TxDOT Commission Chair Ric Williamson Dies Suddenly
Ric Williamson, Governor Rick Perry’s appointment as Chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Weatherford on Sunday, December 30, 2007. He was 55.
Chairman Williamson was by all accounts a very intense and strong-willed individual. He was well-known as the champion for the construction of both public and privately-owned toll roads in Texas.
Chairman Williamson appointed Texas Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Robin Stallings to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Bicycle Advisory Committee in 2002. “We certainly disagreed with him on a number of bicycle-related issues,” said Stallings, “but anyone who knew him had no doubt that he was doing what he strongly believed was in the best interest of Texas.”
TBC had frequent interaction with Mr. Williamson through
recent legislative efforts including the proposed but not passed Safe
Passing Bill legislation in Spring 2007 and TBC’s unsuccessful Safe
Routes to School Grant application to TxDOT in September 2007. (TBC is in the tenth year of a grant with TxDOT for the SuperCyclist
bike safety program.)
WIlliamson is survived by his wife, Mary Ann, three daughters and two
grandchildren. TBC offers its condolences to the Williamson family and
to TxDOT employees and Transportation Commissioners on their great loss.
[Above L to R: Stallings, Williamson and TBC staff member Durwood Mayfield during the 2007 Legislative Session.]
TBC staff coordinated their fourth successful NCSL Bipartisan Bike Ride in Boston this past August. The early morning eight-to-ten mile rides have become so popular that TBC had to rent extra bikes for the Boston event to supplement its fleet of 50 TREK hybrids. Since 2005, TBC has provided rides for other NCSL (National Conference of State Legislators) conventions in Seattle, Nashville and San Antonio.
The Boston ride provided an hour-long tour of Copley Square, Old Ironsides, and the Boston Commons for thirty elected officials and thirty five legislative staff and family members. Riders ranged from our hard-core cycling compadres all the way to legislators who haven't been on a bicycle since childhood. TBC staff especially enjoy riding with the latter who at times have to put full focus on the effort but feel such pride at the end for having covered a full ten miles.
The rides accomplish at least three important goals. First, TBC executes a fun event that Texas legislators active in NCSL are proud to host. TBC friends and State Senators Rodney Ellis, Jeff Wentworth and Leticia Van de Putte are very active in NCSL affairs as well as in bicycle issues in Texas.
Fort Worth Transportation Study Workshop - November 5, 2007
Submitted by: LMRA Bicycle Club YOU ARE INVITED!
City of Fort Worth - Bicycle Transportation Study Public Workshop
(Southwest Region)
Where: LMRA, River Pavilion, 3400 Bryant Irvin Rd. Fort Worth, Texas When: Monday, November 5, 2007 Time: 6-8pm
The LMRA Bicycle Club will be hosting the first of four Public Workshops given by the City of Fort Worth Transportation and Public Works Dept.
Don Koski, Senior Planner with the City of Fort Worth, will be presenting plans for city-wide bicycle transportation development. These plans will incorporate feedback received from the online Bicycle Transportation Questionnaire.
Texas Bicycle Coalition will host the Annual BikeTexas Membership Meeting on Saturday, December 1, 2007 in its offices located at 1902 East 6th Street in Austin. The meeting will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., to be followed immediately by a Happy Hour and tours of the new TBC facilities.
In previous years, annual meetings had been held in August at Wichita Fall's Hotter n' Hell Hundred Expo on Friday late afternoon. Attendance at the meetings was historically very light, primarily because of members' focus on preparation for the HHH ride early Saturday morning.
TBC has doubled its office space to 3000 square feet from the previous location on East 5th Street. A storage facility in back includes two large intermodal containers. Bike safety education material kits are assembled in a TBC warehouse two doors away. Improvements have been made slowly over the past year through a very tight cash stream and plenty of staff and volunteer "sweat equity."
Grass Routes efforts for Bike Routes/Lanes: The Plan -- Ask
By Jim Wilson
President LMRA Bicycle Club
Do you live just outside the “Big City”? Do you enjoy bicycling in your smaller town but wish there were some Bike Routes/Lanes in your city? You might live in a community outside Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, or El Paso; a major reason for your choice of residence likely includes the safer cycling. Well there’s more than just reduced traffic in these smaller communities, smaller government and greater emphasis on recreation and quality of life mean you can help bring about greater cycling safety. The first necessary action is the easiest but most overlooked- ASK!
TxDOT
