Dateline Friday, April 10, 2009 from the Fort Worth Star Telegram
In a story entitled “City streetcar project put in regional plan,” Gordon Dickson reports at the end of the story: “The RTC learned that a package of …projects approved … for federal stimulus funding includes $475,315 for a hike-and-bike trail in Hurst and Colleyville. … if the gap can be completed, it will be possible to ride a bicycle from Grapevine Mills Mall to Haltom City.”
Geez, considering my daily bicycle commute has been from Colleyville to Haltom City, does that mean I’ve been doing the nearly impossible on a daily basis? Imagine, instead, just how many bike parking facilities could be purchased at local destinations for that same $475,315. I guess it isn’t just Dallas that tends toward fuzzy, “feel good” thinking.
And, in case you were wondering, I never rode a single foot of the completed portions of the trail on my commute to Haltom City – too much of a detour. In my new commute to Alliance, I DO ride the Colleyville portion of the trail –about 10 feet of it as I cross it at a 90 degree angle.
I also accidentally discovered a bicycle lane in NRH - more on that later, and on other "MUP" thoughts...
3 comments:
"Superman - or Sloppy Reporting?"
Neither. This is a prime example of the Cycling Inferiority Complex, promoted by non-cyclists and adopted by cyclists of varying skill levels.
I'd suggest you get FBA (or some other group of Tarrant County cyclists) to write the Startlegram and suggest the story be changed to, "it will be possible to push a baby-stroller from Grapevine Mills to Haltom City".
I was very surprised when I dug up the Arlington Bike Plan to see that there are somewhere between 180 and 300 miles of currently Existing Bike Route in the greater Arlinton area. I have driven on 90% of the roads, and have seen signage designating it as a Bike Route on exactly One road.
That being said, I commute to work on surface streets, and absolutely refuse to ride on the sidewalk or be a gutter bunny. I take my lane and am gald to do it!
The "good" news (if there is any here) is that the language from the House forcing cyclists to cower within 3' of the road edge was removed, and that the conference committee approved the Senate's version of the language.
The bad news is it looks like this "cyclists as children" law will be passed. Perhaps they are (for the most part).
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