I'm not from Texas, and I had to ask a coworker from Tyler where Ennis was. A cyclist who uses bicycles for his daily commute has been arrested and issued citations for riding a bicycle in the street (in this case, HWY 287). If you conduct a google search, you will arrive at several cycling advocacy sites that are offering aid and support to this gentlemen.
The reason that this case interests me is two-fold. First, I ride my bike to work on the street just about every day, and dread the thought of being pulled over by the police and possibly arrested. Especially for something that isn't a crime. The second overlaps my professional life somewhat. The architecture firm that I work for cares a great deal about sustainability and the environment, and has made a strong commitment to LEED building standards, encouraging clients to pursue certification for new construction whenever possible. One of the many areas for certification is the procurement of locally sourced materials to reduce transit and carbon footprints.
Ennis has a steel mill that is a favorite of both designers and contractors in the North Texas area. I guess it's ironic in a sense that the city that has proven to be a linchpin for sustainable buildings in Texas would have such a backwards policy on perhaps one of the most sustainable alternatives for transportation. The politician in me wants to make lemonade out of this. Perhaps the mayor could mimic Tom Leppert and bring a commitment to green to the town of Ennis! Start with alternative transportation: education and encouragement of cyclists and motorists to share the road.
As an outsider looking in, the competition between towns and cities in Texas is fierce, and this could prove to be an incredible opportunity to bring a new level of interest and commerce into the town. But every good designer knows that before you build, you dig and remove obstacles.
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