March 2024 Edition

While May might be National Bicycle Month, March is Florida's Bicycle Month. In February 2019, Governor DeSantis signed a proclamation declaring March to be Florida Bicycle Month and he has since signed proclamations each year.

March is a great time to get outside and ride your bike! The weather is great, and the days are starting to get longer. There are so many awesome trails in Volusia and Flagler Counties that sometimes it is difficult to decide where to ride! Below are a few options:

The St. Johns River to Sea (SJR2C) Loop, once complete, will be a 260-mile paved, multi-use trail project in northeast Florida. It runs through five Florida counties, including Brevard, Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns, and Putnam Counties, and is the longest loop trail underway through the American Southeast. A great guide on where to ride, as well as all things Loop-related, is available on the St. Johns River to Sea Loop Alliance website. The Alliance's mission is to advance, advocate, support, promote, and protect the St Johns River-to-Sea Loop (SJR2C) multiuse Florida SUN Trail and connected trails, and to increase equitable active transportation and recreation in our region by making the area safer and more attractive for cycling and walking, and working for safe connections to trails and other major destinations. 

Florida's Coast-to-Coast Trail, once complete, will run about 250 miles across Florida, connecting the Gulf Coast at St. Petersburg on the west, through Central Florida, and to the Atlantic Coast on the east at Canaveral National Seashore. A map of the trail from coast to coast can be viewed here. The section of the trail in Volusia County has been completed. It includes the Spring-to-Spring Trail and the East Central Regional Rail Trail and connects to the St. Johns River to Sea Loop and the Heart of Florida Trail.

In Volusia County, you can cycle on the recently completed Black Heritage Trail in DeLand. This trail is a self-guided walking and cycling route that showcases DeLand's Black heritage sites and destinations that honor African American heritage. The project was a combined effort of the St Johns River-to-Sea Loop Alliance, Stetson University, and the West Volusia Historical Society, among others. An interactive map of the trail and the eighteen black heritage sites, along with the history of each, is available here.

In Flagler County, check out the Lehigh Trail, which includes about eight miles of an abandoned railroad corridor. The trail parallels the Lehigh Canal for much of its length. It extends from US 1 north of Bunnell, through the town center of Palm Coast and Graham Swamp, and ends at Colbert Lane immediately west of the former Lehigh Portland Cement Company. The Lehigh Trailhead is located at 5875 Colbert Lane in Palm Coast.

For helpful tips on staying safe while cycling, the Florida Bicycle Association has numerous resources put together by CyclingSavvy which are available by clicking here. Questions about e-bike laws? Go to the PeopleforBikes.org website by clicking here for a handy brochure on e-bike laws.

Vehicle Safety Recalls Week

In 2022, there were 934 vehicle safety recalls affecting more than 30.8 million vehicles in the United States. Yet, millions of vehicle recalls go unrepaired or unaddressed every year. This year, Vehicle Safety Recalls Week runs from March 4-10, 2024, which coincides with the week leading up to Daylight Savings Time on March 10. How do you know if your vehicle has been recalled? Automakers notify all car owners by mail if there is a recall affecting their vehicle. You can also call your dealer or check out the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Look-up Tool. This website allows you to look up recalls on your vehicle by license plate number, VIN, or year, make, and model. In addition to vehicle recalls, you can check for recalls on car seats, tires, and vehicle-related equipment like bike racks.

Each March, the United States honors the contributions and sacrifices of women who have helped shape the nation by celebrating Women's History Month. The National Women's History Alliance designates a yearly theme for Women's History Month. The 2024 theme celebrates “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” This theme recognizes women who understand the need to eliminate bias and discrimination from individuals' lives and institutions.

The River to Sea TPO would like to highlight WTS International. Since 1977, WTS International, originally named the Women’s Transportation Seminar, has focused on promoting the advancement of women in the transportation industry. One of their guiding principles is that advancing women in transportation is key to advancing transportation and ensuring a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce. The members of this organization, everyday women from all walks of life, are working to ensure that there is diversity, inclusion, and equity in the transportation industry.

FDOT Safety Strategic Plan Workshop

On Tuesday, February 27, 2024, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 5, in coordination with the River to Sea TPO and the Space Coast TPO, held a Safety Strategic Plan Workshop at the Titusville Library. The FDOT District 5 Safety Strategic Plan:

• Focuses on safer street designs and prioritizes getting to zero fatalities and serious injuries.
• Identifies internal and external opportunities for collaboration and enhancements in meeting District 5's goal of getting to zero.
• Builds upon the excellent Vision Zero work that is being done by partners throughout District 5.
• Creates an action-oriented five-year plan, with one-year, three-year, and five-year goals to facilitate advancements in getting to zero across FDOT District 5.

Participants in this workshop included law enforcement, Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST) members, school representatives, citizen advisory groups (CAC & BPAC), advocacy groups, board members/elected officials, and technical staff members. Speakers included FDOT Secretary John Tyler, Loreen Bobo, FDOT D5 Safety Administrator, Dan Gallagher, Burgess & Niple Senior Transportation Planner, and Jason Barger, a New York Times celebrated author and Professional Facilitator. River to Sea TPO Executive Director Colleen Nicoulin and Space Coast TPO Executive Director Georganna Gillette presented on their TPO's Vision Zero and safety-related efforts. The workshop was divided into three sessions and each session encouraged the participants to answer three questions:

1. What have FDOT and its partners done well to address transportation safety in the last five years?
2. What are the perceived challenges in how FDOT is working with its partners to address transportation safety?
3. What are opportunities and ideas to address those challenges?

The workshop was well-attended and very productive in generating ideas to help Central Florida get to zero serious injuries and fatalities on our roadways.

*Meeting held in the Airline Room at Daytona Beach International Airport, 700 Catalina Drive, Daytona Beach (parking will be validated)

**Meeting held at the River to Sea TPO office, 1 Deuce Court, Suite 100, Daytona Beach