Redesignating Brownsville as the official Bicycling Capital of the Rio Grande Valley for a 10-year period ending in 2035.
WHEREAS, 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 an
extensive system 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 regularly
sponsored CycloBia events; during these gatherings, certain
streets are closed to motor vehicles, and a multitude of
bicyclists, runners, and walkers turn out to enjoy the less
congested roadways; moreover, the city has partnered with
volunteers to create the Brownsville Bike 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, the City Cruisers
Cycling Group, and the Brownsville River Rockets Cycling Club; in
addition, numerous locally owned bicycle shops operate in
Brownsville; and
WHEREAS, To build on the success of its earlier efforts, the
city updated its bicycle and trail master plan in 2021, outlining
further enhancements to enable bicyclists and walkers to more
easily travel throughout Brownsville; over the years, the city’s
focus on biking and walking has helped it earn a Culture of Health
Prize from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as well as
recognition as an All-America City by the National Civic League;
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 89th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby redesignate Brownsville as the official Bicycling Capital of
the Rio Grande Valley; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of
Section 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in
effect until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is
finally passed by the legislature.
