Local Bike Retailers Propose Paving Project

On Tuesday, SWFBUD (South West Florida Bicycle United Dealers) will make a presentation on paving the Bypass Canal Trail along the Bypass Canal from Morris Bridge Road to State Road 60 as part of a proposed regional paved trail system for bicyclists to improve transportation and enhance bicycle safety in Hillsborough County.

Seminole Heights resident Alan Snel, SWFBUD Director, will be making the presentation at a Hillsborough Greenways and City of Tampa greenways & Trails  Citizen Advisory Committees joint meeting at 6 p.m. at the Loretta Ingraham Community Center at 1615 N. Hubert Ave.

A paved Bypass Canal Trail would encourage bicyclists from New Tampa and Temple Terrace to bike south to State Road 60, where SWFBUD is asking the Florida DOT to include bicyclist facilities as part of the SR 60 improvement project.

In addition, a proposed South Coast Greenway project from the south could also hook into State Road 60, with bicyclists biking from the south. Then, bicyclists can follow an improved SR 60 corridor to the proposed Selmon Expressway Greenway and downtown Tampa.

"Hillsborough County, the city of Tampa and the MPO must work together to create a regional paved bicycle trail network so that bicyclists can safely and efficiently move from all parts of the county. Some roads have good bike lanes, but many do not, causing gaps in bicyclists' travel routes in the Tampa area," Snel said.

"By creating a regional network of paved trails, it would provide bicyclists a chance to bike-commute to different parts of the county. It's just a matter of our elected political leaders to buy into this concept and make it happen," Snel said

SWFBUD is choosing now to propose a paved Bypass Canal Trail as part of a regional paved trail network in metro Tampa because May is National Bike Month and the area has been hit hard by too many bicyclists killed by motorists.

A PowerPoint of scenes from the proposed trail is attached.

SWFBUD is an alliance of 11 retail bicycle shops and two law firms in the Tampa Bay area committed to improving bicycling in the Tampa Bay area. SWFBUD is responsible for prompting Hillsborough County officials to initiate the current bicycle safety action plan, putting on the annual Bicycle Bash festival and increasing the profile of bicyclists in the public arena.