New hire gives a lift to transportation program

Southwest Florida made an impression on Patrick Lui before he moved here.

Almost two years ago he brought his wife, Megan, and daughter, Sally, to Anna Maria Island for vacation. They rented bicycles to get around, and it was the first time Sally had ridden a bike.

“She loved it,” Lui said.

Fast forward to now, and Lui is Sarasota County’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator. He started Nov. 17.
The position isn’t totally new, said Paula Wiggins, the county transportation planning manager. A similar position existed before the recession, but as the economy went down the county couldn’t afford to staff it.
The old program was more focused on children, Wiggins said. The county wants to expand the program to include adult education. The role of the coordinator is to provide education for the community and conceptualize new ideas for Sarasota to be more bikeable and walkable.

“In Sarasota County, people are biking and walking all year round,” Lui said. “My job is to get them there efficiently and safely.”

Lui and his family moved to Sarasota from Richmond Hill, Ontario, where he had been working for six years as a parks planner and one year as a sustainable transportation coordinator. Although he has only been on the job for a week, he said he’s already noticed some things he’d like to address.

The sidewalk networks have some gaps — places where the sidewalk ends and pedestrians and bicyclists have to use the road. But it’s not a problem unique to Sarasota, he said.

Lui said he hopes to use social media to engage county residents and push out information, such as making informational videos or sharing content from other cities.

Safety is definitely on the county’s priority list — Wiggins said Florida ranks in the top five states in the nation for bicycle and pedestrian accidents. Sarasota is on the cusp of being in the top 10 worst counties in Florida for those kinds of accidents, too.

“There are rules people need to understand,” Lui said. “People need reminders to share the road.”

He’s also got a road map to use: In October 2013, the county compiled a bicycle and pedestrian plan, with input from residents, on the needs and desires of the bicycling and walking community. It identifies deficiencies in the county’s walking and biking infrastructure as well as opportunities for improvement.

Lui said he’s already received emails from people throughout the county offering suggestions and concerns.

“Sarasota County has a natural biking culture — you inherently want to participate,” Lui said.

Stay Safe
In Florida, a bicycle is legally defined as a vehicle, which means:

• Bicyclists must obey traffic lights and signals.

• Riders or passengers under 16 must wear a helmet.

• If there is no bicycle lane or shoulder, a bicyclist is entitled to use the entire traffic lane.

• If a bicyclist rides on the sidewalk, he has the same rights and obligations as a pedestrian.

— Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office

BY THE NUMBERS

According to 2010 U.S. Census data for Sarasota County:

115,900 - people drive alone to work

4,250 - people bike or ride a motorcycle to work

2,982 - people walk
to work