Mayor & Council Survey – Paul Voelker
The second response to our questionnaire is from Paul Voelker, Place 5 City Council candidate (running unopposed). This will be Mr. Voelker’s first council term, so it’s great to get an in-advance look at his views on cycling. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
Mayor & Council Survey – Amir Omar
Bike Friendly Richardson sent a questionnaire to all of the Mayor and City Council candidates for the May municipal elections. We requested this information not to make an endorsement, but to gather knowledge of where the candidates stand on bicycling issues and provide this information as a service to our members. We will publish all responses here on the BFR blog.
The first response we have received to date comes from current Place 7 council member and mayoral candidate Amir Omar:
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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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TxDOT to Study US-75 Corridor from I-635 to Highway 121
From the City of Richardson‘s weekly newsletter:
The City Council on Monday discussed an ongoing TxDOT study of US-75 from I-635 to Highway 121. The study is designed to identify and address mobility needs in the corridor to meet future growth, enhance quality of life, support economic development and improve public safety.
The City of Richardson is developing a vision statement for the project, which identifies goals the City has for the project. Preliminary goals include finding congestion relief on both sides of US-75 and keeping the highway from becoming a greater vertical barrier. The City is also seeking to keep the highway easily accessible for local drivers and enhance pedestrian and bicycle mobility across the corridor.
Study leaders are examining several transportation alternatives in the corridor, including the addition of freeway lanes and managed lanes, arterial improvements and public transportation enhancements.
Watch the work session presentation at http://bit.ly/XHh1z1.
I have to say, I’m certainly glad the City is listening to it’s citizens. It seems like every planning meeting that I’ve attended had folks complaining about the vertical barrier of US-75, splitting the city into two – and that there aren’t any safe, south-side crossings for pedestrians and cyclists. I hope TxDOT takes that into serious consideration.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a nice pedestrian/bike underpass or bridge crossing US-75. south of Belt Line Road. We’ve got some great, under-highway passages on both sides of Renner Road. Let’s give some attention to our southern neighbors.
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Join BikeDFW and Head To Austin For Cyclists In Suits
From the BikeDFW blog:
Every two years in Texas, we get a unique opportunity to talk about cycling with people who can make a difference.
Save the date, take the day off and take a road trip with a bunch of friends to Austin to participate in your democracy. You’ll meet the people that represent you and, most importantly, let them know that you think more effort to accommodate bicycling is important for the future of your community and your state.
It cannot be stressed enough that numbers matter; we need representation from every congressional district in North Texas.
Don’t worry about jumping off the bus and not knowing what to do. Bike Texas will provide a thorough briefing on hot topics as well as tips and techniques for meeting and communicating with your legislators. They will also organize groups according to their legislative districts. It’s also OK if you just want to be a smiling face with a bicycling pin! Your interest and presence speaks volumes to your representatives.
BikeDFW has made arrangements for one-day, round-trip chartered bus trips from both Dallas and Fort Worth to Austin to participate in Cyclists in Suits for the very reasonable cost of $30 per person. The buses are luxury coaches and we will serve breakfast and coffee on board.
Dress: The name says it all, formal office attire makes the best impression and helps to break down the lycra stereotype, allowing for more effective communication. You can wear more casual clothes on the bus and change upon arrival, that is up to you.
Dallas area departure location: Richardson Bike Mart (SE corner, Coit and Campbell, Richardson)
Fort Worth area departure location: Trinity Bicycles (343 Throckmorton, Fort Worth)
Departure Time from both locations: 5:00am
Estimated return to both locations: 9:00pm
Purchase your ticket for Fort Worth or Dallas departure at the bottom of this page.
Schedule in Austin:
The agenda per Bike Texas is as follows (more details on the Bike Texas site:https://www.biketexas.org/news/biketexasevents):
8:30am – Beginning Brief (Capitol Extension, Room E1.004)
Get briefed on the important issues and learn best practices for meeting with legislators.
9:30am – Meet your Legislators (through mid-afternoon)
Visit legislative offices and meet with legislators and their staff about the Complete Streets Bill and other bills of concern to Texas cyclists. In the course of the day, we will see the House or the Senate in session. We’ll take a group photo with the capitol as our backdrop.
Lunch – Capital Grill (expect about $10 per person)
4:00 pm — Happy Hour (Bike Texas HQ at 1902 E 6th St.)
Depart Austin: approximately 5:30 pm
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Richardson City Council Awards Bid for Central Trail Construction
From the City of Richardson weekly newsletter:
The City Council on Monday awarded a bid of $3.4 million to Ed Bell Construction Company to extend the Central Trail 1.9 miles from the Arapaho Road DART Station to the southern city limit. Construction of the 10-foot wide concrete multiuse trail is expected to begin in April and last for about one year.
The $4 million project is funded through Dallas County and the City of Richardson’s 2010 Bond Program. The lowest bid to construct the trail came in about $400,000 over budget, so the City removed some amenities such as irrigation systems, landscaping, and benches to be constructed in a possible second phase at a future date. The City also hopes to use $600,000 in Regional Tollway Revenue funds awarded for the Central Trail to help enhance the project.
The Central Trail currently runs from the Spring Creek Trail in north Richardson and ends at the Arapaho Road DART Station. The extension will run alongside the DART rail line and is planned to eventually connect with the Richardson city limit to the south and a future connection to the Dallas’ White Rock Creek Trail.
Watch the City Council presentation at http://bit.ly/V6oiYQ.
We are extremely excited that this is happening and we’d still like to see the small gap in the plan addressed.
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From The Suggestion Box – We Need More Bike Lids At Our DART Stations
One of the things we like to do at BFR, is listen to our community. We’ve had our Suggestion Box open for those who have ideas and suggestions on better ways to improve our community for cyclists.
BFR reader Sam, sent this in:
We need a whole lot more bike lids at our DART stations. I ride the train most days but there isn’t space on them for my bike and I don’t need it once I’m downtown. I’m sure there are others that would like to do the same thing but don’t want to risk the inevitable stolen/vandalized bike.
We’ve got four stations serving over 100,000 residents with a grand total of four bike lids. Ludicrous! Who do we bother at DART about this? If they won’t do it, will they let the city do it for them? We know who to bother there.
So how about it, folks? Do you have any ideas about who to talk to? How can we get this addressed? Post your ideas and answers here or on Facebook.
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Happy New Year – 2013
Happy New Year from your friends at Bike Friendly Richardson. We hope you had a safe start to the year and you get to enjoy many rides in 2013.
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The Signs Of Our Times
We just wanted to share some of the signs that you might have been seeing along the road in Richardson. Starting several months back, the City of Richardson has been adding these to a number of locations around town, many of them appear right where you enter the city.
We think these are a nice little welcome into our city, a good way to make motorists bike-aware, and a great way to articulate that we are a bike friendly community.
We feel that these are a nice additions to the cycling infrastructure and a good compliment to our trails and bike lanes.
They’re pretty self-explanitory, but here is the City of Richardson‘s description of each:
In addition to bicycle lanes, the City is installing “Share the Road” signs on Renner Road where hundreds of cyclists ride many evenings and weekends despite the higher vehicle speeds and volumes. On some collector roadways and residential streets we simply provide a Bike Route sign without a dedicated lane. Below are examples of these different signs and characteristics associated with each facility type.
Share the Road – This sign is posted on routes where vehicular traffic may encounter larger volumes of cyclists even though it is not a dedicated bike route or bike lane. Cyclists are legally permitted on these roadways so these signs are to make motorists aware of the presence of bicycles and to remind them to give the same rights to the bicycles as they would to motorized vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.)
Bike Route – This sign is posted along roadways in the city that have lower traffic volumes than “share the road” streets, and will help cyclists connect from bike lane to bike lane or between an off-street trail and an on-street bike lane. These routes may carry higher volumes than streets with designated bike lanes, but most of these routes are located on collectors or residential streets versus arterials.
Bike Lane – This sign is located along roadways that have a dedicated bike lane. There are currently six bike lanes located in Richardson and more are proposed as future funding is available. This bike lane sign will also be accompanied by white pavement markings of the cyclist symbol and a solid white stripe separating motorized traffic from the bicycles.
For some reason the city didn’t put up a description for the Bike May Use Full Lane signs. To us, those are just as important, if not more informative than the others. You’d be surprised to know that many motorists AND cyclists don’t realize that this is the law.
I’d love to have a set for my garage or office. 😉
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Happy Holidays 2012 From Your Friends At Bike Friendly Richardson
May peace and joy be yours during this wonderful season and the coming New Year.
Ride on!
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