The League of American Bicyclist is about to set back San Antonio again.

77.1

Back in August, Alamo Area MPO sent a tweet (image 77.1) out about San Antonio again reapplying to the League of American Bicyclist to become Silver ranking as a bicyclist friendly city.  I am here to warn people that if we win Silver status, then biking will get worse in San Antonio for the people who are in charge will use the status as a crutch not to improve the current situation. 

I've been pointing out the fact that since the awarding of the Bronze Status, that we don't deserve it. When your city voted to remove a bike lane, I think that everyone would agree, you don't deserve to be marked as a Bicycle Friendly City. Since that time, the city pretty much stop painting bike lanes except if they were down neighborhood streets that didn't need them or in District 5.  They also built a Protected bike lane and put it in a places where it didn't do any good plus the signal lights are timed in a way to to give cars a priority.  The biggest complaint that I hear of is about cars parked in bike lanes.  And the most  unfriendly thing that TxDOT and San Antonio TCI refuse to do is to enact the Bicycle Master Plan.

77.2

So how is the league coming to it's conclusion?  They are using this chart (image 77.2) to determine our city status and the greatest flaw in this chart is that they're going to be counting a street like South Pine which doesn't need a bicycle lane.  They're going to be counting the protected bicycle lanes along I-37 where the bicycle green light doesn't come on unless you push the beggars button. (image 77.4)  They're going to be counting the bicycle lanes filled with parked cars. (image 77.3)  They're going to be counting the miles and miles of trails that are illegal to use after dark because of Sec. 22-28. Public parks hours of operation and curfew. All the while ignoring the handful of needless deaths that their status leads to.

77.3

So What's our real status as a bicycle friendly city?  Back in May 2018, People's for Bikes came out with a new status based on actual metrics.  Out of these measurements, the city of San Antonio ranked 1.5 Stars, just sightly higher than Houston, or Dallas. Fort Worth has a higher status of 2.2 and Austin is at 2.8.

And we're such a bicycle friendly city, that the latest hit and run case (and thank god that she's alive) is Samantha Flores, age 23.  She's going to need help paying those medical bills, so please visit her gofunme page by clicking here. 

We as a community need to fight this ranking because if we do manage to get Silver, you can kiss the ideal of protected bicycle lanes down Broadway, Austin Hwy, Commerce, Military, Fredricksburg Rd, or any other major stroad.  You will see the City of San Antonio to continue to flaunt the new status, just as they flaunt the current status of Bronze as a bigger crutch to avoid putting down any new bicycle infrastructure.  The City will even will go so far as removing it, like they recently did on Broadway at Jones, especially where they are needed. 

77.4

So What can you do to fight back against this false status?  For starters, you can take some time out and fill out this survey by the League of American Bicyclist and let them know on question 6 that we don't deserve any friendly status.
Link to Survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/app_BFC_FA18

Second, you can sign your name to this petition and share it with your friends and urge them to sign it.  The more people who sign it, the better we are able to prove our case. To sign the petition, please click here.

Third thing you can do is to email the League of American Bicyclist, amelia@bikeleague.org and tell them your unfriendly story about our Bicycle Friendly city.  I have a sample letter available by clicking here if you need help on writing your letter. 

Fourth, you can contact Bike Texas by email mail@biketexas.org and let them know of your unfriendly experience of riding a bicycle.  I have a sample letter available by clicking here if you need help on writing your letter.your own.

Fifth, You can call the two friendliest bicycle council ladies on the city council and let them know that if we remain a bicycle friendly city according to the League of American Bicyclist that San Antonio Transpiration and Capital Improvements will continue to drag it's feet when it comes to building necessary bicycling infrastructure.
Shirley Gonzales, District 5.  Contact page: https://www.sanantonio.gov/Council/d5/SuggestionBox
Main Office: 210-207-7043

Anna Sandoval, District 7.  Contact Page: https://www.sanantonio.gov/Council/d7/About/Contact
Main Office: 210-207-7044

And that's all we can do folks. I can only hope that the league won't help Red McComes or Ancira car dealerships out by providing the City of San Antonio with a crutch to continue to remove or put in bicycle infrastructure that don't serve any purpose.  

Images:
77.1: Tweet from Alamo Area MPO. 
77.2:  League Of American Bicyclist https://bikeleague.org/community
77.3: Complaint about the cars park in the bike lane on Dover Ridge on the Far West Side
77.4: A meme illustrating how wrong they time the bicycle lights here in San Antonio.