Bicycle Safety in El Paso

I know this a two way street, but as a cyclist, I wish El Paso drivers could become more courteous towards the two-wheeled, foot driven transportation.  These hit and runs that happen make me nervous to go out on rides by myself.  When I see a cyclist, I try to give them space and slow down so I don’t spook them as I fly by.  As a cyclist, I understand that we can upset some drivers who think that we don’t follow the rules and frankly, shouldn’t be on the road with cars.

However, all forms of transportation are allowed on the roads and we all need to learn to get along with each other.  Cyclists shouldn’t ride two abreast when there are cars behind them, they should go single file and they should always stop at stop signs/stop lights, although they don’t all the time.  When you see large groups of cyclists, they usually have a sag wagon which serves a dual purpose, maintenance/protection from other vehicles.

This problem isn’t exclusive to El Paso but since I live here, I believe something more needs to be done.  Cycling is a great exercise/means of transportation.

It really upsets me when there are hit & runs on cyclists.  Just remember, we are going about 16 mph while you are going over 30/40/50mph and are also in a huge hunk of steel.

Texas Bicycle Laws

My name is David and I am living El Paso

What would you build at Asarco in El Paso?

Gas Works Park Seattle

Say you had a lot of money and decided to purchase the Asarco Property, what would you do with that opportunity?  

UTEP has been in the news recently with word that they are interested in purchasing the Asarco Property.  Even they are not sure what they would do with all of those acres if they came to purchase it in the future. 

Currently, we have a facility that has essentially been mothballed and is having many environmental tests to see how much remediation needs to be done to clean it up. 

How about an industrial center?  The facilities are already intact and might as well keep with the status quo….I hate this option. 

How about residential?  Unfortunately, the cost to bring the land up to standard would cost more than El Paso is willing to put forth and it might be kinda weird being sandwiched between Paisano and I-10. 

Mixed-Use?  I am a huge mixed use fan but I don’t want to see massive parking lots everywhere. 

Perhaps a Park?  Now this is closer to what I would love to see. Maybe something similar to Gas Works Park in Seattle.  We could keep some of the old equipment and then build a beautiful park around it.  To add to that, maybe we could build a learning center where El Pasoans young and old can learn about Asarco’s impact (both positive and negative) on El Paso? 

So I guess you can tell the last option is my favorite but I want to hear from you.  What do YOU want to see done with that property? 

My name is David and I am living El Paso. 

For more info on Asarco on this blog, visit this link to see all articles containing Asarco.  http://livingelpaso.wordpress.com/?s=asarco

Cycling in El Paso

So my hope is to turn a new leaf this week….time to get back into cycling.  I’m taking my bike to the shop today to get a tune up and probably a new chain.  My question is this.  Where are the safest/best places to ride in El Paso?  Look forward to seeing some my fellow cyclists on the road here very soon!

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

El Paso articles of interest

The past couple of days, I read some articles that pertain to El Paso and the future of El Paso.  If you didn’t get a chance to read these, here they are.

Union Plaza Dream I believe I am an entrepreneur at heart and to read about how one persons dream (vision) turned into reality got me excited.  It goes to show that if an individual or group is passionate enough and puts forward hard work, dreams can be realized.  Which leads me to El Paso.  If we, as a community, are dedicated to seeing this city take the next step in becoming a beacon of the Southwest, it will happen.

Texas Tech Health Science Center This is some of the best news to hit El Paso in a while.  A health science center in this community is going to change the face of this city.  More professionals relocating here, more El Pasoans choosing to stay here because the opportunity to further their education can be done while saving money on living expenses.  This makes us more attractive to companies thinking of opening up regional headquarters here and more importantly, it will improve the sometimes negative perception this city gets as being behind the times.

If you would like to learn more about the positive influence of a health science center, watch this 9 minute video of  UT(Tennessee) Health Science Center’s impact on Memphis.

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

El Paso needs doctors and nurses

I received an e-mail while in Waco that said, Jim Valenti, CEO of Thomason Hospital, will be speaking to GEPAR on November 19th.  This got me thinking of all of my friends who are currently in medical school.  From Duke to UT Health Science Center, I have friends who will be doctors in the not too distant future. 

The opportunities in El Paso are huge for those willing to take the risk, but most of my friends are hesitant. 

What El Paso has:

• Texas Tech Medical School
• Childrens hospital
• Level 1 trauma designation at Thomason Hospital
• UTEP Nursing School
• Master Plan for Medical Center of the Americas
• Quality of Life?  (depends on who you talk to)

 With an ever growing population, quality doctors/nurses/hospital administrators will be needed.

What are the city and the medical community doing to attract talent here?  What do you think El Paso would need to recruit quality doctors here?  Write your questions in the comments section and I will try to get a couple answered during the meeting.  I will also conduct a quick survey with my friends to see what they would want. 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Links: 
Medical Center for the Americas
Thomason Hospital
Tech Medical School
UTEP Nursing School
Why doctors live where they live (this is a pdf)

Student Doctor Network Forums (great site to see what future doctors are thinking)
All Nurses (Nursing community for nurses)