Bill Text: TX HCR132 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Designating Brownsville as the official Bicycling Capital of the Rio Grande Valley for a 10-year period beginning in 2015.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-18 - Signed by the Governor [HCR132 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HCR132-Enrolled.html
H.C.R. No. 132 |
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WHEREAS, In recent years, the City of Brownsville has carried | ||
out an innovative program to promote bicycling, and in so doing, the | ||
city has become a well-known center for this healthy and | ||
environmentally friendly activity; and | ||
WHEREAS, Originally started as a way to promote exercise | ||
among the city's residents and to combat obesity and diabetes, this | ||
unique effort has helped to make bicycling an important part of | ||
recreation and tourism in Brownsville as well as a more viable form | ||
of local transportation; and | ||
WHEREAS, The city has passed a number of ordinances to make | ||
the community more bicycle friendly, and it has created 64 miles of | ||
bicycle trails and on-street bike routes, including the Historic | ||
Battlefield Trail; designated as a National Recreational Trail by | ||
the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2013, this nine-mile route | ||
runs through the heart of the city and ends at the Palo Alto | ||
Battlefield National Historic Park, the site of the first clash in | ||
the Mexican-American War; and | ||
WHEREAS, Since 2012, Brownsville has also sponsored several | ||
CycloBia events; during these gatherings, certain streets are | ||
closed to motor vehicles, and as many as 10,000 bicyclists, | ||
runners, and walkers turn out to enjoy the less congested roadways; | ||
moreover, the city has partnered with volunteers to create the | ||
Brownsville Bicycle Barn, which offers residents lessons in bike | ||
safety and maintenance, and the Earn-a-Bike Program, which allows | ||
people of all ages to receive a bike in exchange for completing 25 | ||
hours of community service; and | ||
WHEREAS, The city has benefited from the growth of private | ||
groups of bike enthusiasts as well, including the Velociraptors | ||
Cycling Team, the Brownsville Bike Brigade, and the Brownsville | ||
River Rockets Cycling Club; in addition, four locally owned bicycle | ||
shops operate in Brownsville; and | ||
WHEREAS, To build on the success of its efforts, the city has | ||
adopted a bicycle and trail master plan, Connecting Brownsville, to | ||
create a network of bicycle and pedestrian routes and other | ||
facilities that will enable bicyclists and walkers to travel | ||
throughout Brownsville; future plans include the development of new | ||
trails, extensions and improvements to current bike routes, and the | ||
installation of more bike racks around the city; Brownsville's | ||
efforts have already earned it recognition as an All-America City | ||
by the National League of Cities, as well as a Culture of Health | ||
Prize from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and | ||
WHEREAS, By successfully promoting bicycling, Brownsville | ||
has become a model for other Texas communities, attracting | ||
additional visitors to the region and encouraging a fun, | ||
beneficial, and sustainable way of life for its residents; now, | ||
therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
hereby recognize Brownsville as the official Bicycling Capital of | ||
the Rio Grande Valley. | ||
Lucio III | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.C.R. No. 132 was adopted by the House on May | ||
30, 2015, by a non-record vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.C.R. No. 132 was adopted by the Senate on | ||
June 1, 2015, by a viva-voce vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |