the web on bicycling matters. She has also been an innovator in the use of video for cycling education and advocacy. Keri’s travels usually include exploring new cycling facility treatments and connecting with fellow cycling educators. Souvenirs generally include great video, photos, and especially astute observations.
Supporting Agency: Kris Keprios and Fay Downing, Polk County Tourism & Sports Marketing, Auburndale
Polk County Tourism & Sports Marketing (PCTSM) is an initiative of the Central Florida Development Council of Polk County, which is a branch of the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. Central Florida Sports Marketing's primary objective is to increase overnight stays in Polk County accommodations and enhance the county's economic climate. Simply put, they "put heads in beds and make cash registers ring" in Polk County. The organization began in 1992 under the Central Florida Development Council and since that time sports in Polk County has been big business. More than $700 million has been pumped into the Polk County economy, largely to hotels and restaurants. It is the mission of Central Florida Sports Marketing to promote tourism and economic development through sports. Polk County Sports Marketing focuses on developing new events, recruiting sports activities, assisting existing sports events and marketing recreation and leisure activities.
FBA and PCSM began a partnership in 2007 to bring events, like the ProBike/ProWalk Florida conference, to Polk County. Following the one-year agreement in 2007, a five-year agreement was signed to support FBA’s year-round programs. This partnership has gone way beyond hosting at least one conference in Polk County between 2008 and 2012. The hands-on attention staff has provided is remarkable. During the planning of the 2010 conference in Lakeland, Kris Keprios and Fay Downing were wonderful. The central location, hospitality, moderate hotel rates and outstanding biking and walking facilities, Polk County is definitely the place to stage events, especially the ProBike/ProWalk Florida conference. PCTSM is the only organization in the state to earn both the Sports Organization of the Year award from the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and the Florida Sports Foundation's Sports Commission of the Year Award. Other awards include the Sports Organization of the Year by both the Independent Softball Association and Youth Basketball of America.
Program: Julie Bond, New North Transportation Alliance Program ~ Tampa BayCycle
Karen Kress, Tampa Downtown Partnership ~ Tampa BayCycle
In 2007, the New North Transportation Alliance and the Tampa Downtown Partnership, co-organizers of Tampa BayCycle created an initiative to encourage commuters to cycle to work, school or play during the month of May, which is National Bike MonthTM. Tampa BayCycle brought together people who believe that riding a bicycle benefits everyone from individuals to the entire community. Bicycle commuters save money and gas, stay fit, reduce traffic congestion and most importantly have fun. It was the first year that a bicycling initiative of this scale was held in the Tampa Bay area and it won a Creative Excellence Award from the International Association for Commuter Transportation. Tampa BayCycle was also named as one of the Green 100 by Creative Loading during 2009. Efforts are funded in part by the Florida Department of Transportation, New North Transportation Alliance, Tampa Downtown Partnership and various sponsors including bicycle shops and other private businesses. Tampa BayCycle also relies on volunteer hours contributed from the cycling community.
The campaign continued to grow over the next 3 years, adding new elements and partners as well as participants. The new website has dramatically helped create an awareness of the now year-round campaign and a Facebook page and Twitter are also utilized. During 2010, Tampa BayCycle successfully celebrated Florida Bike Month in March with plans for activities during National Bike Month during May. Safety courses, group rides and other events brought the community together during March.
Bicycle Professional: Dr. Dan Connaughton, Florida Traffic & Bicycle Safety Education Program, Gainesville
Dan took over as director of the Florida Traffic & Bicycle Safety Education Program on July 1, 2008. Since that time, Dan and his part-time graduate assistant have among other things, physically moved the Program, acquired a new program website, developed new program brochures, coordinated a national press release about the program, converted one curriculum CD/DVD format and is in the process of revising two curricula, revised the 1.5 day training workshop to one day format, served on numerous related boards and committees, and has coordinated 20 Teacher Training Workshops (training 199 teachers/participants). Actually, Dan has instructed or co-instructed 13 of these Teacher Training workshops himself. Additionally, he has presented on the FTBSEP or on bicycle safety at numerous conferences and has numerous related presentations currently under review.
He has also published several bicycle safety related articles on state and national journals and has one related manuscript currently under review. Dan has a current research project underway that is investigating Florida’s physical education teacher’s attitude, knowledge and behavior as it pertains to bicycle safety. He is a co-principal investigator on a related Active Living Research grant proposal. Dan has accomplished these tasks and more in addition to performing his duties as a tenure-track faculty member at the University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance, Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management with distinction having received several teaching, research and service awards.
Citizen Bike Advocate: Darla Letourneau, BikeWalkLee, Sanibel
Darla Letourneau was singled out for her efforts on behalf of cyclists and pedestrians through her in-depth research, influence in policy shaping, and role as steering committee member and driving force behind BikeWalkLee, a coalition working to create “Complete Streets” in Lee County (www.bikewalklee.org). Among her accomplishments, Darla was instrumental in ensuring Federal stimulus monies that came into Lee County included significant bike/ped projects; convinced the MPO and Lee County Board of County Commissioners to formally adopt Complete Streets resolutions; and brought focus and pressure on Florida by her interaction with Transportation for America and the “Dangerous by Design” report.
Darla's background as a long-time federal employee who worked with a variety of policy matters, as well as her love of cycling, makes her an outstanding Citizen Bike Advocate. She is a member of FBA, Sanibel Bike Club, and BikeWalkLee's steering committee. Darla’s perseverance and hard work impacts not only Southwest Florida but throughout the state and even places beyond Florida.
Citizen Bike Advocate: Pat Patregnani, zMotion, a Zimmerman Advertising Team, Ft. Lauderdale
A1A in South Florida is an excellent venue for cycling and a busy roadway for motorists. In an incident in Boca Raton, a group of cyclists received adverse publicity for vandalizing a car in response to what they considered intentional and dangerous harassment by the motorist. Too often, this type of incident results in no productive response. Pat Patregnani, president of Zimmerman Advertising, zMotion Founder and Team Captain of the 600+ member cycling organization, took immediate action. He recognized this incident as an opportunity to make a major change in the cycling environment in South Florida by effecting a behavioral change in cycling, and gaining the attention of motorists who do not always accept the rights of cyclists to the roads. Pat initiated the “Ride Right/Drive Right Campaign”, which includes cyclists, law enforcement and the town councils of the affected communities, in an effort to publicize and encourage legal and courteous behavior of cyclists and motorists. The campaign included an outstanding 30-second television spot and other terrific materials. Go to http://www.zmotion.org/ to view the spot and materials.
Jeff Lynne, an attorney and leader of South Florida Bicycle Coalition, joined with Pat to contribute his considerable political and legal background to the effort. In addition to their efforts to directly impact the cyclists’ actions, and with the outstanding cooperation of the Florida Department of Transportation and the communities, road signs funded by zMotion were designed and are being installed in six South Florida A1A communities. The signs will be a constant reminder to all roadway users to share the roadway with courtesy and respect. When the success of this campaign is demonstrated in South Florida, this concept can be exported to other similar communities around the state. Many thanks to Pat for his initiative and dedication to civility on the roads.
Bike Store Advocate: Charlie and Mark Fetzer, Lakeshore Bicycles & Fitness, Jacksonville
Lakeshore Bicycles & Fitness has been a strong supporter of the Jacksonville area cycling community since the late Norman Fetzer took ownership in 1980. He passed the tradition down to his sons, Charlie and Mark, who are heavily involved in promoting cycling as an enriching experience in the North Florida region. An example of their support to FBA’s mission, when Mark heard that FBA sought to bring Traffic Skills 101 to Jacksonville, he immediately volunteered use of their facility. Several times a year they convert a section of the store into the TS 101 classroom. Following in his dad and uncle’s footsteps, Charlie’s teenaged son Bill actively markets the merits of safety in cycling and the benefits of Traffic Skills 101 on his blog and Facebook page.
Charlie and Mark provide mechanical shop support to several major cycling events, including charity rides such as the Katie Ride, Bike MS and Tour de Cure; also the North Florida Bicycle Club’s two annual major rides. They also support community activity rides such as The Ride of Silence (to raise public awareness about cyclists killed or injured by motor vehicles and express cyclists rights to use the roads) and Jacksonville’s Bike-to-Work days. Charlie is very active with the Boy Scouts, conducting bicycle demonstrations and training to support bicycling merit badges. They both conduct bicycle rodeos for schools.
The Fetzers own a house and property adjacent to the Imeson end of the Jacksonville to Baldwin Rail Trail where they routinely open to cycling groups and the North Florida Bicycle Club. They give freely of their time and are among the most active in Jacksonville, promoting cycling for fun and transportation, safely.
Volunteer: Jim Shirk, Hillsborough County BPAC, Tampa
Jim is a citizen member of the Hillsborough County Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee and stands up for everyday bicyclists. He volunteers for every bicycle event in the Tampa area such as the Bicycle Bash festival and the Tampa BayCycle commuter program. As a member of the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club, Jim creates a bike route map for the Seminole Heights Home Tour, one of the most popular home tours in Tampa. He can be seen at numerous bike rodeos like the event at the Children’s Gasparilla Parade in February, and then he’s working the downtown Tampa Crit bike race in March. Jim’s tireless energy motivated him to drive to and from Tallahassee for the 2nd Annual Florida Bike Summit April 8 to lobby his local state legislators. Jim is a selfless bike advocate who does and act - not just talks. As an engineering consultant, Tampa resident and 66-years young, Jim does more bicycle activities than people half his age. Congratulations, Jim.
Bicycle Friendly Community: Mayor Harvey Goldberg, City of Punta Gorda
Besides making a remarkable comeback from 2004’s Hurricane Charley, city leaders, its business community, and citizens chose to embrace the concept and implement its plan to provide a safe, efficient, and enjoyable environment for cyclists and pedestrians. In the last three years, the City of Punta Gorda has come to embrace bicycling by not words alone, but by including facilities and infrastructure in its current and long range planning. The “Ring Around the City” will make a huge impact on all riders in Punta Gorda, and from the experience of other bicycle trails around the state, it will be filled to capacity with local riders and visitors from all around the state and country. Punta Gorda was the first city in Florida with a Free Bicycle Loaner Program. The City, with the assistance of TEAM Punta Gorda, now offers single-speed yellow bicycles to anyone wanting to shop or tour the city on two wheels during daylight hours. This foresighted approach is bringing more people to riding in the community and is a win-win partnership between local residents and business owners.
Punta Gorda is on the cusp of becoming The Hub for bicycling and walking in SW Florida due to its strategic location to connect the cities of Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Arcadia, Englewood, Venice and Sarasota. What other community can boast of such a great location? What other city can boast of such an enlightened community, civic organizations, and government? FBA is proud to honor the City of Punta Gorda.
Trail Manager: Gerard Greco, Blackwater Heritage State Trail, Pace
The Office of Greenways and Trails (OGT) is a very focused, lean organization that has to accomplish much with the limited resources available. Gerard joined the OGT team in October of 2006 and brought with him a number of professional skills including wood-working, plumbing and park maintenance. Requiring little training and limited supervision, Gerard went right to work and hasn’t slowed down. Gerard wrote a grant for native wildflowers in gallon pots and scheduled a volunteer day to plant them. He won a native plant society award for native plantings around the trail’s visitor center. Through creative planning and good use of his small budget, just in the last two years, Gerard has added a playground with improved parking, installed a fenced compound with a large shop building and a smaller building for chemical and fuel storage.
Gerard has coordinated several Eagle Scout projects, one project to build a large wooden amphitheater on a slope facing the freshly sodded area around the new playground. Gerard isn’t afraid of hard work. He constantly works on removing invasive non-native plants, insisted on training to do his own purchasing through the state My Florida Market Place system, and in general, is a highly motivated and personable representative of OGT and the state of Florida. His positive attitude, creativity, and personal initiative have made the Blackwater State Trail, Florida’s westernmost rail trail extending from the small community of Milton in the south to Whiting Field Naval Air Station (NAS) in the north, a more beautiful, safe and enjoyable trail for the citizens and visitors of Florida.
Developer: Eric Collin, Finergy Development LLC, Sarasota
Finergy Development recently completed construction of the Hampton Inn & Suites Sarasota/Bradenton Airport in Sarasota, FL. In this project, they voluntarily provided bike racks and shower facilities for their employees who bike to work. Eric Collin, Executive Vice-President of Finergy, and Michelle Siese, General Manager of the Hampton Inn, report the racks and showers are well used and appreciated by their staff. The Hampton Inn is also Sarasota’s first green hotel, having already won one Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDS) rating and currently applying for a higher LEEDS rating. Bike racks count towards LEEDS ratings. In earlier construction of their corporate headquarters at 2170 Main Street, Sarasota, Finergy provided showers for employees.
Furthermore, Eric Collin, as a leader of the North Trail Redevelopment Partnership, is a key player in the Sarasota effort to persuade the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to provide bike lanes on US 41 in north Sarasota, as part of an effort to calm traffic and create an environment compatible with retail/commercial development. Congratulations Eric and Finergy Development as our first Developer of the Year award.
Elected Official Champion: Representative Adam Fetterman, District 81, Port St. Lucie
In early 2009, FBA received a phone call from Thomas Rehyansky, District Secretary to Representative Fetterman, regarding the “Save the Date” he received for the inaugural Florida Bike Summit to be held April 2, 2009 in the Florida Capitol Courtyard. Rep. Fetterman wanted to participate in the Summit as well as meet with FBA staff regarding their legislative initiatives. Rep. Fetterman is a serious cyclist plus enjoys riding with his family in his Port St. Lucie neighborhood. He understands the benefits of cycling for all the right reasons, but he cautioned staff of the challenges to expect from other House and Senate members. He stressed in so many words, “If you can quantify the economics of cycling whether through bike events, the bike industry or tourism, they will listen. It is all about the money in these tough times.” FBA listened The first Summit was focused on educating legislators with plans to collect data to support the economics of bicycling and walking – the theme of the 2010 ProBike/ProWalk Florida conference. Rep. Fetterman spoke at both the 2009 and 2010 Summit press event bringing his energy and enthusiasm to the audience before participants met with their elected officials. As FBA developed their 2010 legislative priorities, Rep. Fetterman made himself available to review proposed legislation. His reaction was cool on some topics, but very hot on others. Rep. Fetterman has been a true champion for bicyclists and FBA looks forward to knocking on his door again as the 2011 legislative plan is developed.
Special Recognition: Rebecca Afonso, Florida Bicycle Association, Oldsmar
After participating in the initial Florida Bike Summit in 2009 Becky provided valuable input and suggestions on ways the event could be improved. In the months leading up to the 2010 Summit, Becky visited Tallahassee to research and nail-down lodging options, meeting sites, and bike routes. She was even able to gain access to showers at a church near the capitol for cyclists who rode to the Summit. She also provided time and energy towards analyzing several pieces of legislation Summit attendees would be supporting. Her insight and organizational skills helped make FBA’s second summit an overwhelming success and she is already working on the 2011 Florida Bike Summit. Her volunteer work continued throughout the 2010 ProBike/ProWalk Florida conference as a logistical expert. All in all, Becky is a go-to person and is happy to take on a challenge.
Share the Road License Plate sales will be determined and awarded prior to the Florida Tax Collectors Conference September 2010
About 2009 award recipients.
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