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

From the City of Richardson newsletter:

Today, the Richardson Parks and Recreation Department closed a portion of the Breckinridge Trail in Breckinridge Park due to erosion damage. The impacted section is located at the pedestrian bridge between park entrances A and B. A timeline for repairs is still being determined, and it is unknown at this time when the trail may re-open.

Alternate routes are available in the park for trail use.

Click here to download a larger map.

It’s finally happening. Dallas is starting to become a bike friendly city. Not only are we beginning to see bike friendly businesses, but also places that are actually built for cyclists. Dallas Bicycle Cafe is now one of those destinations. Parked close to both the White Rock Creek Trail and the DART White Rock Station, this place will be a great hub for cyclists and commuters. Here’s there information:

Dallas Bicycle Cafe
Addresss: 7510 E. Northwest Hwy, Dallas, TX 75214
Phone: Not Available Yet
Website: http://www.DallasBicycleCafe.com Not Up Yet
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BicycleCafeDallas
Hours: 
Tue – Thu: 6:00 am-10:00 pm
Fri – Sat: 6:00 am-12:00 am
Sun: 6:00 am-10:00 pm
Description: Health Food, Green Nutrition, Coffee, Tea, Beer, Wine, Bicycle Storage Lockers, Changing Room. @White Rock Lake

For more information, check out this post over at BikingInDallas.

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.

A fellow cyclist has fallen and needs your help. From their Facebook page:

We are working on a fundraiser for our fellow cyclist Misty “Liberty Kat” who was seriously injured on a group ride recently. She sustained broken bones and even a fracture in her neck among other things–she was wearing a helmet or the damage might have been worse. We’re happy to report that Liberty is out of the ICU where she was Care Flighted and she seems to be recovering quite well with the help all of your positive thoughts and well wishes.

The fundraiser is January 29th at the AMAZING Fitzgerald Loft at 2814 Canton in Deep Ellum. We are SO LUCKY to have generous people like Sean & Karen Kohler Fitzgerald in our community, so please make sure you thank them for their hospitality when you meet them

Your donation of $10 at the door gets live entertainment and FREE BEER which is being donated by the kind folks at Franconia Brewery!

Raffle tickets will be sold for our long list of AWESOME prizes (see comments section for details). Prize values are $20-$600!

If you own a business or have connections to anyone who may be interested in donating cash or items for raffle/auction at the event, please contact either Toni Youngblood or Susan Reeves ASAP.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE $ DIRECTLY TO LIBERTY

Every little bit counts – even $5 or $10. These donations my not pay for all of her bills, but will help her get back on her feet.

Date: Sunday, January 29, 2012
Time: 1:00pm until 6:00pm
Location: Fitzgerald Loft at 2814 Canton in Deep Ellum
Cover: $10 Donation at the door (FREE beer) – Raffle tickets will also be sold.

For some reason, I always miss this event. This year, I’m going to do my best to make it out to the 5th Annual Great Southwest Bike Swap Meet. This is a one-day event where bicycle shops, frame builders and independent bike geeks can buy, sell, trade and show bicycle stuff. Sounds like a perfect way to spend a Sunday.

Date: Sunday, March 4, 2012
Time: 9:00am – 2:00pm
Location: RESOURCE CONNECTION OF TARRANT COUNTY
1100 Circle Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76119-8111

The Resource Connection of Tarrant County Campus is located on the south side of Fort Worth, off of I-20 and Campus Drive (Exit 439), One exit east of the I-20/I-35W interchange, north of I-20.

The event will be in building 2300 on the north side of the campus. The entrance and exit will be on the northwest corner of the building and will be clearly marked.

Admission: FREE to the public

RAFFLE PRIZES: Raffle tickets will be on sale for $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. Drawings will be held every half-hour for raffle prizes to those present, with a grand prize set of Mavic wheels to be drawn at the close of the show. Must be present to win raffle prizes.

For more information call Rick at Colonel’s Bicycles (817) 924-1333.

According to this week’s newsletter from the city:

Repair work on Spring Creek Trail has been completed by the contractor ahead of schedule, and other than some cleanup work still taking place over the next several days, the trail is open for all users once again.

The trail was closed in three phases beginning Jan. 3, and the rehabilitation work along the 1.1 mile section had been expected to last until Feb. 7. The City contractor removed and replaced concrete trail sections that had been damaged by tree roots and shifting soil.

I wonder if these are place holders until they get money to finish out the painted bike lanes on Collins.

View From Plano Road Facing South (to Collins intersection)

View of Collins - Westbound

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.

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.


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!

BFR friend Mike Freiberger sent us a note warning us of some dangerous ice conditions on the Owens Trail just west of the bridge (GPS coordinates N32.985141,W-96.690661). Based on these coordinates, it’s the part of the trail between Lookout Park and Sherrill Park Golf Course. According to the city, the problem is a drainage issue. The Parks and Recreation Department is assessing how best to rectify the drainage problem. Very soon the problem will be corrected.

Until then, with these freezing days ahead of us, please be careful out there. Watch out for ice, not only on the Owens Trail, but anywhere water might be collected. If you see any hazards within the city parks or trail system, please let the city know.

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