Fort Worth Bike Plan looks incredible, faces vote tomorrow

Kevin Buchanan at the Fortworthology New Urbanism blog provides a great overview of the ambitious Fort Worth Bike Plan.  His article is so comprehensive and good, that I won’t do it disservice by summarizing.  The entire text is available as a huge pdf from the city.

Read it and imagine a similar plan for Denton:

Fortworthology Bike Plan Article

If you don’t have time to read that article, here are some tasty snippets:

• Increasing bicycling in Fort Worth.  Double the rate of cycling for all trip purposes and triple the bicycle commuter rate from 0.2% (approx. 645 daily commuters) at present to 0.6% (approx. 2,000 daily commuters) by the year 2020.
• Improve bicyclist safety.  Establish a system to track bike crashes, and reduce the rate of crashes by ten percent by 2020.
• National recognition.  Earn a “Bicycle Friendly Community” designation from the League of American Bicyclists by 2015 (Austin is currently the only city in Texas with such a designation).

Network expansion:

Currently, Fort Worth’s bicycle transportation system (such as it is) totals 102.6 miles.  57.3 miles are off-street trails (think the Trinity Trails, etc.), a scant 6.4 miles are on-street bike lanes, and 38.9 miles are on-street signed routes (the existing green “bike route” signs and on-street sharrow icons).

Under Bike Fort Worth, it is proposed that the bicycle transportation network be radically enlarged, and a much greater focus be given to on-street infrastructure.  Under the proposal, Fort Worth’s bicycle transportation network would increase from the existing 102.6 miles to 924.7 miles.  224.7 miles of that would be off-street paths & trails, with the other 700 miles being dedicated to on-street infrastructure:  480.3 miles of on-street dedicated bike lanes, 218.3 miles of on-street signed routes (sharrow routes), and 1.4 miles of bus & bike-only lanes in Downtown Fort Worth.

Bike rack design and placement:

Recommended bike rack designs have common factors that include supporting the bicycle frame in at least two contact points and accommodating the most widely used locking devices such as U-locks. Ribbon-style racks and racks that only secure the bike by the front wheel are discouraged. Racks should have a protective coating that will preserve the rack material and limit replacement needs. Cyclists and the public should easily recognize preferred bike racks.

On innovative street marking designs:

The plan also states that the city should look into a variety of on-street infrastructure designs for different situations (shown in one of the images above), including Portland-style Bicycle Boulevards, Bike Boxes, colored bike lanes, bicycle-only traffic signals, contra-flow bike lanes, and cycle tracks.

Querencia fundraiser for new shop – Saturday 1/30/2010

Denton’s Community Bike Shop, Querencia, is having a benefit fundraiser show tomorrow night at Dan’s Silverleaf.  After the last year of operating their all-volunteer 501c3 non-profit out of a backyard, they’re finally graduating to a generous outdoor space next to Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios on Sycamore.  The remarkable proximity to the downtown, the coming DCTA commuter train, and SE Denton will enable them to expand shop hours and help get even more folks on bikes in 2010.  Since they’re building on empty concrete space, they’ll need to build a fence and several 10 X 10 shop structures (to avoid needing a building permit for one larger structure).

Proceeds from the show will help them build their new permanent shop, and they’ll soon be moving the shop inventory by bike to the new location.

Doors at 8PM; $5 for cyclists, $7 for drivers

Bands:

• Mariachi Quetzal
• The Angelus
• Old Snack

They’ll have reggae and soul vinyl DJ’d before and after the show, and plenty of bake sale goods.

RSVP via Facebook

US cycling up 25% since 2001

The League of American Bicyclists just leaked some new data from the National Household Transportation survey about bicycling’s share of all trips in the US.

Bicycling has finally climbed to 1% of all trips in the US.  I know, we’re nowhere near Copenhagen’s 37% or Amsterdam’s 38%,  but I gladly celebrate a 25% increase in the US across the last decade.

There’s hope and there’s change.  This is change.

How did Copenhagen experience their change?

“I think the inspiration in Copenhagen came with the big cyclist demonstrations that first happened in the 1980s. It was tens of thousands of people showing up demanding better bicycling facilities. It surprised politicians… so they decided something should be done and then they told the engineers to do it. There was some resistance in the beginning, but they had to do what they were told to do.”

-Niels Jensen, Senior Traffic Planner, Copenhagen

Stay tuned, Denton.  March 9, you can show the politicians that you demand better bicycling facilities here.

TV crew to film Denton Pedicabs on Sunday, all cyclists invited

Laurent of Denton Pedicab informs us that he’ll be doing a ride for a Channel 42 TV film crew this Sunday, and he’s inviting all cyclists to ride along and show support.  He says that Mayor Burroughs will be present (in a pedicab, perhaps?), and the ride will go from DP headquarters at 1801 Sena to the downtown square.

Laurent says to meet at 1801 Sena at 10AM.

Additionally, the pedicabs will be getting electric assist motors soon from www.SpeckeBikes.com, a Denton business.

Dallas to get dedicated cycle track on Bishop Ave

What’s a cycle-track, you ask?  It’s a bike lane physically separated from the automotive roadway, like this one in NYC:

As written about in the Dallas Morning News and BFOC, planners are seeking to utilize $3.7 million in bond money for Bishop Avenue to add a dedicated cycle track.  The project also covers landscaping improvements, utility replacement, and rebuilding Bishop as a concrete roadway from Colorado Boulevard to north of Davis Street.

Many issues and concerns still need to be addressed, said Max Kalhammer, the city’s bicycle coordinator, citing safety, traffic flow and whether bike lanes should be built on one side of the street or separated as shown in the proposal.

Bishop’s existing 100-foot right-of-way makes the corridor especially suitable for building what would be the city’s first barrier-protected bicycle lanes, he said.

Kalhammer also mentions that Dallas will soon be hiring a consultant and drafting a new city bicycle plan.

Kalhammer and others have begun developing a new city bicycle plan. A consultant should be hired by mid-March, he said. A plan will be crafted in committees and after public meetings.

City Council member Delia Jasso has said she likes the idea of segregating bicycle lanes along this stretch of Bishop.

So how about it, Denton?  Where would you like to put a cycle track here?  Carroll?  University?  Avenue C?  Teasley?

I’d advise you Denton readers to keep an eye out for bond-funded road improvement projects, and direct your cycling infrastructure suggestions toward those already-funded projects.

World’s first Denim Ride – Jan 23, Saturday

Tweed rides are happening everywhere, even via our beloved family in Dallas at Bike Friendly Oak Cliff.  Folks get dressed up all dapper in beautiful wool patterns, and they ride bikes just for the sake of it.

Evidence of the Bike Friendly Oak Cliff Tweed Ride:

photo by Raul Bonifacio

We love it, we support it, but we know Denton wants to respond to the tweed-ride phenomenon with its own distinct grace.  I can’t think of anywhere to get tweed in Denton (and please comment if you do), and I really believe Dentonites exude tasteful southern small-town style worthy of fashionable celebration.

What is the modern ubiquitous fabric, never celebrated as posh, considered even more awesome when it’s worn and distressed?  It’s worn by farmers, rock stars, aspiring rock stars, bikers (of the loud motorized sort), rappers, kids, adults, etc.

It is the ultimate fabric of the people.  And not just American people, because really the French, Italians, and Indians started it.

Denim.

Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly announce the world’s first* Denim Ride:

We’ll convene at 1:30PM on the corner of Fry and Hickory, in the grassy area next to the UNT Language building.  We’ll leave around 2:00PM, and after an easy jaunt around central Denton, we’ll cruise to the square, where we can take a group picture on the steps of the magnificent historic county courthouse (thanks to BFOC for the inspiration).   After that, we’ll wind down to nearby Industrial St to end the ride at our favorite local townie bar, Dan’s Silverleaf.  You could stroll down to get food at Fuzzy’s, Roosters, or Hot Box Pizza, and don’t forget to tell all those businesses how much you need bike racks on that block.

Don’t know what to wear?  Think cowboy/cowgirl.  Think James Dean.  Think whatever you want that celebrates as much denim as possible.  I have cowboy boots, and I’m going to wear them, because I want to look like a friggin’ Texan on a bike. If you’re really stressing, maybe we’ll get local beardo Remington to model some possible looks.

Need clothes?  Don’t worry.  Circa 77 Vintage on the square is offering 25% off from now until the ride if you mention BikeDenton.  They usually even have a rack of free clothes outside on the sidewalk.  If you can’t afford that, then the thrift stores on University can outfit you.

If you get a flat, don’t worry.  Querencia Community Bike Shop is sponsoring the ride by bringing basic tools, and they can help teach you how to fix that untimely flat.

If you need a drink, don’t worry.  Dan’s Silverleaf is going to offer BikeDenton drink specials at the end of the ride.

Denton Pedicab is sponsoring the ride in one or more ways:  by either bringing disabled persons who are unable to ride a bicycle, or possibly by hauling around some bluegrass musicians to serenade the ride.  Maybe both, I hope.

We can’t wait to see what YOU wear!

There’s a Facebook event to which you can RSVP.

*this is the only publicity for a Denim Ride I can find, besides the uncanny exact same idea put forth by our friend Myles at Rattrappress in Ft Worth.

Denton to hire bicycle consultant, your input needed

Denton is hiring a bicycle consultant.  But it’s a secret, mostly.

Even if you don’t read this post, please consider taking the 30 seconds to send an email to city council and manager to express your opinions and urge that they hire a reputable bicycle consultant. Scroll down for the council and manager email addresses.

Buried Deep in last month’s Traffic Safety Commission agenda, we can see that Denton staff engineer, Frank Payne, mentions that staff is attempting to hire a consultant to advise on bicycle connectivity:

We are currently looking at overall bicycle connectivity issues with a consultant that we are attempting to put under contract for this very purpose.

Frank made this statement in his response to Sarah Richey’s recent request for bike lanes on Pennsylvania Drive in Southridge.  You can read more about that in the agenda PDF, and in short, the city traffic engineers pledge to provide options to the neighborhood.

Hiring a quality bicycle consultant would be a major step in the right direction for the stagnant, dying bike infrastructure in Denton.  Remember, the city staff have been removing bike lanes lately, not adding them.

We hope that city staff isn’t hiring a consultant to provide only the answers that staff wants to hear.  If the consultant reaches out to cyclists and city neighborhoods, then you’ll know that it was an open, fair process.  If you don’t hear a peep, and silent recommendations are provided directly to city staff, then that could indicate a closed, unfair process.  This announcement was very under the radar, so our curiosity is so high it’s off the charts.

We haven’t seen the bid proposal come up on a city council agenda (perhaps in the consent items), so it’s unlikely that the bids have been formally made.  In BikeDenton’s opinion, there are hundreds of consulting choices out there, but very few shining stars of bicycle planning (in America).  Since this consulting announcement was buried 37 pages deep in the Traffic Safety Commission agenda, it’s unlikely that the city politicians know about this hiring intent.

We, the taxpayers, are footing the bill for this bicycle consultant.  We urge you to contact city council and manager ASAP and tell them you know about the bicycle consultant bid, and that you want them to hire a well-respected, highly experienced bicycle infrastructure planner.  If we don’t say anything about this, then city staff can hire whoever they want, and staff can get the answers they want to hear.  Obviously, BikeDenton is partial to certain esteemed planners, like Mia Birk, the Dallas native who transformed Portland into a Platinum-rated bicycling utopia.  Also, Bud and Annie Melton in Dallas have consulted on many TX bicycle projects including the Austin Master Bike Plan.  You are welcome to suggest whomever you like, because it is your honest opinion that city council needs to hear.

mark.burroughs@cityofdenton.com

pete.kamp@cityofdenton.com

Jim.Engelbrecht@cityofdenton.com

chris.watts@cityofdenton.com

Dalton.Gregory@cityofdenton.com

joe.mulroy@cityofdenton.com

George.Campbell@cityofdenton.com (city manager)

DentonPedicab Hiring Dec 28, Beginning Service on Jan 1

This year, Santa isn’t using a sleigh, he’s using PEDICABS.  In Denton.

This morning, while wrapping gifts and preparing for Christmas with relatives, I answered a knock on the door from Laurent Prouvost.  With snow swirling behind him and his baby daughter swaddled in blankets, Laurent explained that DentonPedicab LLC will be launching service on January 1, and they’re now taking application inquiries from anyone wanting to ride/drive for them.  They’ll eventually have 10-15 pedicabs, and we’ll soon see these large people-powered taxis transforming the visual aesthetic of downtown Denton street traffic.

Back in July, we blogged about Christine and Laurent’s pedicab proposal, and after the city mulled about whether or not to regular pedicab operation in Denton, the city’s legal team green-lighted the project with no regulation.

Since then, Christine and Laurent have raised funds and purchased some of the pedicabs, and we have photo proof!

They’ll be renting out advertising space on the back, as seen in this photo:

The proposed service will create jobs, reduce pollution, calm traffic, and provide a great service to move people between the UNT and TWU campuses, Fry St, the Denton square, and the DCTA A-train station.  With the NX35 music conference approaching in March, this service will prove incredibly convenient to smart attendees wanting to avoid driving and parking woes around venues.  These pedicabs will be bring people to the business on the square without any taxpayer dollars building a parking garage or striping additional spots.  The highly visible bicycles will increase cycling awareness and reinforce the cyclists’ legal rights to ride on Texas streets.

For anyone interested in riding for DentonPedicab, Laurent is holding a December 28 meeting at 3PM, 1801 Sena St.  We’ve heard countless cyclists say they would love to ride pedicabs, so now’s their chance!

You can contact DentonPedicab via email and phone:

Laurent Prouvost, President : laurent@dentonpedicab.com : 940-312-8298

Downtown Plan Meeting – Tonight

A couple months ago, the city enlisted the help of the Jacobs Engineering to consult and come up with a Downtown Implementation Plan.  To make a long story short, the city wants advice on how to positively transform the downtown area in line with the 1999-2020 Denton Plan document (which contains 34 mentions of “bicycle”).  They know the train is coming, they know the area is going to see increased pedestrian/bike transit and an economic bump, and they want to capitalize on all of those factors.

So they hired the firm, Jacobs, for about $200K, and Jacobs interviewed stakeholders in the city.  That included businesses from the downtown area, city staff, Bike Denton, and the general public (via an online survey).

We’re very interested to see the results, and especially considering the city’s recent application for TXDOT funds to build bike lanes on Hickory through the square.

Agenda:

The first Downtown Implementation Plan Public Meeting will be Monday, December 14th at 5:30 p.m. at the Central Fire Station, corner of Bell and Hickory. Parking is available behind the station, off Mulberry. The door just past the truck bays will be open, so you won’t have to walk back around to the Hickory entrance. Economic Development is providing sandwiches; Planning will provide cookies and beverages. The agenda is below. Please contact Ron Menguita (ron.menguita@cityofdenton.com) if you have any questions.

Downtown Implementation Plan
Public Meeting #1 – Central Fire Station
Open House 5:30 p.m.

A. Handouts – presentation overview

B. Wall Graphics
- Existing Land Use
- Parking
- Streets & Linkages
- Pedestrian Sidewalks
- Parks & Open Space
- Solid Waste
- Architecture
- Denton TOD Plan

C. Powerpoint Presentation Rick Leisner, Project Manager 6:30 p.m.
- Project Overview
- Assessment Findings & Data
- Plan Direction
- Citizen Input (Goals & Objectives)

D.  Conclusion & Next Steps 7:50 – 8:00 p.m.

All Hail The Wool Sock

I am a huge fan of wool socks.  I’ll admit that right off the bat.  I’d rather own 2 pairs of wool socks than 20 pairs of cotton.  I know, wool is pricey, but you get what you pay for.  Wool doesn’t stink (I wash after 4-7 days), it wicks moisture, it feels cool in the summer, and it feels warm in the winter.  People are usually surprised when I tell them I wear wool socks in the summer, but the thin wool socks feel fantastic even at 110 degrees F.  I am now so loyal to wool that I get *really* disappointed if I don’t have any clean ones to wear.

I honestly can’t think of anything good to say about cotton socks.  They make my feet hot in summer, cold in winter, they bunch up, they stink after one day, and they hold moisture like a sponge.  Cotton socks (and underwear), we’re through.

So which socks do I wear and when?  Let’s get right down to it:

• over 50 degrees F = thin wool, usually Smartwool brand, like this but whatever is on sale
• 30 to 50 degrees F = thicker wool, like these or these
• under 30 degrees F = thin alpaca wool, like these, or thick sheep wool socks

Wool does have a few caveats though:

• 100% wool usually needs special washing care and detergent
• moths like to eat it, so store it with mothballs, cedar wood, or essential oils
• 100% wool can stretch if you wring it out to dry
• If you play guitar in a wool shirt, your belt buckle will wear little holes in the shirt (believe me, I wish someone had warned me about this)

The 80/20 wool/synthetic blends prove very durable, you can typically launder them with the other clothes, and they don’t loosen up and stretch out like full wool.  Hence the huge popularity of smarwools, wigwams, and other 80/20 blends.  Maybe they’re slightly less warm in the cold, but I really don’t know for sure.

Shoe caveat: obviously, the type of shoe you’re wearing is hugely influential on foot temperature.  If I wear airy sneakers, my feet will still get a little cold under 30 degrees even with wool socks.  If I wear leather shoes, they hold in the heat much better.