Today, August 25, 2010, BikeTexas is posting an online petition against bike bans. Please take a moment to sign it and support Texas cyclists’ right to ride.
Many Texas cyclists are aware that the City Council of Bartonville, a small rural community just south of Denton, amended a city ordinance this past June to restrict the number of cyclists passing through their incorporated area. Bartonville is a popular riding area for many DFW-area cyclists and clubs, and this ban will affect them greatly.
We are asking Texas cyclists to support the rights of cyclists to the road by signing the “No Bike Bans!” petition and encouraging family and friends, whether cyclists or not, to sign as well. This petition will also be available at the BikeTexas Hotter’N Hell booth this coming weekend.
The Bartonville ordinance language change requires groups of 10 or more cyclists on “training rides” to obtain a permit from the City of Bartonville under city race and rally permit requirements.
Bartonville officials have stated that they changed the ordinance due to cyclists’ behavior. Local cycling leaders believe that actions by some irresponsible cyclists are not out of proportion with that of irresponsible motorists on the Texas roadways.
BikeTexas and BikeDFW have been working together to address this problem and to decrease the chance that other towns and cities across Texas will enact such a ban.
BikeTexas is laying the groundwork for a statewide legislative solution in 2011 to prevent any more bike restrictions such as that passed in Bartonville. In addition, we will reintroduce the Safe Passing Bill in 2011.
BikeTexas staff is working closely with BikeDFW leaders and area cycling club leaders regarding the Bartonville case. We have been building personal contacts with Bartonville public officials and residents through several outreach efforts, as well as working closely with area cycling clubs. BikeTexas staff has traveled to the Metroplex for meetings with BikeDFW and rides through the Bartonville area and will continue to do so.
No citations have been issued to cyclists to date. One group of cyclists making a good faith effort to observe the ordinance change was turned back from Bartonville by an officer two weekends ago under dubious circumstances. There were no incidents involving cyclists and Bartonville police this past weekend.
BikeTexas and BikeDFW are working on the legislative and local tracks before heading down the legal route. We believe a stronger and more permanent resolution can come sooner by pursuing these two complementary tracks at this time.
Please sign the petition today. The time has come to implement a statewide solution to the varying forms of “bike bans” that have occurred across Texas, before a dangerous momentum develops.
The model for this No Bike Bans! Petition is based on successful use of the Safe Passing Veto Petition, which was signed by almost 8,000 cyclists in the wake of the Safe Passing Bill veto in 2009 by Governor Perry. We have been using those 8,000 signees to keep Safe Passing on the front burner at the Legislature. We intend to do the same at the Legislature with the “No Bike Bans!” petition signees – starting well before the official beginning of the Legislative session in January, 2011.
At this time, please don’t contact Bartonville elected officials or city staff. Please contact BikeTexas staff at membership@biketexas.org or 512-476-7433, or BikeDFW at president@bikedfw.org with any questions or comments. Please also join BikeTexas and BikeDFW as members. Your support is needed more than ever.
Robin Stallings
Executive Director, BikeTexas
