MAY IS BIKE MONTH
PEDAL PUSHERS MAKING HEADWAY
RIDE OF SILENCE
BIKE SHOP UPDATES
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
NATIONAL TV-TURNOFF WEEK
AND THEN SOME


MAY IS BIKE MONTH

May is National Bike Month. Visit www.bikeleague.org for free videos and
Public Service Announcements to promote bicycling in your community.
The League has been compiling a list of Bike Month activities by state
so if you know of events happening in your community, contact the League
so your events can be posted on their site. You can also find out what
other people are doing in other parts of the country.

For a list of activities in the Tampa Bay area visit
www.tampabaycycle.com.


PEDAL PUSHERS MAKING HEADWAY

Written by Neal Peirce / Syndicated columnist
This version taken from the Seattle Times, April 16, 2007

Are we ready to go bicycling? Could these times of climate change,
gas-price inflation and bulging waistlines be prepping us for new waves
of weekend biking adventures? Maybe even to leave cars parked and cycle
to work daily?

Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson is one of a growing coterie of city
leaders who believe the moment is ripe. Keynoting this year's National
Bike Summit in Washington, Abramson described how an early 2005
Louisville gathering of cycling enthusiasts has changed his city's
focus.

Louisville's bike paths are being connected into a citywide system.
Miles of highway bike lanes are being added. The city has adopted a
"complete streets" policy requiring the placement of sidewalks, bike
lanes and bus stop locations in any major road improvement. And the city
is planning two commuter-friendly bike stations, with indoor bike
parking, rentals and repair facilities.

Revived bicycling is easier to proclaim than achieve in an America that
has experienced a half century-plus of freeway construction and the
multibillions in advertising dollars the auto industry continuously
pours into auto glorification.

But the new bike campaign isn't against cars per se. It just asks autos
and trucks to yield a share of the road to a transportation means that
occupies a fraction as much pavement, doesn't pollute, combats obesity,
builds overall physical fitness, and can help congestion by taking a
share of autos off the highways.

Of course, any city can anticipate some angry motorist reactions if new
bike lanes cut back on lanes for regular traffic. Competition for
limited roadway space can be furious.

That's one reason bicycle advocates such as Brooklyn-based community
organizer Aaron Naparstek are broadcasting a countervailing new message.
"Private passenger cars and SUVs," insists Naparstek, "are not the most
efficient way to move people through a limited, precious commodity < our
street space. Bikes and public transit are."

The reformers' prize example is Copenhagen, which has more than 250
miles of bikeways. Over a third < 36 percent < of Copenhagen workers
commute by bike, 32 percent by mass transit, and only 27 percent by
automobile. Copenhagen goes all-out to promote the cycling: There's one
parking lot for suburban commuters, for example, in which a bike is part
of the deal < pay your parking fee and get a bike to pedal into town.

Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe has recently announced a program to scatter
1,450 high-tech bicycle stations across the city, 20,600 bikes by this
summer. Paris is promoting bikes as the swiftest way to get around town
< faster than cars, taxis and walking.

Personally, I've found that true in Washington for years < at least
anywhere close in the center city, my bike's the fastest form of
transportation. I couldn't agree more with Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.,
founder of the Congressional Bike Caucus, who said last week of his
experience riding his weathered Trek bicycle around Washington:

"I have saved hundreds of hours of time. I have burned thousands and
thousands of calories instead of gallons of petroleum and, after 10
years, have probably saved $50,000."

But there's a big psychic side to biking too. Louisville's Abramson
describes it as "the intimate connection you feel to neighborhoods and
neighbors as you bike through a community. You don't just smell the
roses nd the forsythia, you smell the barbecue, see vegetable and flower
gardens, hear music. You make eye contact with folks on front porches."

All that, plus aging baby boomers favoring bikes over jogging as their
knees and hips give out, may explain the active bike programs now being
pushed from Seattle to Gainesville, Fla., Davis, Calif., to Chattanooga,
Tenn. The League of American Bicyclists (www.bikeleague.org) lists many,
with ratings from bronze to platinum.

Rising bike use will also help with bike safety < a major issue
everywhere. Cyclists, even when tempted, need to stop all daredevil
maneuvers. And motorists have to get accustomed to watching for bikes
and then sharing the road with them. Designated bike lanes and signage
help. Experience in such cities as Copenhagen and Portland, Ore., shows
safety for bike riders actually rises as there are more and more riders
and the auto world learns to share the roadways with them.

Neal Peirce's column appears alternate Mondays on editorial pages of The
Times. His e-mail address is nrp@citistates.com

2007, Washington Post Writers Group

Tim Blumenthal, Executive Director
Bikes Belong Coalition
www.bikesbelong.org


RIDE OF SILENCE
May 16, 2007; 7:00 PM (Registration 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM); Patch Reef Park,
Boca Raton, FL
A slow ride of 11 miles to honor, remember bicyclists killed or injured
by motor vehicles while riding bicycles
The ride will be silent, but our voices will be heard

Ride of Silence – Florida, Inc., a non profit (501(c)(3) charitable
organization, and the Boca Raton Bicycle Club are pleased to announce
participation in the multinational Ride of Silence, to be held May 16,
2007 at 7:00 PM in the City of Boca Raton. The Ride of Silence will
also take place at the same date and time in over 300 other cities in
the US and around the world.

This year’s ride will be the third year of participation in Boca Raton,
Florida. The Ride of Silence is a slow (no more than 12 mph), silent,
bicycle ride to honor and remember those bicyclists killed or injured by
motor vehicles while riding bicycles. The ride is a silent one, but our
voices will be heard. The ride is held annually on the third Wednesday
of May, which is during Bicycling Awareness Month.

The ride will begin and end at Patch Reef Park, located on Yamato Road
(West of Military Trail) in Boca Raton. The ride will be
approximately11 miles in length and will last approximately one hour. A
map of the route, as well as our registration form is posted on our web
site at www.rideofsilencefl.org.

This event is a free ride – no registration fee, no aid stations; food
and beverages will not be served. However, as our organization is a non
profit charity, donations will be accepted, the proceeds of which will
be used to assist those families of deceased and injured bicyclists who
are in need of financial support.
For additional information, please view our website at
www.rideofsilencefl.org or contact Barry Hersh at 561-434-3432.


BIKE SHOPS UPDATE

We need your help to make sure our list of Florida bike shops is
current. Go to http://www.floridabicycle.org/bikeshop/map.html and visit
your district to review bike shop information. Your assistance is
greatly appreciated to make sure the information is correct. If a shop
has closed or moved, or if you know of new shops, please contact
laura@floridabicycle.org so we can update the website and our database.
Thanks!


POSITIONS AVAILABLE

City of Miami Beach
BICYCLE PROGRAM COORDINATOR
$42,300.75 - $68,318.84 ANNUALLY

NATURE OF WORK
This classification is responsible for planning, developing, and
implementing policies, strategies, and controls to ensure an effective
city-wide bicycle program. Responsibilities include developing and
implementing safety awareness programs; revising and distributing
bicycle suitability maps; conducting special project studies related to
non-motorized transportation; encouraging the use of bicycles for
transportation as well as recreation; and preparing and distributing
newsletters and other written information. Some independent judgment is
exercised in managing a comprehensive bicycle program. Supervision may
be exercised over subordinates who assist in various phases of work.
Supervision is received from Transportation Manager who will review work
through observations, written reports,
and personal conferences for effective management and development of a
city-wide bicycle program.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor's degree in Planning, Engineering, Public Administration,
Business Administration or related field. Three years of professional
transportation planning experience to include one year experience in
bicycle facilities planning and bicycle program coordination are
required. Must possess a Florida Class “E” Driver’s license.

Submit resumes and cover letters by email to cleduc@miamibeachfl.gov or
mail to: Christine Leduc, City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center
Drive, Miami Beach FL 33139.


West Florida Regional Planning Council
REGIONAL PLANNER I – TRANSPORTATION PLANNER
$31,000 - $41,000 ANNUALLY

EDUCATION AND SKILL QUALIFICATIONS
A Bachelors Degree is required and a degree in City and Regional
Planning, Urban Design, Comprehensive or Transportation Planning,
Geography, Civil Engineering, Environmental Studies, one of the Social
Sciences, or a related discipline is preferred. A Master’s Degree may
substitute for the one-year of experience.

Skill-sets are sought relating to general computer knowledge, standard
office software such as Microsoft Office Suite 2000 and higher, or GIS
(Geographic Information Systems) mapping software such as ESRI’s ArcView
and ArcInfo 8.0 and higher. The ability to interact with public groups
and representatives, professional planning staff, and other agencies is
desired. This position demands analytical skills, as well as a
proficiency in oral and written communication in a multi-tasking
environment.

GENERAL DUTIES
Specific duties will be varied, resulting in cross training in different
areas of transportation and comprehensive planning. The prospective
candidate will perform professional planning duties in a
multi-functional setting within both the Transportation and
Comprehensive Planning Divisions, or as part of a project team within
one division. The position demands a mindset capable of creative,
flexible, and interactive thought, and requires an ability to think and
write clearly and concisely, grasp abstract concepts, and apply learned
skills to tasks at hand. A Senior Planner will supervise candidate
activities, including data entry into the TELUS 4.0 system, report
writing, providing technical assistance, assisting at public hearings
and meetings, developing processes and procedures, attending workshops
and training events, preparing planning documents for publication such
as Project Priorities and Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs),
preparing and/or analyzing spatial or statistical information using the
statewide ETDM system and the ArcView component of ArcGIS, and
performing other duties as necessary. Additional desired skills a plus.

Although not required, but considered very strong assets for a candidate
and to be demonstrated during an interview, are well-developed
interpersonal skills, the ability to speak before groups, and a mastery
of technical writing, all of which require organizational skills and
attention to detail.

HOURS AND BENEFITS
These are full-time, salaried, at-will positions, funded by federal
authorization. Regular office hours are 7:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through
Thursday, 7:30am to 4:00pm on Friday. Additional hours may be required
in the evenings and weekends, and travel, while not extensive, is
required as needed to attend planning, training, and meeting events in
Florida, and occasionally, other locations throughout the U. S. A
personal vehicle in good running order is essential and mileage is
reimbursed at a rate of 44.5 cents per mile. Benefits include health,
dental, and life insurance, annual and sick leave, and ten paid
holidays. Retirement is through the Florida State Retirement System and
a personal option to participate in a deferred compensation program is
available.
Deadline for submitting resume and supporting documentation: Open until
filled.

Mail, fax or email resumes and cover letters to: jordanv@wfrpc.dst.fl.us 
or jordan.victor@gmail.com, Fax: 850-595-8967, Mail: Vic Jordan, West
Florida Regional Planning Council, Transportation Planning Division, PO
Box 11399, Pensacola, FL 32524-1399

Proof of qualifications (certificates, degrees, work history, etc.) will
be required before hiring. Successful completion of a drug screening is
required before employment.

An application, which is available on the WFRPC website, and resume may
be delivered to the WFRPC by any of four (4) methods listed above. Proof
of qualifications (degrees, certificates, work history, recommendations)
may be required before scheduling an interview. At no time is submittal
of application, resume, or the interview process itself to be construed
as an offer to hire.

All applications will be considered. The West Florida Regional Planning
Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will be
considered without regard to gender, race, creed, religion, or national
origin.


NATIONAL TV-TURNOFF WEEK

National TV-Turn Off Week is April 23-29. The nice thing about TV is
that it is always there and requires nothing from us. The bad thing
about TV is that it is always there and requires nothing from us. We
could be walking, biking, swimming, doing any number of things that
refresh and rejuvenate. If you celebrate the week, fill the void with
activity!

"Do more...watch less." -Theme for National TV-Turnoff Week.

"If you read a lot of books, you're considered well-read. But if you
watch a lot of TV, you're not considered well-viewed." -Lily Tomlin

"I like to talk on TV about those things that aren't worth writing
about." -Truman Capote

"The one function that TV news performs very well is that when there is
no news we give it to you with the same emphasis as if it were." -David
Brinkley

"Men don't care what's on TV. They only care what else is on TV." -Jerry
Seinfeld

"I have never seen a bad television program, because I refuse to. God
gave me a mind, and a wrist that turns things off." -Jack Parr


AND THEN SOME

"We don't stop laughing because we grow old-we grow old because we stop
laughing." -Michael Pritchard

"Toleration is the greatest gift of the mind; it requires the same
effort of the brain that it takes to balance oneself on a bicycle."
-Helen Keller

"Write the bad things that are done to you in the sand, but write the
good things that happen to you on a piece of marble." -Arabian saying

"It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong, and an even bigger one to
keep his mouth shut when he's right." -Jim Fiebig