{"id":38443,"date":"2018-01-11T23:08:36","date_gmt":"2018-01-12T05:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.texbiker.net\/blog\/?p=38443"},"modified":"2018-01-11T23:08:36","modified_gmt":"2018-01-12T05:08:36","slug":"texas-bicycling-news-digest-january-11th-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.texbiker.net\/blog\/2018\/01\/11\/texas-bicycling-news-digest-january-11th-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Bicycling News Digest January 11th 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tyler city officials pledge support for It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Time Texas<\/a><\/h2>\n

Staff Reports | tylerpaper.com<\/h3>\n


\nTyler\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mayor and City Council are supporting a statewide competition that encourages communities to live healthy lifestyles.<\/p>\n

Mayor Martin Heines and members of the council signed a pledge to support the program, called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Time Texas,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d at their regular meeting Wednesday morning. …<\/p>\n

\n

State: Area road projects on target<\/a><\/h2>\n

By Jimmy Isaac | www.news-journal.com<\/h3>\n

Property acquisition or public meetings are on the horizon this year for as many as four area road projects.<\/p>\n

The state has more than half of the rights of way needed for the Phase 1 widening of Harrison Road, and the project is targeted for bids in August 2019, said Vernon Webb, district engineer with the Tyler office of the Texas Department of Transportation.<\/p>\n

Webb spoke Wednesday at the meeting of the Longview Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board. …<\/p>\n

… In other business, the board revised the 2017-20 Transportation Improvement Plan to include bicycle and pedestrian paths in Longview and White Oak.<\/p>\n

\n

How many times has a plastic bag blown across your path while bicycling to get caught in a wheel or chain?<\/h3>\n

State Supremes Consider Bag Ban<\/a><\/h2>\n

By Michael King | www.austinchronicle.com<\/h3>\n

Laredo law banning single-use bags goes to court
\n
\nThe Texas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this morning (Thu., Jan. 11) in the case styled City of Laredo v. Laredo Merchants Association. In brief, the city of Laredo enacted a partial ban on single-use bags in 2015. (Austin enacted a similar law in 2013.) The Merchants Association sued, unsuccessfully at trial court, but the law was overturned by the Court of Appeals, on the grounds that the ban violated a state law pre-empting such local ordinances passed for “solid-waste purposes.” Laredo is arguing that its ordinance is intended to address litter control, protect the utility system, reduce flooding, and protect wildlife and rivers, and thus does not conflict with the state law. …<\/p>\n

… Some retailers also object to the argument that the bags are beneficial. “Although it’s retailers in Laredo who are suing to erase this protection,” said Hill Abell of Austin’s Bicycle Sport Shop, “as a retailer with five Central Texas stores I know for a fact that not only are single-use bags not necessary for my business, they cost retailers a ton.” …<\/p>\n

\n

Could big data unlock safer commutes for cyclists?<\/a><\/h2>\n

By Paul Flahive | www.marketplace.org<\/h3>\n


\nStrava interface shows San Antonio data<\/p>\n