Team Florida DC
Last week a dedicated group of bicycling enthusiasts from Florida went to Washington, D.C., to attend the League of American Bicyclist’s National Bike Summit. It was a good week to be in DC weather-wise and a good week to meet up with other bicycling enthusiasts from around the nation to share ideas, best practices and most importantly, to ‘storm the castle’ on Wednesday – Lobby Day – as a united voice for bicyclists.
This year marked my third year as the state coordinator for Florida. Those attending the summit and willing to participant on Lobby Day form what has come to be known as “Team Florida”. This year Team Florida represented the third most populated state with a small group of seven. We efficiently and effectively visited 29 offices in five different buildings on either side of the Capitol in one day – Lobby Day – and we proudly carried the Alert Today Florida safety baton.
Ready to ‘storm the castle’ for bicycling
Allow me to introduce Team Florida – the ones who were up to the challenge this year to represent the Sunshine State and talk up the importance of bike/ped projects for federal funding.
Ralph Monti – League of American Bicyclists Board Director and member of the Sarasota-Manatee Bicycle Club
Beth Brainard – Executive Director of Naples Pathway Coalition
Jim Shirk – former chairman of the Hillsborough County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Christine Acosta – Executive Director of Walk Bike Tampa
Xavier Falconi and Margarita Yerastova from the City of Delray Beach
Attending the National Bike Summit and participating in Lobby Day is a rewarding and exhaustive experience you’ll always remember.
Team Florida with Nick Russell of Senator Bill Nelson’s staff – a great start for Lobby Day!
Some meetings may go well, some may not, and some may be with an actual elected official.
Representative Darren Soto (center), his wife and staffer Harry Kruglik (left) are proud to carry the baton for bicycling
Lobby Day will test your knowledge, your communication skills, your sense of direction and your choice of comfortable shoes. As a member of Team Florida, however, there’s a reward at the end of the day, at a place called Tortilla Coast, and the state coordinator buys the first round.
A successful Lobby Day for Team Florida
I personally wish to thank the members of Team Florida for their time and efforts. We may have traveled from different parts of the state, but we came together for Florida bicycling and made it fun.
Who’s up for 2018?
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Complete Streets Savvy, or CSS, is a general bicycle educational presentation. The purpose is to provide basic information with regards to the Florida Department of Transportation’s adoption of Complete Streets policy and how cyclists and motorists can share the road safely. This presentation runs 10 – 15 minutes and is designed for legislators, civic organizations and other entities that meet regularly and need informative content. There is no fee. Make your request for CSS today!
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