SANIBEL’S PROPOSED PERIWINKLE BYPASS PATH

·        The Sanibel Bicycle Club obtained a copy of the Committee’s recommendations on Friday and was surprised to see Recommendation #11:  Eliminate the Casa Ybel to Beachview bike path from the public works capital budget.

·        We know that this Committee report is just the beginning stage of the City’s budget process, but the Club wanted to share with the Council both our strong opposition to this recommendation and our responses to the reasons given by the Committee for this recommendation.

Background on Club’s Long-Standing Support for Periwinkle Bypass

·        The Sanibel Bicycle Club, throughout its nine-year existence, has promoted improved bicycling safety and infrastructure on Sanibel.

·        The increased use of the paths has created safety and liability concerns.  Path usage by visitors, who consider our paths one of the major reasons they visit our island, provides important economic benefits for our community and the City. 

·        The paths are also an important part of the quality of life attraction for current and future residents of the island.

·        For a number of years the establishment of an alternative shared use path, which we call the “Periwinkle Bypass”, has been a high priority for the Club.  The existing section of the path is separated from the Periwinkle roadway only by a narrowly painted white line.  There are 18 driveways crossing the path that lead to shops, restaurants, and other businesses.  In recent years, there have been a number of bicycle/vehicle accidents, as well as a considerable number of  “near misses”, at these crossings.

·        The Club believes that this section of the path has become the most dangerous section anywhere on Sanibel.

5-Year Budget Committee’s Reasons for Recommendation to Eliminate Funding for the Periwinkle Bypass Path

·        The Committee report provided the following reasons for its recommendation:

1.      The safety benefits are unlikely to materialize;

2.      The cost exceeds the benefit to be derived; and

3.      Easements have not yet been obtained and legal action is unwarranted.

The Bicycle Club would like to respond to each of the reasons given:

Reason # 1:  The Safety Benefits Are Unlikely to Materialize

SBC Response:

·        Safety has been the primary reason that the Sanibel Bicycle Club has pushed for this path. 

·        We believe that the Periwinkle bypass would receive high usage and provide significant safety benefits.  Through effective signage and public education, users can be guided to the bypass path.

·        If the City were to decide that it was feasible to eliminate the existing Periwinkle Path upon completion of the bypass path, the Bicycle Club would have no objection.

Reason #2:  The Cost Exceeds The Benefit To Be Derived

SBC Response:

·        We realize that this path is an expensive undertaking; however, we believe that the benefits clearly outweigh the costs.

·        One of Sanibel’s most cherished treasures is its network of shared use paths.  Sanibel taxpayers have shown their willingness over the past twenty-five years to support investments in developing, maintaining, improving, and expanding this path system through their property taxes.  We believe that the Sanibel community would place a high value on the benefit of these paths in terms of quality of life, as well as economic benefits.

·        The costs of constructing, as well as maintaining, our path system have gone up substantially this past year, due to the causeway problems and international uncertainties regarding oil. We believe that by the time the city is ready to issue bids for the construction phase of this path, the cost of asphalt should have declined significantly.

Reason #3:  Easements Have Not Yet Been Obtained and Legal Action is Unwarranted

SBC Response:

·        The City is actively working on obtaining the easements from the 11 property owners.  A letter was sent the owners a month ago, and individual follow-up calls and discussions are now occurring.  The Club also sent a letter to the property owners subsequent to the City’s letter, emphasizing the importance of this path for the safety of path users.

·        The City should continue to negotiate with the owners of the properties to secure the easements.  Certainly, there are areas where the City and the owners can achieve common ground.

·        The Bicycle Club believes that it is possible to get voluntary grant of easements for many of these properties.

·        We believe that it is premature to assume that legal action will be necessary to secure these easements.  This is a decision that the Council will have to make if or when this situation arises.

Closing

·        The Bike Club hopes that the City’s 2004 budget proposal will not adopt the Committee’s recommendation #11.  We also hope that the Council will maintain last year’s commitment to fund this project.

·        This project has been in various stages of development for much of the past decade.  It is time to move ahead on this important alternative path.  The City has made significant progress in moving forward on this project in 2003, and should be allowed to bring it to fruition.

·        The Bike Club will continue its strong advocacy for this alternative Periwinkle path.

We look forward to continuing to work with the Council and City staff on this and other important shared use path issues.