The residents living around Escondido Drive in west El Paso had their meeting with some of the city’s staff Tuesday, October 10, 2017 at 6PM.
One of the attendees gave us an earful about what happened.
This is what we understood from the resident:
Evidently the meeting started with a city employee thanking everyone for their attendance and then informing the crowd (60 or so people) that the purpose of the meeting was to inform the public about what the city is going to do (in other words the decisions have already been made).
It went downhill from there.
The presenter then told the group that questions would not be taken until the city people were through making their presentation.
The project was categorized as “the restriping of Escondido”. It was explained that restriping involves considering changes that have occurred since the last painting as well as other things that the staff thinks are a good idea. Oh, and by the way, staff is required to consider the city’s adopted bicycle plan when restriping. But the crowd needed to understand that this was really just a maintenance issue and new bicycle paths were just incidental to the project.
That explanation flies in the face of the letter that the city sent selectively to some residents:
Some residents informed the staff that the design that will be implemented is defective and then pointed out ways that bicycles could be accommodated without destroying traffic flow and endangering safety. City staff evidently argued aggressively with some of the citizens.
At one point a resident asked “How do we stop this?”. He was told that staff would not stop implementation but that the residents would have to take the matter up with city council.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
We have the Byrd/O’Rourke/Ortega cabal on Council a few years ago to thank for this. I’m pretty sure they included bicycle re-striping in their Smart Growth ordinance, which applies to all of El Paso. At this point, the city ordinance will have to be rescinded to stop this nonsense. And remember that a vote for O’Rourke for Texas senator will bring his policies to the state and those are even harder to repeal.
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Lots of cities have bike lanes, especially cities with young and educated populations like Portland, Seattle, Austin. I live just off Escondido and would be happy to see something that slows car traffic, because the new Mexican arrivals up in Coronado just sail thru the stop signs at Los Robles and Espada.
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The cyclists also sail through stop signs and red lights all over town. If the city wants to put cyclists on equal footing with cars, I’m okay with that if the EPPD starts writing tickets to cyclists rather than focusing only on drivers of motorized vehicles.
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Jerry, I live in the same area. The traffic infractions is wel represented by a the ethic/nationalities. The bike lanes are not used. The bicyclists(very few) don’t even use them. They ride in the middle of the street and become angry if a car sounds the horn. There is no trash or obstacles in the bike lanes either. Plain and simple, no one obeys traffic laws to include police patrol cars. One bicyclist every six months doesn’t merit their own lanes.
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I think you’re a little confused. O’Rourke is running for U.S. senator, not Texas senator. And if you think that if elected he is going to unilaterally, single-handedly impose changes in state law from Washington, you might want to take a refresher course in ninth grade civics.
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I got a letter from the city clowns yesterday about what they are going to do about Cohen Stadium (remember that one?). Tone of the letter was basically ‘this is what we are going to do, if you don’t like it, tough’. Shit, they are still dragging their feet on the old Northgate mall. Millions of dollars being spent on a Bus Station no one will use (sorta like bike lanes) that is taking an extraordinary amount of time to complete.
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Yep, I agree with your point of view on those things.
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LOL, he passed one bill in six years. And you think he will change Washington.
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Correction: If O’Rourke is elected, he will bring his policies to the federal level. If you don’t like bicycle lanes on the busiest streets in El Paso, you probably won’t like most of what O’Rourke stands for.
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Beto is probably betting on a GOP backlash against Ted Cruz and the Bannon wing of the GOP fielding a populist candidate to steal his base. Because it would otherwise be pretty hard to get a Dem elected to Senate in Texas.
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He is not expected to win and that’s coming from upper level California Dem. The Beto polls have been misleading. A small number of Reps were polled while a large number of Dems and Indeps were included. His fund raising is also misleading. Cruz had millions in his war chest to where Beto can’t possibility match. Do you really think that the Reps would be willing to lose a senate seat just when they are trying to maintain a majority?
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OK Abandon Hope, we get that you do not like Beto O’Rourke. How about commenting on the current city government and how to affect it? (You’re “pretty sure” about the Smart Growth ordinance?)
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Ok. Yes, I’m sure City Council several years ago passed a Smart Growth ordinance that includes bike lanes. And, yes, Beto O’Rourke was instrumental in the bike lanes. Sorry if my language was not strong enough for you. And, yes, Beto O’Rouke will do what he can to continue these policies at the federal level.
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How to affect current city government? You have to fight like heck to change an ordinance that is already on the books. And you must watch everything City Council does. City government loves it when tax payers are too busy working to follow what they do.
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WHO is this “City Staff” and WHO elected THEM?? Where are the people that are SUPPOSED to REPRESENT US?? What is it that THEY do?? Just more minions that WE give a pay check to at the CITY, that don’t do any work. They are going to “Re-stripe” anything, THEY need to do the STREETS all over town. Bike lanes are NOT used and only aggravate already congested streets. Maybe the ONLY way to get these so-called “Representatives” to do the JOB, is a RECALL, clear out the entire THRONE ROOM of the “Royals”.
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If you turn off the caps lock people won’t think you are off your meds today.
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:- )
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:))
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Maybe if YOU could write in ENGLISH instead of sign language, myself and others could understand, translate what you mean. Maybe you should take some MEDS? 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Residents in that area had better ‘speak up’ forcefully by email, phone or letter, to their city rep, along with the mayor and other city reps. Some of these bike lane proposals are stupid and thoughtless, and are being pushed on our community by a small group of biking enthusiasts.
A good example of what ‘not to do’ is the road restripping that recently took place here on the Eastside, on Lee between Pebble Hills Blvd and Montwood. This section of Lee used to be two lanes in each direction, now after the city’s restripping there is only one lane in each direction, with an extra wide center turn lane, and bike lanes on each side, plus an added protective divider between the bike lane and driving lane on each side.
Adequate bike lanes could have easily been added to Lee without ‘shitting’ on vehicle drivers, so you had better ‘speak up’ or the city bike people will ‘shit on’ you too.
The really sad thing about these bike lanes is, once the city puts them in there is not enough bike traffic to justify them. A sad, sad waste of limited city budget resources.
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Was the city council rep for the Escondido area present at the meeting?
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Yes
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To all concerned: This is how Centralized-Big Government works…just keep sending your tax dollars and you will LIKE their plans. 😦
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Wait a minute. Svarzbein strikes again?
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Yes Peter Svarztien was in attendance he ran the meeting mostly . He lecture the people in attendance and seemed clueless when he was asked questions on lighting and other traffic problems stating he had never been contacted or heard about them. The numbers used bybtge City as there she S more than one section on Escondido 1 Traffic coming on to Escondido to drop off and pick up children from school.’ 2 Condo Traffic 3 People using Broadmore and Escondido to escape Belvidere And Thunderbird. Thunderbird has a Synagogue with a school Western Hills school Western Hills Mesthodist School and Coronado Baptist Svool day care. Traffic laws are ignored Stop signs are ignored a slow down sign was run over and never replaced Slow traffic with speed bumps and enforce the law. Quality of life is decent roads bike lanes are used for a very very few for recreation Use the circulators to put you bike on and connect with Brio Yes this is part Byrd Orourke and Wilson in action Mr Orourke has no power now in DC only what your Newspaper or his own PR puts out. Name a bill he has passed But I didn’t vote for them for anything and will not Those in power in this town think they are smarter than you They do not realize they work for you There was a traffic engineer Peter and the guy fro bike department pulse two administrator to take notes Those of us who pay their salaries received a lecture because we are too stupid to understand We do deserve better Time to clean house
Sent from my iPhone
>
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That explains all the reported sightings of Al Green and Big Foot. Yeah, must have been BF, a lot of incoherent and weird sounds.
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Plan El Paso (Smart Growth) was adopted in 2012. Although O’Rourke had moved on by then, his name appears on the list of creators.
Here is the plan:
https://www.elpasotexas.gov/planning-and-inspections/planning/plan-el-paso
Goals to establish bicycle networks, reduce automobile traffic and speed are found throughout the Plan.
Policy 2.3.8: Neighborhood streets should be designed for pedestrians and bicyclists by moderating the speed of motorized vehicles: a. 75% of new residential-only streets should be designed for a maxi- mum target speed of 20 mph.
This is another beautifully packaged plan that the City spent a lot of money on. Parts sound ok, most of it is social engineering in my opinion.
But my real point is that some of what the City is doing now relates back to this. Everyone should be aware of Plan El Paso. If you don’t like it, tell your representative and keep telling them. If you don’t like it, don’t vote for Beto for any office. He, Byrd and Wilson own this.
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