Lo-Gra-La
One word, three syllables.
Lower Grand Lagoon
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Not Panama City.
Not Panama City Beach.
LO•GRA•LA
The Vision
Lograla: A pedestrian-safe, bikeable town in the Florida panhandle that doesn’t eliminate cars, but instead puts humans first and finds balance between various modes of transportation.
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Three ways:
(1) Encourage visitors and locals to use the appropriate mode of transportation:
Walk to close restaurants (it’s okay to be sweaty),
Cycle if it’s a mile or few (it’s okay to be sweaty),
Take the bus if you can adhere to the schedule, and/or, then
Drive your car if needed.
(2) Create forward-thinking infrastructure:
Designated routes for walking and biking…
Share the road sign at Joan Ave [assuming its not going to be fixed as is the norm]
Not unsafe bike-lanes that end abruptly at roundabouts or stop lights, nor
Bike lanes where cars pass at 70 mph [e.g., Highway 98 - Golf carts are not allowed, but bicycles are?].
(3) Walkable side-walks that leverage urban design and the best practices from modern, human-centric cities (e.g., Amsterdam, Bogota, Copenhagen, Nice, etc.).
The sidewalk infrastructure along Thomas Drive is pathetic.
Why pour money into expanding roads, when the goal should be to get people out of their cars?
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Commitment to the vision of Lograla, and subsequent success, will enable the good aspects of life [food, drink, and movement]. Moreover, commitment to this vision will:
Create safe spaces for tourists and locals to walk, dine, and grow.
Increase property values.
Support and encourage more local businesses.
Lower fuel consumption and more clean transportation.
Reduce the number of cars in St. Andrew’s State Park and thus conserve the wildlife’s natural habitat.
Perhaps most importantly, curb drink driving.
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If a human-centric Lograla was built, then this area, and the broader Panama City / Panama City Beach, could become a crown jewel of the United States. No more Panama Shitty as the area is commonly referred. A place people flock to from around the world for safe, fun, outdoor recreation in and around nature (i.e., beaches, palm trees, dolphins, herons and more). In a sense, a Floridariviera of which America could be proud and the younger generations could enjoy.
Lograla - In Pictures
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Saint Andrews State Park
Arguably one of the best places in the panhandle
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Public Beach Accesses
Public being the key word. No hoity-toity private beaches.
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Grand Lagoon
A safe-haven to launch boats, jetskis, sea screamers, and even…. pirate ships!
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History
A last local beach club - Schooners! Started in the 60’s, a gem for new & old.
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Coffee & Surf
The Emerald Coast’s premium surf shop with a splash of delicious coffee.
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Sunset with a View
Very few places offer a better sunset than Lograla.
FAQs
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You know.
Fortunate enough to travel.
Smart enough to steal cities’ best practices.
Brave enough to espouse a dream.
Live local, think global.
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Hate is a strong word.
Dislike is better.
I think…
Cars hurt our wallets (what’s the price of gas right now?),
Cars hurt our environment (e.g., vehicle emissions impact global warming), and
Cars hurt us (~40,000 fatal motor vehicle deaths per year).
I am very pro self-driving vehicles
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Absolutely; I fully admit that my company, B3ars (Bikes, Bagels, & Brew LLC), would benefit from a human-centric Lograla.
Three counterpoints:
Did you know we currently donate to protect Florida Black Bear habitat, so we’re already conservation-focused?
Did you know we already work with Bay County authorities to put up bike signage, thus creating safe passageways?
Our goal is to be a company like Patagonia. That is, a company that is For Profit, but one that does good with that profit. In our case, we want to create bikeable roads for kids (of all ages).
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Yes.
But, it won’t be easy.
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Thanks for asking!
Send me an email (Ryan@bikesbagelsbrew.com), introduce yourself and tell me how you think you can help [Don’t worry - I have ideas].
I’m excited to work together to build a clean, cool, and good Lograla.

