Advocacy « Bike Friendly Richardson

February 5, 2012 • 8:15 am 3

Report from the 2012 Texas Trails & Active Transportation Conference

I spent the latter half of last week down in sunny (and humid!) San Antonio with hundreds of other cycling advocates, public officials, and planning and design professionals. This conference is put on every other year by two state-wide organization—BikeTexas (a cycling advocacy organization that spends the odd years lobbying the state legislature) and the Texas Trails Network (an organization dedicated to the provision of linear trails for transportation and recreation uses).

As always, the conference was excellent. Beyond the great job the two organizations do planning and running the event, the caliber of presenters and speakers is unparalleled, in my opinion. Plenary speakers included John Burke, president of Trek Bicycle Co.; Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis, D-Houston; Congressman Jim Oberstar, D-Minnesota, and Keith Laughlin, president of the Rails to Trails Conservancy. While each of the speakers was excellent, it was truly an honor to hear the speech from Jim Oberstar—the father of Safe Routes to School, the Transportation Enhancements program, and multi-modal funding in federal transportation bills. Few people have had as great an impact on bicycling.

North Texas was well-represented at the conference both in terms of presenters speaking about the great strides we’re making in the Metroplex, as well as attendees there to learn what is happening across the state. There were several presentations given that focused on bikes and pedestrians in North Texas:

Max Kallhammer (Dallas’ bicycle coordinator) spoke about Dallas’ new bike plan;
Michael Hellman and Jared White (from the Dallas Parks Department) presented Dallas’ new “Happy Trails” trail signage program;
Andrew Howard and Jason Roberts spoke about the success of their Better Block program (which we STILL need to bring to Richardson);
Deb Humphreys of NCTCOG discussed the development of a complete streets policy for North Texas; and
Yours truly presented Collin County’s new regional trail master plan.

In addition to those that presented, there were city employees and advocates from McKinney, Allen, Plano, Grapevine, Fort Worth, and others from Dallas (including three council members) in attendance. And finally, Lewisville won an award for its recently-completed citywide Trails Master Plan.

But we didn’t just sit around for three days. There were also SIXTEEN mobile sessions where participants could take a tour of the various bike routes, trails, and urban revitalization projects in San Antonio by biking, walking, running, or paddling—depending on the session. This was truly an active conference!

All-in-all it was a great experience and I highly recommend EVERYONE connected to BFR attend the next conference, which is scheduled for 2014 and might happen right here in North Texas!

- Adam Wood

Filed under: Advocacy, Bike Education, Advocacy, Bike Event, Texas

February 3, 2012 • 7:01 am 9

What About Bike Parking

So, we’ve got the great biking infrastructure in the works. Bike trails, bike lanes and bike signs are being set up all over town to encourage bike riding. But what about bike PARKING. Where are folks going lock their bikes once they reach their destinations? I’ve seen a few racks around town and I’ve managed to find some random sign poles or fences to lock my bike, but as ridership increases, parking is going to be a real problem.

We would definitely like to see more racks around our city facilities. There are a few racks at places like city hall, most schools and the public library. But other places we visit, including our post offices, playgrounds and parks don’t have them.

One of our goals this year is to map out bike rack locations around town and to encourage riders to politely request bike racks at their favorite destinations. We might even post a little flyer that you can print and hand out to business owners.

Filed under: Advocacy, BFR Misc, Bike Parking, Bike Racks, Lack of Bike Racks

January 18, 2012 • 8:27 pm 1

Plano On-Street Bicycle Signs and Routes

Hello there, bergerandfries with my first BFR posting. Our friends in Plano have kicked off a project to make Plano easier to ride by bicycle! Plano has a great off street Multi-Use Path system, but now they are implementing On-Street bicycle signs and routes.

A map can be found at here (pdf).
An excerpt from Plano’s Website at: City of Plano’s On-Street Bicycle Routes

What will the signage be?
The signage is in accordance with the Texas Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices, a code that regulates traffic signage at the state level, ensuring that all traffic signage is consistent. This code also dictates how signs are placed in terms of location and frequency and how they are displayed. Most of the signage is green and white guidance signage. This regulatory sign below tells both the cyclist and the motorist that the cyclist has the right to occupy the whole travel lane.
Cyclist Right to Whole Lane
Guidance signs show the Plano logo, a bicycle symbol and the route number you are on. Some directional signs show which way to turn to intersect with another bicycle route.
Route 90 Sign

What do the numbers mean?
For example, the numbers 90, 88, 70 and 37 above are route numbers. The routes are numbered because they are often not one single through street but a combination of several different streets making up the route.
The numbering system mimics our nation’s interstate highway system. Odd numbers indicate north-south routes. The odd numbers are smaller on the west side of the city increasing as you move eastward starting with 5 and ending with 97. Even numbers indicate east-west routes. The even numbers are smaller on the south side of the city increasing as you move north starting with 2 and ending with 90.

What can Richardson folks do to help?
Plano Bike Route #97 leads directly into Richarson North Star Rd, which on the Richardson Bike Plan is a future signed on-street route too. You might remark to City of Richardson that it’s time to get moving on North Star Rd marking. These signs can really helps Richardson folks to get around Plano if they don’t know the best places to cycle on-street. And if you stop in any Plano businesses, even if the signs are not up yet, please thank them for being on the Plano Bike Route #xxx and ask when are they getting a bike rack!

Filed under: Advocacy, Bike Trails and Routes

December 13, 2011 • 10:56 pm 2

2 Mile Radius

By Jenny Rilling

Richard’s post over at Suburban Assault of the League of American Bicyclists “Bicycling and Health” infographic reminded me to share a handy map radius tool that I sometimes use for work. As the infographic says, 70% of American’s car trips are under two miles. Many times, these 2 mile and under car trips could be replaced with biking.

Here is a picture of a circle with a 2 mile radius around my neighborhood of Highland Terrace:

Here’s a list of some destinations that fall within the circle:

Kroger
Convenience Store
Beer store
DART stations
Walgreens
Post Office
Branch of the bank I use
Target
Petco
Library, City Hall
Recreation center
Richland College
Starbucks, Cafe Brazil
Half Price Books
Several restaurants
Chinatown
Car repair places
Hardware stores & plant nurseries

Lots of good stuff there! Here’s a link to the map tool if you want to find out what areas are within 2 miles of your home or workplace:

http://maps.forum.nu/gm_sensitive_circle2.html

Filed under: Advocacy, Uncategorized

December 13, 2011 • 10:31 pm 1

Last Minute Holiday Gift Idea – Bicycle Advocacy Group Membership

If you’re looking for that last minute gift to give your bicycle enthusiast friend, you might want to think about giving them a membership to a bicycle advocacy group - or perhaps making a donation in their name.

No, not to Bike Friendly Richardson. We’re not set up to take in and allocate funding. Quite frankly, there are other organizations who are much better advocates for bicycling. Here are just a few:

Let’s start locally:

BikeDFW – a Texas nonprofit organization working for safe, healthy, and more livable communities, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, by promoting bicycling for transportation and recreation. Through their individual membership program, and bicycle club and industry sponsor programs, BikeDFW represents nerly 2,000 cyclists in North Texas. These guys are great at bringing great information to local cyclists. Keeping a close watch over local and city government, they make efforts to attend and represent cyclists at biking and infrastructure related meetings. They also offer bicycle education classes throughout the year.

When you become a member of BikeDFW you’re acting to decrease traffic congestion, decrease air pollution, and increase public health by promoting increased bicycle use in North Texas.
Your tax-deductible gift supports our efforts to:

Increase the accessibility and safety of cycling in North Texas by promoting bicycle-friendly policies, infrastructure, and legislation
Increase bicycle use and safety in North Texas through bicycle education programs that foster safe and confident riding
Raise awareness of the role of bicycling in commuting, multi-modal transportation, recreation, and promoting better health in North Texas
Expand the capabilities of BikeDFW and ensure its sustainability

Click here to join (or buy a gift membership) – starting at $25.

Next up, the state level:

BikeTexas - The mission of BikeTexas is to advance bicycle access, safety and education in Texas. BikeTexas, formerly known as Texas Bicycle Coalition, was formed in 1991 to unify the voices of thousands of bicycle enthusiasts, the bicycle industry, Texas bicycle clubs and Texas-based bicycle rides and events. With the support of these members and community partners, BikeTexas seeks to develop and steward the future of bicycling in Texas and encourage bicycle use as a healthy and mainstream lifestyle and transportation choice. More.

When you become a member of BikeTexas, you get these benefits:

A Voice in Austin and Washington, DC
BikeTexas.org website which is a member-supported, member-driven hub of information about bicycle safety, access, and education in the Lone Star State
BikeTexas Today eNewsletter
Action Alerts & Event Updates
Membership ID Card
BikeTexas Gear (with higher level membership)

Click here to join (or buy a gift membership) – starting at $30.

Then there’s the national level:

League of American Bicyclists - The League was founded as the League of American Wheelmen in 1880. Their mission is to promote bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and work through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. They do this by representing the interests of the nation’s 57 million cyclists. With a current membership of 300,000 affiliated cyclists, including 25,000 individuals and 700 affiliated organizations, the League works to bring better bicycling to your community.

When you become a member you are an integral part of the nation’s premier cycling organization that brings together more than 300,000 cyclists including a membership of 40,000 individuals and over 600 organizations. You also get these benefits:

6 issues per year of American Bicyclist magazine, including the annual Bicycle-Friendly America yearbook.
11 issues per year of Bicycling magazine.
Annual Mileage log.
Professional bike shipping discount.
Discounts to League events.
Discounts from participating retailers.

Click here to join (or buy a gift membership) – starting at $40.

Lots of Options:

If they are already members to these groups, there are plenty of other charitable organizations that are bike related: Alliance for Biking and Walking, Streetsblog.net, People for Bikes, Spokes for Folks, Pedal-Power and 88bikes – just to name a few.

Filed under: Advocacy, Good Causes, Bike DFW, Bike Texas, BikeDFW, BikeTexas, League of American Bicyclists

December 13, 2011 • 10:21 am 0

Way To Go, Plano!

I saw this NBC video on Facebook, talking about the city’s new bicycle signs. Click below to see the news report.

Filed under: Advocacy, Bike Change, Bike Friendly, Bike Signs, NBC News, Plano

December 9, 2011 • 6:20 pm 1

City of Richardson Receives “Safe Routes to School” Funding Grant

Again, if you get the City’s newsletter, you’ve probably already seen this:

The City of Richardson has been awarded federal funding through a Safe Routes to School grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for two schools in Richardson: Richland Elementary and Yale Elementary.

At Monday’s work session, the City Council was briefed by staff on the City’s efforts to acquire this funding, the status of the programmed projects and the improvements that will be made around the schools.

The work that will be funded by the grant includes installation of barrier-free ramps, sidewalks, bike routes, bike lanes and bike racks.

The City Council will consider a resolution to approve funding agreements with TxDOT at a future meeting. Click here to view the work session presentation.

This is fantastic news for families with kids going to these schools. This is especially good news to me, since one of these schools is in my neighborhood. We’re grateful that the City kept up with this, even after not getting selected the first time.

Filed under: Advocacy, Bike Change, City Stuff, Good Causes, City Of Richardson, Richland Elementary, Safe Routes To School, Texas, Yale Elementary

December 6, 2011 • 8:35 pm 1

Final DFW Cycling Savvy Class for 2011 – This Weekend

If you want to be a better road cyclist and commuter, getting some good training is always recommended. Along with the BikeDFW Traffic Skills 101 classes, you have an alternative option for becoming more skilled at riding – through the CyclingSavvy DFW group.

CyclingSavvy DFW is the Dallas/Fort Worth branch of the successful CyclingSavvy traffic cycling education program developed in Orlando, Florida. CyclingSavvy DFW‘s mission is to encourage safe, courteous, and practical bicycling in Dallas/Fort Worth through education and social events.

The CyclingSavvy class is a 3-part course designed to encourage, inspire, and empower. Train your bike and your mind to navigate safely and confidently anywhere in the DFW metroplex. Discover the tricks that make transportation by bike both fun and easy.

This weekend, is the last class for 2011. Click here to find out more information.

Filed under: Advocacy, Bike Education, Bike Education, Bike Training, Cycling Savvy, CyclingSavvyDFW

December 6, 2011 • 6:40 am 0

Coming February 1-3, 2012 – Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference

We met some of the Bike Texas folks at BFOC‘s Bicycle Fair last October and they were promoting an event that they helped organize in San Antonio next year. It’s the biennial Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference, aka the Texas Bike/Ped Summit.

Here is the info from their site:

Register Now! The biennial Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference, aka the Texas Bike/Ped Summit, is coming up fast! Engineers, planners, advocates and anyone interested in active transportation is invited to join us in San Antonio February 1-3, 2012, at El Tropicano hotel downtown on the Riverwalk.

Organized by BikeTexas and the Texas Trails Network, we have the strongest line up of Keynote Speakers in our history.

Former congressman Jim Oberstar, a true champion for bicycles over his 36 years in the U.S. Congress

The renowned Danish architect and urban design consultant Jan Gehl, who prioritizes bicyclists and pedestrians in his designs

John Burke, President of Trek Bicycles and life long dedicated bike advocate

Senator Rodney Ellis, Houston, a cyclist, and a friend of all Texas cyclists

This conference has something for everyone: Bike/Ped Coordinators, Advocates, Cycling Enthusiasts, Trail Builders/Advocates, Safe Routes to School Coordinators, Traffic Engineers, Public, and Private partnerships, Urban Planners, Teachers, and more. Earn education credits! For more details, click here to check out the conference website for daily updates, and “like” the conference Facebook page.

The full registration price is $350 and includes all meals and access to dozens of on- and off-site workshops, breakout sessions, and keynote speakers – everything you need to recharge your batteries and be inspired to make Texas a great place for trails and active transportation. I’d really like to make it out to this conference just to get a glimpse into what’s happening for cycling in Texas. I just hope that I can get the time.