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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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 site.

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!

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.

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...