TxDOT Will Review Seal Coat Process With Goal of Best Practice Recommendations for Districts
Friday, 03 October 2008
Texas cyclists statewide, to our collective frustration, have watched over the years as more and more miles of smooth surface on favorite routes and loops have disappeared under a concoction of rock and oil, leaving an uneven, jarring surface and loose gravel that stays on the road for months. Known to cyclists as "chip seal" but to transportation engineers as "seal coat," it is infamous among cyclists for causing dangerous riding conditions that have led to crashes and damaged tires.
BikeTexas Contributes to Strong Advocacy Presence at Interbike Trade Show
Wednesday, 01 October 2008
As bicycle manufacturers, distributors and retailers gathered to wheel and deal at Interbike in Las Vegas, Nevada, BikeTexas Executive Director Robin Stallings attended to represent Texas bicycle advocacy. Interbike, the annual bicycle industry trade show, is one of the largest trade shows in the country.
"The 2008 show was the 23rd Interbike I have attended, most of them as a retailer, the last several as an advocate," said Stallings. "The industry is thriving in these times of $4 per gallon gas. However, what struck me as the biggest change from past years was the emphasis on transportation cycling and advocacy."
On a sunny Saturday afternoon last month, BikeTexas board, staff and members came together at our Austin headquarters for the annual membership meeting. Some joined us in person while others, unable to make the trip to Austin, called in to join by teleconference. After a short meet and greet session and introductions all around, the meeting got down to business. But it was after the meeting that the real fun began!
The National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) 4th Annual Bipartisan Bike Ride in New Orleans was a great success. Twenty-five states were represented by ten State Senators, 15 State Representatives and 40 legislative staffers. BikeTexas provided the bicycles and managed the sponsors, registration, design and printing; New Orleans Metro Bicycle Coalition designed the route and provided local, experienced cyclists to shepherd the ride; and NCSL supplied thousands of elected officials and legislative staffers at their annual legislative summit.
Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) hosted the event along with Louisiana House Representative Patrick Connick (R-Merreo). Sponsors Wal-Mart, Allied Waste Services and TXU made the ride possible and sent representatives to ride with the legislators.
Though the Texas legislature doesn't convene until January, we are already hard at work on our legislative agenda. The BikeTexas board has been reviewing the options for pro-cycling legislation, but we already know that safe passing legislation will be included. Stay tuned for more details about the legislative agenda as the bills are written and the authors are confirmed. We'll keep you updated in the newsletter and in our Advocacy Update emails.
Bicycle Signs for Hwy. 4 in Palo Pinto County
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Contributed by: Iris Stagner of Mineral Wells
Hwy 4 Bike Sign
Palo Pinto County is a small rural county located about 50 miles west of Fort Worth. We have the Brazos River, two lakes (Palo Pinto Lake and Possum Kingdom Lake) and best of all, the Palo Pinto Mountains. This all adds up to great cycling.
Cyclists come from all around to ride our scenic, hilly rural roads. Highway 4 South between Palo Pinto and Santo is a big favorite - it includes Cherry Pie Hill, which is just under two miles long with an 8.5% grade. Story has it that a woman told her husband that if he could ride his bike up the hill, she would give him a slice of cherry pie. It winds around the mountain with no shoulders and is one of the most challenging climbs in North Texas. Hwy. 4 is also popular with the motorcycle crowd, and with ranchers and now oil trucks using it, this road is getting pretty busy. Most vehicles travel too fast around the blind bends to react if they were to come upon a slow moving bicycle. We needed some kind of warning signs!
NCSL
