Bike to Work Day: April 13, 2012

[trymahjong]

Bike to Work Day Friday, April 13, 2012

Mayor Annise D. Parker has declared Friday, April 13, 2012 as Bike to Work Day to encourage riders to choose pedal power for their daily commute to work and to raise awareness of the City's bikeway network.

Organized Bike to Work rides will depart from seven locations around Houston at 7:30 a.m. and end at City Hall around 8 a.m. for a brief presentation by Mayor Parker, Public Works Director Dan Krueger and members of the biking community followed by a free breakfast.

During the City Hall presentation, bicyclists will learn more about upcoming projects and green initiatives, as well as talk about how easy it is to travel through Houston on a bicycle and share information about favorite bike routes and trails.

Air up your tires, put on your best riding attire and meet at one of the seven designated start locations. All riders are encouraged to wear bike helmets while cycling as well as get a bicycle tune up periodically.

Friday, April 13, 2012 7:30 a.m. starting locations:

• Sun & Ski - Memorial Park Picnic Loop 77027
  
• Bikesport- 2909 Joanel Street 77027, 713.850.2502
  
• Bike Barn- 5925 Kirby Drive 77005, 713.529.9002
  
• Bicycle World & Fitness- 2511 Rice Boulevard 77005, 713.529.0140
  
• Daniel Boone Cycles- 5318 Crawford 77004, 713.526.7011
  
• West End Bikes- 5427 Blossom Street 77004, 713.861.2271
  
• Blue Line Bike Lab- 3302 White Oak Drive 77007, 713.802.1707
  

For more details visit www.houstonbikeways.org/events.htm or contact Dan Raine at dan.raine@houstontx.gov or 832.395.2692.

Bikeway maps are available at Houston Public Libraries, the Downtown Visitors Center and participating bike shops. A bikeway network map is also available at http://www.houstonbikeways.org/ and all city bikeways are viewable on Google Maps under the Traffic tab.

[editor]

I have added this to the Community Calendar.

[woolie]

I ride my bike to work occasionally. I'll try and participate on Friday, though I'll just leave from my house since I'm already in midtown

[RedScare]

I live in the Heights. Friday, I have to be in Conroe at 8 am. At 9 am I have to be in Houston. At 2 pm I have to be back in Conroe, and at some point I will want to come home. Total mileage = 158 miles.

I'll give it a shot.

[woolie]

I was actually in DT today to speak with an attorney... While the TMC is fine (about 20 mins on bike), wouldn't mind working DT sometime. My wife recently changed jobs and was hoping for one DT, but ended up even further out than she was before (was near 610, now beltway 8.)

[Marksmu]

April 13 - the day that all the co-workers of those who have biked to work avoid them - because they reek of sweat and body odor.

[infinite_jim]

free breakfast

[woolie]

April 13 - the day that all the co-workers of those who have biked to work avoid them - because they reek of sweat and body odor.

Good. Less people to bother me.

[plumber2]

April 13 - the day that all the co-workers of those who have biked to work avoid them - because they reek of sweat and body odor.

Oh yes, and you are such a "Rare Bouqet" to be around yourself!

[infinite_jim]

So if a driver is threatening me while riding my bike, can I use the "stand my ground/castle doctrine" law to pull out my CHL approved weapon and defend myself against a life threatening situation?

[plumber2]

I tried to stand my ground once, except I was on my bike against a 69 Chevelle. I think the owner of West End Cycle still has parts to my Scwhinn laying around his shop. I was okay though, once I climbed myself down off the top of his hood.

[Marksmu]

Regardless of whether or not it is legal to ride a bike on Houston roads - Bikes traveling on heavily trafficked streets inconveniences tremendously more people than not....IMO bikes should not be allowed on surface roads with speed limits in excess of 20 mph, b/c few, if any, bikes are traveling faster than 20mph. It would be great if Houston were able to make more bike friendly routes, but it should not be at the expense of the people driving, who make up 99.99999999% of all traffic on the road. the .00000001% should not be accommodated, no matter how trendy, green, and whatever else reason you can think of.

Heights boulevard did it properly - the bikes have their own lane...the hike/bike trail and all other areas are also great...Bikers dont like to use those trails though b/c they have to deal with joggers who cant hear them b/c of ear phones, or dogs, kids or _______fill in the blank - but I would much rather a few bikers be inconvenienced by the joggers/dogs/kids/etc than have hundreds if not thousands of people who are driving to work inconvenienced by the bikers.

The Body odor is the down side that others will have to deal with...you cant bike to my office even if you wanted too.

[Simbha]

I tried to bike to work yesterday, but I fell down the stairs which lead from my bedroom to my office.

[RedScare]

Regardless of whether or not it is legal to ride a bike on Houston roads - Bikes traveling on heavily trafficked streets inconveniences tremendously more people than not....IMO bikes should not be allowed on surface roads with speed limits in excess of 20 mph, b/c few, if any, bikes are traveling faster than 20mph. It would be great if Houston were able to make more bike friendly routes, but it should not be at the expense of the people driving, who make up 99.99999999% of all traffic on the road. the .00000001% should not be accommodated, no matter how trendy, green, and whatever else reason you can think of.

Heights boulevard did it properly - the bikes have their own lane...the hike/bike trail and all other areas are also great...Bikers dont like to use those trails though b/c they have to deal with joggers who cant hear them b/c of ear phones, or dogs, kids or _______fill in the blank - but I would much rather a few bikers be inconvenienced by the joggers/dogs/kids/etc than have hundreds if not thousands of people who are driving to work inconvenienced by the bikers.

The Body odor is the down side that others will have to deal with...you cant bike to my office even if you wanted too.

This is exactly why it is in the interest of automobile drivers to SUPPORT the efforts of bicyclists to improve the bike trails and bike lanes around the city. Bikes on streets is state law...and that will not change. Cyclists have the right to ride in a lane of traffic, even at 10-15 mph. This is clearly an annoyance to drivers, and slows traffic. However, the cyclists would rather not be in that lane either, given the dangers of collisions with cars. If auto drivers would JOIN cyclists in pushing for more car bike separation though improved trails and lanes, both groups would be happier...a LOT happier.

[Marksmu]

This is exactly why it is in the interest of automobile drivers to SUPPORT the efforts of bicyclists to improve the bike trails and bike lanes around the city. Bikes on streets is state law...and that will not change. Cyclists have the right to ride in a lane of traffic, even at 10-15 mph. This is clearly an annoyance to drivers, and slows traffic. However, the cyclists would rather not be in that lane either, given the dangers of collisions with cars. If auto drivers would JOIN cyclists in pushing for more car bike separation though improved trails and lanes, both groups would be happier...a LOT happier.

I dont disagree with you....but our climate is so inhospitable to bike riders with the number of days over 100F or raining, that it seems like a tremendous waste of money to develop an infrastructure for biking, given that even if we doubled the number of folks who rode bikes to work we would still have less than .000001% of people biking. The money is better spent elsewhere. It is time to just face it - bike riding is not a viable form of transit in houston.

[RedScare]

Actually, the number of those biking to work is 0.5%. If you only think of lawyers, bankers and accountants, yes, Houston summer weather can be inhospitable. But, if you consider the full range of workers, such as restaurant workers, dry cleaning and other store clerks,and other non-suit wearing workers, bicycling is not a strenuous activity in Houston's flat terrain. A 5 mile ride can be accomplished in 20 minutes, and if done so in comfortable clothing, would not leave the worker drenched in sweat. In fact, a person biking 5 miles at a moderate pace will only burn 175 calories, versus walking only 3 miles, which will burn 269 calories. And the cyclist will have a breeze while riding.

A separated bike lane could take up as little as 5 or 6 feet, and could fit between the roadway and a sidewalk. An Iowa study on paving 6 foot shoulders for bicycle lanes estimated costs at $110,000 per mile. Compare this to $100 million per mile to rebuild the Katy Freeway, $40 million per mile for light rail, and $5.5 million per mile for an average 4 lane road.

[woolie]

I did ride my bike, although I didnt make to the city event.

I probably have one of the most ideal bike commutes possible. It's a about 3 miles from midtown to the TMC. Caroline and La Branch are excellent (designated) bike paths, and I only share the road with a small amount of slow, local traffic. Then I hit Herman Park, which is always delightful to ride through. It's perfectly comfortable up to about 85 degrees, maybe a little more if overcast.

I have a very "white collar" job, but fortunately I can wear whatever I please. If it is particularly hot, I can wear biking appropriate clothes and change when I get there. My old building had a shower, which was great.

[Simbha]

I dont disagree with you....but our climate is so inhospitable to bike riders with the number of days over 100F or raining, that it seems like a tremendous waste of money to develop an infrastructure for biking, given that even if we doubled the number of folks who rode bikes to work we would still have less than .000001% of people biking. The money is better spent elsewhere. It is time to just face it - bike riding is not a viable form of transit in houston.

Pardon me, but this is hogwash. Houston has a humid subtropical climate - similar to Tampa and New Orleans. Those cities have a bike commuter rate of 1.9% and 1.8%, respectively - nearly four times Houston's rate of 0.5%. (These numbers are percentage of total city population, not commuter population.)

If Houston were to, as RedScare suggests, build designated bike paths alongside roads, I'm confident that our numbers would be higher - probably in the range of 1.0% to 1.5%. That's roughly 16,500 more people who would get more exercise while contributing less pollution - in addition to making the roads safer for the other 10k riders and the automobile drivers they encounter. Oh, and let's not forget that these numbers are for people who ride their bike as a primary means of transportation to and from work. Those numbers don't include the number of casual cyclists who would also benefit greatly from improvement in bicycle-related infrastructure.

And, before anyone gets on me for being some biking hippie... I work from home and drive wherever I need to go, because I'm usually dressed at least 'business casual' when I'm out to see clients. I don't even own a bicycle any longer. But, I do believe it's a viable mode of transportation for some commuters and a hobby for others, and they should be given a safer environment to do it.