Texas Biking News January 6th 2022

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Video: Longview’s Mobberly Ave. project to improve pedestrian, cyclist access

By Jamey Boyum | kltv.com

LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – The City of Longview wants residents’ input about the Mobberly Complete Street Project. Construction is over a year away, but they will be building a mock-up on a couple blocks of Mobberly Avenue to give residents a chance to try it out and offer feedback.

Mobberly Avenue is a main thoroughfare from north to south on the south side of Longview. City Spokesman Shawn Hara said it is well-used, but it is not necessarily heavy traffic.

“It doesn’t have probably the amount of traffic that you would need for the five lanes that are there. So that’s where, in looking at this, we feel like we should be able to reduce down the car traffic and enhance the pedestrian traffic,” Hara said.

Shawn says it’s called a “Complete Street” project. But isn’t Mobberly already a complete street? Well, yes, but no. …

Greetings from up around the "Blue Bunny". Marine Creek Loop, north FtW. from dfwbike

I’m so frustrated with people and the debris in the bike lanes. from BikingATX

Flower Mound Mayor’s Message — January 2022

By CTG Staff | www.crosstimbersgazette.com

Hello, Flower Mound! It’s 2022, and just like most of you, I’ve been thinking about my New Year’s resolutions and focusing on some of Town Council’s priorities for the year ahead. As I thought through our upcoming projects, I realized so many of them are focused on improving or creating new quality of life amenities and infrastructure. …

… We’ll also spend the year completing a major update to our Trails and Bikeways Master Plan. The master plan will ultimately identify and prioritize enhancements and expansions of the trail and bikeway system within town. Town staff and our consultants on this project collected community input throughout 2021 through surveys and in-person and virtual meetings. On Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, staff and our consultants will present draft recommendations for the master plan, which is reflective of the community input we’ve received so far. Join us for an open house at Town Hall at 5:30 p.m., during which time we’ll seek residents’ feedback on the recommendations. Feel free to stay for a Parks Board meeting at 6:30 p.m., which will include a presentation to the Board. To learn more about the master plan and the process we’ve used to develop it, please visit www.flowermoundtrailsplan.com. …

Council OKs City Transportation Master Plan

Alyssa Gonzales | www.sanmarcosrecord.com

During Tuesday’s San Marcos City Council meeting, councilmembers discussed and voted on the second reading regarding changes in the city’s Master Transportation Plan. After much consideration, the council voted to pass the plan that includes the Thoroughfare and Bicycle Plan which will modify various roadway alignments and bicycle facility classifications.

Previously, city council recommended unanimous approval of the item including the five recommendations and discussion items presented by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Throughout the discussion, Mayor Jane Hughson brought up concerns regarding lane removals due to changes with the bicycle lanes. Councilmember Shane Scott …

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New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Weather Pessimist Biking Kingwood Streets

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I probably was a little too pessimistic about the weather today. I thought the cold front would arrive around 1 PM so I decided to ride Kingwood streets and finish before the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. I began at 11:10 AM and finished at 12:34 PM. As I rode the wind did pick up and the clouds parted for blue sky to show but the temperature didn’t drop, instead going up a couple of degrees after I finished the bike ride. I biked 18.2 miles moving my week total to 44.2 road miles an January to 74.7 road miles. Tomorrow will probably be a Zwift ride with the high in the 50’s.

No noise from the Canyon Endurace chain on today’s bike ride. Yesterday I heated up my Fry Baby, melted new Gulfwax and waxed the chain. I need to repeat that on my Lynskey R300 soon.

I’m learning a new video editing program Openshot to replace the Adobe Premier Elements that would not install after my recovery from erasing Windows 11 and going back to Windows 10. Transitions between clips is different and I need to find some Creative Commons music I can add to the Relive clip and the intro title.

Weather conditions: start 66 (humidity 74%, dew point 57), overcast, wind variable 5 mph; finish 67 (humidity 67%, dew point 56), mostly cloudy, wind NW 13 mph. I’m glad I wore shorts, leg warmers, a long sleeve thermal jersey and a windbreaker jacket. With the wind increasing during the ride the wind chill was noticeable.

1-6-2022 Strava Bike Ride Summary
1-6-2022 Strava Bike Ride Summary
1-6-2022 RWGPS Bike Ride Map
1-6-2022 RWGPS Bike Ride Map

Texas Biking News January 5th 2022

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These North Texas cities are among the hardest places in the country to get and stay fit

By Sarah Bahari | www.dallasnews.com

A new study evaluated which cities are the easiest and most difficult to maintain an active lifestyle.

For many of us, a new year ushers in new fitness resolutions. But does where we live influence whether those resolutions are successful?

A new study found that Irving residents and a handful of other North Texas cities might have a tougher time getting — and staying — fit.

Personal finance website WalletHub compared the 100 biggest U.S. cities based on 34 metrics, including average fees for fitness club memberships; the number of trails, playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts per capita; the presence of bike sharing programs; and the …

Bike got stolen last night from my own backyard. It has a lock in the middle of it already attached. If you see this bike please let me know! from BikingATX

Saddle up for Bike Friendly Oak Cliff’s tweed ride this weekend

By Rachel Stone | oakcliff.advocatemag.com

Bike Friendly Oak Cliff brings back one of its signature events this weekend with a stylish group ride from Fair Park to Bishop Arts.

The tweed ride starts at noon Sunday, Jan. 9, at the front entrance of Fair Park. Ride leaders will explain some of the architecture and history during a tour of Fair Park before taking off for Deep Ellum and Downtown. …

Houston bike share hopes to expand transportation options in underserved communities

Gail Delaughter | www.houstonpublicmedia.org

BCycle’s new board president says she’d like to see a network of neighborhood stations along with more payment options to access the system.

After starting with just a handful of bikes in 2012, Houston’s nonprofit bike share has expanded to more than 130 stations citywide.

The bikes have been popular with Houstonians looking for recreation during the pandemic. Now Houston BCycle wants to expand its focus to provide more transportation options for people in underserved communities. …

Cyclists peeved with prolonged bridge closure

Adam Zuvanich | www.theleadernews.com

The cycling community in Houston, and particularly in the Heights area, is seething. They’re flummoxed and frustrated, and they want answers.

Most of all, they want their bridge back.

New Year’s Day did not just signal a fresh start and the turning over of the calendar, at least not to Heights-area residents who like to walk or ride bikes either for recreation or as part of their daily commute. It served as a stark reminder that one of their favorite pieces of infrastructure – which serves an important function while offering a breathtaking view of Downtown Houston – remains out of order.

Jan. 1 marked 500 days since the MKT Bridge, a pedestrian throughway on the Heights Hike-and-Bike Trail that crosses White Oak Bayou and connects the Heights to the downtown area, was damaged by an August 2020 fire that erupted in a wooded area underneath. The century-old bridge has remained closed and is still being fixed by the …

When will Houston’s M-K-T bridge be fixed? No one can say, but work is still underway

Jay R. Jordan | www.mysanantonio.com

Why has one of the city’s most crucial hike and bike trail link been closed for more than 500 days?

Houston Parks Board officials can’t say when a crucial section of the Heights hike and bike trail will be reopened even after cyclists bemoaned the 500th day of a so-called temporary closure this past weekend.

The M-K-T bridge, which carries the Heights trail over White Oak Bayou, caught fire in August 2020 and was immediately closed for assessment and repairs. In November 2021, crews started the repairs but instead discovered additional damage, according to Adam Zuvanich in Leader News. Those issues prolonged the bridge’s closure, which passed its 500th day Jan. 2, according to bicycle advocates with BikeHouston.

"Getting around Houston by bike is already difficult enough, so it is …

Video: Rock Prairie Road east of Highway 6 to be widened

By Clay Falls | www.kbtx.com

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Big plans are in the works for a busy College Station street. Rock Prairie Road will be widened in the near future.

Right now the city is working on designing that project. It will widen the street from the Highway 6 frontage road east to Town Lake Drive.

“It should be two lanes, concrete street two lanes each direction. There will be pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Still working out whether those are on the street or off the street and what that looks like,” said Emily Fisher, College Station Director of Public Works.

Work is budgeted to cost $6.1 million and is expected to start later this year.

MS150 Team based out of Austin from BikingATX

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New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Kingwood-Community Drive-Valley Ranch Bike Ride

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The weather warmed up quickly this morning to above my 60 degree threshold. Lynskey R300 wheels down and rolling at 10:32 AM. January weather can be unpredictable but I wanted to get road miles rather than Zwift miles. I chose my “Kingwood-Community Drive-Valley Ranch” route and rode 26.03 miles. I guess the ride would be 25 miles. Glad I exceeded my guess.

Weather summary: start 70 (humidity 73%, dew point 61), a few clouds, wind SW 7 mph; finish 76 (humidity 56%, dew point 59), a few clouds, wind SW 10 mph gusts 21 mph. I dressed with shorts, a long sleeve jersey and a jacket. I didn’t need a thermal jersey. After making the turn back to the south at community Drive I thought the wind was stronger. The 21 mph gusts were very noticeable. My legs were up to the task and I kept my pace into the headwind at 14 to 16 mph.

I altered my route to avoid a dog sprint at Rock Creek and Northpark Drive. Last night I drove by that area and saw the brown and white dog. That probably added the mileage to exceed my guess at the beginning of the bike ride.

1-5-2022 Strava Bike Ride summary
1-5-2022 Strava Bike Ride summary
1-5-2022 RWGPS Bike Ride Map
1-5-2022 RWGPS Bike Ride Map