Vote yes for better bicycling
And be ready to hold our elected officials accountable.
Early voting started Monday, October 24th in Orange County, and the Transportation Sales Tax Referendum is on the ballot. The Orlando Bike Coalition and the bicycling community of Orange County came out in force to get this referendum on the ballot, knowing how important this funding would be to bring bicycle infrastructure to the city and region. And beyond bicycle safety, the funding would make our roads safer for all users (pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and even motorists) and help create a modern and sustainable public transportation system.
Unfortunately, the decision to support the Transportation Sales Tax initiative has been complicated by the City of Orlando’s unveiling of its plans for Edgewater Drive. Drafting a plan that calls for the removal of bike lanes and 20 years of success is beyond disappointing, but to label and promote it as a “complete street” is alarming, especially in terms of building confidence in how the City will utilize the funding it will receive from the tax. While we understand this project will not be funded by the Transportation Sales Tax, we want to make clear that this is not the type of street design the many bicycle riders who supported the sales tax are encouraging with their votes and advocacy. We hope the city and county keep in mind the many members of the Orlando bike community who mobilized in support of the referendum both for Edgewater Drive and future road projects.
The biking community has come out and spoken out against the initial designs and demanded that new plans are inclusive of people on bikes. While we remain hopeful the City will take this feedback to heart and revisit the designs, it shows where the City’s priorities instinctively go: cars.
With that said, without funding, many projects wouldn’t even make it to the table. Other projects, like the Corrine Drive road diet and cycle track, will be held up for years waiting for funding, but could be expedited should the Transportation Sales Tax Referendum pass. See other proposed bike and pedestrian safety projects that the tax would fund on the county’s website.
The Orlando Bike Coalition asks you to vote yes for the Transportation Sales Tax referendum AND help us hold our elected officials accountable to build inclusive complete streets.
We know the fight won’t end after funding is secured through this referendum. The bike community will need to continue to rally. But let’s vote for the opportunity to build world-class bike infrastructure in Orlando and Orange County.
On November 5th, #BiketheVote with us as we host another Roll to the Polls event. Subscribe to our mailing list or follow us on Twitter for details.
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