(Ed.'s Note: Local bus riders have to endure the elements to get to their jobs or other destinations like doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, etc., Real shelters are few and in between and they often must stand in the blazing midday sun like the woman in the picture on McDavitt Blvd.
On the day this picture was taken, the temperature hovered in the mid-90s and it felt like 113. Similar scenes repeat themselves all across the city.
But thanks to City of Brownsville commissioner Rose Gowen and past administrations, the city has made sure that well-heeled recreational bicycle riders on the Brownsville’s Historic Battlefield Hike and Bike Trail have it easier and safer to walk and ride through even at night.
Every Certificate of Obligation issue approved by the city that includes transportation projects must include 10 percent of it for hike and bike trails. That has put $5 million or more for Gowen's pet projects.
New bike and hike trail rest stops and a glow stone trail project with a budget of $90,000 from the Parks and Recreation Department budget have eased the efforts of recreational cyclists to travel along the city's northern neighborhoods and far from the barrios.
The project was divided into three phases. The first phase was installed from FM 802 behind the Brownsville Events Center. The second phase wase from East Morrison Road to Alta Mesa Boulevard and the final phase was on Aurora Street.
“In the spots where there’s missing light it will at least have some photoluminescence for seeing the trail,” Parks and Recreation Director Damaris McGlone said.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department installed the trail. The glow stone product is from Core Landscape Products.
“Looking online and seeing what other cities are doing and more in Europe you see these glow stone trails and so it’s a great way to help light your trail and have a safer way to travel at night, so hopefully, over time all nine miles (of the trail) will get that,” McGlone said.
We wonder, has the city administration and Bus-Metro looked online to see what other cities around the world are doing to shelter their bus riders? How many simple benches and overhangs could be built to protect bus riders like this woman for the $90,000 it cost to build the "glow stone" trail?
If it wasn't for the thin sliver of shade of the Brownsville Public Utility Board light pole, she would have had to endure the summer heat out in the open.
But thanks to City of Brownsville commissioner Rose Gowen and past administrations, the city has made sure that well-heeled recreational bicycle riders on the Brownsville’s Historic Battlefield Hike and Bike Trail have it easier and safer to walk and ride through even at night.Every Certificate of Obligation issue approved by the city that includes transportation projects must include 10 percent of it for hike and bike trails. That has put $5 million or more for Gowen's pet projects.
New bike and hike trail rest stops and a glow stone trail project with a budget of $90,000 from the Parks and Recreation Department budget have eased the efforts of recreational cyclists to travel along the city's northern neighborhoods and far from the barrios.
The project was divided into three phases. The first phase was installed from FM 802 behind the Brownsville Events Center. The second phase wase from East Morrison Road to Alta Mesa Boulevard and the final phase was on Aurora Street.
“In the spots where there’s missing light it will at least have some photoluminescence for seeing the trail,” Parks and Recreation Director Damaris McGlone said.The city’s Parks and Recreation Department installed the trail. The glow stone product is from Core Landscape Products.
“Looking online and seeing what other cities are doing and more in Europe you see these glow stone trails and so it’s a great way to help light your trail and have a safer way to travel at night, so hopefully, over time all nine miles (of the trail) will get that,” McGlone said.
We wonder, has the city administration and Bus-Metro looked online to see what other cities around the world are doing to shelter their bus riders? How many simple benches and overhangs could be built to protect bus riders like this woman for the $90,000 it cost to build the "glow stone" trail?
23 comments:
Voters chance to vote her out next year. Too much tax payers funds for useless bike lines downtown, hardly you see anyone using them anytime of the day. So glad that Cylovias came to a halt, it was nothing more than wasted funds due to poor participation.
San Benito CISD is living up to its motto with the addition of an indoor multipurpose athletic facility, an aquatic center and a performing arts center — three “Gold Standard” facilities
Looks like a barn, as long as they don't start builting bike trails.
Even San Bene has BUS shelters!
Yes we do.
Norma Zamora needs to be fired!!! She's the Director for many years and she hasn't fixed that problem!!!
The arrogance of her father was certainly inherited by Gowen. She could care couldn't care less than she already does besides making a name for herself.
Serves us right for re-electing her and for not voting in all elections. We should all be ready to remove all incumbents from all entities in the city that are suppose to be for us. Has someone bothered to take a survey on how many people actually use the stupid bike trails. Maybe I should drive my small car on the trails since I know that pot holes are not allowed until the front tire of your car falls into one on the street and messes up you steering. Enough is enough but there has to be enough of us to maybe one of those friendly parades they hold in other cities.
El Paya Jerry again tying Mexicans to Trump.
He's the one into Trump!
@2;47 Zamora isn;t even a employee, a contractor...they can cancel that contrat at any time. What are they possibly waitng for? She has already run off most of the staff and employees. I hear she makes more than Bernal, but a good blogger could find out fast what she makes.
Rosa Gowen has never rode a bike in her life. She has always been overweight but refuses to exercise at all. The bike lanes are such a waste of money, even she knows this!
https://www.utrgv.edu/sair/_files/documents/fall-2019-student-profile.pdf
UTRGV Student Enrollment-
61.6 of all undergraduates or
81.3 of undergraduates receiving aid.
To make matters worse, these politicians do not pay a penny on property taxes due to "Historical designation " bullshit on their personal homes. Time to vote out these greedy commissioners out.
Where's that "pass the buck" traffic lights director? When are they going to sync ALL traffic lights next pay check???? I doubt it, he's at a donut or begal shop. SYNC THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS NOW!!!!
ADDING MORE TRAFFIC LIGHT ONLY MAKES IT WORST SYNC FIRST ADD LATER
There are more red light here than in a carnival or a red light district...Makes you feel at home!
@6:21 There's no traffic director running the traffic lights...there's only a pendejo name Dale Levsen bird brain in charge! Never seen this bad the traffic lights synchronization! Fired that dummy before accidents starts happening!!!
At every turn I see new red lights blinking is there a board or somebody that dictates to this idiota where to put blinking red lights? Or he just thinks and puts up blinking lights anywhere he wants.
I remember a previous traffic guy that was purchasing traffic lights from himself and had a storage place at his home.
IS THIS HAPPENING AGAIN????
City commissioners and city directors RUNNING WILD but with our tax monies.
STOP THIS NONSENSE NOW!!!!!!
City Manager's staff needs to be reduced, they have a City Manager, a Deputy CM, two Assistant CM and an Assistant to the CM. All these salaries combined are probably over $600,000 a year. A city this size dosen't justify so many staff to win the city effectively. City Commissioners, do your due diligence and start downsizing this department.
September 7, 2020 at 7:18 PM
And they are all his girl friends from up north and also ONE gringo pinche coco just like hillbilly full coco pendejo half-witted racist republican IDIOTA!
Brownsville Brownsville Brownsville, all screwed up, thats what you get when you hire a small town city manager who used to work in la villa and falfurrias i am sure there were better applicants or candidates out there, but hey thats what city commission wanted or voted on. So now he brings in all of his buddies and lovers too. ni modo. Time to eat some CROW. As for the Bus shelters city folks, city commission and staff do give a hoot. Norma Zamora is a hIred gun too so she could care less as well, BTW I HEAR SHE LIVES IN MCALLEN??? JUAN IS THAT TRUW TOO? HA HA HA, Like i said before, ALL SCREWED UP.
Norma Zamora has done a lot for Brownsville Metro. People need to understand that building a shelter requires extensive work, and money. In order to even begin the process engineering documents need to be drawn up. Most of the pictures that are shared are of low ridership bus stops. How can you justify spending 25,000 on a bus stop for a couple of riders?? I honestly wish that people would at least inquire about information before making some stupid accusations. Norma Zamora is contracted, because the incompetent financial management of Federal Funds back in the day. Please make sure that you know what it is your talking about before you talk about it.
Norma lives in land o lakes drives a BUS issued vehicle and surprisingly her home's value has remained the same since 2007 unlike the rest of us in the neighborhood who have seen our home values skyrocket and our propeerty taxes too!
Thats how the cookie crumbles in bean town
It is ridiculous that the City of Brownsville and commissioners voted to take the Fire Department retirement insurance away because they need to fix roads. But the city manager maybe getting a 20,000 raise. Hmmm is that true? We need to vote out city commissioners and get people in that know how to budget before they start taking away first responders benefits!
@4:01 Who says you have to spend $25,000? I'm sure you can get something way cheaper, for less used bus stops. Get the useless city forester to relocate big shady trees for shades at bus stops! There are options idiota!
Management always messing with Fire and regular employees benefits but they don't dare mess police benefits, why? What a double standard, that's the meaning of Total Alignment? Bunch of crap.
That's the problem. You could do a lot for less then 25,000. However this is not legal. You need to have an engineer draw up plans for the site. You have to get a wind storm certified bus shelter. You have to make the improvements to the street for the bus to be able to constantly stop there. You have to have the planner update all of the route times that are connected to the proposed stop. You people do not have a clue about what you are talking about. That is why the City has to contract management services to begin with. It is not as simple has throwing up a bus shelter. Do you understand that most of the property that is around a bus stop is private land? Do you know how much the owner wants to sell and easement? Do you realize that people do not want a tacky bus shelter in front of there property? Do you understand that a lot of people that sit at the bus stop cause extensive property damage? No you do not have a clue about what you are talking about. It is horrible that after all of these years, and abuse the citizens have no clue how service works.
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