Government Engagement

Neo Jang November 17, 2023

Bike Park is coming to Aggieland!

A mapview showing the Southeast Park on Rock Prairie Road — Satellite view of Southeast Park on Rock Prairie road East. (Nov. 2023)

How it began

August 24, 2023: College Station City Council discontinues Texas Independence Ballpark project – The Eagle (PDF)
- Due to soil deficiencies discovered at the site, constructing large paved surfaces, such as parking lots, is not practically or financially feasible.
October 25, 2023: First presentation to the City Council. Kim spoke for the middle- and high school MTB team, and having safe spaces to allow more kids on bikes. Her impassioned speech, an act impossible to follow, starts at 16:25 of this video recording. (https://collegestationtx.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3580/media)

Map view of Southeast park and Lick Creek Trail with green scribble lines for possible network of trails — Kim’s history making doodle of trails all across Southeast park and Lick Creek Trail (Oct. 2023)

Where things are now

October 30, 2023: Capital Projects held an open house public meeting. Among many great ideas presented, bike park/trails option received a strong support.
November 9, 2023: City Council meeting > Capital Projects Update. Site stabilization effort was deemed as an opportunity to quickly put together a prototype pump track/skills park. (Skip to 1:30:30: https://collegestationtx.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3601/media)
November 20, 2023: (TBD) a follow-up presentation to the city council is planned, to emphasize that this bike park plan will be for All Ages & Abilities, instead of a niche sport need.
December 11, 2023: Capital Projects will update the council with a much broader plan.

Where we could go

Railyard Bike Park in Rogers, AR (Image credit: Arkansas.com)

Skills park for all levels: a bike playground for toddlers on balance bikes, and a pump track for intermediate to advanced level riders
Accessible by bike: Connect to Lick Creek Hike & Bike trail, as well as multi-use path being built along Rock Prarie Road
Integrate with other uses: a dog park, frisbee golf, running trails, and a greater greenspace. Perhaps even a coffee shop in the woods!

Airship Coffee at Coler MTB Preserve is located in the middle of a forest, within a half mile walk/bike from nearest parking lot. (Image credit: visitbentonville.com)

How You can help

Reach out and tell us! There are many interest groups already united in this shared vision.
- College Station Composite Mountain Bike Team (bcsbiketeam.com)
- Brazos Valley Mountainbike Association (bvmba.net)
- Trek store College Station (trekbikes.com/us/en_US/retail/college_station)
- Aggieland Cycling (aggieland-cycling.com)
Tell your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.
Talk to the city officials. If you don’t know how, we can help.

Thanks and more soon!

Don Gilman May 14, 2020

Open Call for TxDOT Bicycle Advisory Committee Candidates

TxDOT is currently seeking candidates for the state’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC). TxDOT’s BAC is made up of Texas bicycling community representatives, not affiliated with TxDOT, who are interested in advancing the consideration of bicycling and walking as part of transportation planning and development within Texas.

TxDOT and the Texas Transportation Commission strive for a committee that is geographically balanced, professionally diverse, and representative of the growing and diverse Texas population. To identify a broader pool of candidates, we are reaching out to professional organizations with connections to the many facets of active transportation, including engineering, planning, research, and bicycle-related industry. Members accept the position knowing that this is not a paid position and that they will be asked to travel, at their own expense, to meet in Austin quarterly. (Note: As conditions warrant, meetings may be held virtually.)

All candidates submitting their resume with a completed questionnaire will be considered. The 2020 deadline for candidate BAC submissions to TxDOT is May 26, 2020.

For more information about the BAC, please visit: https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/division/public-transportation/bicycle-committee.html. Should you have questions, feel free to contact TxDOT’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Program staff, Bonnie Sherman, AICP, at (512) 486-5972 or bonnie.sherman@txdot.gov or Noah Heath, AICP, at (512) 486-5973 or noah.heath@txdot.gov. Thank you for your consideration.

Best regards,

Bonnie Sherman, AICP

Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Manager

TxDOT Public Transportation Division

bonnie.sherman@txdot.gov

(512) 486-5972 (o)

(512) 571-9825 (m)

https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/modes-of-travel/bicycle.html