FDOT’s Mobility Week

Two cyclists ride on a newly paved section of a bicycle trail on the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway at the Land Bridge Trailhead south of Ocala, Fla. on Monday, February 17, 2020. [Bruce Ackerman]

From Oct. 25 to Nov. 2, the Florida Department of Transportation and partners across Florida are celebrating the ninth annual Mobility Week, which encourages Floridians to make safe, multimodal transportation choices.

More than 50 events are scheduled in Central Florida, including:

• BIKE 5 | 5 Miles, 5 Parks, 5 Cities.  The eighth annual Bike 5 event takes place Oct. 26 and is open to riders of any age and ability, offering multiple ride options such as biking in five cities, five miles, or five parks. FDOT’s Safe Mobility for Life Coalition will share older adult safety and transportation choices awareness at this event. For more information and to register, visit bikewalkcentralflorida.org/bike5/ 

• Try Transit Tuesday. Transit agencies like 321 Transit, LakeXpress, LYNX, SunRail, and SunTran are offering free rides on Oct. 29 for Try Transit Tuesday – a day dedicated to encouraging Central Floridians to try a new mode of transportation. Participants can take transit to work, a fun destination or one of Mobility Week’s in-person events. Votran is hosting rider appreciation events to thank riders for using public transit.

• Ride Roll Stroll Challenge. The statewide multimodal challenge, Ride Roll Stroll, is taking place through Nov. 2. Participants can record their walking, biking, carpool and public transit trips for the chance to win prizes. Registration and additional information can be found at riderollstroll.com/

Community members can visit the online Mobility Week Virtual Conference Center at bit.ly/MobilityWeekVirtualRoom.

Since the start of Mobility Week in 2016, FDOT has partnered with more than 500 organizations, participated in around 1,000 events, provided more than 500,000 free transit rides, collectively rode 950,000 miles by bike, recorded 70,000 trips in statewide challenge to use a new mode of transportation and distributed over 350,000 safety items, such as helmets, reflective safety materials and bicycle lights, according to the news release.

“Mobility Week gives us the opportunity to connect with communities across Central Florida and showcase different ways of getting around—whether it’s biking, walking, ridesharing, or public transit,” said FDOT District Five Secretary John E. Tyler, P.E., in the release. “In partnership with local organizations, FDOT invites everyone to explore how new transportation options are safe and convenient alternatives for their daily commutes.”

For more information, visit mobilityweekfl.com