Pro Men, including eventual winner Mimmo Futia (No. 2), wait at the line for the start of the race.

Editor’s note: Karilyn Roach wrote this post. She holds a MS in Urban Planning from the University of Arizona and works as a Program Coordinator with Watershed Management Group, a Tucson non-profit. She currently sits on the Tucson-Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee and rides a Jamis Aurora Elite.

Cyclists participated in the second race of the MBAA, Mountain Bike Association of Arizona, 2012 race season on Saturday. The White Tank Whirlwind was held at the Competition Track in White Tanks Mountain Regional Park in Waddell, west of Phoenix.

Krista Park, who trains in Tucson, took first place for the Pro Women once again. First place for the Pro Men went to Mimmo Futia, who rides for Swiss American Racing, a Phoenix area team. Full results are available here.

The next race, Hedgehog Hustle, will be held Saturday Feb. 25 at the Competitive Track in Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear, southwest of Phoenix.

Riders vie for position at the Category 2 Men's start

Riders entering the final loop on the course.

Post-race refueling station.

A cyclist makes a turn along the UA mall.

The University of Arizona is hosting four workshops this week to get the public’s input on its bicycle and pedestrian study, which they launched last year.

The UA and Pima Association of Governments contracted ALTA Planning, a Portland Ore. planning company specializing in bicycling and walking planning.

Starting tomorrow, members of the public can join walking and bicycling audits to help determine where there is a critical need for bicycling and walking facilities.

Here is what the planners say about the study and public sessions:

Transportation Services and the Pima Association of Governments is working on improving walking and bicycling at and around the University of Arizona campus. The project will guide the development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities and programs in the area over the next several years.

You are invited to join us for a public workshop, bike audit, and walk audit to discuss issues for bicycling and walking, help identify locations where bicycle and pedestrian facilities are most needed, and brainstorm solutions.

Here is the schedule of public sessions that will allow participants to walk and ride with the planners.

Walk Audit #1 (Pedestrian Facilities Assessment) 
Wednesday January 25th | 4-6 pm
Meet at the parking kiosk at the 6th Street parking structure

Public Workshop
Thursday January 26th | 11 am-2 pm
Student Union, Catalina Room

Walk Audit #2 (Pedestrian Facilities Assessment)
Thursday January 26th | 2-4 pm
Meet at the bike valet on the Mall at the University of Arizona

Bike Audit #1 (Bike Facilities Assessment)
Thursday January 26th | 2-4 p.m.
Meet at the bike valet on the Mall at the University of Arizona

During the lunchtime rush, riding through campus can be a challenge. Check out the video below to see what it looks like.

Racers battle for the lead just after the start of the race.

Editor’s note: Karilyn Roach wrote this post. She holds a MS in Urban Planning from the University of Arizona and works as a Program Coordinator with Watershed Managements Group, a Tucson non-profit. She currently sits on the Tucson-Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee and rides a Jamis Aurora Elite.

The  2012 Mountain Bike Association of Arizona race season kicked off on Saturday with the McDowell Meltdown at the Competition Track in McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills.

Racers in 36 categories from First Timers to Pro, and age groups from 10-12 to 50+, rode the course. The racers started in waves beginning at 8:40 a.m. with the Pro Men, wrapping up with Junior Boys and Girls on the short course starting around 11 a.m.

T.J. Woodruff , who coaches and trains in Tucson, took first place for the Pro Men, and Krista Park, who also trains in Tucson, took first place for the Pro Women. Full results are available on the MBAA website.

The next race, White Tank Whirlwind, takes place on Saturday Jan. 28 at the Competitive Track in White Tank Mountain Regional Park in Waddell, just west of Phoenix.

Pro women racers wait for the start of their race.

This year’s University of Arizona Criterium could be the last.

Graduate student and UA cycling club member Melanie Meyers Colavito said after this year, the course will likely be unusable.

“It makes me sad that we probably can’t have it there again due to the street car,” Meyers Colavito said.

She said there isn’t another place on campus that would work.

“We have done a pretty thorough inspection of other potential spots on campus that would be suitable,” Meyers Colavito said. ”There is a lot of concrete on campus and that isn’t suitable for high speeds on a bicycle. Hopefully we can find a good course somewhere else in Tucson.”

An additional challenge for the future of the race is that many of the graduate students who have been race promoters in the past are set to graduate and will no longer be on the team.

Meyers Colavito is hopeful some of the newer members will step up to plan a race off-campus in the future.

This year’s race is scheduled for Jan. 21, which is early in the season. Meyers Colavito said the club worked with the university to find a date that was available.

Prizes and cash purses are being provided by Fairwheel Bikes.

Register for the race here.

Check out the photos from past UA Crit races:

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The Tucson City Council will have a public hearing about it’s proposed ordinance banning texting while driving Tuesday night.

The council meeting starts at 5:30 in the City Council chambers at 255 West Alameda Street.

The public is encouraged to speak at the meeting and will be given five minutes each to discuss it.

Here is what the proposal says:

“A person shall not operate a motor vehicle on a street while using a personal digital assistant to send or receive a written digital message while the motor vehicle is in motion.”

It allows for several exceptions including: law enforcement and emergency personnel, people with commercial drivers licenses who are working, public transit operators, someone reporting reckless or negligent behavior and communicating with someone during an emergency.

If a person is caught violating the ban but has not caused a crash, it would be a civil penalty of at least $100. If the texting was the cause of a crash, the fine would be at least $250.

According to the memo submitted by Uhlich and Kozachik, 34 states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving, but the Arizona State Legislature has failed to follow suit despite several attempts to do so starting in 2004.

In 2007, Phoenix instituted their own ban on texting while driving. As late as last year, the state legislature would not pass a ban on texting, which prompted officials to work on a local ban.