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Manor bans bicycles
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This article was published for the benefit of TexBIKE.
Last week’s issue of The Manor Messenger (a print-only weekly) reported that the Manor City Council passed into law an ordinance to prohibit bicycles on Brenham Street and on Blake Manor Road, east of FM 973.
The Messenger added that no other roads in Manor are subject to a similar ban. The article did not indicate when the new law would take effect.
I telephoned the City of Manor for more details, but no one was available who could provide me with more information. Watch here and at www.texbike.org for any updates.
View Manor bicycle ban in a larger map
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Comments
extent/length of bike ban
Do you know exactly how far out the bike ban goes?
I see that your map of the banned segment ends (on the east end) at a definite point, so I am curious if you have a good source for that info, or if it was just an estimate. I am also wondering whose jurisdiction the road is under. Is it City of Manor, Travis County, or both?
I will be getting more information from the City of Manor later this week, but more information in the mean time would be helpful.
Thanks.
The only detail I found was
The only detail I found was that it was “east of FM 973,” so the “approximate” section on my map follows the road to the city limits. My subsequent requests to the city only resulted in vague and misleading answers, one of which was that the length was a “small section.” On their Facebook page, the City of Manor mentioned some detours, but failed to mention that the detours are 25 to 30 minutes by bicycle. If that’s the case, calling the ban length a “small section” isn’t only misleading, it’s deceptive.
No one from the city has indicated that my approximate map is incorrect, and it is consistent with the detours that the city mentioned.
What the ban is about
I have received an answer to my inquiry asking for details surrounding this bicycle ban. It would seem I am not the only one to do so, and that is a good thing, I think.
The answers to my first set of questions can be found at my blog. (Yes, this is a crass and naked attempt to drive traffic to my blog!) I shall wait until tomorrow to send in follow-up questions.
http://chipsea.blogspot.com/2009/11/truth-about-manors-bicycle-ban.html
In the vague answers you
In the vague answers you relayed, I didn't see anything that gave any indication of what “temporary” means, the specific reason for the ban, or what needs to be changed.
Where’s the ordinance that requires the city to fix the problem within a specific time frame?
Ultimately, I really don’t pretend to have the complete answers. If what I’m providing is not clear or complete, it’s only because the city has failed to provide clear and complete information. I have invited the city to provide complete information with greater transparency of purpose. The response that you relayed was neither complete nor transparent. Once they do, I’ll be more than happy to relay the more complete and accurate information.
Regarding transparency: Let’s see the ordinance. Let’s see who voted for it. Let’s see the supporting facts. Let’s see the alternatives that were considered before this ban was passed. Let’s see which cycling organizations were consulted.