Our First Trail Cleanup Day Was A Success
My Trail Cleanup Rig
Richardson continues to impress us with their network of great bike and pedestrian access routes throughout the city. As part of that, we have some really nice multi-purpose trails. However, over time and through excessive usage, they have’ve gotten covered in litter, animal waste and broken glass. Instead of complaining about the mess, Bike Friendly Richardson decided to take the maintenance and care of our trail network into our own hands.
My Bike with Howard and His Goat, Billy
We scheduled our first, hopefully of many, Trail Clean Up Days. Given such short notice, and everybody’s busy schedules, our first turnout wasn’t that great. We did get a few volunteers from all around the city, as well as somebody from our neighboring city, Plano. The plan was to try and fill as many trash bags (provided by the city) as possible in two hours.
Overall, we were pretty successful in filling 8-10 bags—not bad for a small group of people. Think about what we could have accomplished with more volunteers. There was still a lot more trash on the trail that we couldn’t get to. Perhaps we’ll get it all the next time.
Our goal is to do this more often than not—hopefully in other parts of the city as well. We only hope is that we’ve inspired other people to get out there and care for the public areas near them. This is our city, and we need to take responsibility for it.
Getting The Trash Beyond The Trail
Recap – Cyclists In Suits – Texas Bicycle Lobby Day 2013
Image ©BikeTexas.org – Please visit their site.
When I first heard about the BikeTexas event, Cyclists In Suits, my first thought was (like perhaps a Tweed Ride) this is a bike ride where folks dressed up and rode around the capital. I would soon discover that this was not a dapper critical mass, nor did it even involve getting on my bike. Cyclists In Suits was not an event to show state legislature that we can gather for a ride, but rather, we can gather and have a productive discussion about bicycle policy in Texas.
Cyclists In Suits is a biennial event held during the Texas Legislature’s regular sessions. It is great opportunity for Texas cyclists to share their love of cycling with their state legislators. The goal is to have cyclists from every legislative district in Texas visit the capitol with our staff and remind the legislature that we are voters and we want them to represent our cycling interests.
The next thing that ran through my head was, I’m not a lobbyist, nor am I a very political person. Why would I want to participate in this event? The answer is, I LOVE CYCLING, and I will do everything I can to make it better in Texas. The least I could do was add myself to the head count and show the Texas legislature that there are many constituents who care about cycling.
Our local advocacy group, BikeDFW, hosted a bus ride to Austin that day – which I joined. The trip involved departing from DFW at 5:00 am, arriving in Austin to participate in lobby activities, network with like-minded advocates from all over the state, then return that evening. It was a really long day.
Although the group on the bus was very diverse, ranging in gender, race and cycling style, I was hoping to have a better balance of the different bike cultures. Perhaps, as cycling becomes more popular among the non-sports crowd, we’ll see more of that. Regardless of the balance of cyclist types, this group was fantastic. There’s something to be said about shedding the lycra, cleats, helmets and skinny jeans and seeing bicyclists unite for a common cause. On the bus, we weren’t ‘racers’, ‘roadies’, ‘commuters’, ‘critical mass-ers’, ‘fashionistas’ ‘VCs’ or ‘weekend riders’. We were, simply, cyclists.
When we got to Austin, we were greeted by the BikeTexas folks. They escorted us to the capital building and into a room they had reserved for the bicycle lobbyist. We were each given a couple of bags of bicycle lapel pins to hand out to anybody wanting to show support. We then got a quick tutorial on who we would be talking to and the best way to communicate to them. We also learned about the bills they were currently trying to push through, HB 2225 – Safe Passing (SB1515 – Safe Passing) and HB 1102 – Complete Streets (SB 565 – Complete Streets). There were more bills for cyclists, but the goal was to remain focused on these two for better impact with legislators – who meet with many different types of lobbyists, daily.
Fresh Of The Bus, Heading To The Capital Building
After the briefing, we were split into smaller groups and given folders containing all the information about these bills. We were to go to our selected offices, introduce ourselves as constituents and pass on the folder that represented their district. The expectation was set that we most likely wouldn’t meet with the actual Senator or Representative, but rather their staff. That was the case for all of my group’s visits, and most of the staff that we encountered were very receptive and happy to meet with us.
Jay Helping Us Lobby
After our lunch break, the whole group met at the Senate Gallery for a Reading of Special Resolution. When that was finished, we were asked to take a moment, visit the Senator and Representative from our own districts and sign their visitor log books. For my part of Richardson, this was Representative Angie Chen Button and Senator Ken Paxton. You can click here to find yours.
Texas Senate Session
Once we were finished lobbying, we all gathered on the steps of the capital building for a group picture, where we were joined by Texas Senator Rodney Ellis. It was nice to see such a large group representing Texas cyclists, but I wouldn’t mind seeing it get larger.
Bike Pins Everywhere – Showing Support
Later that afternoon, we walked over to the BikeTexas headquarters for a group happy hour. Here we were able to meet and discuss the events of the day as well as the things we learned. It was nice to network with other cycling advocates from around the state.
BikeTexas Happy Hour
BikeTexas HQ
We finished out the trip with the long bus ride back to Dallas. On the bus, I was able to reflect on what I learned that day. Here are a few:
– Cyclists in Suits is not a bike ride.
– Lobbying isn’t just for the politically minded. It’s for anybody who cares about a cause.
– Cycling policy affects all bicycle cultures. If you care, you should try to get involved.
– Texas Legislators are there to listen to their constituents. Talk to them.
– It costs a lot of money to hold these events and sponsor bus rides. If you like what is being done, you should join or support BikeDFW and BikeTexas.
Bicycle Networking
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Recap and Pics From The Richardson Christmas Parade
This is exactly the direction we want Bike Friendly Richardson to head. We want Richardson cyclists to have organic and spontaneous group rides that are organized by anybody interested in setting one up.
A few weeks ago, a couple of folks on the BFR Facebook page were wondering if there will be a BFR participation in the annual City of Richardson Christmas parade. With our busy schedules and efforts put into setting up our annual Black Friday Ride, we just didn’t have the bandwidth to sign up for the parade.
Fortunately, those folks, Crystalyn and Josh, took it upon themselves to jump in and get it set up. We’re glad they did.
The day of the parade, we had a great variety of bikes, including one with a kid trailer, one with a couple of dogs leashed on, an urban cruiser, a couple of family truckster cargo bikes (loaded with kiddos) and even a penny farthing bike – all decked out with holiday lights and decorations. Even the riders were dressed with festive gear. All together, we had 12 bikes and 16 participants.
The ride itself was mostly stop-and-go or very slow paced, which made it easy to enjoy each other’s company, as well as the spectacle of the parade. The ‘super mom’ (I actually heard that term used by a spectator) family trucksters and the penny farthing bike got a lot of crowd’s attention.
Participation in the parade was our way to build on our bike community, make more folks aware of Bike Friendly Richardson and to just have fun. To our surprise, we found out that we won an award from the city. The Bike Friendly Richardson parade crew won 1st place in the ‘Civic Clubs/Organizations Mixed Unit Category’. Not bad for our first time out.
The parade was a big success for the city as well. They said there were 115 parade entries, and 2400 participants. Also, 1200 toys were donated, as well as $2,200 for Network of Community Ministries – a great way to kick off the holidays.
Since this ride was such a great success, we’ll definitely add it to our annual group ride list. We hope you can make it out to the next one.
Here are some pics from the parade. Click here to see the entire set.
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Pics From Bike Friendly Oak Cliff’s Cyclesomatic Bike Fair & Spooky Cyclocross 2012
Yesterday, Bike Friendly Richardson, was invited to have a table at the Cyclesomatic Bike Fair – hosted by Bike Friendly Oak Cliff. It started off a bit chilly, but it ended up being a great day.
Along with many booths and a huge crowd, there was a cyclocross race. I’d never seen one in person, so it was pretty exciting to watch.
There was also a bike powered smoothie station hosted by BikeDFW as well as representatives from Metroplex BMX, Pedal Power, Bicycles, Inc and ReGeared. Good Karma Kitchen was there with some tasty food and the youngsters in the crowd were entertained by a bounce house and fantastic face painting. If that wasn’t enough, there was a BMX Stunt show.
Here are some pics of the event. Click here to see the entire set.
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Pics From The BikeDFW Fall Meetup
Last night BFR attended the BikeDFW Fall Meetup at REI in Dallas. It was a room full of bike fans and advocates, who came to listen to some great presentations from Dave Carter, from the City of Richardson and Julia McCleeary from the City of Fort Worth. Both cities are leading the DFW Metroplex with strong bike plans that are actually underway.
You can read more about the event on the Bike Friendly Garland Blog.
Here are some pics from the meeting. Click here to see the set.
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BikeDFW Fall Meet Up – TONIGHT, Oct 22
Please join us! BikeDFW’s Fall Meet Up will be on Monday evening, October 22, 2012.
Come network with other cyclists and learn about what’s going on at BikeDFW and in our local communities to encourage cycling. Our speakers will discuss how the two bike-friendliest cities in the DFW metroplex (Fort Worth and Richardson) got to be that way and what they’ve got in store for the future.
Speakers:
Julia McCleeary
Senior Planner
Transportation and Planning Division
City of Fort Worth
Dave Carter
Assistant Director
Traffic and Transportation
Department of Development Services
City of Richardson
Just added (10/17/2012)
Short presentations by the Fort Worth Mayor’s Office (MaryAnn Means) and Bike Friendly Fort Worth on grass roots advocacy.
Refreshments will be served.
The Meet Up is open to the public and admission is free, but space is limited so you must RSVP to reserve a spot.
WHERE
4515 LBJ Fwy
Dallas, TX 75244
United States
Google map and directions
CONTACT
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Red, White and Bike 2 – Ride To See The Fireworks At Breckinridge Park
We’re heading out to see the fireworks again. Join us for the Red, White and Bike 2 ride – a slow paced, evening ride out to Breckinridge Park to enjoy the July 4th celebration. We’ll meet up at the Kroger parking lot (at W. Campbell and N. Shiloh Rd) and make the trek out to east Richardson, just in time to hear the concert and catch the fireworks show.
Be sure to pack lots of drinks, snacks & mosquito spray and don’t forget to bring your lights. Feel free to dress up your bike in patriotic colors.
Date: Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Time: Meet up about 6:45 – Ride out about 7:00
Ride Start: Kroger Parking Lot (W. Campbell @ N. Shiloh Rd)
Route: Slow Paced – some street and some trails. Please bring your helmets and lights. Click here for map.
RSVP: Via Facebook
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Pics From The North Texas Vintage Bicycle Swap Meet – Garland
Yesterday, we drove out to Garland, Texas to check out the North Texas Vintage Bicycle Swap Meet – sponsored by Don Johle’s Bike World and Rat Rod Bikes. I love bike swap meets because they’re clearing houses for bike hoarders – my kind of people. Fortunately, my wife always comes along and brings me back to reality. Otherwise, we would have a garage full of bikes and no money to pay the mortgage.
Instead, I satisfy my vintage bike addiction with my hoards of photographs. Here are a few (click here to see the set).
We did discover a great new (to us) bike shop. While at the swap meet, we popped into Don Johle’s Bike World to check it out. It was a small, run-down, mom & pop type establishment with an odd mix of road bikes, BMX bikes, mountain bikes, and cruisers – as well as a few cool vintage restorations (mostly BMX). What won us over was the really friendly staff, who you could tell, really loves bikes.
We also ran into couple of BFR friends: Jonathan Braddick from Bike Friendly Oak Cliff as well as Jonathan Guzman from the bike blog: A Bicycle’s Point Of View. Here is a great write up that Jonathan Guzman did for the Swap Meet.
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How to Create a Bike to Work Day Event
Now that Bike Friendly Richardson has successfully held our very first Bike To Work Day event, we’d like to share the steps we took to make it happen. One of the goals for this year’s event was that it could serve as a template and an inspiration to other bicycling groups, cities, and organizations for next year and the years to come.
Bike Friendly Richardson is an all-volunteer group with no operating budget. So once we decided that we wanted to have breakfast for bike commuters, we knew that we would need financial sponsorship from another organization. BikeDFW was our main partner for this event. They provided a tent, chairs, tables, coolers, literature, and paid for coffee and pastries. BikeDFW was also instrumental in reaching out to DART and securing permission to use Arapaho Center Station as our venue, and getting Richardson Bike Mart’s participation in sending one of their mechanics to provide free bicycle tune-ups.
Once we had a venue, Richard contacted local stores and restaurants to see who could donate hot food and some more drinks. Whole Foods, Taco Republic, and The Egg And I all graciously agreed to be a part of the event. Dr. Pepper Snapple Group also donated bottled water and handed out Neuro Energy drinks. It was also a good opportunity for these businesses to get more recognition in the community and we were glad to be able to work with them.
We also cooperated with the City of Richardson by notifying them of the event, and checking whether we needed to fill out any permit information. Additionally, the City’s Bicycle Coordinator, Dave Carter, provided us with maps of Richardson’s bicycle facilities to hand out at the event.
BikeDFW President, Marc Mumby, designed an event poster, which we posted on Facebook, blogs, and asked our sponsors to post in their shops and online. BikeDFW helped us coordinate volunteers to pick up the equipment and supplies, set up and run the booth, and take down the booth and return the equipment to BikeDFW.
Now that we have a relationship with some community partners, and have been through the steps involved, we have a better idea of how to put future events together.
With a Bike to Work Day event, it’s important to decide what your event is about, and plan accordingly. Some Bike To Work Day events, as our neighbor to the west, Steve A. noted, can seem to be more about cyclists than for cyclists, if the event schedule or location doesn’t reflect cyclists’ actual commuting habits.
We tried to make our event about appreciation of and support for commuters and aspiring commuters, so we scheduled the event from 7 AM to 9:30 AM. We probably could have even opened it up a little bit earlier. We also did our best to choose a location that was on multiple commuting routes. Arapaho Center Station is the busiest of Richardson’s four DART stations, is popular with multi-modal cyclists, and is also located next to the Central Trail. As well, it’s not uncommon to see folks cycling down Greenville early in the morning. By my unofficial count, we had about 30 cyclists stop at the booth. Some were on their regular route and a few made a detour for some hot breakfast and to talk shop. The bicycle tune-ups were utilized and definitely appreciated! Although we weren’t sure what to expect, we believe our first Bike To Work Day was a great success.
-Jenny Rilling
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Pics From The 2012 WildRide! Are On SuburbanAssault.org
This past weekend, we got to participate in the 9th annual Richardson WildRide! Against Cancer benefitting the Methodist Richardson Cancer Center, home of the Lance Armstrong Shaped Beam SurgeryTM program. This year, Jenny and her husband James and I rode the 40 mile route.
Click over to SuburbanAssault.org to see some pics from the event.
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Bike Friendly Richardson 
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