I am now a member of
Bike Texas, an advocacy organization based in Austin. Getting rid of rough aggregate chip seal in Texas is a minor part of their agenda, safety for cyclists being the main goal. They have made TDOT aware of cyclist's objections. My focus will be from a motorist standpoint and the noise level. Tire wear and reduced gas mileage are real, but minor.
I was told that after TDOT paved a popular cycling route with rough aggregate, there was such an uproar that they overlaid it with a smooth surface. There is hope, at least in the Austin area.
When I see objective proof that rough aggregate is safer and cheaper than pebble aggregate, I'll shut up. What little I've been able to discover so far is that there is no proof. Bike Texas also says TDOT has no proof, at least about the safety advantage. The fatality rate for Texas is
1.3 vs 1.1 nationally.
Seems that if the rough aggregate is so much safer and cheaper than pebble, every town in Texas would be using it. They don't.