Peaches and Paris in the Summer

BikeTexas staff headed north for a few days to greet cyclists at two North Texas events and spread the word about the BikeTexas license plates.

The first stop was at the Peach Pedal on July 14 in Weatherford. Participants went home with about 100 BikeTexas license plate flyers, 75 “A to Z By Bike” books, and 100 bookmarks. During the ride, BikeTexas staff were able to help Brent Baker, the ride coordinator, locate an injured rider’s husband. Staff members also doctored one case of severe road rash and helped one lady on the verge of collapse with heat exhaustion. Overall, it was a successful day in that so many riders stopped to talk. Many Peach Pedelers loved the new BikeTexas jerseys, and some asked about having shorts or sleeveless jerseys in the future.

July 19 took BikeTexas to Paris, Texas that is, ready for the Tour de Paris roadshow. Paris, while off the beaten path, is a very welcome surprise in that it is covered in large beautiful trees, narrow streets and a very evident lack of heavy traffic, so staffers took some of their free time to admire the city’s scenery and beautiful old homes.

The booth was only just set up at the Love Convention center when interested volunteers and participants started to come by. Many people at the event were happy to hear about what each of our license plates support, as well as take home some of our “A to Z by Bike” and “Let’s Bike There” coloring books. The turnout in Paris was great; in addition to 850 riders, there were 600 volunteers on hand to make sure the day went well.

BikeTexas staff were delighted to meet Earl Erickson, one of the organizers of the group that is working to get the North Texas Recreational Trail completed.  He is a passionate volunteer who was a cyclist until being hit from behind while cycling near Baytown, TX over 10 years ago. Even though he lost a leg and almost his life in that crash, he's back on the bike. Earl rode part of the Tour de Paris this year with a modified hand cycle.

Fort Worth Receives Grant for Bikeshare

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has awarded The T in Fort Worth a $941,728 grant for “bus livability.” The T will use this grant to implement a new bikeshare system in Fort Worth as a component of the city’s transit system. According to the FTA, “Bike stations will be placed in areas that have dense neighborhoods with high activity and access to a variety of transit connections. Bike stations will also be placed at the intermodal hub in Fort Worth.”

The Dallas Morning News reports that a spokeswoman for The T hopes that the city will eventually expand the program to be separate from the public transportation system. The new system will be the membership-based kiosk type that many US cities, including San Antonio and Houston, have adopted. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The T will be seeking proposals from a vendor soon, with the goal of starting the service in April 2013.

Bikesharing is gaining in popularity in the US, says a report recently published by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University. The report states that there are 15 computerized bikeshare systems in the US, totalling 172,070 users and 5,238 bicycles. Seventeen more programs are set to launch in 2012, with a further 14 cities considering a bikesharing program for the future. According to the report, a major benefit of bikesharing schemes is their integration into the public transportation system; the report says, “In denser cities that have extensive public transportation infrastructure, bikesharing appears to serve as an extension of the public transit system.” If that trend holds, Fort Worth seems to be taking a great approach right from the start by making their new bikeshare part of public transportation.

Cycle & See Community Bike Ride with Geared Up Bikestation

Geared Up Bikestation in Houston is a community bike shop and advocacy organization that began a year ago. Their mission is “to bring forth innovative programs that will educate residents of the health and environmental benefits of bicycling, advocate the integration of bike-and-pedestrian friendly roads and trails, and provide bikes to those in need.”

At least twice a month, the group puts on a Cycle & See, a bike ride plus scavenger hunt that encourages participants to see their own neighborhood in a new light and empowers them to mobilize for change. Sistah Spokes with Geared Up Bikestation says, "Cycle & See allows residents to take an active role in surveying their community and the greater Houston area and in turn, engage in discourse that leads to action. Bicycling, though effective in addressing the health concerns of the community, can also become an effective tool to engaging a community in future planning initiatives." She also says that Cycle & See encourages a presence of minorities on bicycles in the neighborhood. The next Cycle & See is scheduled for July 28 in Acres Homes, and a ride in Buffalo Bayou is in the works for August 11.

In addition to getting people to tour their neighborhoods by bicycle, Geared Up Bikestation also works to get schoolchildren on bicycles in the first place. Students in the afterschool program at Lincoln Park had a chance to earn a bike this past school year. Participating kids learned how to build and repair a bike, and those who completed the entire program earned a new bike of their own. Of the 22 participating children, 11 (10 boys and one girl) saw the entire program through to the end and now are proud bicycle owners. Geared Up Bikestation plans to repeat the program this fall at Lincoln Park and Finnegan Park.

Live in the area and want to get involved? Go here and click Cycle & See in the menu to register for an upcoming ride, or click Volunteer to help out in the shop. Visit Geared Up Bikestation’s Facebook page to see the latest news.

San Antonio Greenway Trails Receive National Recognition

The Leon Creek Greenway North and the Medina River Greenway, both in San Antonio, have been newly designated as National Recreation Trails (NRT) by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.

The San Antonio Parks and Recreation department reports that the Leon Creek Greenway is a 13-mile trail that connects to many neighboring parks. The Medina River Greenway is seven miles long over mostly easy terrain, but it does include some switchbacks for an extra challenge. Both of the newly-designated trails will soon have trail markers to note the achievement of being included in the national database.

Altogether, San Antonio now has 41 miles of greenway trails open to the public, with plans to add more. All greenways are free of charge and are open during daylight hours.

The Salado Creek Greenway trail, once completed, will likely be included in the National Recreational Trails Database as well.

Each year the NRT accepts nominations for trails to be listed in the national database. In addition to receiving trail markers, successful organizations also receive a certificate of designation and a letter of congratulations from Secretary Salazar. The NRT reports that 54 trails in 23 states were added to the national database on May 31, for a total of nearly 1400 miles of trails. The only other trail in Texas newly designated this year is the Tejano Walking Trails in Austin.