Richardson Bicycle Coalition briefs BPAC on volunteer data, events and recurring update request

Representatives of the Richardson Bicycle Coalition (RBC) told the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee on July that volunteers collect observational data and run events meant to inform city decision-making on biking and walking safety.

"I'm Mark Witte with the Richardson Bicycle Coalition," said Mark Witte, who described volunteer activities that include crash-analysis assistance, bicycle and pedestrian counts, bicycle parking projects, safe-cycling education and school cycling encouragement programs. Marcus Batson, who spoke next, listed recent RBC achievements including a school "bike bus" with Heights Elementary, bicycle valet at three city events and bicycle parking installations at roughly six businesses.

The coalition asked to be scheduled for a recurring update so volunteers can continue to provide on‑the‑ground insights and identify low-cost opportunities for collaboration. RBC members emphasized they aim to complement city outreach rather than duplicate advocacy: "Our goal is to provide useful information, not to repeat advocacy requests," Witte said.

Committee members and city staff accepted the request as a discussion item. Staff noted the RBC may be able to help with short-term observational tasks, such as counting and documenting "desire paths" where pedestrians and cyclists repeatedly cross outside marked facilities.

Why it matters: RBC’s volunteer counts and crash-observation work provide localized, time‑specific information that can help staff prioritize small, low-cost fixes (visibility trimming, temporary asphalt patches) and inform longer-term engineering projects. The coalition’s request for recurring updates would give the city regular community-sourced data between formal planning cycles.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the request during the meeting; RBC’s remarks were recorded as public comment and will be considered alongside the later staff presentation on active-transportation projects.