Tag Archives: bicycles

More bike racks

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron notes that Houston is on the verge of becoming an actual bike-friendly city, and that we ought to recognize that and do something to help facilitate it. Notably, many downtown buildings lack accessible and visible bike racks. For … Continue reading →

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Metro’s new trains

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, Metro announced that it had received delivery of a new train, the first of a batch of new light rail vehicles (LRVs) scheduled to arrive in town. Gilbert Garcia, METRO board chairman, said the light-rail Siemens S70 represents … Continue reading →

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Who doesn’t like parks?

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The usual suspects – cranks, malcontents, and the Harris County GOP, that’s who. Proposition B on the Nov. 6 ballot asks you to pay for part of that plan, of course. Not with increased taxes, though, [Mayor Annise] Parker insists. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Mayor Annise Parker

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s bonds and more bonds this week, as we discuss the remaining referenda on the ballot. First up is the city of Houston bond package, which by law will be broken out into five separate propositions for your approval. Proposition … Continue reading →

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Bike maps

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has a request about bicycle trails. Unfortunately, navigating via bicycle can sometimes be a difficult feat for people unfamiliar with these neighborhoods – especially downtown. While the central business district’s grid of one-way streets is easy enough, the … Continue reading →

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White Oak Bayou Bike Trail closed at 610 until 2014

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. It is with regret that we inform you that project delays (utility relocation) has negatively impacted the schedule for the IH-610 at TC Jester improvement project, causing the trail closure to be extended into Spring 2014. TxDOT is as … Continue reading →

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One form of federal funding Texas has not rejected

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Funding for bike trails is still welcome in the state. As you may know, under the new federal transportation bill, MAP-21, bicycle and pedestrian projects now have more competition for less money than was available under previous transportation laws. The … Continue reading →

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Ashby everywhere

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Nancy Sarnoff notes a trend. Homeowners in the Memorial area held a meeting last month in the lobby of a nearby medical office building to discuss what to do about a large apartment complex being planned in their neighborhood. They … Continue reading →

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What would you do with 136 acres near downtown?

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Something urban, mixed-use, and transit-oriented, one hopes. A rare opportunity lies in 136 acres just east of downtown Houston. The Buffalo Bayou-front parcel, a longtime industrial and office complex, went on the market earlier this summer – a move bayou … Continue reading →

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More on carless commuting in Houston

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Greg adds on to my recent post about getting to work in Houston if you didn’t have a car. In the comments of this Kuff post, Robert Nagle actually beats me to the punch in answering the central question. Yes, … Continue reading →

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Armstrong gives up the fight against USADA

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. With stunning swiftness, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said Thursday night it will strip Lance Armstrong of his unprecedented seven Tour de France titles after he dropped his fight against drug charges that threatened his legacy as one of the … Continue reading →

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Houston Bike Share set to expand

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Cool The plan has always been to expand the program, and Laura Spanjian, Mayor Annise Parker’s sustainability director, first alluded to a search for new locations in early June. “We’re going to have about 20 new kiosks and about 205 new bikes,” Spanjian now tells … Continue reading →

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Bike sharing to come to Fort Worth

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The Fort Worth Transportation Authority said Monday it’s raised more than $1 million, and plans to launch a central city bike-sharing program by next Spring that will include 30 stations and 300 bikes. The program will start … Continue reading →

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One more thing about the Buffalo Bayou transformation

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You saw Trudi Smith’s guest post about the transformation of Buffalo Bayou, which was recently kicked into high gear. There’s a point that needs to be addressed about the project and the lovely park that’s being built up, and the … Continue reading →

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Laura Spanjian – From Industrial to Green Revolution: The New Houston

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. Bike Share kiosks in downtown. Electric vehicle charging stations at the grocery store. Over 15 miles of new rail lines being … Continue reading →

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Buffalo Bayou begins its makeover

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This is going to be great. The jogging and biking trails that wind through Buffalo Bayou Park west of downtown are about to get a bit more circuitous as a $55 million effort to transform the area into an iconic … Continue reading →

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Houston gets grant for bike paths

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. It’s not a trail to nowhere, but the Heights Bike Path ends abruptly at McKee Street east of downtown, and from there cyclists have to share the road with four-wheeled vehicles. A peloton of politicians gathered near that terminus … Continue reading →

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Bike racks at restaurants

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I wholeheartedly approve of this. On nice days, a 20-station bicycle rack stays mostly full outside Hay Merchant, a food-and-beer establishment located among a cramped string of restaurants on Westheimer near Montrose. When the rack is full, it means 20 … Continue reading →

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The B-Cycle era begins

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, Houston’s B-Cycle program officially kicked off last week. Mayor Annise Parker, an occasional bicyclist, called the federally-funded program “a quick, easy alternative to being stuck in traffic or walking long distances in downtown.” She said the bicycles … Continue reading →

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Going green to save some green

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Houston has made significant investments in energy savings. The U.S. Conference of Mayors named Mayor Annise Parker the winner of Mayors’ Climate Protection Award last year for green building initiatives that incentivize conservation and energy-efficient design features. … Continue reading →

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Bike sharing is officially almost here

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From Citizens Net: Beginning Wednesday, May 2, 2012, Houston will be one of only 15 U.S. cities to launch a bike share program to make getting around downtown a whole lot easier. The bike share program, known as Houston B-cycle, … Continue reading →

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San Antonio B-Cycle keeps on growing

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s very cool to watch. [B-cycle and city officials announced] plans to add three bicycle stations in April, at HemisView Village apartments, the San Antonio Housing Authority park on South Flores Street, and the 1221 Broadway apartments, said Cindi Snell, … Continue reading →

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Petition for safer walking and biking

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From Marty Hajovsky: Stephanie Riceman with the Heights Kids Group, a 900-strong (at least) group of families in and around the greater Houston Heights, has put together an interesting online petition that says as much about how many new families there are in … Continue reading →

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Benchmarking biking and walking

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Via Dallas Transportation, here’s a ginormous comprehensive report on the way we walk and bike in 2012, the 2012 Bicycling and Walking in the United States Benchmark Report, by the Alliance for Biking and Walking. It’s a 200+ page PDF … Continue reading →

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There is nothing but highways

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

More bad policy coming from the Republicans in Congress. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Thursday the House GOP’s highway spending plan is “the worst transportation bill” he’s seen in decades. “This is the most partisan transportation bill that I have … Continue reading →

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About that “solution” for bike trail obstruction

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Me, last month: Meanwhile, two weeks ago there was a story about TxDOT closing the White Oak Bayou Hike and Bike Trail between Ella and 34th streets while there is construction on the service road for 610 North at East TC Jester. … Continue reading →

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New bike trail into downtown nearing completion

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From Swamplot: It looks like large portions of the 2.8-mile-long Heritage West Bikeway connecting Stude Park to UH-Downtown are close to completion, but the path along portions of the former UP railway won’t open until summer, according to the city. … Continue reading →

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The Tour de Houston 2012

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

If you’re not into long distance running, perhaps you might like to go on a long bike ride around town? If so, you will be glad to hear that the Tour de Houston is coming back after a year’s absence. … Continue reading →

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More on Bike Share Houston

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron story on the Council vote to get bike sharing in Houston off the ground. The plan for the so-called Bike Share Houston program is to intrigue residents and visitors with the technology, then raise funds to install … Continue reading →

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Council approves B-Cycle, and other bike news

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

One other item that Council approved on its last day of business for the year was to clear the way for the city to start up bike sharing with B-cycle. As you know, I’ve been following this along, and am … Continue reading →

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Parking feedback

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of weeks ago I noted that the city is undergoing a review of its 1989 Off Street Parking ordinance. The idea is to recognize some changes in the real estate market, especially having to do with entertainment and … Continue reading →

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San Antonio B-Cycle expands

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Seven months after beginning, San Antonio’s bike sharing program has completed an expansion. B-cycle, San Antonio’s bike share program, now boasts 20 docking stations and 200 bikes. […] Yearly memberships for $30 are still available by visiting sanantonio.bcycle.com and using … Continue reading →

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New parking regulations

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Hair Balls last week had a good discussion of a proposal by the city to revamp its 1989 Off Street Parking ordinance. Currently, bars — which are defined as having alcohol make up more than 75 percent of their sales … Continue reading →

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Biking to work

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

More Houstonians than before are riding their bikes to work, though in absolute terms it’s still a pretty small number. Figures from the League of American Bicyclists show a 62 percent increase in the number of Houston residents who commute … Continue reading →

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