Jan 06 '06 - 442 W - Vote Good + 12 :: Bad - 9 El Paso, Future Bike Capital of Texas?
Published January 6, 2006 by El Paso Times
By Adriana M. Chávez
Seeing El Paso become the bicycle capital of Texas, if not of the
universe, is a goal South-West city Rep. Beto O'Rourke would like to
realize in the near future, he said during a community meeting Thursday
evening at City Hall.
"I've
been a cyclist most of my life, and I want to see what the city can to
do improve the cycling atmosphere," O'Rourke told the more than 40
people at the meeting.
O'Rourke invited Bobby Gonzalez and David
Nakabayashi, who worked on a 1997 bikeways plan that proposed 135
bikeways throughout the city, to speak at the meeting about a plan to
create a CicloVia in El Paso.
The CicloVia would involve
shutting down several El Paso streets once a week for several miles to
allow bicyclists to ride freely from one neighborhood to another. The
idea is based on a CicloVia in Bogota, Colombia.
In 2003, Juárez had a CicloVia that extended for about 30 kilometers, or 18 1/2 miles, and saw about 60,000 riders every Sunday.
"We
just need a few pieces of equipment and an idea, and we need to
accommodate residents, businesses that are open that day and churches,"
Nakabayashi said.
Central El Paso resident Tricia Zlotek, 29, an
avid bicyclist, said she was excited about the idea of the CicloVia,
but her main concern was for the safety of her fellow riders.
"I
would like to see more awareness about the roads being safe for
cyclists," Zlotek said. "The road is to be shared with people on bikes,
and there are rules of the road."
O'Rourke said he hoped that
projects like more bikeways and the CicloVia would raise the profile of
bicycling in El Paso, especially since the city has a strong bicycling
community.
Nakabayashi said the CicloVia would create a
temporary urban space where riders can interact with the community and
each other through exercise.
"It would be the panacea to all the problems of American society," Nakabayashi said.
O'Rourke encouraged attendees to encourage their City Council representatives to approve the CicloVia plan.
"When an issue like this comes to council, we need your voices," O'Rourke told them.
O'Rourke
is the son of former El Paso County Judge Pat O'Rourke, 58, who died in
2001 when he was struck by a car while riding his white recumbent bike
near Artcraft Road and Westside Drive.
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This guy will do good work for el paso. Go O’Rourke!
gg (Email) - February 20 '06 - 21:41
i would love to see el paso become more of a cycling city. i recently moved here from houston where the majority of my transportation was done via cycle, but it feels like there is a lack of awareness for cyclists in el paso.i stand behind O’Rourke. he has the vision and the skills to help bring el paso to its full potential.
sarah adleman (Email) (URL) - May 09 '06 - 12:48
I will be in El Paso SEPTEMBER 2006 (just after interbike 2006) to organize monthly or quarterly Bicycle Swap Meets in El Paso. I have already been in contact with many of the Bicycle Shop Owners and it looks as if everyone is willing to participate. For info on what “we” do… check out our web-site @ frankenbike.org.Regards,
Chris Gross
512-736-1870
chris gross (Email) (URL) - September 18 '06 - 12:34
Hello, my name is josh dominguez, i grew up and lived in el paso until i was 18, then moved lived and travelled all over the states and europe. since i left i have always used a bicycle as transportation, also, i worked as a bicycle courier for a year and also a bicycle taxi. now i have moved back to el paso, and noticed how poor of a bicycle friendly city el paso is. i would like to contribute to any developments or movements in el paso for bicyclists.cheers
joshua dominguez (Email) - April 07 '07 - 11:21
Hello, I am an old guy who uses a “Strida” (UK made, at least the two I have) and a work bike to run around Las Cruces. My impression is that drivers in both Las Cruces and El Paso are seriously deficient in bike knowledge, leading to occasional excitement. Anchorage Alaska, where I come from, has 200 miles of pathways iosolated from roads. Is this being considered?Dan Townsend (Email) - April 26 '07 - 19:13
El Paso has its CicloVia up and running! First CicloVia is this Sunday, May 6th—and every Sunday in the month of may. Go to http://www.cicloviaelpaso.com for map and route information.Beto (Email) (URL) - May 04 '07 - 21:13
Wow… that’s great!!! Enjoy your first CicloVia tomorrow!!!Shay (Email) - May 05 '07 - 09:55
http://www.cicloviaelpaso.com is dope!!!sorry i’ve been away BUT frankenbike is going down in el paso. i’ll be working with my brothers: http://www.myspace.com/originaldek .
chris gross
frankenbike.net
chris gross (Email) (URL) - October 20 '08 - 22:29
same brothers here: http://www.myspace.com/elpasopunkfestchris gross (Email) (URL) - October 20 '08 - 22:31
seriouslychris (Email) (URL) - March 12 '10 - 23:29