| LOCAL News
One Less Car, One More Park
The City of Orlando sponsored a great event on January 11th. One Less Car, One More Park was based upon Park(ing) Day, an event that began in 2005 in San Francisco, and is now a six-continent event. Several organizations and businesses sponsored parking spots in front of Orlando City Hall, fed the meter for the day, and turned those spots into mini-parks. For Orlando Sentinel coverage, click here.
Colloquium In Orlando
 Florida Bicycle Association, Commute Orlando and Cycling Savvy are sponsoring the I am Traffic Bicycle Education Colloquium February 23 and 24th at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown Orlando. Several topics will be addressed, including principles and practices of elementary and middle school curricula, strategies for law enforcement professionals and the origins and implementation of Cycling Savvy. For more details and to register, go here.
Greenways and Trails Report
The State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection Office of Greenways and Trails provides leadership and coordination to establish and expand Florida’s greenways and trails. This publication explains the role of the office and has some surprising statistics to support the benefit of greenways and trails.
Save The Date
March 17, 2013: Tour de Cure @ Lake Nona, to benefit the American Diabetes Association. Details here.
 March 23-29, 2013: Orange Blossom Special Spring Tour. Details here.
April 20-21, 2013: Bike MS: Citrus Tour. Sponsorship details here.
OTHER News
Bicycle Illustration
 Jean-Jacques Sempe is a French illustrator (b. 1932) who fell in love with New York City and does many illustrations for The New Yorker magazine. Many of his works incorporate bicying, including this wonderful 1983 New Yorker cover. Go here for other works by Sempe.
A Green Helmet
As we all work to reduce pollution by riding bikes rather than driving cars for short trips, using our recyclable grocery bags and buying hybrid cars, how about a recyclable bike helmet? The Kranium,  designed by a cyclist who suffered a concussion while wearing a helmet, used the mechanics of the woodpecker’s corrugated bone structure as inspiration to create a honey-combed paperboard liner that flexes and softens impact, and stands up to multiple impacts. The Kranium is now available in the U.K. and may be coming to the U.S. soon!
UPCOMING EVENTS
January 26, 2013
Go here for details.
February 1, 2013
See details below, under Recurring Rides.
RESOURCES
Bicycle Parking Map
From our friends at Commute Orlando: Peter Martinez has created a collaborative Bike Parking map, designed to help Bicyclists plan their routes and park their bikes on secure racks, rather than a stop sign or a tree. Read more . . .
 Best Foot Forward is a community-wide coalition formed to reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries in Metro Orlando.The five-year initiative is currently focused on Orange County and will expand into Seminole and Osceola counties as resources permit. Five cities, two towns, and Orange County have passed resolutions supporting the initiative. Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, police agencies in Winter Park, Maitland and Eatonville, and police chiefs from throughout Orange County, have pledged their support to the initiative, launched by Bike/Walk Central Florida and the Florida Bicycle Association, with financial support from the Winter Park Health Foundation, MetroPlan Orlando, Orange County, City of Orlando, Florida Department of Transportation, Orlando Police Department, Orange Cycle, David’s World Cycle, and Track Shack.
When was the last time you saved a life? Your contributions of $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, or more, can make a big difference. Checks should be made out to the Florida Bicycle Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and mailed to: Betsy Holl at: P.O. Box 916715, Longwood, FL 32791-6715. Please specify that you are donating to Best Foot Forward.
Community Calendar Link
http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/community-calendar/
- First Fridays: Take it to the Streets: bike ride to promote civility: 6 p.m. on the First Friday of each month (Upcoming Dates: February 1, 2013 and March 1, 2013).
- UCF Bike Bus: Downtown Orlando to UCF, then UCF to Downtown Orlando. Follow bike bus in real time via GPS at http://commuteorlando.com/bikebus/
- Ride With Steve: Beginner ride. Meet at Winter Garden Wheel Works in Downtown Winter Garden, 8 a.m., Saturdays. – Sponsored by Winter Garden Wheel Works .
- Sunday Ride in the Hills: Ride 30-plus miles through the hills of Clermont and Minneola, Sundays mornings at 7am, beginning at David’s World Cycle in Winter Garden. Call Ross at 407-654-7071 to confirm.
- Unless specifically designated as a trail ride, our rides take place on public streets. Headlights and red rear flashers are required for night rides. Helmets are encouraged, and are required by law for children under 16.
- We observe all traffic laws and traffic signals.
- Our rides are typically 10 to 15 miles, roundtrip, and average 10 miles an hour, a comfortable pace for most adults and teens. May be too fast for younger children and adults with health issues.
- These rides are social in nature.
For longer, more challenging group rides, subscribe to Hal Downing’s group ride newsletter by emailing [email protected]
If you have a social ride you would like us to help promote, please email me at the address below.
Brad
Brad Kuhn
Executive Director
brad@bikewalkcentralflorida.org
Bike/Walk Central Florida Would like to thank our sponsors:
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Transforming Central Florida into a Premier Biking and Walking Community! 
