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 League’s letter to Mayor Pelham can be found here.
Top 10 Worst Cities for Bicycle Theft
Kryptonite, the bicycle lock company, has announced its Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft in 2006. Kryptonite uses its own data to create the list. This is the eighth time the company has published the list, which is compiled by theft data that Kryptonite has accumulated over three decades. With the latest FBI Uniform Crime Report (2004) showing a property crime every 3.1 seconds, Kryptonite warns cyclists everywhere to always lock their bicycle when not in use especially in the following areas:
Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft
1. New York, N.Y.
2. San Francisco, Calif.
3. Chicago, Ill.
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Boston, Mass.
6. Eugene, Ore.
7. Philadelphia, Pa.
8. Oakland, CA
9. Seattle, WA
10. Miami, FL
Calif. B&Bs Reach Out to Cyclists
California bed and breakfast inns are adding another B to their list of offerings: bikes. The California Association of Bed and Breakfast Inns (CABBI) is launching its newest travel program, Beds, Bikes & Breakfast. Ninety CABBI B&Bs throughout California are officially designated as bike-friendly and offer secured bike storage facilities and healthy, hearty breakfasts to fuel a day of touring. Many inns also offer laundry facilities and area bike trail maps. Cycling advocate and Bear Valley Inn owner/innkeeper and League board member Amanda Eichstaedt provided CABBI with valuable insight into cyclists’ needs while traveling by bike. Travelers interested in finding bike-friendly B&Bs can visit www.cabbi.com and search for inns marked with a bicycle icon. CABBI’s free Travel Guide Map, also available online, pinpoints where each B&B is located so cyclists can plan vacations whether they are avid riders or recreational cruisers.
Bike/Ped Coordinator Needed in Idaho
Applications are now being accepted for a full-time position of Pedestrian/Bicycle Program Coordinator in the Planning & Programming Department of Ada County Highway District in Idaho. The Pedestrian & Bicycle Program Coordinator is responsible for organizing and managing the District’s various projects and programs pertaining to pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The incumbent manages the District’s Community Programs, ADA program, provides input on pedestrian and bicycle aspects of other projects, and prepares reports related to the District’s studies and implementation work. A completed application is required and must be submitted to HR by 4:30 p.m., Friday, July 7, 2006. Applications are available at 3775 N. Adams; Garden City, ID 83714 or visit our website: www.achd.ada.id.us.
2006 Bicycle-Travel Award Nominations
Adventure Cycling Association is accepting nominations for its four annual awards, including the new Bicycle Travel Champion Award. The Bicycle Travel Champion Award honors people who have shown a longstanding commitment to advancing bicycle travel in the United States. The three other awards are the June Curry Trail Angel Award, the Sam Braxton Bike Shop Award, and the Adventure Cycling Volunteer of the Year Award. Nominations for 2006 awards will be accepted through September 30. To learn more, click here.
The Self-Powered Factory
When Tony Ellsworth began planning a new San Diego home for his custom-bike company, Ellsworth Bikes, he aimed from the get-go to minimize the project's impact on both his bank account and the environment. A geothermal system heats and cools the building, and electricity is provided by rooftop solar cells, which feed excess energy back into the local electricity grid to be credited at full retail value. He expects to recoup the cost of the solar system -- $28,000 after rebates -- in four years. And his green factory even helps him cope with the stress of running a small business. "I deal with the low moments by going out back and watching the electric meter run backward," he says. "That always puts a smile on my face." Reprinted from the July 2006 issue of Popular Science.
A Bicycle Built for Two
Clad in shorts and a polo shirt, Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) married his girlfriend, Amy Hauslohner, on June 3, 2006. The couple biked about 10 miles along the Virginia Creeper Trail from Abingdon to Damascus, one of their favorite routes, and exchanged vows privately on an old railroad bridge. The newlyweds then biked back to Abingdon. Excerpted from The Hill.
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