YOUR citizens need YOU to attend the Elected Officials Forum and Luncheon
Monday, August 27, 2007 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Downtown Embassy Suites Hotel, San Juan Ballroom

As a leader, your participation at the Elected Officials Luncheon and Forum is of great importance to the future livability of your community. Please find time in your busy schedule to participate in a discussion on how to improve community cohesiveness, walkability, efficiency and safety through improvements in land use and transportation facility design. Support from elected officials is the key to integrating the concepts to be discussed into the fabric of growing communities to the benefit of all.

Can your community and voters count on YOU to attend and learn how we can work together to make Florida communities more bicyclists and pedestrian friendly?


WALKABLE AND BIKEABLE COMMUNITIES:
Political decisions that create competitive cities

Every municipality's main challenge in the 21st Century is to attract and retain the most creative and educated people. The session will demonstrate how “walkable and bikeable” communities are a critical component to achieve this goal, while at the same time contribute to having a better environment, more efficient transportation systems, enhance recreational options, and improve personal and public health. The means to achieve these objectives are not technical, they are political. They require political will, leadership, "doers" in the public sector, and community engagement. The benefits are well worth the effort.
....Gil Penalosa, Luncheon and Conference Keynote Speaker

Mr. Phil Laurien, Executive Director, East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, offers this insightful vision statement:

"The time is right to bike. 

Why? The How Shall We Grow 2050 vision focuses on the 4 C's: Conservation, Centers, Corridors and Countryside. What is the thread that ties all these together?  Transportation.

We will need a balanced transportation system in 2050. 

Our first priority will be to save the most sensitive environmental lands to protect the groundwater recharge areas, the wetlands, endangered species habitat and migratory wildlife corridors. This preservation will create green corridors that will define the future urban edges, and these corridors will be ideal for greenways and bike paths. After the green areas are set aside, the vision is to promote more growth in centers of population. These will be urban centers with large shade trees overhanging wide sidewalks, where people live near their work, and leave their cars at home. Avenues will have coffee shops and stores below with residential above. Folks will take street cars, or scooters or bikes to work, riding on bike lanes, or bike paths. The centers of population will be connected by corridors of multi modal transportation. These will be higher density corridors of mixed commercial, office and residential uses in buildings that are located on the street and range from 3-6 stories tall. Shops and stores will be on the first floor, offices on the second floor and the top floors will be apartments and condominiums. People will ride streetcars, buses, scooters and bikes in these corridors to commute to work. Only travel needs outside the corridor will generate auto trips. By doing all these things we will take the pressure off the countryside. 

What is a common theme in the 4 C’s future vision? Balanced transportation.  Bikeways, bike paths and bike lanes will play a part of the balanced transportation system in 2050. 

The time is right to bike. Start planning today, start riding tomorrow.”

 

Mayor Mark Shuttleworth, City of Lake Helen, Florida is an enthusiastic supporter of bicycling.
He can often be found pedaling around his community.