Subdude Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Not terribly surprising.. By Brooke Howell, Monster Contributing Writer It's not just what you do that determines how much money you make, it's also where you do it.Employment-data provider PayScale tracks wages for the most heavily populated U.S. metropolitan areas and recently charted the 20 cities that saw the largest increase in wages from the fourth quarter of 2011 to the fourth quarter of 2012.Here's a breakdown of the top five and some information on what each has to offer: Houston, up 4.8%. Texas' largest city is big in the energy industry -- and not just in the traditional areas of oil and gas. It's also seeing gains in newer areas, such as wind and solar. Health care and aerospace are other major industries in town. Houston has an interconnected bikeway network over 300 miles long spanning across 500 square miles, so commuters can get past gridlock while getting healthy on their way to work. In their free time, residents can enjoy a rich, multicultural arts community. Next are:SeattleBostonRiversideDallas http://career-services.monster.com/yahooarticle/5-cities-where-salaries-are-on-the-rise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian0123 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Yes, our interconnected bike path's are so awesome in this city Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 My employer didn't get that memo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swtsig Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Yes, our interconnected bike path's are so awesome in this city actually inside the loop they aren't bad... i routinely take trails from montrose to rice/med center onto braies bayou thru 3rd ward and into downtown. and from there you can easily connect to the heights (w trails up to oak forest) or hit buffalo bayou back to montrose or memorial park and even into uptown w little headache. and from braes if you go the opposite direction it goes straight into bellaire and west u. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian0123 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 actually inside the loop they aren't bad... i routinely take trails from montrose to rice/med center onto braies bayou thru 3rd ward and into downtown. and from there you can easily connect to the heights (w trails up to oak forest) or hit buffalo bayou back to montrose or memorial park and even into uptown w little headache.and from braes if you go the opposite direction it goes straight into bellaire and west u. Good to know. What trail in Montrose to Med Center are you referring to? I live along Braes bayou so I know that trail. Didn't know I could hook up to Montrose, though. I was referring to all the on-street "trails" where drivers nearly run you off the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Yeah we have some good bikeways and the city is committed fairly well to investing in bike infrastructure, but to say we have "300 miles" of interconnected bike paths is really disingenuous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livincinco Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 This is the map that they are using to support the 300 miles claim. http://documents.publicworks.houstontx.gov/documents/divisions/planning/bikeway/bikeways_map_network.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Right, but just because the city's bikeway program claims a certain road is a bike route doesn't make it a bike path. It's just a recommendation, not actually an accommodation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 My employer didn't get that memo... My experience has been that you don't get bumped up to market rates unless you jump ship or threaten to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Right, but just because the city's bikeway program claims a certain road is a bike route doesn't make it a bike path. It's just a recommendation, not actually an accommodation. They're doing pretty good given the circumstances. I do wish they would spend some more time and money on fixing sidewalks and repeal that ordinance that prohibits biking on sidewalks in commercial areas. Not that I observe the ordinance anyway, but it would be nice to have it off the books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livincinco Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Right, but just because the city's bikeway program claims a certain road is a bike route doesn't make it a bike path. It's just a recommendation, not actually an accommodation. I agree with you, but that's the definition that they're using. "Bikeways are designated paths for bicycles. They can be bike lanes, bike routes or bike trails." As long as there is a marked bike lane on the road, it's part of the "network". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 They're doing pretty good given the circumstances. I do wish they would spend some more time and money on fixing sidewalks and repeal that ordinance that prohibits biking on sidewalks in commercial areas. Not that I observe the ordinance anyway, but it would be nice to have it off the books. Sidewalks aren't built for riders, they're built for pedestrians. There's a lot of very limited view entry and exit points from parking lots. A pedestrian can easily stop if a car comes out into the sidewalk (not seeing a pedestrian approach because of the limited sight lines). A cyclist going 15-20mph on a sidewalk where he can't easily see a car (and also the car can't see him) would end poorly if a car is pulling into traffic at just the right time. As unsafe as I think Houstonians make it for cyclists on the road, they're a lot safer there, than on the sidewalks. Personally, there's very few sidewalks that I feel safe riding my bike on. As far as the rules on the books, I do see plenty of cyclists on sidewalks, and I also see plenty of cops drive right by them. I think the cops are probably familiar with the laws regarding this, but I also think they realize that there's better ways they can spend their time to make our city safer, or at least there's other tickets they can write to make the city more money. So you probably shouldn't worry yourself over a cop pulling you over for riding on the sidewalk, and worry more about cars going into and out of the parking lots that are attached to these commercial areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Sidewalks aren't built for riders, they're built for pedestrians. There's a lot of very limited view entry and exit points from parking lots. A pedestrian can easily stop if a car comes out into the sidewalk (not seeing a pedestrian approach because of the limited sight lines). A cyclist going 15-20mph on a sidewalk where he can't easily see a car (and also the car can't see him) would end poorly if a car is pulling into traffic at just the right time. As unsafe as I think Houstonians make it for cyclists on the road, they're a lot safer there, than on the sidewalks. Personally, there's very few sidewalks that I feel safe riding my bike on.It may depend on where you do your biking. Even for pedestrians, a lot of sidewalks around town are in pretty bad shape so I think they ought to get some consideration from the city. Isn't there an ordinance that requires businesses to maintain/build the sidewalks along their frontage?Personally, I far prefer to ride the sidewalks along busy streets rather than risk death or serious injury from passing cars and trucks in the bike lane (if there is one). I wouldn't advocate doing 15-20 mph down the sidewalks in any circumstance. If a rider really feels the need to go that fast, then you are right, they should be on the street. That said, a rider has to take into account the circumstances. In the wider open areas I bike in (west Houston) the sight lines are probably better than they are in the older areas inside the loop. But then, inside the loop the side streets may offer a better way to connect whereas out here usually only the main roads (Westheimer, Richmond, Briar Park, Memorial, etc.) span across the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Samagon is right, when drivers are leaving a parking lot they pull all the way up to the street. If you were riding that sidewalk, you're in some pain. Not going to get any justice from the police or insurance company either, because bikes are supposed to be in the street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Samagon is right, when drivers are leaving a parking lot they pull all the way up to the street. If you were riding that sidewalk, you're in some pain. Not going to get any justice from the police or insurance company either, because bikes are supposed to be in the street. I used to live in Alief, so I spent quite a bit of time on Westheimer between highway 6 and the beltway. There are few roads that are safe for cyclists out that way. Not for any reason other than the amount of traffic. I get what August is saying, cause the first thing I think of when the word cycling and Westheimer outside the beltway. I see a picture of the nonononono cat in my head. The only cycling I did when I lived out there was every few weeks I'd toss the bike in the car, drive to the trails, and go ride the trails on the bayous. unfortunately, there are so few people that cycle and so many cars on the road, first people don't know how to react when they approach a cyclist, which is dangerous, and second because there are so many cars, you're more likely to come into contact with the very small percentage of driver that is militant against cyclists, or just doesn't understand the need to exercise caution. I'd say even considering the chance of being hit by someone pulling out of, or into a parking lot, the sidewalk is the safer place to ride. Which brings me to an aside, I would start participating in CM again if they decided to ride on the west side of town, rather than an area that really doesn't need awareness raised on cycling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Samagon is right, when drivers are leaving a parking lot they pull all the way up to the street. If you were riding that sidewalk, you're in some pain. Not going to get any justice from the police or insurance company either, because bikes are supposed to be in the street.I fully agree. You have to watch out for cars and not assume they see or care about you. I guess it's just my riding style, but I don't mind coming to a complete stop well away from the driveway and letting cars pass before resuming my journey. If I come across a driveway that has poor visibility, I'll stop and get off my bike if needed. I also don't mind going off-road or stopping for pedestrians on the sidewalk. I'm just not in that much of a hurry. Samagon, you are right on about a westside Critical Mass ride. Up and down Westheimer between 610 and hwy 6 would be awesome and would do more to bring awareness about riders than pussyfooting around inside the loop. Or you could do up Westheimer and down back down Bellaire or Memorial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Which brings me to an aside, I would start participating in CM again if they decided to ride on the west side of town, rather than an area that really doesn't need awareness raised on cycling. We rode out to that Big Woodrow's in Galleria area a few months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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