Safer Roads For Cyclists
December 21,2006
Try riding a bike across Beaumont and you'll see first hand it's not a bike friendly town.
The Southeast Texas Hike and Bike coalition wants to change that.
The Hike and Bike Coalition is asking the Texas Department of Transportation to add bike paths to existing and future roads.The Coalition's plan would create a bike system that would span the city.
Andre Nols is a cross country cyclist on his way to Florida. He's come from Washington and says Beaumont is one of the most difficult cities for cyclists to ride through.
"It's not a bike friendly town, from what I've seen," said Nols.
Beaumont roads caused wear and tear on his bike. He went to Bicycle Sports for repairs. There he met Eric Bender, a member of the Southeast Texas Hike and Bike Coalition. Bender wants a bike trail system that spans the city.
"It's so dangerous to ride bikes, when we ride we take our lives in our own hands," said Bender.
The coalition says it isn't looking to spend tax dollars. Instead, it's looking for creative ways to make road projects more bike, hike, rollerblade and wheelchair friendly.
"The goal there is to have bikes as a viable part of our transportation system," said Bender.
The coalition has requested TX-DOT include a bike lane on a new bridge it will build over the Neches River. TX-DOT says one of the biggest problems would be getting cyclists across Interstate 10 safely.. a project that would take millions of dollars to complete.
"Financial is always a problem. We're here to help facilitate the project," The Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission said.
"We're not asking for miracles. We're asking for consideration. We're not asking them to stop everything and by God build a bike route for us," said Bender.
The Hike and Bike Coalition hopes the project makes cycling safer and easier. Next year TX-DOT will add signs and bike lanes to Highway 105 to improve safety for cyclists.
JHolloway@kfdm.com