The Florida Bicycle Association
Advocating a bicycle-friendly Florida

FBA was incorporated in 1997 for educational and charitable purposes and is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation under Section  501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

FBA's vision: We envision a state where people of all ages see bicycling as a normal, practical and safe transportation alternative and where drivers of motor vehicles respect and appreciate the presence of bicycles on the roadways.

Our Mission: To inspire and support people and communities to enjoy greater freedom and well-being through bicycling.

FBA is supported by membership dues and grants for safety education and both bicyclist and motor vehicle driver awareness programs. At our annual meeting each fall, we recognize people, communities and agencies around the state for their outstanding contributions to a bicycle friendly Florida. To see who wins these awards, go here.

About FORBA

Florida Off Road Bicycle Advocates (FORBA, formerly Florida Off Road Bicycle Association) united with FBA in February 1999, becoming a committee of FBA. FORBA seeks to address the needs and interests of the off-road bicycling community. FORBA's purposes include:

• Access for cyclists to existing and future single track trails.
• Fair & equitable treatment for off-road cyclists by land management agencies.
• Serve as resource for local bicycle clubs in building new trails.
• Promotion of responsible trail usage.
• A unified voice for all off-road bicyclists.
• Promoters of off-road bicycling as an environmentally responsible recreational activity.

FORBA is committed:

• To acquire and maintain access to specific trails in the State of Florida.
• To work with local, state and national bicyclist organizations to promote the interests of off-road cyclists.
• To contribute to the building, maintenance and patrolling of riding areas in Florida.
• To unify off-road cyclists into an effective responsible body.
• To educate users of trails in Florida in the safe and appropriate use of mountain bikes.
• To develop a trail protocol to help all trail users act safely and consistently in various encounters.
• To work with other user groups and administrations to determine special rules, areas and schedules for each user group.
• To promote a positive image of mountain bicyclists with officials and the general public.

Click here to view the Off Road Cyclist Responsibility Code.

FBA's History

1986
Mike Lashe of Sarasota organized a bicycling advocacy group known as the "Spokespeople," which contacted and polled cycling advocates around the state.

1987
In February advocates met in Orlando's downtown library to found the original Florida Bicycle Association.

In its first eight months, the FBA sponsored "the largest bike event in the southeastern United States - the Grapenuts Bike Festival" and raised $11,000 through the festival and memberships.

1988
By year end, membership included 18 clubs, four bike shops and 159 families and individuals.

The first FBA president, independent filmmaker Robert Seidler, produced a series of TV public service announcements that were financed by a grant to the Spokespeople that Lasche obtained from the Sarasota County Foundation.

A bimonthly newsletter, Florida Bike Lanes, functioned as a statewide information clearinghouse. Annual meetings were combined with "casual country cooler rides" in central Florida towns such as Winter Haven and Mount Dora. The FBA maintained a legislative liaison and advocated for state funding of bicycle and traffic skills education in the schools. It also pushed for bicycle registration and mandatory helmets for children and supported the development of rail trails such as the Tallahassee-St. Marks.

1991
FBA began a drive for a "Share the Road" specialty license plate to raise funds for bicycle education and safety projects. Over 3,000 signatures were collected.

1995
FBA disbanded. An executive director had been hired, but was unsuccessful in raising funds. Board members were unable to continue devoting the time required for active leadership.

1996
On the day after Christmas an inattentive truck driver in Clay County drove into six cyclists, killing Margaret Raynal and Doug Hill of Gainesville. Outraged cyclists conferred by e-mail and resolved to reestablish the FBA. An e-mail list was started to facilitate communications. Initial discussions centered on forming one statewide organization that would address both on-road and off-road bicycling issues. In the end, two organizations emerged - Florida Off Road Bicycle Association (FORBA) would focus exclusively on off-road trails and the related land use issues, and Florida Bicycle Association (FBA) would focus on the broader spectrum of cycling and related issues.

1997
FBA organizers Henry Lawrence, Linda Crider, Kathy Oates, Lys Burden and Carol Wilson formed a new board of directors and started a brand new not-for-profit corporation. Like its predecessor, they named it Florida Bicycle Association, Inc. An organizational meeting was held at the Disney Coronado Springs resort in September; those meeting participants formed the nucleus of the new organization. Not long thereafter, Dwight Kingsbury joined the board of directors. One of FBA's first projects was to revive the "Share the Road" campaign. The upcoming renewal of ISTEA legislation also became a top priority focus.

1998
By spring it was becoming clear that FBA needed an executive director. The volunteer board by itself could not continue the effort necessary to sustain the organization. With little money in its coffers, FBA could not afford to hire an executive director. Carol Wilson, treasurer on the FBA board, volunteered to work as the E.D. with the goal of increasing FBA's membership and financial resources as quickly as possible. About this same time FBA received a determination letter from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) educational and charitable nonprofit corporation.

A new quarterly newsletter for FBA was launched by Mighk Wilson, named the Florida Bicycle Messenger. Henry Lawrence and Randy Morton established FBA's first web site. Kathy Oates organized FBA's first Bike Action workshop in St. Petersburg. FBA's first annual meeting was held in conjunction with the Mount Dora Bicycle Festival. Henry Lawrence, the first president of the new FBA passed the gavel to Linda Crider, who agreed to serve a second term on the board as President. Art Ackerman, Tina Russo and Dan Moser joined the FBA board. The "Share the Road" tag campaign headed by Henry Lawrence, which began to lose steam over the summer, was reinvigorated by Jimmy Carnes, executive director of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Jimmy worked with Bike Florida, Inc., FBA and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to secure the $30,000 initial funding, to finish collection of the 10,000 petition signatures, and to help find sponsorship in the Florida House and Senate for the necessary legislative bills to authorize the tag.

By the end of 1998, FBA had grown to 179 members, including eight bicycle clubs. Near the end of 1998 FORBA approached FBA about the idea of uniting FORBA and FBA into one organization. The FORBA board realized the tremendous commitment of time and money that it takes to run an organization, and felt that it was in FORBA's best interest to become a part of FBA.

1999
The union between FBA and FORBA was finalized at the FORBA board meeting on February 27 in Palm Bay. FORBA would now stand for Florida Off Road Bicycle Advocates, a committee of the Florida Bicycle Association. Bob Michaels, president of FORBA, became the newest member of the FBA board.

1999 proved to be a banner year for Florida Bicycle Association. By the end of the year, membership had increased to 345 individual and family members, 13 bicycle clubs and 13 other corporate or government members for a total of 371 members. Many club, corporate and individual donors provided significant support to FBA in 1999, including an anonymous stock donation that brought FBA over $7,700.

The financial support and the enthusiastic involvement of members and the FBA board of directors combined to produce successful results in 1999 including:

• Partnering with Bike Florida, Inc. to obtain the signatures, funding and legislation necessary for the Share the Road tag. (The tag should be available in spring 2000!)
• Hosting of Bike Action workshops in cooperation with local governments in Orlando, Jacksonville, the Panhandle (Destin), Broward County (Davie), Pinellas County (St. Petersburg) and Key West, reaching over 130 people with the "how to" of bicycle advocacy. The Bike Action workshops were primarily funded by a safety grant from FDOT.
• Hosting a Bicycle Friendly Communities roundtable in conjunction with Bike Florida's Share the Road Rally
• Production of four quarterly issues of the Florida Bicycle Messenger, sent to all members plus a courtesy mailing list (Thanks to Randy Williams, production editor for the Messenger.)
• Set up of FBA's web site at www.floridabicycle.org (Thanks to Roger Pierce, web master.)
• Successful application to the Florida Department of Transportation Safety Office for continued funding into 2000
• Participation by FBA in the update process of the State of Florida's long range transportation plan, the 2020 Florida Transportation Plan

The FBA board was expanded from a maximum of seven members to eleven members. New board members in 1999 were Randall Williams from Casselberry who is also production editor of the FBA Messenger, and Hal Downing, an attorney in Orlando. It is notable that all of the six board members who served in 1999 wished to continue on the board in 2000 The FBA board ended 1999 with eight members.

FBA also grew by two staff members. Paul Hardy from Apopka was FBA's new Program Director. Deb DeVoe from Altamonte Springs became FBA's part time membership director. Deb handles individual and family memberships.

2000
A major accomplishment was a  law enforcement booklet [click the link for the 2007 version. A 2007 guide for pedestrian laws enforcement is here ] intended for distribution to law enforcement officers across the state. The booklet contains information on the “hows” and “whys” of enforcing for bicycle safety, including a summary of all the relevant Florida statutes.

Thanks to Tina Russo, FBA President, for her early research that helped kick off the project, to Paul Hardy for continuing the project and to Mighk Wilson, who finalized the booklet based on input from many sources including Pat Pieratte, Theo Petritsch and Dwight Kingsbury in the FDOT Safety Office, Dr. Linda Crider, and Paul Casazza, a police officer on FBA’s advisory board. Thanks also goes to Randall Williams, also on FBA’s board, who readied the booklet for final printing.

FBA underwent some staffing changes in 2000. Carol Wilson stepped down as Executive Director in May, although she continued to perform the essential administrative duties of the organization on a volunteer basis. She will continue in 2001 as FBA’s bookkeeper. Paul Hardy departed as Program Director in September. We appreciate Paul and Linda Hardy’s energy and commitment to FBA’s programs. Lyndy Lyle Moore joined the Board of Directors.

2001
Laura Hallam became Executive Director, and two new members, Duke Breitenbach and Mighk Wilson, joined the board.