Last week, a seemingly mundane college campus parking lot took on a new role at Sul Ross State University, it was converted into a vibrant obstacle course, this time with the laudable mission of promoting bicycle safety, a cause in which the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) El Paso District collaborated with the Alpine Police Department to set an interactive learning environment, all gratis.
Bicycle safety is a growing concern in Texas, where fatal crashes involving bicyclists saw a 28% hike between 2018 and 2022. According to a report by TxDOT, the year 2022 alone accounted for 2,349 traffic crashes that included bicyclists, culminating in 92 deaths, and 333 with serious injuries. The top contributing factors for these incidents pointed to driver inattention, failure, to yield the right of way, and speeding.
At the forefront of the educational course were interactive tasks and road sign education, complete with a working railroad crossing—elements designed to instill in young cyclists the nuances of road safety. “Tiny cyclists enjoyed the makeshift course so much. They drove through the route multiple times,” said Stephanie Carbajal-Atilano, TxDOT’s District Traffic Safety Specialist, mentioned in a TxDOT press release. The program also included essential bike and helmet checks, and local riding experts were on hand to perform bike tune-ups and offer their insights to the young participants and their parents.
Highlighting the importance of such initiatives, Alpine Police Chief Darrell Losoya, underscored the importance of such educational events in building community awareness around shared responsibilities on the road. "It is important to have bicycle rodeos like this, so the community understands what the rules and responsibilities are for both motorists and cyclists when they’re out on the road," Losoya conveyed in the TxDOT release.
