BikeTexas Members! Renew your membership now to be entered in the raffle to win this 2012 Trek 7.2 hybrid bike! Drawing will be conducted at Kids Kup Huntsville this weekend but you don’t have to be there to win! This is your last chance! Join BikeTexas or renew your membership now! This Saturday, October 1, we […]
BikeNews; Advocacy
COLLEGE STATION: Sign up for the Safety Bling Video Shoot!
Last Chance to Win a New Trek Bike!
Hotter’N Hell Hundred 2011
Thank you BikeTexas members for another banner year at the Hotter’N Hell Hundred! As always, it was great to see all of your smiling faces, meet new members and visit with longtime supporters. Our membership drive was a success; thank you to all the new and renewing members for your support! We’ve posted all […]
U.S. Representative Doggett Reports on Bike/Ped Funding Negotiations
BikeTexas is always happy to receive status updates on bike/ped issues from elected officials in Texas. This report is from the Honorable Lloyd Doggett, U.S. Congressman from Texas and a senior member of the House Ways and Means and Budget Committees. Long ago, I served as Captain of the Safety Patrol at Bryker Woods Elementary. […]
BikeTexas Helps Save Bike. Ped and Trail Funds from Rescission in 2011
Zero! Goose egg! Nada! Not words that Texas bike, ped and trail advocates usually like to hear – but it was sweet music to the ears as Rails-to-Trails Conservancy published a table of the 2011 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) transportation rescission impact on Transportation Enhancements (TE) and Recreational Trails Programs (RTP) in the fifty states […]
Safe Passing Ordinances Spreading
BikeTexas has been traveling around the state and working with different city and community leaders to implement safe passing ordinances. This year, 4 new cities enacted safe passing ordinances – El Paso, Denton, Ft. Worth, Beaumont – totaling 9 cities with such ordinances. However, the fight’s not over! Every city in Texas must pass this […]
Federal Bike and Pedestrian Funding Safe for Now
BikeTexas is engaged in saving Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails programs from federal rescissions. Each year, the federal government asks state transportation agencies to return unobligated funding. Rescissions are decided by the TxDOT Transportation Commission based on the advice of TxDOT staff and an outside rescission advisory committee. In the past, […]
New TxDOT Policy More Bike and Ped Friendly
Though Complete Streets did not become law, BikeTexas was influential in beefing up the Texas Department of Transportation’s new bicycle and pedestrian policy which goes into effect on August 31, 2011. BikeTexas gave feedback on the draft of the policy, and TxDOT included several of the following suggestions from BikeTexas. The policy encourages TxDOT projects […]
Rear Red Light Bill
BikeTexas also attempted to help pass HB 1583, a bill that would have required cyclists to have a rear red light as well as a front white light. Currently the state transportation code only requires a red rear reflector, but we believe that a reflector alone is much less safe than a light. The bill […]
Trails on Utility Right-of-Ways
Several groups in Houston, along with BikeTexas, had hopes that HB 1943 would allow for the development of trails along utility right-of-ways, in order to connect five major bayou trails in the Houston area. By absolving from liability the owners and/or operators of utility right-of-ways in Houston and El Paso, HB 1943 would have facilitated […]
Texting Ban Passes Senate
The Senate passed HB 242, which includes an amendment that bans texting while driving. Senator Judith Zaffirini introduced the amendment, which allows municipalities to ban drivers from using wireless communication devices unless they are stopped. BikeTexas attended the press conference of Representative Craddick, the bill author, and recruited many bicyclist supporters to attend the conference. […]
2011 Legislative Session Wrap Up
Dear Fellow Cyclists,Thank you for your support during the 2011 legislative session. Every Texas legislative session is unique and challenging in its own way and this past session was no exception. In spite of a well-written bill with bipartisan authorship, an impressive alliance of organizations in support, a legislative team with decades of experience, and […]
Complete Streets Runs Out of Time in 2011
Dear Fellow BikeTexas Members, The Complete Streets legislative initiative has run out of time. BikeTexas made great strides in fighting for Complete Streets this legislative session. Thanks for the many key calls and emails made by YOU, our members. We will try again in 2013. The bill passed through the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security […]
BikeTexas Staff Attends International Cycling Conference in Spain
In late March, BikeTexas staff attended Velo-city Seville, the premier world event focusing on cycling as a means of urban transport. “Velo-city Seville was very impressive,” said Fernando Martinez, BikeTexas Safe Routes to School program manager. “There was a lot of information, excitement and excellent organizers, presenters and participants. This is a great group of […]
Important Bike Bills to Look for in the 82nd Legislature
In addition to the Complete Streets Bill (SB 513 & HB 1105), BikeTexas is also working to help pass the following bills: Ban on Texting While Driving: HB 243Authored by Representative Tom Craddick (R-Midland), HB 243 would prohibit texting, instant messaging and emailing while driving. It allows these activities if the car is stopped. The […]
Houston-Galveston Area Keeps Current Bike/Ped Funding, Allocates Future Funding for Road and Freight Rail
Last Friday, March 25, the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Transportation Policy Council (H-GAC TPC) voted not to cut $12.8 million of funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects, helping the Houston Bikeway Program continue to keep Houston on a roll. When H-GAC TPC tried to cut this funding from existing bicycle and pedestrian projects, including many that […]
Complete Streets Bill Gets First Hearing In House Committee
HB 1105, better known as the Complete Streets bill, was heard in the House Transportation Committee Wednesday, March 16. Authored by committee member Rep. Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving), the bill would ensure new road construction and reconstruction projects consider all road users in their design — meaning cyclists, pedestrians, bus riders and the disabled — not just […]
Fort Worth Safe Passing Ordinance in the News
Thanks to our friends at BikeDFW, we found the video below from NBC-DFW. Also, check out this great article on Safe Passing from Pegasus News. (Please note that we don’t condone driving while talking to a camera on the floor of the passenger side)
Complete Streets Bill Legislative Priority; Safe Passing Effort Postponed
BikeTexas will promote the proposed Complete Streets Act (SB 513, HB 1105) as the lead biking/walking effort for the 2011 Texas Legislative Session. We will postpone pushing for a statewide Safe Passing bill, probably until the 2013 legislative session. After consulting with Texas legislators, the Governor’s office, lobbyists and BikeTexas members, we have determined that we […]
2011 Dallas Bike Plan
The final public meeting for the Dallas bike plan had a very large turnout on January 20, 2011. The cycling community has responded in large numbers at each of the series of presentations and design workshops. BikeTexas has participated in several of the meetings. This meeting was particularly exciting, as city staff described over 500 […]