Showing posts with label houston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label houston. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Bike to Work Week

TMC Bike-to-Work Day May 18th

    HOUSTON – If you ride your bike to work in the Texas Medical Center or are
    considering dusting off that two-wheeler to be healthier and save money on fuel and
    parking, come to the celebration of Bike-to-Work week at the John P. McGovern
    Commons on May 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    New bike commuters will join hundreds of other cyclists who make the Texas
    Medical Center the most “biked-to” workplace in the city of Houston. In the midst of an
    epidemic of obesity and sedentary living, this kind of physical activity makes TMC a
    model for the rest of the city.
    “Biking to work can be a safe activity with the right equipment and knowledge
    about safety rules,” said Fernando Bertrand, Texas Medical Center Chief of Police. Any
    cyclist will need a dependable bicycle, a helmet and lights for both the front and back of
    your bicycle, as well as knowledge about the local and state cycling laws. The City of
    Houston and the League of American Bicyclists provide a free online course on traffic
    skills for bicyclists.
    The Texas Medical Center Bicycle Pedestrian Safety Committee plans to provide
    information on safe cycling through this event. Taking part will be members of The
    University of Texas at Houston Police Department and Texas Medical Center Police
    and Security Services, representatives of BikeHouston (a local advocacy group) and
    instructors in safe cycling. Planetary Cycles, a local bicycle shop, will also have
    examples of good bike locks, lights, and other safety equipment needed for commuting
    in the city.
    Also – please take this survey about bicycling that will be used to
    advocate for safer routes and better laws to encourage bicycle commuting.

      “The city of Houston and BikeHouston have set May 20th for the local Bike-to-
      Work day this year. In the morning, cyclists from around the city will converge on City
      Hall downtown. Setting the TMC event two days earlier means that dedicated cyclists
      can take part in both,” Bertrand said.
Bike to work week should be every week, but take the challenge and start now!


Still not convinced? Here are more reasons to ride your bike.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

An Email from BikeHouston

Amidst the planning of our project for class, I emailed BikeHouston.org - their chairman responded to me today:

From: Darren
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 11:10
To: Garza, Rocio
Subject: FW: Bike Share Houston?

Rocio, I would be happy to talk with you about BikeHouston. Feel free to give me a call at your convenience.

Thanks,

Darren

Chairman, BikeHouston


Although the semester is over, I am preparing to get in touch with them. Anyone have any thoughts?


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On a related note, BikeHouston.org is continuing to raise money to "support cycling advocacy and improv[e] cyclist infrastructure and awareness in Houston."


For more information and to make your $5 donation via PayPal, visit their homepage: http://bikehouston.org/

Sunday, May 1, 2011

How-To...

I just tried the search query "how to start a bike share program" and Google came up with some informative results:
Also, I found an exciting article from the Boston Globe about Mayor Menino's $6 million dollar deal to start a bike-share program in Boston. It will be a welcome relief for many from the crowded MBTA buses and trains, hopefully! Where was this when I was living there less than a year ago?!



















It's time to get Houston on board, people!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

State of the Air 2011

The Huffington Post's Joanna Zelman posted a very informative article today about air quality in the most polluted United States cities. Unsurprisingly, Houston was listed among the likes of Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York - blame in part to the huge amounts of particulate matter produced from coal-fired power plants.

Notably, Zelman reports that those at greatest risk from the effects of air pollution include those with asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. It's no secret that Houston has historically frequented the top of the list of Fattest Cities in America. This year, Houston has dropped to #9. We could blame this on Texas food options in general (Texas hosts 5 of the top 10 most overweight cities), but Austin - only a couple hundred miles away, is one of the bottom 10 at #96.

See this image close-up here.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

180-min Bike Ride Fundraiser for MS

Larry Kolvoord/AJERICAN-STATESMAN

Another reason why bicycling is smart? It is a great method for raising money!

This past week, BP hosted the "MS 150 fundraiser" for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. About 13,000 cyclists started the 180-mile trip from Houston to Austin. Last year, the event raised over $16 million.

Read and see more photos here.