Texas Bike News: 2004
2003
I 2002 I 2001
I 2000
July
2004
KRLD
Responsive to Bicyclists' Concerns
On
July 1, TBC Lifetime Member and Greater Dallas
Bicyclists President Doug Davis and Ride of Silence
organizer Chris Phelan were guests on the KRLD
1080 am morning show hosted by Benjamin Dover.
The previous day, Dover had made negative comments
about bicyclists on his show, broadcast in Dallas/Fort
Worth. You can listen to those comments here.
According
to KRLD Station Manager Jerry Bobo, Dover and
the two bicyclists discussed bicycle issues and
took calls from listeners. (We'll post the link
to the show here tomorrow, when it becomes available.)
Mr. Bobo told TBC that it was important for him
to resolve the matter quickly. TBC thanks Mr.
Bobo and Mr. Dover for their responsiveness. We
look forward to collaborating with them and KRLD
in the future.
For
future reference: The League
of American Bicyclists has posted on its Web
site a handy how-to guide
for anyone hoping to respond to negative radio
broadcasts about bicyclists.
June
2004
Fort
Worth Getting Bicycle Lane Network
TBC
Membership Director Mark Stine is quoted in this
article that appeared in the Star-Telegram
on
June 16. On June 15, the Fort Worth City Council
approved a bicycle plan that features 60 miles
of streets marked as bicycle routes, with four
signs per mile. If you can't access the article,
try this
link to a map of Forth Worth's bicycle plan.
We
applaud Fort Worth's efforts to increase bicycling
to reduce pollution, and encourage other Texas
cities to follow their example.
TBC
in D.C. for Mountain Bike Summit
From
June 4-8, the International
Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) held
its annual Summit in Westminster, Md. Event sponsors
included the Federal Highway Administration's
Recreational Trails Program (RTP), the Bikes Belong
Coalition, Quality Bicycle Products and America
Bikes.
Representing
Texas were Jeff Nielsen and Cynthia Stewart of
the Greater Houston Off-Road Bicycle Association;
Texas IMBA rep Dewayne Buratti, IMBA Webmaster
James Buratti, and IMBA President Hill Abel; TBC
Board Secretary (and BikeHouston President) Christina
Case; Austin Ridge Riders President John Aldaya;
TBC Executive Director Robin Stallings, and our
beloved Subaru/BikeTexas Trail Docs, Susan Stormer
and Ryan Spates, who have done a tremendous job
of maintaining and expanding bike trails across
our state.
For
a reporter's perspective on the Summit, check
out this
article from the Baltimore Sun.
Collin
Classic a Success
Unsurprisingly,
the 13th Annual Collin Classic, a TBC member ride
that took place June 12 in McKinney, was a resounding
success. Check out www.collinclassic.org
for more information about the ride.
Proceeds
from the Classic will be used by the Fit Life
Foundation to support their Shower of Love events
in Tarrant County and Dallas County. Since 2001,
the Fit Life Foundation has generated more than
$1,000,000 in donated items and helped more than
4,500 families through these events.
For
more info on the ride, read this
article published in the McKinney Courier-Gazette;
this editorial
from the Dallas Morning News; and this
DMN report
on Jerry Vargas and Ken Munson, who were victims
of a collision in last year's Classic.
U.S.
House Votes to Support Safe Routes to School
Four
of only 30 dissenting votes come from Texas
On June 4, the U.S. House of Representatives
voted 377-30 to support a motion by Rep. James
Oberstar, D-MN, to support the proposed national
Safe Routes to Schools program. According to
this
report from the Kansas City Infozine,
"the vote is a non-binding resolution urging
members of the conference committee currently
working out a compromise version of the TEA-21
renewal legislation (which authorizes federal
transportation policy and funding for the next
6 years) to stick with the House version of
the Safe Routes to School language rather than
the Senate version."
While
most of the Texas delegation voted for the motion,
four -- Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land; Rep. Mac
Thornberry, R-Amarillo; Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston;
and Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-San Antonio -- voted
nay. Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Richardson, did not vote.
Please urge those legislators to support Safe
Routes in the future by contacting them.
Bikes
in the Media
The
sunnier, bike-friendlier weather we've been having
recently seems to have inspired a greater-than-average
number of stories about bicycling in Texas. Check
these out:
"Jostling
for Space at Dallas
Oasis in White Lake Park." Houston Chronicle,
May 30, 2004
"[Dallas]
Riders take to Street with Summer Cycling Season
Under Way." Dallas Morning News,
June 2, 2004
"Will Tyler
Get New Bicycle Routes?" Tyler Morning
Telegraph, June 1, 2004
"UT-Austin
Students Bike to Anchorage for Charity."
Daily Texan, June 1, 2004
UPDATE,
June 4: Driver Not Indicted in Hassan's Death
According
to this Fort Worth Star-Telegram article,
a grand jury has declined to indict Westley Lohmann,
the driver of the SUV that struck and fatally
injured Phyllis Hassan as she
rode last month near Granbury.
On
Saturday, May 8, 2004 Hassan, a long time Dallas-Fort
Worth area bicyclist, was struck by the side mirror
of Lohmann's SUV and killed while riding on the
shoulder of Hwy 51 just outside of Granbury. Lohmann
stopped to render aid, and Phyllis was Care-Flighted
to Harris Methodist in Ft. Worth, where she was
pronounced dead the following day. A member of
the Lone Star Cyclists, and former member and
past president of the Greater Dallas Bicyclists,
Phyllis was loved and admired by all who knew
her.
Phyllis'
family and friends have requested that in lieu
of flowers, donations be made to the Texas Bicycle
Coalition. Please make your donations to the Phyllis
Hassan Memorial Fund by filling out our
online
form.
Check
out New Trail Docs Diaries!
Click here
to see what our two-doc crew has been doing to
create and improve trails in Texas.
May
2004
TBC
in El Paso, Saturday, May 29
On May 29, the Texas Bicycle Coalition partnered
with the Border Bicycle Coalition,
Paso del Norte Health Foundation
and the University of Texas-El Paso
to host a free cycling
ride and workshop at the UTEP Undergraduate
Learning Center (UGLC). Throughout the day, participants
enjoyed food, music, bike safety information,
a trick ride exhibition and custom bike show,
and giveaways -- and saw the latest gear and equipment
to meet everyone's cycling needs. TBC
Executive Director Robin Stallings discussed strategies
for successful coalition building and cycling
safety. And native El Pasoan James Herrera,
coaching director of Carmichael Training
Systems -- the trainers of five-time
Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong
-- talked about cycling safety and training. For
more details on Paso del Norte, visit www.pdnht.org.
Rides
of Silence Remember Killed and Injured Bicyclists
On
Wednesday, May 19, bicyclists across Texas and the
U.S. gathered in their communities to participate
in local Rides of Silence. In Dallas,
an estimated 2,500 bicyclists met at White Rock
Lake for a 10-mile loop, during which bicyclists
pedaled no faster than 12 MPH. Read all about the
Dallas ride in this
Dallas Morning News article, or this testimonial
by TBC member John Clary.
Kudos
to Garland bicyclist Chris Phelan
for his work in organizing the Ride of Silence.
Professor
Accused of Assault
Lawyer says she
ran him down as he cycled; she calls it an accident
The
Dallas
Morning News describes a May 2 incident
involving Dallas lawyer Tommy Thomas, who accuses
nationally known civil rights lawyer/Southern Methodist
University professor Jane Dolkhart of running him
down on his bicycle after a fit of road rage. (Please
register with the DMN to view the article.) Thomas,
a member of the Mirage
Cycling Team, told the daily that "he was
dragged underneath the car and suffered road rash
and bruising on his arms and shoulders." His
bike is "absolutely shredded," he said.
Dolkart, who considers the incident an accident,
faces aggravated assault charges.
April
2004
TBC
on Television
On
Monday, April 26, Texas Bicycle Coalition Executive
Director Robin Stallings and Communications Director
Lauri Apple appeared on KXAN-TV news in a piece
on dangerous bicycling conditions on "The Drag"
-- the major street running north-south along the
western side of the UT-Austin campus. During the
daytime the Drag is heavily populated with both
bicyclists and pedestrians on their way to class,
lunch, or one of the street's many shops. But traffic
congestion and speeding motorists make conditions
relatively unsafe compared to many other Austin
roads. TBC used this great opportunity to promote
the Share the Road message and license plate to
viewers in the Austin area.
Check
out the film clip here.
Governor
Rick Perry Rides in MS 150
The
Texas Bicycle Coalition was proud to attend
this year's BP MS 150 -- the 20th anniversary
ride -- held April 17-18, 2004. The ride from
Houston to Austin raises money for the National
MS Society, and is the largest MS event in
the U.S. This year more than 13,000 riders
-- including Texas Governor Rick Perry, shown
here -- participated in this challenging event.
TBC Chair Gail Spann (at far left) served
as a marshal on the ride, as did Board Member
Jennifer Naglieri (read Jennifer's account).
For more information about the ride and other
MS events in Texas, visit the official Web
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March
2004
TBC
in D.C.
From
March 3-5, Texas Bicycle Coalition Executive Director
Robin Stallings, Education Director Laura King,
and Communications Director Lauri Apple joined hundreds
of bicycle enthusiasts, advocates, and activists
from across the U.S. in Washington, D.C. for the
League of American Bicyclists' annual National
Bike Summit. In addition to TBC staff,
the Texas delegation ncluded former TBC Executive
Director Gayle Cummins and former Education Director
Preston Tyree, Bell Sports President/CEO Bill Fry,
Bicycle Sports Shop owner Hill Abell, and TBC member
Twilight Freedman. The group visited 30 of 34 Congressional
offices, thanking bike supporters such as Senate
Bike Caucus Co-Chair Kay Bailey Hutchison for endorsing
federal transportation spending on bicycle facilities
and programs. We also lobbied reluctant reps to
consider the many health, environmental, and social
benefits of bicycling, particularly in traffic-dense
communities. Our main requests: To designate $250
million for Safe Routes to School in SAFETEA, the
updated version of the federal TEA-21 legislation;
to preserve spending on the Enhancements program;
and, on a local note, to acknowledge the important
economic benefits of Texas bicycle tourism.
The
Bike Summit provides an excellent opportunity for
Texas bicyclists to connect with their legislators,
network with peers from other states, attend informative
workshops on everything bike-related (from trail
development to regional planning), and hear the
most up-to-date information on developments affecting
federal transportation legislation. We encourage
all our members to consider attending next year's
summit, to be held in March. You won't regret it!
February
2004
United
Texas Tour Announced in Dallas
On
Feb. 17, United Supermarkets revealed plans for
the United
Texas Tour, a multi-stage event scheduled for
the fall of 2005 that would feature 1,000 miles
of riding and pass through dozens of Texas cities.
United expects the Tour to become the longest multi-stage
race in the country, with the richest purse. Not
only will the race stimulate economic development
and tourism interest in a wide area of Texas --
it will also present a platform to support cancer
research, survivorship, and awareness of medical
options. TBC hopes you're as excited as we are about
this new event!
Making
Friends with KLLI 105.3 fm, Dallas
The
Texas Bicycle Coalition, with collaboration and
support from the Greater
Dallas Bicyclists, recently met with representatives
of KLLI 105.3 fm in Dallas to discuss anti-bicyclist
comments made during one of the station's broadcasts.
Even though the errant hosts apologized immediately,
and Station Manager Gavin Spittle said they would
be very careful not to repeat the same kind of comments,
it was still a great opportunity for Texas cyclists
to discuss our issues with influential media executives.
KLLI
showed interest in becoming more supportive of bicycling
races and events. Mr. Spittle provided a list of
Infinity Broadcasting contacts for Texas bike clubs
and events to use when looking to partner up with
radio stations. With 200 stations in the top 100
radio markets in the U.S., Infinity is the second-largest
radio corporation nationwide after Clear Channel.
Jan.
3, 2004
Subaru/BikeTexas Trail Doctor's "Torture Test"
lives up to name
Almost
80 men and women strapped on their helmets
for the Texas Bicycle Coalition's first
"Texas Torture Test", held Saturday,
January 3 at Bluff Creek Ranch in Warda.
The 97-mile mountain bike race was a fundraiser
for the Texas Bicycle Coalition's Subaru/
BikeTexas Trail Doctors program, a Texas-wide
roving trail care crew funded by Texas Parks
and Wildlife and Subaru of America. More...
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