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Tag: bicycle

Mobility program dropped in favor of ban

Locals present bike share option to city commissioners

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – A new way to combat traffic on Anna Maria Island is being proposed by a couple of locals who want to install bicycle share docking stations where people can rent a bicycle using an app and leave it at any docking station that’s convenient for them.

Tracey Thrall, speaking on behalf of himself and business partner Thomas Pechous, made an informal presentation to Holmes Beach commissioners during an Aug. 28 meeting. Thrall introduced commissioners to the idea of the bike share program dubbed Mobile Muttley’s.

The program would feature concrete pads with locking bicycle docking stations located throughout the city and eventually the Island. Residents and visitors alike would be able to rent a bike from any of the docking stations where one was available, take it for a spin and return it to any Island docking station that’s convenient for them.

Because the docks lock, Thrall said it would help to reduce instances of bikes being left in roads, across sidewalks or on private property where they’d have to be collected and returned potentially by local law enforcement. He also said the business wouldn’t need a storefront and wouldn’t be selling any products. Instead, the business would be run from home with off-site storage and maintenance locations.

Proposed locations in Holmes Beach include the Island Branch Library, the Manatee Public Beach, near the intersection of Marina, Palm and Key Royale drives, across from Haley’s Motel, at city field, near the city tennis and basketball courts and at any trolley stops were enough space for the facility is available. Thrall said they have not presented their project to Bradenton Beach or Anna Maria commissioners. He added that a goal of the project is to not add to impervious space on the Island.

“I feel passionate about this because I feel it’s something that’s good for the community,” he said.

Commissioner Judy Titsworth said she had no problems personally with the idea of a bike share program, but a docking station couldn’t be placed at the city field complex because of deed restrictions. However, a minor site plan amendment would likely have to be approved at each location where a docking station was erected. For the station at the Manatee Public Beach, the business owners also would have to receive approval from Manatee County commissioners, she said.

City Attorney Patricia Petruff said that she would hesitate to allow the docking stations to be placed along the city’s right of way due to space and liability concerns. If Mobile Muttley’s is allowed to put their docking stations in the right of way, Petruff said it could be difficult to refuse the next person who wanted right of way space approval for a bicycle share or other industry. Before anything is decided about allowing this bicycle share program, Petruff said city leaders should consider creating regulations. With the popularity of bicycle, electric scooter and car shares, among others, rising throughout the county, she said it would only be a matter of time before all of those industries came to the Island.

Commissioner Carol Soustek suggested hosting the discussion at a future commission work session so that there would be an opportunity for a more detailed presentation and discussion among city leaders. She also suggested the Mobile Muttley’s attend the next Island Transportation Planning Organization meeting since the implementation of the bicycle share is planned as an island-wide project.

Letter to the Editor

Crossing concerns

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

Anna Maria Commissioner Amy Tripp made a good point last week when she suggested the $150,000 it would cost to install an automated license plate recognition system might be money better spent on lighted crosswalks.

Automated plate readers may or may not be a good idea, but most folks would agree that safe crosswalks are a great idea.

Tourists love to walk to the beach to enjoy the sunsets, but if they linger long enough they find themselves walking home in darkness, often with children in tow. The growing fear is that someday a large group of visitors is going to get struck by a motorist who doesn’t see them crossing.

City commissioners in all three Island cities spend a great deal of time funding projects. Perhaps the time has come for lighted sidewalks to become a greater funding priority – an endeavor that will require FDOT cooperation for crosswalks located on the state-owned portions of Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach.

Perhaps the finest example of a lighted Gulf Drive crosswalk is in front of the Runaway Bay condominiums in Bradenton Beach. Pedestrians push a button to activate the signal lighting, and it’s nearly impossible for a motorist not to see that a crossing’s imminent. There’s another lighted crosswalk near the Gulf Drive Cafe, but folks tend to cross there in a more willy-nilly fashion rather than using the designated crossing area.

Public safety is a responsibility shared by elected officials, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists alike.

Pedestrians: Walk defensively, be aware of your surroundings and cross at marked crossings when possible. When crossing, look into the eyes of the approaching driver to see if they see you and plan to stop.

Bicyclists: Follow the rules of the road and obey traffic signals – including stop signs that may slow your roll but save your life. And put lights on your bike if riding at night, even if it’s a rented bike.

Motorists: Be constantly alert for pedestrians crossing anywhere at any time and pay close attention to the yellow pedestrian crossing signs at which you are required by law to stop when pedestrians are present.

This isn’t rocket science. We’re all in this together; let’s all do our part so we all get home safe.