On Tuesday, February 15, 2011, Edinburg City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Safe Passing Ordinance, making it the seventh city in Texas and the first in the Rio Grande Valley to take this important step towards creating a safe and respectful environment for all vulnerable road users. The ordinance stipulates that all vehicles allow for three feet of clearance when passing cyclists, pedestrians, persons in wheelchairs, tow truck operators, motorcycles, and others.
Mark Peña, Edinburg Environment Advisory Board Member and Coordinator for CoolCities and Ciclistas Urbanos, wrote in an email to BikeTexas, “I’m very happy to report that last night the Edinburg City Council unanimously adopted the Safe Passing Ordinance making Edinburg the 1st city in the Rio Grande Valley to adopt the ordinance joining Austin, San Antonio and others on the road to becoming a more bike-friendly city. I want to thank Bike Texas for your help supporting our efforts.”
The ordinance is set to go into effect on April 15, 2011. For additional coverage about Edinburg’s Safe Passing Ordinance, see this article in The Monitor.
Our thanks go to Mark and the Edinburg City Council for creating safer streets for everyone. BikeTexas continues to support efforts to pass the Safe Passing Ordinance in other cities around the state.
