ANOTHER road ban in Texas
From the League of American Bicyclists:
June 19, 2006
Help Fight a Bicycle Ban in North Texas!
Last week, the League and the Texas Bicycle Coalition alerted cyclists to a possible bike ban on a critical east-west road, FM 455, in Anna, Texas. In response, more than 100 cyclists attended the City Council public hearing on June 13. Anna is located in Collin County, north of Dallas. Representatives from BikeDFW, the Plano Bicycle Association, the Texas Bicycle Coalition and two citizens from Anna spoke against the bike ban. Only one resident was in attendance to support the bike ban.
Despite the impressive turnout, the Anna City Council passed a motion to increase the fine for cycling on FM 455 to $200. The Council also chose to add the penalty of impounding the bicycles of offenders. The motion did remove a requirement that bicycles be registered with the City. The Council added the word 'temporary' to the bike ban ordinance with no explanation or discussion. The duration of temporary was not defined, but the Texas Bicycle Coalition has evidence to indicate that it will be a minimum of five years before the roadway in question can be widened. The citizens of Anna, Texas need your help!
Write respectful letters addressed to Anna Mayor Kenneth Pelham requesting the City of Anna repeal the bike ban ordinance on FM 455.He can be reached at The Honorable Kenneth L. Pelham; City of Anna; P.O. Box 776; Anna, Texas 75409. The Leagues letter to Mayor Pelham can be found here:
http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikeadvocacy/images/anna_texas.pdf
June 19, 2006
Help Fight a Bicycle Ban in North Texas!
Last week, the League and the Texas Bicycle Coalition alerted cyclists to a possible bike ban on a critical east-west road, FM 455, in Anna, Texas. In response, more than 100 cyclists attended the City Council public hearing on June 13. Anna is located in Collin County, north of Dallas. Representatives from BikeDFW, the Plano Bicycle Association, the Texas Bicycle Coalition and two citizens from Anna spoke against the bike ban. Only one resident was in attendance to support the bike ban.
Despite the impressive turnout, the Anna City Council passed a motion to increase the fine for cycling on FM 455 to $200. The Council also chose to add the penalty of impounding the bicycles of offenders. The motion did remove a requirement that bicycles be registered with the City. The Council added the word 'temporary' to the bike ban ordinance with no explanation or discussion. The duration of temporary was not defined, but the Texas Bicycle Coalition has evidence to indicate that it will be a minimum of five years before the roadway in question can be widened. The citizens of Anna, Texas need your help!
Write respectful letters addressed to Anna Mayor Kenneth Pelham requesting the City of Anna repeal the bike ban ordinance on FM 455.He can be reached at The Honorable Kenneth L. Pelham; City of Anna; P.O. Box 776; Anna, Texas 75409. The Leagues letter to Mayor Pelham can be found here:
http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikeadvocacy/images/anna_texas.pdf
posted by Ed W at 6:24 PM
4 Comments:
Let this be a warning to Americans everywhere. If ya don't exercise, abuse, and even flaunt, your rights you will soon lose it.
Just keep burying your head in the sand, stay off Memorial Drive, stay off Riverside Drive, stay off the highways, all you spandex-clad happy campers rigged out on your honky-priced rides. You'll git yer just rewards soon 'nuff.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Right. Write those respectful letters. Be polite. Keep trollin' the gutters. You will soon find out the Anna City Council means business.
Posted on BikeForum by Rusty Nail
rusty@planobicycle.org
Just thought I would chime in here since I was the one that started this crusade in Anna, Texas. First off, I used to ride this route quite a bit. West of 75 is one of my favorite roads from Westion to Anna then on to Melissa where I live. I have been biking this for many years. East of 75 to Anna is narrow and has more traffic but is no different then 75% of the roads in Texas. I don't bike it at 8am or 5pm M-F only afternoons or Weekends. The redneck non-cycling city council feels so compelled and concerned for our safety they Banned cycling in the fall of 2003. The signs did not go up however until fall of 2005. I immediatly started protesting this. I was out of state in Arizona Dec-Feb. so in March I fired up the wheels of our club, Texas Bicycle Coalition, and BikeDFW our local advocacy groups. I spoke with the city council and got it on the agenda to discuss the ban. This past Tuesday we had 60 cycling advocates show up from about 10 different club affiliations. It fell on deaf and dumb ears. They paid a retired traffic engineer to do a study on FM 455 May 23 a Tuesday for cryin out loud. And he stood up and said becuse of the speed limit, no shoulders and hills and curves in the road, it was too dangerous to allow bicycles on this roadway. The council listened to our 5 speakers and without any questions or discussion or concern for that matter, added the word "Temporary" to the ban as if to show that they are not against cycling, just until the road is made safe. Well that will be 3-5 years at best. That is not temporary. It pisses me off that non-cyclists can tell cylists like myself that have pedaled over 70,000 miles in Texas what is safe and what is not. I lead rides every weekend and pic routes based on safety, size of group, and local events and weather. How can an retired engineer with a tape measure and impact counter determine safety on a Tuesday in May.
Bottom line, this road is no different then most the roads leading in and out of most Texas cities. Has less traffic then multi-lanes in Plano. These guys are just inconvienced and concerned about no one but themselves. They really think they are doing the right thing by deciding for us what is safe. It like convincing an alcoholic they have a problem.
If we allow such a ban to exist on such criteria, every FM road in Texas could be subject to ban "Temporarily" until made safe with multiple lanes, bike lanes and shoulders. Which will be just before hell freezes over.
I encourage everyone to write Mayor Kenneth L. Pelham, City of Anna, P.O. Box 776, Anna Texas 75409
and tell him what a dick he is, I mean what a bad idea it is to ban bikes.
This road is no where near the traffic level of FM1960 in Houston. How about San Francisco or New York? I think we need to notify Austin Texas to Ban cycling due to Hills and curves being dangerous?
No duh? any road you put a bike and a car on is dangerous and not safe. They will never be safe. Bikes and cars by themselves crash and kill themselves. I get more banged up on my mountain bike by myself then I ever have on the road. Give me a break. I know we operate under the illusion of Freedom in america but dont kill our perception, its all we have.
I am also sick and tired of non-cyclists saying cyclists are rude and hog the road and delay traffic. Like motorists are never rude!!! bikes or cars, if they break the law give them a ticket. Dont ban them.
This Bike Ban is real, its put in place by non-cyclists under their concern for our "Safety". B.S.!!!
They have NEVER consulted any cycling advocacy, cyclists, or myself as to what cyclists think.
No, Its not about safety, its about a small redneck backassward town that doesn't want cyclists in front of them.
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