An Article in the Daily Toreador about Tour de Tech Terrace

http://www.dailytoreador.com/news/bicycle-tour-benefits-from-new-rules-police-presence-1.2256746

Bicycle tour benefits from new rules, police presence


By Jon Vanderlaan
News Editor
Published: Monday, May 3, 2010

Updated: Sunday, May 2, 2010

About eight months after the littering, Tasering of a Texas Tech student and the ultimate break up of the biannual bicycle ride Tour de Tech Terrace, the organizers hosted the spring tour largely without incident because of a stronger police presence and more rider awareness.

Sgt. Kelley Pirkle, with the Lubbock Police Department, said the main concern of officers at the event was the safety of people participating, including bicyclists getting in the way of traffic.

“I think when they get more intoxicated, the problems will increase with the level of intoxication,” he said.

Some riders yelled insults at the officers, but most were respectful and engaged in conversation with police.

However, many changes were instituted in the tour this year, including more crowd control to the side of the road, portable toilets at every other stop and the presence of Tech Terrace Neighborhood Association representatives.

Austin Keith, the organizer of the event, said about 600 people showed up for the event, compared to the 1,250 who showed up for the fall event.

The smaller size of the event is because he said he wanted to bring it back to its grassroots origins.

“It was always going to happen,” Keith said. “It’s just that this year we didn’t advertise publicly on the social networking pages.”

Although some bad publicity somewhat ruined the reputation of the tour at the last running, he said, he is hoping this tour will help it regain some of its legitimacy.

The fall tour got out of hand enough to draw complaints from Tech Terrace residents about littering, trampling yards and public urination. Police intervened and the tour officially was broken up after the eighth out of 10 stops.

The real controversy happened when a Tech student was pinned to the ground and Tasered by police, which was captured on a cell phone video by one of the participants in the ride.

Assistant Police Chief Thomas Esparza, who is in charge of the patrol division, said about 15 to 17 officers were patrolling the area for the safety of everyone involved this year.

Although he worries about safety in events like the tour, he said, most people seemed to be having a good time.

“I think everybody involved in this situation is a little more aware of what happened (in the fall),” Esparza said, “and is trying to keep it from happening again.”

Police officers in cars and on bicycles and motorcycles flanked the tour throughout the several hours, including a patrol car that brought up the rear of the pack, to keep an eye on the events.

Helen Liggett, a Tech Terrace Neighborhood Association representative joining in the tour, said she was there to act as a presence of support from the association and to help in any way possible.

She said rumors circulated that the association was not supportive of the tour, but she was there in part to help it remain safe.

The organizers also did a good job even though they were denied off-duty police officers and a permit for parade status, Liggett said.

The police officers at the event had the ability to arrest those participating, she said, but instead decided most of the time to issue citations and allow those people to continue in the tour.

“I have huge respect for what the police are doing,” Liggett said. “They are showing restraint, in my opinion.”

Keith said he and other volunteers tried to stay on top of the situation more this year and tried to help bicyclists realize they have a responsibility to stay safe and follow the law.

He said because word of mouth about the event spread so much, the group approached the neighborhood association saying they could not stop the event despite being denied a parade permit.

One student was arrested, Keith said, but he was told the student later was released a few blocks down the road instead of being taken to jail.

He will begin planning for the event as soon as possible, he said, in hopes to earn more sponsors for portable toilets, trash bins and he hopes he can attain a parade permit for the next running of the event.

Tour de Tech Terrace- Saturday May, 1, 2010.

Tour de Tech Terrace

An Invitation from Safety Committee Co-Chair, Kevin Austin Keith

In the beginning, the first Tour de Tech Terrace consisted of just 32 cyclist friends with a single goal to have fun and enjoy an afternoon ride through the neighborhood. As time progressed and Tour de Tech Terrace (TDTT) grew, so did the goals and ambitions of the riders and organizers alike. From less than a hundred to more than a thousand riders, the tour gained the strength to give back to the community. Starting in 2006, TDTT began donating canned food to the South Plains Food Bank, Hurricane Relief Efforts, and Salvation Army. This proved to be most beneficial when in Fall 2009 the South Plains Food Bank ran out of canned goods. Without the Tour riders generous donations, the food boxes would have been short of needed canned food and many people would have gone without. Now the tour has obviously outgrown its infancy and must evolve into a neighborhood-sponsored family and student event. The vision is simple: a day where the unique and diverse Tech Terrace neighborhood can come together and show not only how great a neighborhood we are but also what we have to offer to Lubbock, Texas.

So this Saturday May 1st, 2010 come out and show your support for our neighborhood and for the many bike riders in our community. Bring canned goods to any house the tour stops at and wave to the riders that pass. Cheer and smile! We would also like to encourage people to give more than just support.  Help spread the word about how great Tech Terrace and The Tour are! Hope to see you out in the neighborhood.

Sincerely, Tour de Tech Terrace Organizers