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Advocacy group Bike Houston just released its report card on how friendly the city is for cyclists. The report comes a year after the Houston City Council adopted the city's bike plan.
The mayor's office listed several accomplishments of the Bike Plan during the past year, including: Creation of a 20-member Bicycle Advisory Committee, 23 linear miles of new on-street bicycle facilities, and grant funding of $3.5 million dollars for more than 70 new Houston BCycle stations.
Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a press release about the Bike Plan on the one-year anniversary of its adoption:
"The Houston Bike Plan provides a guide toward creating a safer and more accessible city that can be enjoyed by anyone who wants to ride a bicycle,” his statement read. “I am proud of our accomplishments thus far but know there is much more to do."
Patrick Walsh, the City of Houston’s planning director issued the following statement:
“I am both elated and proud that Houston is on a pathway to becoming a gold-level, bicycle-friendly city within 10 years. The funding partnership to build 50 miles of bike lane infrastructure with Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Houston Parks Board, and a host of other partners are a big boost to making that possible. While we had significant accomplishments like expansion of the Houston BCycle program and a newly appointed Bicycle Advisory Committee, this funding means we'll have a stronger report card next year with more bike facilities on the ground. BikeHouston has been one of the City's most important partners in this bike effort. I appreciate the advocacy work they do day in and day out to improve biking and safety, including pushing the City to be better in areas that need improvement. The positive news is that the City, since the adoption of the plan, has developed a framework and streamlined process to implement bike projects for people who want to ride a bicycle.”
In the audio above, John Long, the executive director of Bike Houston, talks with Houston Matters host Craig Cohen about what his organization sees as the positives and negatives of the city’s bike plan.