BVC proposed 'political pedal'

[Jonathan Coopersmith]

Folks,
With your permission, I would ask the president 
(or myself or ...) to issue the following 
invitation (with suggestions welcome).  I am 
willing to take charge of arrangements.
         Jonathan

Dear Congressman Edwards,

The Brazos Valley Cyclists (BVC), a bicycling 
club with members throughout Brazos County, would 
like to invite you on a short ride to show you 
how federal, state, and local funding has and 
will improve bicycling and walking in College 
Station.  If you accept, we would like to invite 
other local elected officials to join us.

The ride would be fairly short – approximately 
five miles and the entire event, from fitting out 
your bike to returning, should take an hour.  We 
can provide a bike and helmet for you and any of 
your family who would like to join.  Cycling is a 
family activity – adults should not have all the fun.

The League of American Bicyclists has designated 
College Station a bicycle-friendly city, one of 
the few/only [verify] in Texas.  As you cycle our 
bike lanes, you will understand why biking 
improves the quality of life in towns and cities.

Our timing is flexible.  I would suggest a 
weekend (though not an Aggie home game) or, if a weekday, after 5 p.m.


Background:

I envision the ride starting at the little park 
and softball field off Anderson.  This has the 
advantages of a parking lot and open space as 
well as being the beginning of the federally 
funded bike path that ends at Southwest 
Parkway.  At Southwest we would head west until 
turning left at Hondo and then left at Nueces 
until 2818.  There we would turn right so 
everyone can see that the intersection of 2818 
and Welsh needs sidewalks for safety.  At Welsh 
we would turn north until reaching Holleman and 
turning right, then ending up at Anderson.  If we 
were more adventuresome, we could go until Bush 
Drive.  The purpose of this proposed route is to 
show the wide range of biking conditions in College Station.

Once we had a date from Edwards, we would invite 
the city council, Fred Brown, Steve Ogden, the 
county commissioners, even the school board to 
join as many of us as can make it.   We can issue 
a wider public invitation for our Ride the Roads 
trip.  We would notify the police as a courtesy.

I’ve talked to Robin Stallings, the Texas Bicycle 
Coalition Executive Director.  He is willing to 
co-sponsor the ride if we desire and, if the 
timing is do-able, bring TBC’s 17 hybrid bikes 
and helmets.  I would prefer to first ask our 
local bike shops if they could loan bikes and 
mechanics to adjust the bikes.  There is nothing 
like a local business to make elected officials pay attention.
Stallings  recommended we give the people 
participating low value but visible gifts, such 
as BVC water bottles or t-shirts.  He can also help with press.

Depending on the turnout, we might want to supply 
– or ask for contributions in kind – food and drink.

Austin has a similar ride, the Political Pedal, 
which ends up at a happy hour (so why not end the 
trip at the Blue Baker?  Well, how do they get 
from there back to the park?).  Indeed, if there 
is interest, I’m willing to invite Senator Kay 
Bailey Hutchinson too.  I suggest Edwards first 
as he will be more accessible.



Jonathan Coopersmith
Associate Professor
Dept. of History
MS 4236
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas  77843-4236
979.845.8584
979.862.4314 fax

Secretary
History & Philosophy of Science Section (L)
American Association for the Advancement of Science
www.aaas.org