Texas Embraces Cycling to Slim Down Residents and Beef Up Economies

From the panhandle to the Gulf coast, cities across traditionally car-crazed Texas are building bike-share systems and expanding bike infrastructure to lure businesses, residents, and improve public health.

1 minute read

August 19, 2013, 6:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"In car-clogged communities around Texas, a biking movement is gaining speed," reports Aman Batheja. "Midsize and large cities are expanding bike trails and putting roads on 'lane diets' to accommodate bike lanes."

"While curbing traffic and air pollution prompted earlier interest in such initiatives, those concerns are now overshadowed in some cities by other motivating factors, particularly boosts to public health, quality of life and economic development," he adds.

“People who are trying to attract people and businesses to their cities get it,” said Robin Stallings of BikeTexas, an advocacy group. “If they want to get their kids to come back after college, if they want to get any kind of high-tech industry, they need this stuff.”

Sunday, August 18, 2013 in The Texas Tribune

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