We hope you and yours have remained safe and are recovering from the recent winter weather emergency. Texans have time and again stepped up to help our neighbors in need, and this crisis was no exception.
Although the time when we can gather again still feels like it’s a long way away, we look forward to the time when the pandemic is behind us and we can ride together and share our stories face to face.
| Happening Now: National Bike Summit Twenty-eight Texans from all over the state are attending the virtual National Bike Summit this week. Attendees will learn valuable ideas and best practices that they can bring back to their own communities to make Texas a great place to bike and walk. We’re excited and well prepared for Lobby Day meetings on Wednesday. Meetings are scheduled with the staffs of both our Senators and 18 Texas Representatives. We are optimistic that this year could be a great opportunity to get more funding for biking and walking facilities at the federal level. BikeTexas Executive Director Robin Stallings says, “I’m energized by the talent and commitment of the Texans who participate in Lobby Day. They ask engaging questions and show a deep knowledge of bicycling and walking in their districts in the meetings. We have consistent themes that our lobbyists bring up for safe biking and walking facilities.” Follow the #BikeSummit21 hashtag on your favorite social network for updates from all attendees. |
| Cyclists in Suits – March 22, 2021 3-Hour Lobby Day Training – March 21, 2021  2021 brings us opportunities to make Texas a great place to ride a bike, and a key part of that is meeting with our legislators on Texas Virtual Bike Lobby Day, March 22. Your voice is crucial to keeping lawmakers focused on bicycle access, education, and safety. Due to the ongoing pandemic, Cyclists in Suits is an online-only event for 2021. Since there is no need to travel to Austin, we anticipate more folks than ever will be able to participate. Everyone who rides a bike in Texas is encouraged to attend, including teens—now is a great time to introduce young Texans to participating in our democracy. Experience in advocacy is not required, as we will have a training session with plenty of time to practice ahead of time. Learn more about Cyclists in Suits and register here. |
On the Lege – February Due to the nature of a legislative session being held during the pandemic, plus the recent weather emergency, many things at the legislature have been knocked off track. Legislators have quite rightly spent time focusing on their own districts’ immediate needs for the last couple of weeks. However, this means that more legislation is backed up this session than ever before, and there is some concern that there will be fewer bills that make it into the legislative process this session, which of course impacts bills that are good for biking as well as all others. We’re doing our best to manage these obstacles before us while keeping an eye out for bills that would be bad for bicycling and walking. We are currently working with prospective bill authors and hope to have all our bills filed before Cyclists in Suits. See the bills we’re working on here. |
