I threw together this schedule for myself, color-coded by day, including all seminars and events that I could find from Austin on Two Wheels and twitter responses. I made it a PDF so I could easily scan it in iBooks on the iPhone.
This is the 4th updated version so far, and if there are more revisions, I’ll just update the link.
Localization of spending via bicycle
Help strengthen Denton’s economy – by riding a bike and walking. According to AAA, Americans spend an average of $9,641 on their cars per year. Now imagine that amount staying in your vicinity. Now imagine 2,000 other Dentonites doing that. That’s $19,282,000.
On the heels of Fortworthology’s article, Boost the Local Economy – Cut Car Ownership, I finally made a graphic to show the geography of where I spend my money in Denton by foot and by bike. Back when I drove everywhere, this bubble was so huge that it passed the city limits, as I might’ve driven to Costco in Lewsiville or Sprouts Market in Flower Mound. Even within Denton, I used to spend far more money at the Loop 288 stores than I do now, but that was years ago.
Now I get my groceries, coffee, laundry, hardware, and just about anything else I need by bike or on foot. As shown in the above graphic, the businesses in my bike-friendly bubble have hugely benefitted. But the benefit is two-fold. Not only is my spending localized, but having sold one car, I have far more money to spend, so the effect is amplified. The money that I would’ve spent on car payments, fuel, and insurance is now funding that fancy dessert, or that generous tip for a deserved waiter, or ice cream at Beth Maries, or a nice bottle of beer from the Midway Mart. All in all, the bubble has almost everything I need for a cozy existence.
As ridership continues to grow, I’m seeing bikes chained to handrails everywhere (in lieu of racks), and I know I’m not the only one spending within the bubble. It’s self-reinforcing. Add some bike lanes, bike-friendly signals, and racks, and we’ll bolster the local economy and jobs market even more.
As the city council election cycle ramps up toward May, you’ll hear endless candidate quotes about encouraging business growth in Denton. Most candidates will focus on business regulation and taxation, road expansion, etc. Don’t be afraid to suggest that we could retain that extra ~$20 million by getting 2,000 more people to bike or walk. We know transportation and economic development are intertwined, so let’s consider more than just car parking spots and road expansion.
This image from ctdatahaven.org shows how much money D.C. got back by reducing car ownership by 15,000, despite the same amount of population growth:
I haven’t liked covering so many recent accidents, but they deserve public attention, especially as the city bike plan is underway. We received a phone tip about this last night, and the NTDaily ran an article today about the accident.
Nathan Hardy was riding south on Fry St from City Parc to UNT, when he was struck by a Lincoln Navigator that was turning onto Oak. Both approached the green light, and the SUV failed to yield and struck Nathan. Denton police cited the driver for failure to yield.
Hardy was flung from his bike and slid about 20 feet, said Steven Schroeder, Hardy’s friend and roommate, who was cycling just behind him at the time of the accident.
“His bone was sticking out of his leg and he was screaming,” said Schroeder, a communication design sophomore.
The driver immediately pulled over and called 911, witnesses said. Emergency personnel arrived in less than five minutes and Hardy was transported to Denton Regional Hospital, Schroeder said.
According to a friend, Hardy rides a bike for his primary transportation and hadn’t driven in a year.
The accident scenario (car fails to yield and hits cyclist head on while turning) is eerily similar to another accident this week where local BMX photographer, Travis Kincaid, was struck head-on.
On a related note, I recently found a 1970’s plan by UNT and Denton to add bike lanes to Fry. Fry businesses (including one Curtis Loveless) fought the plan (to save a few parking spots), and obviously the project didn’t go through.
City bike by Alternative Needs Transportation. Credit: urbanvelo.org
Next Thursday, we’ll be heading down to Austin for the 2011 North American Handmade Bicycle Show. Countless artisan builders will be showing off bikes of all materials: steel, carbon, aluminum, titanium, bamboo. Like the bike above, there will be plenty of awesome practical and classy stuff; this isn’t just for racing gearheads.
What it won’t be is a typical showroom with Trek, Giant, Specialized, Bianchi, etc. What it will be is a celebration of handcrafted ingenuity, intricate detail, and graceful designs. It’s the best of the best, the bleeding edge, the stuff that big companies will copy. These builders value quality over quantity, and we can’t wait to see what they’ve been working on. There are seminars as well, for those who want to hear from top minds about brazing, welding, and running a bike-building business.
Some of my favorite builders in attendance are Vanilla (so popular they’re backordered 5 years), Ira Ryan, ANT, Geekhouse, Indy Fab, Bilenky, and Alchemy. Local DFW builders Gallus and Daltex will be there. Kinda makes me wish Denton had a builder on the exhibitor list. Our friends Russ and Laura from PathLessPedaled will be there, and I look forward to drinking a pint with them again. The excitement is palpable. This is going to be awesome.
So you want to go? Here’s the scoop:
1 day: $18 advance (includes $1 transaction fee), $22 at the door
2 days: $32 advance (includes $1 transaction fee), $40 at the door
3 days: $51 advance (includes $1 transaction fee), $58 at the door
Seminar Pass: $160 (includes $1 transaction fee).
Carl Strong Seminar: $125. For Framebuilders Only
This post kicks off a Bike Denton portrait series that emphasizes the human over the bike, the personality more than the commute and gear details. I tend to not think of us as cyclists, but people who ride a bike sometimes.
To Copenhagenize is to humanize.
This first portrait is of Eric Pulido. He plays in the band Midlake. His car broke down a while ago, and he didn’t replace it.
The powder made the roads easier to bike today, especially with 2.5″ wide knobby tires at 15psi. The most treacherous part was avoiding cars spinning out of control.
McKenna park was a blast today, full of sledders and this snowboarder jumping a trash can.
When I recently rode through snow and slush, my SPD shoes/covers/socks all got pretty wet and cold. It sucked. Now I’ve gone back to my old standbys: platform pedals and boots. I threw together some photos for fun and made this tongue-in-cheek PSA.
*Do it like a Texan.
Last November, we learned that Denton hired a bike consultant for $69,564 to research and propose bike-friendly changes to Denton’s Mobility Plan. We hadn’t heard much since then, so we asked for an update last week.
City engineer Frank Payne says that during December and January, consultant Kevin St. Jacques identified bicycling destinations, residential routes, the Trails Master Plan (absent from city website), and Kevin prepared reports and street concept designs for the Bicycle Plan Task Force. Once the task force is assembled, it will interface between the city and the public, possibly to include the city council Mobility Committee.
The task force will review Bicycle Plan goals, theology of on-street accommodations, public input, plan framework, and facility financing.
In addition to the ongoing Bicycle Plan, the soon-to-be-reformed Traffic Safety Commission will explicitly include bicycle and pedestrian safety in the commission’s charge. Although we don’t see paint on the ground yet, these two developments indicate a much needed level of conversation about bicycling and pedestrian facilities in Denton. Progress seems slow, but the public will very soon be able to provide input and participate in the discussion.
Here’s an brief lunch break post (as to not detract from the amazing 73 degree weather outside):
From the BTA via Bikeportland, I love this pro-light video they just released, with just the right doses of truth and humor:
Strategies for Getting Around Without Bike Lights (or Pants) from BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE on Vimeo.
“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”
-Susan B. Anthony
Local women’s social cycling group, the Vaginees, is hosting bike maintenance and repair classes every Tuesday night of February from 5:30-7:30PM. They’re hosting the classes at Querencia, next to Rubber Gloves at 411 E. Sycamore. You (ladies, not dudes) can RSVP to the Facebook event. At 45 attendees confirmed so far, it’s going to be a hit.
FEBRUARY 1ST:
“Washing our frames, cleaning our chains and Bike 101”
Come to this shop and clean up your bike if your brakes are squeaky and if your chain crunches when you pedal. We will also be introducing the names of the parts of the bike and the tools used to work on a bike.FEBRUARY 8TH
“Pump it up!”
We’ll be patching tubes, changing out tires and talking about adequate tire pressure for easier biking.FEBRUARY 15TH
“Ride smart.”
Learn how to adjust your brakes for a quick stop and learn how to true (make straight) a bent or wobbly wheel. We’ll also be talking about safety signals and “sharing the road” aka “how to not get hit by a car.”FEBRUARY 22ND
“Dress it up!”
Wrap your handle bars in some new grip tape, add a bell or put some cards in your spokes. Whatever you want to do, it can be done. After shop we’ll have our “Monthly Cycle” and show off our newly cleaned and tuned bicycles on the streets of Denton.
