Longboat Key Police Department gets to work improving bicycle and pedestrian safety

In the midst of season, traffic everywhere is typically heavy — even for those on two wheels. There is a large population of serious cyclists on Longboat Key, and in tandem with the police department, they’re trying to make both Gulf of Mexico Drive and the sidewalks safer for everyone involved. 

Police department rolls in

There’s now a bike liaison within the police department. Sgt. Rick Hankins, who is taking the lead on the department’s accreditation process, is the main contact, but other sergeants such as Dave Cooper work with the cyclists, too. The police department approached the Longboat Key Bicycle Association when the accreditation program began, seeking input and to work together. 

“We’re doing a bike safety and pedestrian program, and we’re just kicking it off,” Hankins said. “It’s agencywide, not just myself … It really takes the whole agency to make this successful.” 

Hankins is taking note of the most common bike and pedestrian issues that crop up and increasing education on them. In several calls for service, he said, they’ve had reports of stolen bikes, which he wants to combat with a robust bike-registration system. Citizens come to the police department to register their bike’s serial number into a national database, so if the bike is reported as stolen, anyone who enters the number into the database can identify who it belongs to. Another big issue is reiterating that cyclists under 16 must always wear a helmet and that it’s encouraged that all cyclists do. Finally, Hankins wants to make sure everyone knows that lights are mandated between sunrise and sunset — a white one visible at 500 feet on the front and a red one visible at 600 feet on the back. About 10% of bike fatalities come from not being properly visible, ie, wearing bright clothing or having lights. 

“We have had several cyclists hit by motorists, so we really want to promote a safety program … and that includes pedestrian regulations with crosswalks, traffic control signals, stopping, standing and parking,” Hankins said. 

Essentially, Hankins is beefing up a program that’s already been in place for the police department. Part of making that successful was getting in touch with the Longboat Key Bicycle Association, which is a strong group of cyclists who mainly ride alongside Gulf of Mexico Drive. Hankins has asked for their feedback in writing policies to make riding roadside safer. The timeline for improving the safety is immediate and he has officers talking to motorists who block the bike lane every day to help alleviate the most common complaint from cyclists. 

“I was tasked with writing and modifying the policies for the accreditation program, and part of that initiative was to put together a bicycle and pedestrian safety program, and with that is how I became the liaison with the LBKBA,” Hankins said. “We can learn from them as well and really find out what are the needs, what can we do as community service to make it safer, so we have been enforcing bicycle safety, the lights on the bikes and educating at this point.”

Cyclists of Longboat Key weigh in 

The Longboat Key Bicycle Association currently has more than 100 members, said president Howard Tessler. He keeps in contact with them via a Google website that sends emails to members on cycling news, safety tips and potential hazards on the Key. As for town communication, Tessler has been in contact with Cooper and Hankins about bike issues and said that the town does a good job working with cyclists. 

“For the most part, you know, our biggest challenge is to keep the bike lanes clear, and they're 100, 200% better than they were three years ago,” Tessler said. “I'm probably the only one who calls it in … It's a pain in the neck to call in a police report when you’re trying to get a bike ride done … I would say about once a week is when I'm doing it now. In the past, you probably could have done it five days a week.”

As for the issues Tessler is most worried about, they’re mostly in line with what Hankins is trying to update to make cycling safer. No helmets, especially on riders in the bike lane, and debris or cars in the bike lane are two top concerns. Overall, he said, the town has done a good job responding to requests. Public Works takes care of glass or grass in the lane and far fewer cars park there than used to. But there are still improvements to be made.

“The ones that ride on the sidewalk, I think they go too fast, and they don't always give warnings to the pedestrians, especially when they approach from behind,” Tessler said. “They're on top of the pedestrian before they know it. I don't know how many injuries occur on the sidewalk, but I think the sidewalk is not a great place to ride. A lot of people say they won't ride (in the bike lane) because you're so close to the cars. And yet, I think there's more evidence that more accidents occur on the sidewalks than in the bicycle lanes. Cars coming out of driveways have almost no clearance to the sidewalk. … Our board has a committee and they're trying to come up with plans for the future of the bike lane in the Gulf of Mexico Drive.”

Where does FDOT come in? 

Most of the improvements the LBKBA hopes for would have to come in at the FDOT level rather than from the town of Longboat Key. Hankins said he has communicated with FDOT, who is eager to help within their means. 

Due to the width of the bike lane, Tessler wants FDOT to place signs reminding cars to keep three feet from cyclists, but said that when he’s communicated with FDOT, they have said the sign is for roads without a regulation bike lane.

LBKBA member Emmanuel Charron is working on a white-paper plan for bike lane improvements to submit to FDOT, namely redesigning the bike lane to make it a consistent seven feet rather than the inconsistent three to five feet it is now. Other updates include a wider sidewalk with a bike lane.

“Gulf of Mexico Drive is unique in terms of bikers,” Charron said. “It draws serious and casual bikers. The Legacy Trail is great but there are restrictions (on speed) and GMD offers so much more, or it could if it’s done right.”

The road is due for a redesign to get in line with FDOT standards, and Charron’s hope with the plan is to make sure that cyclists have a say in how the updates go. Tessler said he has seen the number of cyclists both on the road and sidewalks increase since the pandemic began. 

“We like what we have now, but we want to enhance it,” Charron said. “If we make enough pressure and the town is on our side, I think we can do it.”