In 2003, the Fort Worth City Council made a commitment to improve conditions for cyclists in the city as part of an effort to improve air quality. Since that commitment was made on paper, little has been accomplished. Now, the Fort Worth cycling community needs help from local cyclists to convince the council to fulfill its commitment.
According to BikeDFW, the Fort Worth City Council funded a Mobility & Air Quality Study and developed an Intermodal Transportation Plan. The strategic goals for 2003-2007 included seeking more federal funding for bike routes. The council then agreed to fund construction of 300 miles of city bike routes and made immediate plans for the first 60 miles of bike routes to be completed by June 2006. However, to date none of the routes have been constructed. The cycling community is asking the council to revisit these previous commitments.
Texas Bicycle Coalition Local Outreach Coordinator Dr. Byron Sousa and other leaders of Fort Worth’s cycling community have engineered an opportunity for the cyclists to encourage City Council to move beyond a paper commitment and implement specific solutions. Dr. Sousa and members of the have been granted a slot on the Council’s agenda, demonstrating that the City Council is seriously considering the cycling community’s input.
How can you help? Cyclists are asked to arrive at Fort Worth City Hall, 1000 Throckmorton Street, by 7:30pm on Tuesday, May 9 and don a neon bike pin to demonstrate your support.
Texas Bicycle Coalition is joined by a host of supporting organizations in this effort, including Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods Associations, Lockheed Martin Recreational Association, Fort Worth Bicycle Association, Lone Star Race Club, Team Bikes, Inc., Broken Films Race Team, Colonel’s Bicycles, Bicycles, Inc., Bike DFW, Bellaire Home Owners Association and Meadows of CandleRidge Neighborhood Association.
The message this team will present to the City Council is that bicycle facilities will not only make Fort Worth a cleaner and safer place to live, but will also make the city a more friendly and attractive place to call home. The team seeks to make bicycles and pedestrians an integral element of urban transport instead of just recreational options.
