| NewsRide-4-Ronald 2012 tops $100,000!
Kudos to McDonalds and David’s World Cycle, who teamed up again for the annual Ride-4-Ronald to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida. The ride, which last year drew more than 600 riders and raised $120,000 topped 850 riders this year. David’s World owner David Sanborn said they don’t have a final tally on this year’s fundraising total, but he said it would again exceed $100,000. Thank you to all you intrepid riders who trekked 30, 60 and 100 miles early Sunday morning.
Bicycling Comfort Survey
Greetings to all cyclists,
My name is Jonathan Dorey and I am a doctoral student at the McGill School of Information Studies. The McGill School of Information Studies and VélUS, the R&D group on cycling at the University of Sherbrooke, are currently conducting a study on bicycle comfort. I invite all cyclists to answer a survey (you can copy and paste the address below in your Web browser). Please do not hesitate to share the link with all your club members, friends and contacts. The survey should take about 20-25 minutes to answer. It is, for the most part (except for the first section), multiple choice questions. http://mil.mcgill.ca/bicycle/. Thank you, Jonathan.
Jonathan Dorey
Traducteur agréé / Certified Translator, OTTIAQ
Étudiant au doctorat / Doctoral student – Information Studies, McGill
MBSI / MLIS – Archives, McGill
Walk n’ Roll Wednesdays
Wednesday, September 12, Healthy Central Florida invited educators to Walk N’ Roll, at a half-day workshop at the Winter Park Community Center. The grassroots program created by “Maitland Moms” Michele Sartor and Jody Lazar, was designed to encourage students and parents to find alternative transportation to school, especially travel by bike and on foot. The workshop also featured presentations by law enforcement and other organizations, including the Central Florida Bike Bus, WalkSafe and Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety — the last two part of a communitywide coalition for pedestrian safety. Walk N’ Roll recurs every second Wednesday throughout the year at Orange County elementary schools. Click here to read more about the program. We need volunteers to wave “i Yield 4 Peds” signs and distribute fliers to the parents. Contact Marianne at 407-412-5980 to sign up today!
Take the Pledge
American Olympic gymnist Gabby Douglas took the pledge to never text and drive. Will you? AT&T has created a new campaign directed towards teens especially, getting them to pledge never to text and drive. Their “It Can Wait” pledge system applies to all though, and is a great way to prevent pedestrian (and driver) deaths and injuries. Click here to find out more about the program and to take the pledge.
Pedestrian Safety
Mighk Wilson of MetroPlan Orlando was quoted briefly in Orlando Sentinel columnist Beth Kassab’s article on pedestrian responsibility. He has much more to say about the topic. Click here to read his full statement.
Mayors’ Sole Challenge
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Help your community become one of the healthiest in the nation! On Saturday October 6th, the cities of Maitland, Eatonville, and Winter Park along with their respective Mayors Ken Bradley, Howard Schieferdecker, and Bruce Mount, will be holding a fun 30-minute walk. The city with the most participants wins a fun prize! It will take place 8:30-9:00 a.m. The first 400 participants recieve free t-shirts! There will fun activities and free food, as well as soulful music to get you going. Join us at Central Park Stage, 236 N. Park Ave., Winter Park on October 6th. Click here for registration and more details.
Cycling Savvy: More Classes Posted
Cycling Savvy is back! Sign up now for either of the two classes listed: September 28 or October 13. Cycling Savvy is a course on bicycle safety that teaches you how to drive your bike in traffic confidently and safely. It is especially useful now-a-days for people who are trying to cut back on car usage, either as a student or just to economize. Either way, this course will teach you all you need to know about driving your bike.
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. This can also help us advise business of the need for a rack, better placement, or even reward them for doing it right! Read more . . .
Calling all HOAsThe Best Foot Forward community outreach campaign is in full swing. Over the fall we will be contacting every homeowners association registered with Orange County and the City of Orlando to enlist their help in getting our pedestrian safety message out to their membership. Big thanks to the Grovehurst Homeowners Association in Winter Garden for being one of the first to embrace the cause. See their post here. Also on board are the Lee Road and Apopka Safe Neighborhood Associations, who invited BFF’ers to speak at their September meetings about pedestrian safety.
Next steering committee meeting, 9 a.m., September 25
The Best Foot Forward Steering Committee will meet at 9 a.m., Tuesday, September 25th, at MetroPlan.
About Best Foot Forward
State law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and pedestrians to yield to cars when crossing outside of a crosswalk. In Orange County the fine for failure to yield is $164 and 3 points on your drivers license. Even so, our baseline data shows that, on average, only about five percent of drivers obey this law.
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 and the Orlando Police Department.
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 32793-6715. Please specify that you are donating to Best Foot Forward.
Events
Community Calendar Link
http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/community-calendar/
Recurring Rides(The next First Friday ride is October 5th)
First Fridays: Take it to the streets bike ride to promote civility: 6 p.m. on the First Friday of each month. Check our Facebook Fan page for start locations.
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 .
See our Calendar for other family rides:
www.bikewalkcentralflorida.org
S-Cargo farmers market rides featuring utility bikes and trailers
Ice Cream Socials: night rides through Downtown Orlando
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 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 aggressive 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
[email protected]
Bike/Walk Central Florida Would like to thank our sponsors:
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Transforming Central Florida into a Premier Biking and Walking Community! 
