Doohickie

I'm feeling pretty pumped up right now, just got back from the Fort Worth Cycling Association meeting where they had a guest speaker, Bike Texas Executive Director Robin Stallings, who presented a briefing about the Texas Safe Passage Bill that is before the State Legislature.

He started by describing the relationship Bike Texas, an advocacy and education group, has built with local, state and federal lawmakers in their efforts to secure funding and backing for various cycling infrastructure and legislation to benefit Texas cyclists. One fact that jumped out of talk is that every year, there are more bicycles than guns sold every year, and also that there are more bicycle shops than gun shops. There's a lot of potential political clout there that is going largely untapped.

Bike Texas tries to leverage that clout by targeting specific lawmakers to vote for pro-cyclist measures when those votes are needed. Mr. Stallings said that if a lawmaker is known to be in favor of a measure, Bike Texas doesn't bug them, and if a lawmaker is strongly opposed to a measure, Bike Texas doesn't waste energies by trying to turn them. However, in every vote there are key lawmakers that are undecided, and Bike Texas tries to target them to vote in favor of the pro-cyclist position. Bike Texas does that by contacting bicycle clubs in the lawmaker's area to organize letter and email campaigns to those crucial lawmakers.

If you live in Texas and want to become part of that clout, send me a PM with your zip code. We are, in effect, a state-wide bicycle club. If I know your zip code, when Mr. Stallings contacts me and lets me know which lawmakers are being targeted, we can contact cyclists from their zip codes to try to influence their votes.

I don't any other personal information; I just need to know what district you live in so we can know who your lawmakers are, and if they are targeted I will let you know so you can have the biggest effect.

We can make a difference!

Rick Rubin

The April 20th Daytrip to Austin that BikeDFW and Bike Texas are putting on will be a great chance to talk to your representatives about cycling in Texas. They are having speakers and more well known bicycle enthusiast politicians speak with state reps about the current laws and what kind of progress they have in plan. Big busload of people goin down to Austin from the metroplex dressed up in suits talkin bout biking. Should be good.
Their websites:
bikedfw.org
biketexas.org

Fantasminha

Hey Doohickie

Do you need our email addresses too? I've never tried it, but it might get to be a PITA sending PMs to a bunch of folks.

nkfrench 

Paul, suggestion - Maybe you can do notifications back by just posting affected zipcodes here each time there is an issue; and individuals could just check the list (subscribe to this thread to receive updates) ?

Doohickie

That's a good idea too!