SANFORD, FLORIDA
Before I would board the AutoTrain, I decided I had time to circumvent Lake Monroe. It was a beautiful day, and I would make my obligatory stop at Green Springs.
I just passed three cyclists on the Cross Florida Trail when, about 500 meters later, I saw a sign, “Bollards Ahead.” And in a split second, my thought was I’d ridden on dozens of trails that have bollards but never saw a warning sign before. And there they were. Big yellow bollards so close together that I could barely slip through.
I got through and was going to take a photo, but didn’t want to stop only to be caught by the three that passed me, and have to pass them again. And I thought I would at the next intersection. But that intersection wouldn’t come. It was only at this one intersection on the trail.
It was my last day in Florida, and I had time for a 30-mile (50 km) ride “around the lake” (Lake Monroe) before going over to board the AutoTrain for the ride north. I’ve been around the lake clockwise 5-6 times and counter-clockwise a couple of times. It wasn’t supposed to be blog-worthy. I only planned a photo at Green Springs and got a surprise photo of the Cardinals’ sculpture next to the lake.
But then I came to the bollards. I never expected to learn more about them, but one day, later in my Facebook feed, there was a post from a Florida cycling group, Florida Coast to Coast Trail. And there was a spirited discussion about the bollards. In a nutshell, there were lots of problems with unauthorized users on the trail some of whom created havoc.
The Volusia County Parks Department decided to put bollards in place, but they missed the mark on the spacing. They were very close together for solo cyclists and impossible for trikes and even some recumbent bikes. But the people spoke loudly, and within one week, the Parks Department repositioned the bollards.
So next time I’m in Sanford, I will ride this loop again. And there will be bollards spaced correctly. Thanks to the Volusia County Parks Department for addressing the problems of the trail.
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