Sunday, November 21, 2010

Observations And Recommendations About The Greenway Experience

Observations and Recommendations for Improving the Cycling Experience
on Florida's East Coast Greenway


Based upon my recent experience of cycling 1160 miles roundtrip on Florida's Greenway trail system, I offer the following observations and recommendations to be considered in developing, improving and maintaining our cycling trail systems.

1. A volunteer from each county or community served by the Greenway should be sought to at least monthly inspect and report upon the condition of the bike trail in that community. Perhaps Florida's Greenways and Trails office from the DEP could maintain a data base of trail condition reports on its website. Cyclists could be encouraged to report all problems encountered on the trail to Greenways and Trails, or the East Coast Greenway Alliance for internet publication.

2. In areas where the Greenway bike trail is separate from motor vehicle traffic, the trail should be marked with mile markers, like those used on US 1 to help cyclists accurately determine and report their location on the trail in the event of an emergency, or to help locate and access nearby community amenities.

3. All trail markers and signs should be mounted no higher than 6' above ground level, or, within the peripheral vision range of the typical cyclist. Cyclists wearing a helmet with visor, as all should be, will probably not be able to see signs mounted higher above the ground, especially if they are focusing their attention on trail surface conditions ahead of them. I had to remove the visor from my helmet in order to be able to see trail signage.

4. The Greenway often terminates abruptly in areas of construction or in areas where it is not fully developed without warning, and with no hint as to how the cyclist can safely transition back to pavement. I was pulling a 100 lb. trailer on my journey; and it was very difficult to drag my equipment through debris-filled ditches and construction areas trying to get back to a paved surface. Had I not been using puncture-resistant tires, my bike would have probably been damaged many times in these areas. Appropriate signage could help solve this problem. Regular inspections of the trail route could identify problem areas in a timely manner and allow reports of trail conditions to be posted on the internet. Cyclists could be encouraged to always access such reports in planning their cross-country trips. Blogs about cycling conditions should be encouraged; but concise, reliable information about trails should be compiled, centralized, regularly edited and updated by someone assigned that responsibility.

5. Members of Greenway-related organizations should coordinate their efforts to establish a cyclist hosting service for Greenway member cyclists that could operate like Warmshowers.org, or Couchsurfing.com. I traveled through many areas where accommodations were either scarce or unreasonably exorbitantly priced. Through better education of sponsoring communities and businesses about the commercial and health benefits of cycling activities, cyclists would bring substantial additional revenue to businesses bordering cycling routes. Many European communities have mastered the art of encouraging cycling and camping. Why can't we look at what they're doing and move toward adopting their best practices now?

6. Greenway organizations should unite to encourage local and state governments to promote "green activities" like cycling by offering reasonable affordable tent camping rates to cross-country cyclists. Many state and federal parks in Florida currently charge the same fee for tent camping as they do for RV camping. RV campers hook up to sewage, water and electric services that consume significant amounts of energy that are not consumed by tent campers. State parks in particular are guilty of gouging travelers as much as some flea-bag motels do. That turns away many first-time visitors and certainly discourages repeat visits. Where is the gain in that? The city-owned and operated Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park in Jacksonville, Fl is an example of a well-run excellent tent and RV camping facility that is reasonably priced and offers all of the amenities necessary to attract cyclists and tent campers. Similarly, the Everglades Hostel in Florida City offers excellent accommodations and amenities to cyclists. State and local governments should understand that cycling organization members would be strong proponents of green activities and the governments' best proactive conservators of cycling trails and facilities.

7. In concert with government agencies, cycling organizations should require cycling safety certification, and perhaps licensing as a condition of membership. This would be a win-win proposition for everyone interested in cycling safety - cyclists, motorists, and government.

8. In the Florida Keys especially, Greenways and Trails has done an exceptional job of marking routes and equipping the Greenway bike trail with rest sites, benches, and garbage cans. Even at that, there is room for much improvement. More benches and trash cans would greatly enhance the cycling experience and help keep the trail system clean and attractive. The addition of properly secured and maintained "porta-potty"-type toilets every 10 - 20 miles or so would be an awesome amenity. I would gladly pay an additional annual membership fee that would be used to maintain such amenities; and the more member cyclists that could be encouraged to regularly use those amenities, the easier it would be mitigate or prevent vandalism of trail amenities. With a little more concerted effort, thought, and planning, Florida's cycling trails and amenities could become a crowning jewel promoted among its outdoor activities. Rather than being something that vacationers "also do" when they come to Florida, cycling could become the primary reason many visitors come to Florida, especially during the cooler months.

9. Businesses bordering Cycling trails should be encouraged to offer special rates to cycling organization member/users that would help increase cycling activities within their communities. At any given time, a cyclist will spend substantially more time in a given community than a motorist will. Through proper advertising and promotion, that fact could translate into more revenue for cycle-friendly communities. On Amelia Island for example, Carmen Martinez, owner of Amelia Oceanfront B&B offers substantial discounts to cyclists. Greenway interests should encourage other businesses to do the same.

10. The DOT should be requested to not use raised lettering, lines, and reflective markers on paved shoulders and bike lanes, as these make riding more uncomfortable and dangerous depending on the type of cycle tires and tire pressures used. It is especially dangerous and fatiguing to be busied and distracted by dodging raised reflectors in areas of high motor vehicle traffic.

11. Cycling clubs should be encouraged to regularly instruct members on safe cycling practices, especially with regard to etiquette. Faster cyclists should never pass slower cycles without first giving an audible warning and adequate clearance between cycles. Over the course of 1160 miles and being passed by dozens upon dozens of other cyclists, I was warned only three times of their intention to pass. Motorists were generally considerably more courteous than other cyclists. On several occasions, I observed other cyclists riding shoulder to shoulder, oblivious to traffic slowing and building up behind them, when a simple fall-behind maneuver would have enhanced their safety and allowed motorists to pass more quickly and safely. It seems that motorists are generally more knowledgeable of, and concerned about cycling safety than most cyclists are. What an inexcusable paradox! We are our own worst enemy; and it's no mystery why many communities are not interested in promoting cycling.

12. State vehicle traffic laws require cycles to be operated by the same rules governing motor vehicles. It's a no-brainer that proper lighting is required to operate a cycle between the hours of dusk and dawn. State laws should also require some kind of signaling device, like a bell be installed and used on every bicycle ridden in the state. Passing another cyclist or pedestrian without proper warning and adequate spacing should dealt with in the same manner as would illegal passing in a automobile.

Al Melvin
6053 Arnies Way
Milton, Fl 32570
arotorhead@earthlink.net
www.greenriding.blogspot.com

Monday, November 1, 2010

Remembering My Purpose(s) for Making This Journey

My purposes for making this journey were multi-fold. When I met folks along the way who asked me why I was riding, the answer I conditioned myself to offer first was that my intent was to say thank you to our solders and vets; and then, time permitting, I would explain my interest in personal fitness, cycling, and the Greenway issues.

As time goes on, I will continue to focus on all of these things; but, today, I want to briefly revisit my mission that focuses on veterans affairs. It is integral to everything that I set out to accomplish; and is related to cycling, as cycling has been demonstrated to be an excellent low-impact aerobic activity that can be enjoyed by almost everyone, and can be especially useful in verteran's rehab efforts. I like what I see being done by Ride 2 Recovery and the support afforded this charity by the American Legion and numerous cycling interests.

As a veteran who recently applied to be enrolled in the VA healthcare system, I am impressed with the quality of outreach and treatment provided by VA facilities to those veterans who apply for enrollment. However, the VA healthcare system can only help those who apply for treatment; and as I confirmed on my bike journey, there are untold numbers of veterans suffering from war-related injuries and illnesses who are either currently enrolled in the VA healthcare system, but not fully informed about treatments available to them, or completely unaware of the fact that they are entitled to enrollment in VA healthcare. I met many veterans on my trip who were either under-treated, or, completely left out of the system; because there does not appear to be any adequately comprehensive source of VA treatment options available to all vets, and especially those of the Vietnam era. I only found about my own personal eligibility for healthcare enrollment by accident in a casual conversation with a veteran friend. Since then, I've encouraged all of my other veteran friends who are suffering from obvious war-related health issues to apply to the VA for treatment. 100% of these veteran friends were either totally unaware of their eligibilty for treatment, or, they did not know how to apply for it.

None of this is intneded to be a negative comment about the VA's efforts. The VA can only outreach to, and treat those that it is funded and staffed to treat. Therein lies the crux of the problem. The VA may, in fact be overwhelmed by its current treatment workload; but that does not negate the responsibility we have to honor the committments we've made to our soldiers and veterans by willfully, albeit often irresponsibly dispatching our soldiers into the midst of unwinnable, thankless conflicts, serving ungrateful supposed-allies who hate America and everthing we stand for. And just because many of our soldiers are found to have served in conflicts later judged to be unpopular or non-PC does not ever justify turning our backs on them after they have laid everthing on the line for us.

The politicians who serve "us" today (spelled: "themselves") who are determined to "save money" by ignoring or breaking the committments made to our soldiers are dead wrong and need to be held to the highest level of accountability for their greed, insensitivity, and irresponsibility. The bottom line is that, if America is not willing to fairly and adequately treat our veterans' service-related health problems, we urgently need to get out of the business of treating our soldiers and veterans as expendable mercenaries.

By using cycling endeavors as public-awareness and fundraising opportunities to reach out to our soldiers and veterans, I intend to immerse myself in activities that will focus more and urgent attention upon soldiers' and veterans' issues. I believe it would be unconscionable and irresponsible to do otherwise.

Thanks to all of you who rallied to support this hastily-planned and executed cycling trip up and down Florida's East Coast. Regardless of which of my goals you supported, personal fitness, promoting Florida cycling opportunites, or calling attention to veterans's health issues by helping defray the expenses of my trip or making donations to the American Legion, I could not have accomplished this without you. I encountered many adverse conditions along the way that would have led me to give up several times, had it not been for your encouragement and support. I survived two years of combat in Vietnam only by the grace of God, and came home realtively unscathed. I confess the same about this bike trip. This effort was more difficult than any physical feat I ever attempted as a young soldier; and I endured some very dangerous conditions due to traffic (mainly other cyclists), road and bike trail construction, and discouraging headwinds for nine days that forced me to pedal for 10 - 12 hours per day at barely more than walking speed.

Thanks again for you calls, e-mails and bogs of encouragement.

Al