Brian Entin: "Cyclist's letter to FDOT changed Flagler bridge plan"

What a great news segment by Brian Entin at NBC5/WPTV. This comes from a post at the WalkableWPB blog by Jesse Bailey. Here is an excerpt from the text of the news segment:

     A downtown West Palm Beach bicyclist and walkability blogger wrote the Florida Department of Transportation concerned about the small shoulder serving as a bike lane in the new Flagler Memorial Bridge plans.
     And the response he received in the mail shocked him.
     "It is always kind of surprising when FDOT responds positively to a request like this," Jesse Bailey said.
     In a letter to Bailey, FDOT engineers acknowledged his ideas and even implemented most of them.
     "The project is well underway, they have already commenced construction, and for them to make the changes at the last minute is very commendable," Bailey said.
     Among the changes to the 94 million dollar project include reducing the vehicle lanes from 12 to 11 feet, adding a two foot buffer, and also including a six-foot bike lane.

Excellent job, Jesse. We'll never know how many bicyclists were spared a trip to the hospital because of these changes. For the FDOT to reduce a traffic lane from 12' to 11' is a very big deal.