Texas Biking News January 29th 2021
Fort Worth’s Mayor Price Has Been Transformative
By Eric Griffey | spectrumlocalnews.com
FORT WORTH, Texas — In an emotional speech at Fort Worth City Hall two weeks ago, Mayor Betsy Price announced to a smattering of reporters that she would not seek a sixth term. She told the press she wanted to spend more time with her family.
“There’s no perfect answer as to the time when you should step aside, but you should step aside when you have the feeling that you’re ready,†she said in her speech. “Just as I felt called to do this job, I feel called to step aside.â€
Her announcement elicited strong reactions across the local political spectrum. Well-wishers heaped flowery praise on the longest-tenured mayor in Fort Worth’s history, noting the city’s enormous growth under her steady …
… One of the enduring images of Mayor Betsy Price will be the many times she, donned in her traditional skin-tight cycling clothes, pedaled for the cameras during one of her “rolling town halls.†An avid cyclist, Price used her hobby as a way to peddle pieces of her agenda while listening to the public. …
What We Learned from Tracking Cycling Deaths for a Year
Maura Fox and Luke Whelan | www.outsideonline.com
With the help of the nonprofit BikeMaps.org, we analyzed the data we collected on bicyclists killed by drivers in 2020 and found some surprising takeaways
In December, the driver of a box truck plowed into a group of cyclists riding along U.S. Highway 95 south of Las Vegas. Five people died in the crash, and it was later discovered that the driver had methamphetamine in his system. At Outside, we were horrified by the tragedy, which was covered in local and national news, but we also knew it was part of a troubling trend: record numbers of cyclists (and thousands of pedestrians) on our nation’s roads are being killed by drivers often without any media attention beyond a brief local news story. In 2018, 857 cyclists died in crashes with drivers, the deadliest year for people on bikes since 1990. In 2019, while the total number of deaths dipped slightly, to 846, cities like New York recorded their highest number of cyclist fatalities ever.
Last January, in response to those disburbing numbers, we launched the #2020CyclingDeaths project, which aimed to track every person on a bike killed by a driver in the U.S. over the course of the year. In the end, we recorded 697 cyclist deaths. Since we were only able to count …
The Ann And Roy Butler Hike And Bike Trail Has Been Nominated For Best Recreational Trail In The USA Today.
www.kxan.com
The Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail has been nominated for Best Recreational Trail in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards.
10 Best Editors worked with a panel of urban planning experts to nominate 20 of the best recreational trails in the country., and drum roll, please…The Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail made the list!
You can vote once per day until polls close on Monday, February 15, 2021. The 10 winning trails, …
On the Lege: January 2021
www.biketexas.org
The 2021 Texas legislative session will be like no other. While the Capitol will be open, most members’ offices will be closed to visitors. As a result of COVID-19 precautions and out of concern for legislators, their staffs, and BikeTexas volunteers and staff, all of our legislative meetings this session will be virtual.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t work to do, but in order to maximize our time, resources, and the opportunities available, we’re focusing on a limited number of bills this session:
- We’re putting the final touches on a resolution to provide ongoing funding opportunities for communities to build signature trail networks or their part of the 8000-mile Texas Bicycle Tourism Trail Network. Inspired by the …
Black History Bike Ride’s Talib Abdullahi on the Power of Storytelling
www.austinmonthly.com
After attending last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Talib Abdullahi hopped on his bike and melded his two life passions: cycling and history. The result was the first-ever Black History Social Ride—an event that inspired more than 400 Austinites to ride along with him as he explored the city’s most important (and oft-overlooked) Black history sites. Abdullahi joined Austin Monthly senior editor David Leffler via Instagram Live to discuss the project’s ongoing expansion, detail his new partnership with Six Square, and share some of his favorite historical places to take riders.
The key points they discussed include: …
Construction to begin in March on trail park
By Jacy Lewis | www.mrt.com
Mountain bike director for the Permian Basin Bicycle Association Stephen Mitchell poses for a portrait where a new bike and hike trail will be constructed Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2021 at 3215 Farm to Market 307, east of Midland. Jacy Lewis/Reporter-Telegram
Midland will be getting a new biking and hiking trail as the City Council approved the multi-use trail park, where the Permian Basin Bicycle Association will build with help from the West Texas Trail Alliance.
Construction for the park should start around March 1, the Permian Basin Bicycle Association Mountain Bike Director Stephen Mitchell said. The park will be located on land beside and behind the Midland Fire Department Fire training facility — Harris Field — at 3215 Farm to Market 307.
“It’s a really good accomplishment between the …
Texas Biking from Twitter
when traffic jams make you happy pic.twitter.com/LAgH838eab
— Ellen Ray (@ellen_k_slay) January 30, 2021
Sometimes we have bike lanes,
— Joey Pawlik (@joey_pawlik) January 30, 2021
Sometimes we have sharrows,
Sometimes we have a bicyclist figure painted on the street… 😬
But in all seriousness, there’s more than enough room for protected bike lanes. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/FeIykms1Ue
“Will, we’re gonna ride over and drop of these donations for the Camacho Activity Center’s bike program and @nationalMTB team and be ‘right’ back.â€#rideyourbike pic.twitter.com/in79ZM0Kee
— mellowjohnnys (@mellowjohnnys) January 29, 2021
Welcoming 2021 like 🤗
— Trek Bicycle Mission (Bike Masters) (@thebikemasters) January 29, 2021
What are your cycling goals for the new year? pic.twitter.com/Jkw0Ax54ly
Welcome Amy Bean as new Executive Director at Friends of the Katy Trail! “I am delighted to be joining the Friends of the Katy Trail. The Katy Trail is a true Dallas treasure, and I am honored to be working to maintain and enhance this beloved landmark.†pic.twitter.com/z0SQSTDSX2
— Katy Trail (@KatyTrail) January 29, 2021
From mashed up asphalt, to mud on the bayous, to who knows what littering the bike lanes, I wasn’t expecting to encounter such a wide range of terrain in Houston. I guess that’s where this @Surly_Bikes from @EaDoBikeCo comes in. pic.twitter.com/huE4OeZR1r
— Joe Cutrufo (@JoeCutrufo) January 29, 2021
Members of the Wichita Falls Bicycling Club on an area ride sometime in-between 1981 and 1983. This image was scanned from an 11 by 14" B&W print from the HHH library. pic.twitter.com/81uYlVKraj
— Hotter'n Hell 100 (@HotternHell100) January 29, 2021
Morning full moon ride to check out great progress on new trail connection to Keegan’s pic.twitter.com/fOLibCGe3T
— Geoff Carleton (@CarletonGeoff) January 29, 2021
New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar
New Event Thursday Morning Cruise – Canutillo, TX El Paso Bicycle Club
— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) January 29, 2021
Meet at 9:45 am at Starbucks at the Outlet Mall in Canutillo. Ride out at 10:00. 20-25 miles at 14-16 mph pace. Mostly flat, a few hills. Maintain physical distance of at least six… https://t.co/JTOd5eJfgE
New Event Elmendorf Lake Park Trailhead Ride – San Antonio, TX Hill Country Bicycle Touring and Adventure Club
— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) January 29, 2021
Meet at Elmendorf Lake Trailhead for a 9am start. We’ll ride towards Mission Reach Trail and at this point turn right; some can turn around … https://t.co/fxmRvKTAro
New Event Texas Cycle Werks South Austin Trail Rides – Austin, TX The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group
— Rick Ankrum (@texbiker) January 29, 2021
Texas Cycle Werks, proud sponsors of the ATX100K endurance race series, hosts weekly shop rides each Tuesday and Thursday leaving from the shop i… https://t.co/1l2pRMEjGU