C y c l e * D a l l a s

Calling Kit Carson.

2008-05-22T09:33:00.006-05:00

This is the Santa Fe Trail under construction. It runs from ExpoPark (between Deep Ellum and Fair Park) to Glasgow Street in East Dallas, where it will connect to the Tenison Trail (which goes to White Rock Lake).

This is Phase II of the East Dallas Veloway (EDV), which has been completely funded by the City of Dallas, Dallas County, and the Federal Highway Administration. Phase II will be under construction by the end of 2008, with Phases III & IV to begin construction in 2009 and 2010. The EDV will run from Deep Ellum to Royal Lane, where it will connect to the White Rock Creek Trail, and more importantly, to the Cottonwood Creek Trail. The EDV will form the southern half of a trail that will extend from the George Bush Turnpike on the Dallas/Plano border to Deep Ellum/Fair Park. It will have grade-separated crossings of Central Expressway/LBJ, Forest Lane, Royal Lane, Greenville Avenue, Walnut Hill, Park Lane, Skillman Avenue, Abrams Road, Northwest Highway, Mockingbird Lane, Winstead Road, Garland Road and East Grand Boulevard.

This is a rail-to-trail project, as it follows the old Santa Fe (east/west) and Union Pacific rail right of ways, and will connect with another rail-trail conversion, the Katy Trail near Williamson Park.

The four sections of the east Dallas Veloway will be named after some item of neighborhood historical interest. The Santa Fe Trail runs through the old Santa Fe Railroad East Dallas rail yard, while the Tenison Trail will pass by the farmland once owned by the Tenison family in Dallas. Turning north, Phase III is being called the Calhoun Trail as it passes through the old frontier train stop of Calhoun, Texas. Likewise, Phase IV will be named after the old town of Vickery, Texas. This will be the premier urban trail in Texas, although much of it will seem anything but urban in nature.

It's no small thing.

The hidden value of bike trails.

2008-05-18T18:04:00.003-05:00

From National Geographic Magazine...

In order to ward off hungry predators, short-horned lizards are capable of inflating their bodies up to twice their size, resembling a spiny balloon. And if this proves insufficient, some species employ one of the animal kingdom’s most bizarre defensive mechanisms: They shoot blood from their eyes.
The ominous squirting blood emanates from ducts in the corners of their eyes and can travel a distance of up to three feet (one meter). It’s meant to confuse would-be predators, but also contains a chemical that is noxious to dogs, wolves, and coyotes.

Recently at a public meeting to promote a connection between the Katy Trail and the Arts District, one very prominent supporter of the Katy Trail made the following comment,

"One of the best things the Katy Trail has done is to get bicycles off the streets."

Sometimes, I just want to puff up and squirt blood from my eyes.

Bike Friendly.

2008-05-15T10:21:00.005-05:00

Isn't this what they really mean?

Quiz Time!

2008-05-09T09:31:00.008-05:00

Following are five items that are often recommended for improved bicycling safety.

A) Separate Bike Path

B) Bicycle Helmet

C) Bike Lanes

D) Bike bell

E) Reflective Safety Vest

Please rank them in the order of effectiveness for improving safety for vehicular and transportation cyclists.

1) _____________________

2) _____________________

3) _____________________

4) _____________________

5) _____________________

Submit you answers in the comments section. I will post the correct ranking (with rationale and data points) at a later date.

Garden tillers, composting bins, and manure spreaders.

2008-05-06T14:39:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends at Rodale,

As a long-time fan of Rodale Publications (beginning when I researched garden-tillers and composting bins back in 1968 as a teenager), I was dismayed to see my city listed as one of the worst cities for cyclists in the US. The author (Christine Mattheis) obviously never visited the city, checked her sources, or did much research beyond Googling, and yet she draws ill-informed and incorrect conclusions.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s-1-18-17082-1,00.html

The following is the concept that drives our bicycle planning/transportation efforts: “Cyclists fare best when they act as, and are treated as, the drivers of other vehicles.” -- John Forester, P.E.

The City of Dallas maintains a 375 mile signed Bicycle Route System of cyclist selected, on-street, shared-lane system utilizing low volume local streets and roads, and has maintained this system since 1985. In addition to working with hundreds of local cyclists and bicycle clubs (including The Greater Dallas Bicyclists), the system was developed following the principles developed by Mr. John Forester, P.E., as laid out in “Bicycle Transportation” (MIT Press). Utilizing the Effective Cycling concept he developed for the League of American Cyclists, the Dallas Bike Plan creates a network of bicycle routes covering the entire city, with a grid system crossing a one-mile intervals.

Additionally, the City has 50 miles of existing Grade 1 & 2 paved park trails, and plans for 100 more miles of Grade 1 trails (12’ minimum width, paved for all-weather use), of which funding has been secured for approximately 50 miles.

The City does not employ bike lanes, as they are a bicycle traffic control device, and have never been shown to increase either cycling or cycling safety. They are most effective in university towns where there is a high concentration of Class C (inexperienced) cyclists centered around a central point (i.e., a campus). While bike lanes remain a “panacea” for many cycling advocates, their actual effectiveness in encouraging cycling and promoting safety in anything other than ideal circumstances remains highly dubious. Retrofitting such designs is cost prohibitive, as the needed right of way must either come from sidewalks, private landowners, or by reducing the width of vehicle travel lanes to below the already sub-standard 11 feet width of the lanes on the vast majority of our urban thoroughfares.

As you are no doubt aware, the greatest danger to cyclists is not being struck from behind by a passing motorist (as many cyclists and non-cyclists believe), but rather the primary danger to cyclists involve intersections and the turning movements of other vehicles. While the protection from being struck from the rear afforded by a paint stripe is debatable, the increased danger of alleys, curb-cuts, driveways and intersections caused by bike lanes is well documented.

Ms. Christine Mattheis mistakenly (and lazily, I might ad) confuses the old 300 mile Veloweb plan instituted by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) for a non-existent bike lane plan for the City of Dallas. The NCTCOG Veloweb currently calls for 644 miles of 12’ wide, road-separated multi-purpose trails covering a four county region.

http://www.nctcog.org/trans/sustdev/bikeped/Mobility2030_Exh15-15_1_10_30_07.pdf

http://www.nctcog.org/trans/sustdev/bikeped/veloweb.asp

Much of her criticism probably referred to the region as a whole (in spite of her continually referring to “the City”), without recognizing that the DFW Metroplex currently has the lowest population density of any metropolitan statistical area in the nation. In the suburban sprawl of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the lack of bicycle facilities is hardly to be unexpected. Bicycle transportation is a desired by-product of high-density population centers. The urban core of Dallas has bicycle/pedestrian trip share rates as high as 12%, while the same rate in the suburban communities is closer to 1%.

I invite Ms. Mattheis to visit Dallas sometime (not the suburban sprawl, but the City) and see for herself, or to request a copy of our Bike Plan. Again, as a long time admirer of Rodale, I expect a higher level of journalism from your publications than this “drive-by” article represents.

Cutting edge cyclist.

2008-05-04T22:09:00.001-05:00

White Rock Spillway meeting

2008-03-10T15:04:00.001-05:00

There will be a PUBLIC MEETING concerning the repairs to the White Rock Lake Spillway on Thursday, March 13 at 6 pm in the Winfrey Point Building at White Rock Lake Park, 950 E. Lawther. The project team will be presenting the final design recommendations and reviewing the anticipated construction timetable.

Public comment is welcome.

For additional information, contact: Cassia Sanchez, DWU Project
Manager - 214/671-9559.

Persons with special communication or accommodation needs are
encouraged to contact Alva Baker, Baker Consulting Associates,
214/428-6432 or bcaabaker@aol.com. Requests for language interpreters
or other special communication needs should be made at least three
days prior to the Public Meeting. Every reasonable effort will be
made to accommodate those needs.

"O what a tangled web we weave..."

2008-02-27T12:57:00.000-06:00

The North Central Texas Council of Governments is hosting the first in a series of county specific meetings to review the Regional Veloweb, a 644 mile off-street trail network planned for the Metroplex,

At the Tarrant County Regional Veloweb Review meeting, NCTCOG staff will give a presentation on the history of the Regional Veloweb and long term goals for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program. City planners, government staff, and interested Tarrant County residents will then have an opportunity to review maps, identify priorities for the county, and provide NCTCOG with feedback about planned and existing trails. Information from the Regional Veloweb Review meetings will be used to update and expand upon regional bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts.

The Tarrant County meeting will be held at 3 pm, Thursday, March 6, 2008, on the second floor of the Intermodal Transportation Center (1001 Jones Street, Fort Worth, map). Please see the attached meeting notice for details and visit http://www.nctcog.org/trans/sustdev/bikeped/veloweb.asp for updates to the County Meeting Schedule. If you are unable to attend the meeting scheduled within your county, please do not hesitate to contact me with your comments or attend one of the other county specific meetings. The second county specific meeting will be held on April 3, 2008, in Denton County.

Thank you in advance for your support of regional bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts.

Jen Ebel

Transportation Planner

Sustainable Development

jebel@nctcog.org

office: 817-695-9255

fax: 817-640-9028

North Central Texas Council of Governments

PO Box 5888

Arlington, TX 76005-5888

ü Please consider the environment before printing this email.

Magick Paint Purveyors coming to a town near you.

2008-02-26T12:20:00.004-06:00

Problem: How do you get a bike lane safely across a heavily-traveled exit ramp that leads to an urban highway?

Solution: You apply blue paint across the automobile's path. The Magick-Blue paint will create a car-safe zone for the cyclist to enter (or at least, it will help create the illusion of a car-safe zone).

Note: A Dallas City Council member, the friends of the Katy Trail ("The best thing the Katy Trail has done is to get bicycles off the streets of Dallas" said a FotKT supporter) and a consortium of Arts District people have awarded a $75,000 contract to the Alta Design Group, America's largest proponents of Magic Blue Bike Lanes. The purpose of the study is to connect the Katy Trail to the proposed $120,000,000 Woodall Rodgers Deck Park over Spur 366 north of the Arts District.

Sheldon Brown, R.I.P.

2008-02-05T08:27:00.000-06:00

1944 - 2008

Boy's bike.

2008-01-15T20:08:00.002-06:00

Joseph Beuys

Open House

2007-12-07T11:15:00.000-06:00

You are invited to attend a community update meeting for the Katy Trail Extension Phase VI project, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 at 5321 E Mockingbird Lane, Suite 240, Dallas, TX 75206 (next to the Angleika Theater) at Mockingbird Station. Phase VI of the Katy Trail will run between Ellsworth Avenue and Worcola Street along the DART corridor, crossing with a pedestrian bridge at Mockingbird Lane.

This meeting will be held in open house format where participants can browse presentation boards that have been generated to this point in the schematic design process. Councilmember's Angela Hunt and Sheffie Kadane, City of Dallas Public Works and Transportation representatives and the HNTB design team will be on hand to give a brief overview and field any questions you may have about the project process and timeline.

Please confirm your attendance by contacting Janeen Walls at (214) 743-7243 or jwalls@hntb.com. Also, feel free to forward this notice to your full membership.

I look forward to visiting with you and discussing the progress on this project.

Sincerely,

Patrick Owens
HNTB Project Manager

Bears repeating.

2007-11-06T10:31:00.000-06:00

The Wheels of Perception

The Texas Department of Transportation sponsored a “Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Accommodation” workshop put on by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The course was put on for TxDOT engineers and Safety coordinators, as well as local law enforcement officers and transportation planners. The presenters were Dan Burden (previously the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the Florida Department of Transportation) and Kirby Beck (Effective Cycling Instructor, bicycle police officer from Coon Rapids, Minn., and a board member of I.M.B.P.A.).

The three-day course is an informative, if shallow by necessity, overview of bicycle/pedestrian transportation issues. There were many great case studies of bike paths, lanes, wide outside lanes, tunnels, bridges, and other treatments to make cycling safer and more convenient -- including bike helmets and “conspicuity” (I love that word -- it sounds like something my grandfather did that required him to keep a spittoon handy). But there was an over-riding (although beneath the surface) message that needs to be addressed.

By focusing so much attention on safety, we are communicating an entirely different message -- one that has been picked up by cycling’s foes. The unintentional message that we are sending is this: “Bicycling is an unsafe activity". Add to that message our preoccupation with expensive gadgets and highly specialized equipment (not to mention Lycra shorts), and we are reinforcing the all too common belief that cycling is a remote and esoteric activity.

A local city councilman, in explaining why he was voting for a mandatory bicycle helmet ordinance for all ages, compared cycling to skydiving! See if you can follow me on this: jumping out of a plane a few of miles above land and hoping that a glorified bed sheet will stop your fall doesn’t require a law making the skydiver wear a helmet, but getting on a bicycle to ride a mile to the local 7-11 does. If that comparison doesn’t make sense to you, just look at the visual similarity between a cyclist dressed for a winter ride and a skydiver preparing to jump out of a plane at 20,000 feet. Goggles, gloves, bright colors, helmet, and tight-fitting clothes are all common between the two. But is the attitude?

I always find it ironic for a bicycle/pedestrian expert to show slide after slide of cyclists in Europe and Asia safely using bicycles for transportation, but who then launches into a warning about the dangers of cycling by showing all the hazards that exist here. The irony is compounded when they offer the magic elixir of bike safety; a bike helmet (or as some more accurately prefer to call them, a bicycle crash helmet). I too have been guilty of pushing bike helmets beyond their reasonableness. I won’t launch into this except to point out that the design speed of bike helmets matches the safety requirements of life on the bike path (mirroring the conditions of European and Asian cycling, oddly enough), not life on the streets. If a bike helmet offered real protection from automobiles, it wouldn’t say inside it, “Not for use with motor vehicles.”

The simple fact is that such a lightweight helmet (lightweight by design and necessity) can only offer protection from low speed crashes. But don’t mistake low speed for low danger. At relatively low speeds, the sudden stop caused by a head hitting a concrete curb at only a few miles per hour can cause severe trauma to the brain. Falling off a bike while standing still, if the head strikes a hard surface, can be very dangerous. On rare occasions, it can even be fatal.

Very rare occasions, it turns out. But we are reacting like death is at our door, inviting us along on a bike ride! If bicycling was as dangerous as many wish us all to believe it is (cycling professionals as well as politicians and pro-helmet activists), our political and economic tensions with Communist China, Japan, and Asia would be greatly reduced. There wouldn’t be anyone to threaten us (perhaps those bodies in Tiananmen Square were only cyclists who had died while riding around the square).

Because the rhetoric is so intense, it’s easy to be misunderstood on this issue. But we need to look at the monster we have created in “bike safety.” I have even heard one nationally prominent cycling advocate compare bike safety to gun safety. “There we go again,” equating bicycles with life threatening activities, when we should be emphasizing (both to cyclists and non-cyclists) the health benefits of cycling.

When did cycling begin to be seen as a health threat and not as a healthy activity? In talking to some friends in the bicycle retail industry, it seems that it was the aftermath of the 70’s Energy Crisis that sparked “the great fear.” Recall how an existing bicycle boom was fueled even faster by the gasoline price shocks. Nationwide, people who otherwise used bicycles only to define ceiling height in their garages, began riding their bicycles to work, school, and on errands.

Where does an inexperienced bicycle commuter ride their bike? On the same streets that they drive their cars (it’s the only route they know). These inexperienced cyclists soon found that mixing with high speed automobiles on multi-lane thoroughfares and on crowded, narrow roads, wasn’t much fun. It not only felt dangerous, without the proper skills it was dangerous.

When fuel supplies increased (and gasoline prices decreased slightly), these people abandoned their bikes for the “safety” of their cars. The bike boom went bust. A panicked cycling industry began looking for reasons for the bust and identified “safety” as a prime suspect. Two solutions were adopted; bike lanes to protect bicycles from cars, and bike helmets to protect the cyclists.

The great irony here is that “safety” didn’t fuel a new cycling boom -- mountain bikes did. And how were (and are still) mountain bikes advertised? As gonzo fun toys for death-defying, risk-takers! But what was the real appeal? An upright, stable riding position. In a classic marketing campaign borrowed from the automobile industry, consumers were shown gonzo wild-men (and wild-women) flying through the air coming down Mt. Tam in Northern California. In the store, however, the vast majority of consumers were buying low-pressure, fat tired, upright riding bikes that have about as much in common with pro racing bikes as your Chevy in the driveway has to do with a NASCAR racer (very little).

Do you see what we are doing? We are promoting bicycles to gentle people by showing them how dangerous they are as part of the advertising. Their experience is that cycling is safe and fun, but we are telling them that it is dangerous. People all to often believe what they are told by ad agencies more than what they learn from experience. How many guys with beer guts and a six-pack of Bud pick up super-models in thong bikinis? How many young women become successful by smoking Virginia Slims? That’s advertising overcoming reality.

Here’s the message we should be sending out; Cycling is safe and fun! Very safe and very fun. Crashes happen (and can be avoided), and a helmet is a very good safety precaution. I never leave home without mine, because it is pretty cheap insurance. But cycling must be put into relationship with other risks. Statistically, stairs are a far more dangerous place than bicycles. Bathtubs are a far more dangerous place. Jungle Gyms? Give me a break (no pun intended).

How much more dangerous are stairs, bathtubs, swing-sets, and riding in a car than riding a bicycle? I don’t know, because the Head Injury Prevention lobby won’t release that data for fear of showing that their demands for mandatory bicycle helmet laws are unjustified (the chairman of the local bike helmet law advocacy group withheld that information because he felt that the data would, “be used against mandatory helmet laws.”

Now say after me, “Cycling is safe and fun.”

“Cycling is safe and fun.”

That’s the point that the League of American Bicyclists makes in Effective Cycling. Effective Cycling courses teach cyclists how to be prepared for most any conditions they will meet on the road: how to behave in traffic, how to dress for the weather (cold, rain, and heat), how to keep your bike in good mechanical condition. Why it’s a good idea to wear a helmet. These are the skills that prevent crashes, not just mitigate the danger. And perhaps more importantly, there is no false sense of security imparted in developing Effective Cycling skills, only the confidence gained from understanding your environment.

Obey the laws, wear your helmet, don’t be foolish (riding at night without good lighting is about as smart as working on your toaster without unplugging it), and have fun. Live long and prosper.

Repeat after me. "Cycling is safe and fun."

“Cycling is safe and fun.”
“Cycling is safe and fun.”
“Cycling is safe and fun.”

Now let’s saddle up and ride!

(This article was originally published in 1998. Times have changed, but not all that much.)

A good read.

2007-11-06T10:14:00.000-06:00

A few years ago, I took Portland's Director of Transportation Planning on a bicycle tour of Dallas utilizing the on-street bike route system. He remarked how much better it functioned than Portland's bike lane system. I then visited Portland and saw the problem.

As usual, the bike lanes were placed along busy thoroughfares, while the cyclists were on local streets (for the most part). Cycling advocates (especially those who don't ride in a utilitarian mode, i.e. the "Lycra-enabled cyclists" you see on the weekends crowding the hike'n bike paths) clamor for bike lanes, and opportunistic politicians latch onto the demand.

Rant and ramble. Here's a good story in the New York Times about Portland's cycling environment (with a nice video).

Your own worst enemy.

2007-10-29T11:18:00.000-05:00

A bike-safety awareness campaign in a major metropolitan city produced this. It's a great (if unintentional) reminder of one of the irrational short-comings of bike lanes.

Hmmmm....

2007-10-12T17:56:00.000-05:00

What do YOU think?

David Byrne: How New Yorkers Ride Bikes

2007-10-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

David Byrne will host an evening of music, discussion, film, readings, and surprises dedicated to the advancement of bicycling in New York City, including talks and performances by the Classic Riders Bicycle Club, Jan Gehl, Buck Henry, Calvin Trillin, Paul Steely White, Jonathan Wood, and the Young@Heart Chorus.
David Byrne is an Academy Award-winning musician and visual artist who co-founded the rock group Talking Heads in 1976. He has bicycled in New York City for almost thirty years.
The Classic Riders Bicycle Club is a Brooklyn-based group of antique-bicycle enthusiasts.
Jan Gehl is a Danish architect and the author of “Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space.” His work in Copenhagen and elsewhere has sought to improve the environment for cyclists and pedestrians.
Buck Henry is an actor, screenwriter, and director. He co-wrote “The Graduate,” co-directed “Heaven Can Wait,” and has appeared in more than thirty films.
Calvin Trillin has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1963.
Paul Steely White is the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, a New York-area citizens’ group working for better bicycling, walking, and public transit.
Jonathan Wood is the deputy chairman of the Warrington Cycle Campaign, which promotes safer cycling in Warrington, England, and aims to enable more people to travel by bicycle in the town through more equitable sharing of roadways.
The Young@Heart Chorus was formed in 1982 at a meal site for the elderly in Northampton, Massachusetts. Its current members are between seventy-three and eighty-eight years of age.
7:30 p.m. Town Hall ($16)
123 West 43rd Street
(Tickets are also available at the Town Hall box office. Free valet bicycle parking will be provided.)

BikeDFW cycling education program in development stages!

2007-09-25T09:13:00.000-05:00

The key to changing culture and attitude is education -

BikeDFW will soon be offering bike education courses based on the
League of American Bicyclists curriculum. Classes will include basic
cycling skills for beginners, group riding skills classes, advanced
cycling skills, and possibly a race skills course.

We need instructors! If you are willing to take the necessary

courses to become an instructor so you can teach classes
(instructors are paid to teach) please contact us.

The first Road I course, which is a prerequisiste to taking the instructor
course will be held Oct 6 and 7th. It is a two day course. Taking Road I
will prepare you to take the Leage of American Bicyclists League Certified
Instructor (LCI) course. To register for the October Road I course,
visit the registration page. There are only a few slots left for this course!

What is a League Cycling Instructor (LCI)?

First and foremost, an LCI is an experienced and knowledgeable
cyclist who has the desire to educate bicyclists and motorists so
they can safely share the road. LCIs are instructors certified to
teach BikeEd, the League of American Bicyclist’s education program.
Simply knowing how to ride a bike is not the same as knowing how to
operate a bike safely and legally. Using BikeEd curricula, LCIs instruct
both children and adults so they can learn the skills and techniques
needed to feel safe and comfortable riding a bicycle on the road.
LCIs are certified to teach:
• Road I (the basic introductory/intermediate course for adult cyclists)

• Road II (an advanced adult course)
• Kids I (designed for the parents of children under 10 years of age)
• Kids II (designed for children 10-14 [4th & 5th graders] including
on-road practice).

In addition, LCI's may teach special courses such as "Group Cycling Skills".
"Race Skills" or other courses which may be developed by the League.

As independent contractors, LCIs are not employees of the League.
They have the freedom to organize classes to fit their needs, as long
as the “need to know” elements are covered for a given age group.
LCIs set their own fees and schedules, and work with community
centers, bike shops, bike clubs, schools, motorists, and other places
where bicycle education can be promoted. The League does not
organize classes, but classes may be publicized for free on the
League’s website.

What does it take to become a League Cycling Instructor (LCI)?

The first step is to become a member of the League of American
Bicyclist (LAB). Membership is required, and the annual dues
start at $35.00. The next step is to pass a BikeEd Road I course. The
registration fee varies but is generally around $65.00. A score of at least
85% is a prerequisite to continue. The final step is to complete the
LCI Certification Seminar.

The seminar is usually held during the course of a single weekend.
There will be 20 hours of instruction, exercises and practice teaching
both in the classroom and on the bike. Registration is $200 and
includes the manuals, and the teaching and support materials
you’ll need to conduct a course.

Sound like something you would like to do? Contact us!

BikeDFW
2504 Timberleaf Dr.
Carrollton, Texas 75006
(469) 287-7955

Great moments in municipal stupidity.

2007-08-23T13:42:00.000-05:00

Frisco, Texas has installed a "bike lane".

It's just on one side of the road, it's just 2 - 3 ft. wide, and it's bi-directional... are you bike-lane advocates happy now?

Let me disassemble this a bit. This "design" is not found in the AASHTO Guide or the MUTCD. The dashed line indicates that it is permeable (cars can move into it), and it's not really "puppy tracks", but "buttons", which can deflect a bicycle wheel, causing a crash (especially children).

Some cyclists are told to ride the wrong direction (against traffic flow). Should two cyclists meet going in opposite directions, the cyclist going against traffic would be forced INTO the on-coming traffic lane, while the cyclist going WITH traffic would be forced into the ditch. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Worse, it is a tragedy waiting to happen, for which their will be no corporate veil of protection for the City of Frisco. A clear case of negligence, bordering on the criminal.

Is it really supposed to be an on-street sidewalk?

Had Frisco painted the dashed line on BOTH sides of the street (without arrows), it would have served well as a marked shoulder. The narrower travel lanes would have reduced vehicle speeds (although on this low volume, neighborhood street, that doesn't seem to be a problem).

Not even "magic paint" can save them.

The State of Bicyling Adovacy in Dallas, Texas.

2007-05-14T17:38:00.000-05:00

Cycling just keeps getting run over, pushed under the wheels of commerce by bureaucrats and other whores. No, I'm not excluding myself from the Cycling Brothel list.

Ockham's Razor and the White Rock Lake Trail

2007-04-26T20:44:00.000-05:00

Wikipedia says:

Occam's razor (also spelled Ockham's razor) is a principle attributed to the 14th-century English logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham. The principle states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating, or "shaving off," those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory. The principle is often expressed in Latin as the lex parsimoniae ("law of parsimony" or "law of succinctness"):

entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem,

which translates to:

entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.

This is often paraphrased as "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one." In other words, when multiple competing theories are equal in other respects, the principle recommends selecting the theory that introduces the fewest assumptions and postulates the fewest hypothetical entities. It is in this sense that Occam's razor is usually understood.

Originally a tenet of the reductionist philosophy of nominalism, it is more often taken today as a heuristic maxim that advises economy, parsimony, or simplicity in scientific theories.

There will be an update to this post, but not a test. Although perhaps a trial.

Time to put your thinking hat on.

2007-04-20T09:13:00.000-05:00

15 reasons why NOT to have mandatory bicycle crash helmet laws, according to a public advocate campaign in Austin.

How to cook a survey on bicycling.

2007-04-09T14:49:00.000-05:00

We know what we want for a result on our survey. Please validate our pre-ordained conclusions by filling in the blanks.

http://bicyclesurvey.ce.utexas.edu/

Thank you. Baaaaaaaaaaaahhhh.

Watch. Comment.

2007-03-30T06:46:00.000-05:00

What would you recommend?

2007-03-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

I was asked. This is my response.