Overall the workshop was characterized by the ongoing roundtable style discussion of the issues. Many of the participants came with experience in local advocacy. For example, Chip Carter has been chairman of the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee for over five years. Chris Burns has been very active with the building of the Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail, a 14.3 mile rural route that should open by July. Jeff gave PowerPoint presentations on how the MPO transportation planning process works and on causes of bicycle crashes.
Chip lead a discussion of Florida laws pertaining to bicycling.
One particularly sensitive issue for the Jacksonville area is the prohibition of bicycles on limited access highways. Jacksonville is served by several bridges across the St. John's River, only two of which are accessible to bicyclists because the rest are classified as limited access highways. FBA would like to thank the Jacksonville Memorial Hospital for the wonderful classroom facility, the North Florida Bicycle Club for sponsoring the workshop bagel breakfast and pizza lunch, Jeff Sheffield and the Jacksonville MPO for help with marketing the workshop, developing workshop content and producing the workshop handbooks, and Chip Carter for helping to coordinate and market the workshop.