Texas Bicycling News Digest December 12th 2017
Austin to Maine, by way of Anchorage
By Patrick Meaux | www.crazyguyonabike.com
Day 24 Saturday 12/5/17 Amtrak El Paso to New Orleans
Friday December 8, 2017, 25 miles (40 km) – Total so far: 733 miles (1,180 km)
I rode from Clint to El Paso on last Saturday…rode was Ok to good…drivers were responsible giving leaway when necessary…overall a nice ride on the way to the train depot.
I spent a few days in the motel in Clint waiting for train connections…it wasn’t that difficult…food was plentiful, good books to read on my cell from my local library…and the people I met were curious about my travel mode and interesting to visit with…once again, life is good on the Southern Tier.
The train ride was great…several people on their way to the …
Redline Trail Public Meeting
austintexas.gov
Funded by the 2016 Mobility Bond, the Red Line Trail will connect Braker Lane and the CapMetro Kramer Red Line Station to the existing Northern Walnut Creek trail system. The trail location is from Northern Walnut Creek Trail to Braker along the Red Line Rail. Funding has been provided for the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER), design, and construction of this trail. Currently, staff is drafting the PER. The PER evaluates all the environmental constraints of the project including: topography, drainage, various soil types, tree canopy, wildlife habitat, floodplain, surrounding land uses, location of utilities, cultural assessments, critical environmental features, endangered species, property ownership, as well as several other elements. …
C.O.P. – Cyclist On Patrol
The Tip | www.bikemojo.com
I was thinking about making up a tee shirt with that printed on it. Maybe with a sub text of “keeping your home safer.”
We need to change the perception of cyclists. Change from being regarded as pests, to being known as good for society. And we are. Studies have shown that trails increase property values and lower crime. No study that I can find says that a trail increased crime. But this is what adjacent home owners are always afraid of when new trail is being proposed. New trails should be easily welcomed, not so vehemently protested.
So just maybe a non-riding home owner will see the shirt and ask what it means. Then I can educate them to the benefits of having riders on close by trail.
Just half a brain storming.
Dumb idea? …
Local Roundup: Tobin Ortenblad cements lead in pro cyclocross series with pair of wins in Texas
By Sentinel staff | www.santacruzsentinel.com
Tobin Ortenblad of Santa Cruz won back-to-back races this weekend in Texas at the Resolution Cross Cup. The wins cemented his lead in the USA Cycling Professional Cyclocross (ProCX) overall standings for Elite Men.
Ortenblad had to strain to drop Michael van den Ham, the newly crowned Canadian Cyclocross national champion, on the final lap Saturday. He …
Best and Worst of Dallas Culture in 2017
Caroline North | www.dallasobserver.com
You have to take the good with the bad. Getting the ratios right is the tricky part. How did Dallas’ cultural scene fare in 2017? Hey, we just report. You decide.
… Other exciting new Dallas developments, like the arrival of multiple stationless bike-sharing companies, had unintended negative consequences. All over the city, people can be seen pedaling bikes rented from VBike, Spin, Limebike and OFO, but some bikes are sequestered while others are left piled in inconvenient and even hazardous places, like the middle of the Santa Fe Bike Trail. …
Bid on Professional Planning Services to Develop a Comprehensive Plan Update and Related Deliverable for El Paso County’s Historic Mission Trail Area in El Paso
www.texasbids.net
Owner Solic Number: 18-006 Status: bidding Report: 8202554
Country : United States State: TX County: El Paso Location: El Paso
Scope: Professional planning services to develop a comprehensive plan update and related deliverable for historic mission trail area.
Notes: Deadline for questions Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 12:00 p.m.
Plans: From Owner. See attached files.
Update Notes: Addendum #1, issued. See attached file.
Owner Type: Public
Buyer: El Paso County, Purchasing Dept. …
Austin Orders Up a Street That Puts Transit, Biking, and Walking First
By Angie Schmitt | usa.streetsblog.org
You’d never know by looking at the allocation of space on Guadalupe Street that it’s one of Austin’s busiest routes for walking and transit — cars get most of the real estate. But that could change soon.
Known locally as “The Drag,†Guadalupe Street is a busy commuting route to downtown as well as a commercial street. It also borders the University of Texas campus and sees enormous foot traffic.
During the daily peak on the busiest mile of Guadalupe Street, about …
Find a home for the Frisco dome?
Racer_Ex | www.bikeforums.net
Just found out that the Community College District has given notice to the City of Frisco (they run the Frisco Velodrome, it sits on land owned by the CCD) will not be renewing their lease.
If folks are involved in planning out a velodrome somewhere, this might drop the initial cost of building quite a bit…to the best of my knowledge the substructure could be taken apart and moved.
Sad to see that track going away. …
BikeHouston, LINK, BCycle Letter Opposing Dockless Pilot Program
bikehouston.org
The Honorable Sylvester Turner
Mayor
City of Houston
901 Bagby Street
Houston, Texas 77002
Dear Mayor Turner:
Thank you very much for all of your efforts to date to create a pilot program for new dockless bike technology in Houston. We particularly appreciate ARA’s hard work in navigating these new waters.
As you know, Houston Bike Share (HBS) is a non-profit that has successfully launched and operated a docked bike sharing system in the City for the last five years. HBS has closely studied the evolution of dockless bike sharing in Asia and now in the United States. HBS and the biking community share the same goals with the City of Houston and would like to assist as we have over the last five years in making biking and bike share a success in …
Texas Bicycling from Twitter
@BikeHouston @ArtAcevedo this is still an ongoing issue with our dedicated bike lane. 👎 https://t.co/LmRZV78ynh
— Critical Mass Houston (@HoustonCM) December 12, 2017
If you're in #Houston, don't miss our Safer Roads Together event Dec. 16 in George Bush Park with @BikeHouston & @BikeLeague … Hope to see you there! #Zero4Life pic.twitter.com/x5FamuMeQO
— CEMEX USA (@CEMEX_USA) December 12, 2017
Thank you Traveller for mentioning Bcycle as one of the 20 reasons to visit San Antonio!!https://t.co/fJPuAcwwNQ
— San Antonio Bike Share (@SABikeShare) December 12, 2017
Rad course?âœ”ï¸ Found my limits?âœ”ï¸ Had fun?âœ”ï¸ Great weekend of exciting Cyclocross racing… https://t.co/KyCecXzbwb
— Stefan Rothe (@stefanrothe) December 12, 2017
Dallas to consider rules for bike-sharing companies in 2018 https://t.co/4NGboNTiQc pic.twitter.com/tR1klo74PP
— WFAA (@wfaa) December 12, 2017
Teach 'em young! Save the future! pic.twitter.com/hegCZ6aysI
— Critical Mass Houston (@HoustonCM) December 12, 2017
New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar
New Event Tommy Ketterhagen Memorial Road Race at Oatmeal – Bertram, TX Tommy Ketterhagen Memorial Road Race at Oatmeal at Bertram, TXhttps://t.co/EAUKbrnWJp
Presented by Driveway Series & Holland Racing
Family Ride
Tommy Ketterhagen Memorial Family… https://t.co/Ux1VqPoG5U
— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) December 12, 2017
New Event Tour de Southern Walnut Creek Trail – Austin, TX For full details, including the address, and to RSVP see:https://t.co/7lim9Z5boi
Austin Cycling MeetupWhat we'll doÂ
We're riding out at 10 AM for the winter!A moderate C-pace ride (roughly… https://t.co/kDtPAfbYlw
— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) December 13, 2017