As a long time Bartonville resident and avid cyclist, I was dismayed that the Town Council amended its special event ordinance to virtually ban cycle groups from using its roads.  This is a misguided effort that will not fix the main areas of contention: running stop signs and obstructing traffic.  The laws were already on the books – just enforce them, not write new ones!  I’d also like to offer a rebuttal to the recent Cross Timbers Gazette article that portrayed cyclists in an unfair and negative way.  The vast majority of cyclists obey the traffic laws and some people have leaped to erroneous conclusions based on a small number of transgressions, some of which (urinating behind Town Hall) may very well not have been by cyclists.  We are tax paying, law abiding citizens, and most of us are parents, too.  Another important positive attribute of the cycling community is the support we give to the bike rallies, every one of which serves as a fundraiser for a local community need.  So we’re really not bad people – don’t let a few bad examples ruin it for all.  We’re just out there enjoying nature and trying to be healthy.  Let’s work together to co-exist peacefully.

Duncan Stewart
Bartonville, TX