#ride4Devona

A member of our community has recently gotten hit by an careless driver.  Please attend and help her pay her medical bills.  http://www.gofundme.com/d-rod

Where 2 Live in SA W/O a CAR

A few years ago, I designed a map on where you should live in San Antonio if you want to live without a car and this is what I came up with. (Image 23-1)

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How I came up with the map.

Back in 2008, a friend of mine asked to be a sub director of a group on meetup.com because I knew of a lot of independent place on the south side.  While a member of this group, someone told me that the to some people, they consider everything south of Hildebrand the South side.  Personally I considered this in insult, but no matter, it gave me more independent places to choose from.  As I met more people from the far north side, it became more evident on the disconnect I personally had.  There was this one vegan lady who drove a smart car, and a big supporter of PETA.  She claimed that she was being an environmentalist by not eating meat, and driving a "smart car, but  she lived over the "Environmental sensitiveness" Edwards Aquifer Recharge zone not realizing that her dog poop was ending up in our drinking water.  It's funny, I don't live over the recharge zone or produce any greenhouse gas while riding my bicycle, but she does through her internal combustion engine.  This made me realize that you should be living inside the loop (Loop 410) if you wanted to live without a car.  My short experience with her and her companions made me realize that there was a lack of culture that San Antonio is famous for out side loop 410

The more I thought about it, loop 410 was pretty large, and even then before I reached the loop, I got harassed more and more on my bicycle, like telling me to get on a non existent sidewalk or even better, telling me what I was doing was illegal for which if they ever read their drivers manual issued by DPS, it will tell you , I'm pretty much a car under the law. During that time I came to the realization that if you happen to live in a grid street area, your more able to find an alternative safer route to ride your bicycle on. It was around this time, that I realized where I got on the bus, and where I got off the bus to ride my bicycle, and then it became clear.  I would first choose a bus when I was south of Southcross, or north of Hildebrand before I decided to get on my bicycle and ride it.  By early 2010, the map came together after I realized that with in the drawn area, you can find more than one bus to get to downtown on, and thus, it formed into what you see today.  It was then I realized that if you live south of Hildebrand, north of Southcross, east of Cupples, and west of  Walters, you could comfortably live without a car in San Antonio.

Exception on the map:

Now there are some areas that are inside my little square that I really don't recommend living in like River Road, Roosevelt and Southcross area, and the neighborhood between Hackberry and I-37. Outside my little map, Government Hill, South San, and Mahncke Park just to name a few.

River Road by default of TxDOT and USDOT, decided to cut off a beautiful neighborhood with the building of US 281.  It's pretty much a gated suburban community and although it is close to downtown, I don't recommend it because the Albertsons grocery store has been replaced with a YMCA and during any given day, your nearest bus stop is either on St Mary's or Broadway. 

Again, this area of Southcross Blvd and Roosevelt Ave is an area where even though industry is nearby, there a lack of safe bicycle facilities and even though the Mission Reach is in this area, I don't include it because much of it is in a flood zone. 

Mahncke Park and Government Hill is also an area I recommend that you avoid simply because that if your unable to find a place close to Broadway, you'll be leaning to owning a car sooner rather than later.  This is due to much of the area being without frequent bus service.  Although parts of Government Hill East of N Pine is has the 20 serving it, I took it off of the area simply because the 20 is more of a cross town bus than a downtown bus and downtown buses go to the places where you can connect with the most buses.  

Relations to Bicycle Culture.

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If your ever on your bicycle, you'll notice more bicyclist with in my square rather than outside of it and even better, more Frankenbikes inside my square than outside my map.  Yet there's virtually no bike lane to speak of. Now that's "sort of" changing of course, but so far what I'm seeing is trying to avoid the inevitable of putting down where they are needed the most and most of all, taking out a vehicle lane for a protected bicycle lane also known as a cycletrack.  And what I'm seeing get put  in lacks certain paint and signage to make it work. 

After talking with a naysayer of the S Flores bike lane and reading a story on little plastic thing that Starbucks gives out to some customers who are driving made me realize, we're focusing on the wrong places to put down bicycle lanes and Cycletracks.  Yes, they're needed at those places, but lets face it, if they're put in and around the Downtown area, they'll serve more of a use than ever being put on Culebra outside loop 410 or even worse, down a street that don't need it.  Since the city of San Antonio isn't serious about bicycling, but about driving, enjoy getting stuck behind a stinking car.  (Image 23-2)  It does make me wonder if there's an element high up with in the local political pyramid that don't want a role for the bicycle other than recreation.

Images:
23-1:  My map of where you should live without a car.  If you want to make one of your own, I recommend that you use yahoo maps instead of Google.  Make sure you put down that these are walking directions and they are...http://yhoo.it/1F7QFuy
Hildebrand at Broadway
Club Dr at Wilson Blvd
Cupples Rd at Brady Blvd
Brady Blvd at S Zarzamora
S Zarzamora at W Southcross
E Southcross at Gevers St
Gevers St at Walters
Walters at Sherman St
Sherman St at N Pine
N Pine at Josephine
Josephine at N Alamo
N Alamo at Broadway
Broadway at Hildebrand.

23-2:  A Family stuck behind traffic on Houston St at Presa looking East back in October 2012.

San Antonio Barely Makes the List

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Every two years, Bicycling Magazine creates this list of the 50 top bicycle friendly cities in America published in Oct 2014. We're down to #48 (Image 21-1) from #47 back in July 2012 (Image 21-2).  83 Miles north of us, is the Weird city of Austin, and they're also on the list at #11 from #13 back in 2012 (Image 21-3).  Another blogger recently wrote about this in Fit In S.A. saying quote: "The completion of the Mission Reach is one of the reasons San Antonio made it onto the list." That's the only reason why we're even on the list folks because of a "recreational trail" and with B-cycle serving it.

21-2

Don't get me wrong I love the Mission trail, but unlike back in 2012, Bicycling Magazine also mentioned the bicycling community quote: "An emerging cycling-friendly vibe fueled by 1,700 miles bike network of lanes, paths, and sharrows."  What the hell happened, oh, that's right, the City council voted for the removal of such a system with only one member, Shirley Gonzales voting to keep it.  Also happened was that Boneshakers got it's property cut off by the San Antonio River Authority, and they went out of business at their river location and their Hays Street Bridge location. Cars still park in the cities only cycletrack on Avenue A, and to top it all off, the city don't give a damn about cars parked in your bicycle lane.

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But I don't think it is because of our expanding B-cycle or a completed recreational trail that we made the list, in my own opinion I believe it is the fact that San Antonio has a rich bicycle culture.  It is you the people who come out to Frankenbike, Downtown Highlife Bicycle Club Ride , the Zombie ride, and all the other rides in San Antonio.  It's bicycle groups like The Wild Dawgs, the Street Ratz and many many more.  It's those who get on their bicycle or as I like to say "put the fun between your legs," and ride everywhere just because.  You see it every First Friday with people just riding down S Alamo and going to the bicycling friendly places like Alamo Street Eats, and other bicycle friendly places like the Bottom Bracket Social Club.

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It's funny as I look back at our position of #47 and see an echo of it through the Tweet of Diego Bernal of District 1 claiming how San Antonio is planning to 1,700 miles of bike lane (Image 21-4).  Just like Ron Nirenberg saying how we need a plan to improve transportation in San Antonio, it goes to show you how useless it is to have a plan if your not willing to follow through. 

Recently, Several Stroads where recently repaved in District 1 near downtown.  Here on Colorado St, they finish repaving it and repainting it (Image 21-6).  According to the Bicycle Master Plan, Colorado St from I-10 to Caesar Chavez (Image 21-5) has a plan for a road diet similar to what was done to S Flores. But as you can see in my recent photo of the place it has the same configuration that makes a stroad a stroad.  Hey Mr Bernal, where's the bike lane that you promised? (Image 21-4) 

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But lets face the reality here, San Antonio is too stuck behind the wheel of a car to ever envision a Netherlands network of bike paths and Cycletracks or ever have light rail transit.  Although the city is constructing a cycletrack in front the Henry B Gonzales Convention Center along I-37, chances are it won't be used like the city ever intended because there's no signs, sharrows, or painted green like you would see on a similar path in Austin (Image 21-7).  If things don't start changing, we will not be on the Bicycle Magazine list come 2016 while I'm betting that Austin will be comfortably in one of those top ten positions because they're committed to building more bus stop islands like this one on Guadalupe St (Image 21-7).  Keep Austin Weird, Keep San Antonio Lame.

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Images:
21-1:  A picture of the Bicycle Magazine October 2014 rating of San Antonio, TX as #48 of one the top 50 Bicycle  Friendly Cities in the USA.
21-2:  A picture of the Bicycle Magazine July 2012 rating of San Antonio, TX as #47 of one the top 50 Bicycle  Friendly Cities in the USA.
21-3:  A picture of the Bicycle Magazine October 2014 rating of Austin, TX  as #11 of one the top 50 Bicycle  Friendly Cities in the USA.
21-4: A Screenshot of my Facebook Re-posting of Diego Bernal's FB posting of how San Antonio has 1,700 miles of bile lanes planned and my friends response to his comment.
21-5: A Screenshot of page 28 of the Bicycle Network PDF of the Bicycle Master Plan.
21-6:  Colorado St Looking North one block north of Martin St.
21-7:  The Bus Stop Island on the Guadalupe St Cycletrack in Austin, TX.

Tour De Tube No. 5

Go Fund Me Campaign

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Sorry for not publishing last week, but my job kept me busy. 

As the streetcar war heats up, I find my self lost at talking about the subject and writing about it.  The same opposition I see happening here in San Antonio actually took place in Cincinnati with all sorts of people that didn't live in Cincinnati beating a drum against it.  And yet, they didn't stop it at all, actually it should be up and running soon.  The Same thing will surly happen here for the opposition is beating the wrong drum.  Also as a supporter of it, I'm also aware of the fact that we don't need streetcars to have great neighborhoods, or improve transit, no that will take light rail at least.  What is holding me back is some photos of streets in Dallas that I wish to use as an example.  So since I'm having a hard time getting money together for a greyhound ticket (Image 14-1) and food, I decided to ask all of my readers to see if you can help me raise the needed cash to obtain the photos I need to illustrate my opinion on the matter at hand.  The goal is to travel either August 2nd or August 9th to take the photos.  And the Wednesday after that trip is when I wish to publish my story.  Please visit my gofundme page to donate.  Also all donations over $50 that I'm asking for will be donated to Earnabike Coop. 

Tour De Tube no.5

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On an early Sunday Morning of June 29, people who normally don't get to see a sunrise, got out of bed, got their swimsuits together, and rode their bicycles across the street from La Tuna to meetup and start the 5th annual Tour De Tube.  It's now an annual ride from San Antonio to the Comal River.  For the past four other years, I haven't been able to attend, but this year I made half commitment.  I rode out to Landa Park, but I didn't tube, I rode back to go to work. 

As 8am approached at the lot across the street from La Tuna saw the cars parked, the bikers riding in all dressed up in spandex, swimsuits, and other normal clothes (Image 14-3).  And then finally the pickups arrived with beer and two trailers as support craft.  Tito Bradshaw got up on one and started to announce the ride.  With Tacos and Bananas for breakfast, everyone lined up to get their arm bands and breakfast and finished up with collecting the $40 fee. 

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As the ride started (14-2), we rode north up Main Ave and then through King William to S Alamo.  As we were making our turn, a drover in the White Dodge pickup gave me the middle Finger as all of us rode by.  The ride had several rest stops, the first was at Mahncke Park there on Broadway.


There were many more rest stops along the way.  As we made our way through the suburbs, we became a Critical Mass (Image 14-4) and I joked openly "Critical Mass Sunday."  Although for future rides, I think we need to designate a few people to be the traffic cops for the ride to hold up cross traffic at minor intersections and stop a the major ones. 

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As we proceed to the open country out past Loop 1604, the road got narrower and narrower and the spaces along the road filled with fewer and fewer buildings.  As the noon day heat began to beat down on us all, it was real evident that there's a reason why we don't stay out in the noon day sun.  The Tour eventually ended up in New Braunfels where we made one last stop before making it to Landa Park.  We sat underneath the big trees waiting for the riders who fell behind to catch up. (Image 14-5)

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As the ride came to a close, we got inline to the San Antonio Food Trucks that showed up.  My Three Sons Moving provided the bike transportation back. (Image 14-6)  AS the ride came to a close for me, I had to head back to SA for work was waiting for me.  As I rode back,

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The coolest part of the ride was this guy who brought his dog with him.  (Image 14-7)

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 Images: 
14-1:  The Cost for a Greyhound Ticket to Dallas.
14-2:  People lining up on E Cevallos St At Probandt looking east
14-3:  People walking around at the Slab across from La Tuna getting ready for the ride
14-4:  The Ride going down Nacogdoches just north of Loop 410
14-5:  The Last stop of the ride in New Braunfels On Landa St Just before Walnut Ave
14-6:  Instead of an 18 wheeler, we got just two trucks at the end of the ride
14-7:  The cyclist who brought his dog along for the ride.  Picture taken on Landa St right after the last stop.

 Up Coming Important Meetings
If you want to make a difference, please attend. 

 

What Should You Ask For:  The thing to ask for at this meeting are good sidewalks,  20 mile per hour speed limits and safe ways to get to the park down Hillcrest and St Cloud such as bike lanes down those stroads. 

What Should You Say:  The biggest thing is having cars come into the park.  This is the worse decision ever for if anybody know from experience, cars make a place unsafe and make people uncomfortable.  They don't let cars into La Villita, so why should cars be allowed here.  Also asking for La Villita types shops in the abandoned houses would be a plus too. 

Local Bike Advocate Training for Statewide Campaigns:

When:   August 3, 2014 1pm to 4pm
Where:  BikeTexas.org HQ  1902 E 6th St, Austin, TX  78702  or Online.  To Register, click here
Description: 

Do you want to learn key tactics to support bicycle advocacy in your area? Join people like you from around Texas for a special bike advocate training on Sunday, August 3, from 1-4 PM.

National experts from the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking and Walking will facilitate the workshop. They'll talk about statewide campaigns in the lead up to the 2015 legislative session, such as keeping TxDOT from moving funds away from programs designed to build bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Register for this training and be prepared for the next call to action!

The training will take place in our office at 1902 E 6th St (map), but you don't have to be in Austin to attend. Register as a teleconference attendee and we'll send you a link to join the broadcast. Please register by July 26 to secure your spot and receive updates on the training. See you on August 3!

This workshop is offered free of charge thanks to funding from Advocacy Advance. Please consider making a donation to BikeTexas to support better bicycling in Texas. Even a dollar helps!.  More info can be found at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/local-bike-advocate-training-for-statewide-campaigns-tickets-12258432301
Up Coming Bicycle Events

 
 Cycle In-Cinema .  
When:   Every Thursday, June-August at Dusk, 8:45pm
Where:  Main Plaza, 115 N Main Ave, 78205
Description:  Out Door Movie.  

FrankenBike #50
When:   Saturday July 19, 2014  10AM to 4PM
Where:  Alamo Bike Shop/Taps y Tapas ~ 1016 N. Flores St ~ 78212
Description:  San Antonio's Bicycle Swap Meet and Flea Market.

Glow Roll SA
When:  Saturday July 26, 2014 3PM  Ride Starts at 9PM
Where: Travis Park Downtown. 
Description:  The KickStand SA & SA Made by Hand Mercado presents "House Party in the Park @ Amor y Arte" & the 1st Glow Roll Social Ride in Downtown San Antonio

Date: Sat.July 26th
Destination: THE N. ST. MARY'S WALKABOUT event
What to do: Trick out all or parts of your bicycle with neon lights, or neon/glow in dark tape! Wear bright,neon,glow in the dark clothing for the ride too!
What to bring: ID, $$, extra tubes in case, bike and YOURSELF ready to have fun!
READY! SET! GLOW!
WHEELS DOWN @ 9:00PM!

**Amor y Arte: 3p-9p -- come by early to check out local artisans, live music & food trucks! SAMBH is providing a limited supply of glow sticks to decorate bikes. They will be set out @ 7:30p at The KickStand SA table...get there early to grab a few! Alamo Bike Shop will be set up offering tire service/minor adjustments too!