Bicycle Austin a website (not an organization) by Michael Bluejay
awarded "Best of Austin" by the Austin Chronicle

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The Statesman has a
must-read article about
ped & cyclist deaths in Austin
.
Why are you still here?
Go read it now!

Welcome! We cover bicycling as transportation, with an emphasis on Austin, TX, USA. We don't cover biking for recreation, sport, or charity. Bicycle Austin is a volunteer project (not an organization) by Michael Bluejay. Advertising revenue supports local cycling advocacy.

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Recent | Prior to 10/03

Email List & Web Forum

The best way to stay on top of what's going on is to sign up for the email list.  Most of the discussion actually happens on the web forum, but all the web forum posts get automatically sent to the list, so by signing up for the list, you'll see everything posted to the web.  And you get the list in Digest mode by default, so you'll get only one message a day with all the day's posts, so it won't overload your mailbox.

In practice, it's post to the web, read on the list.  You're certainly welcome to start a discussion on the list rather than the web if you like, but you'll have a smaller audience if you do it that way.

 

Current discussions

Feds push for 0.05 BAC threshold for DUI law last post: 5/17 @ 18:25        Makes sense to me. All good points..... But, what to do. Legal consequences for talking/texting while driving. Thanks,...

Safe Passing and Complete Streets bills die last post: 5/17 @ 18:23        [quote=damicoaustin]The cops sure are having fun nowadays. Used to be that they had to dress like prostitutes to catch Johns on South...

SUV hit-and-runs cyclist on Shoal Creek, driver spits on officer last post: 5/16 @ 21:13        [quote=MichaelBluejay]Here's the article: I wonder whether he'll face a bigger penalty for spitting on the officer than for hitting the...

At-fault driver kills cyclist, no charges filed last post: 5/15 @ 16:11        [quote=rich00]The thing is, Widener's speed must have been quite high, right? Driving on the shoulder with under 2 seconds range of view ...

Energy/CO2 saved by hybrids? Probably around 22%. last post: 5/15 @ 15:13        The problem is the car. EV is great, but not so much at the scale of typical US automobile. I do love biking around Leaf and Pruis cars...

Hit by a bike last post: 5/15 @ 14:36        [quote=Donald Lewis]I don't understand how throngs of pedestrians can enter the crosswalk against a "Don't Walk" sign on 6th street, I...

YBP has a party last post: 5/14 @ 14:26        Come to celebrate 16 years of wrenching, spreading love, bikes and fun! Saturday May 18th at 6pm at our headquarters. We’ll have music,...

Resurrecting the Austin Bicycle Calendar last post: 5/13 @ 18:46        Thanks for letting me know! I fixed it. While I'm at it, I'll mention that I see BikeTexas added the Ride of Silence for this Wednesday...

Unnerving incidents last post: 5/13 @ 12:39        As for what pays for the roads, m13k started on [url=http://www.dahmus.org/iofiles/trans/austinroadfundingintro.html]this summary[/url] of...

Lance Armstrong Bikeway last post: 5/11 @ 11:52        Hey.....heads up. Either the city or the city's contractor tore up the concrete on the bikeway in front of the old Seaholm power plant....

Some stats on the idiocy of driving last post: 5/9 @ 12:57        Glad that I am not included in those...

Local lawyer tries to whitewash her DUI practice last post: 5/8 @ 16:13        Her responses to you tell me that she is: **Not very bright **Not very literate **Mental processes impaired by anger and...

Tickets to ride: more citations last post: 5/4 @ 12:23        Stupid cop, doesn't he know the rules don't apply to...

Statisics Show 98.1% of Austinites suffer from faint hearts last post: 5/1 @ 21:03        [quote=Jack][quote=MichaelBluejay]No, using miles-traveled rather than time traveled is the *proper* way to do the comparison. *** If you...

HONK!TX is returning to Austin in 2013 - March 22nd, 23rd, and 24th last post: 4/29 @ 10:12        Few pics from Honk! Tx 2013 for those...

Viva! Streets Austin - run, play, walk & roll - May 19, 2013 12pm-5pm last post: 4/29 @ 0:09        Event Details Date: May 19, 2013 - 12PM to 5PM Location: Sixth Street between Brazos Street and Robert Martinez Jr. Street Join the...

Professional Custom Paint for your Bicycle last post: 4/28 @ 21:46        Hi everyone! I own a small company that specializes in painting bicycles. I offer the highest quality product you will find and all ...

Adult Size Big Wheel Tricycle last post: 4/25 @ 16:35        I'm looking to rent 2 or 3 adult size big wheel trikes for a company party. A few years ago someone I know attended a SXSW party that...

FOR SALE: 2010 Swobo Crosby Single-speed/Fixed 57cm - $600 last post: 4/25 @ 10:40        Is this still for sale? I've always loved that bike but could never afford. That price would be attainable though. Thanks for posting!...

DA arrested for DWI,not resigning. last post: 4/21 @ 12:25        [quote=Donald Lewis][i] Waiting Periods[/i] [i]An occupational license is issued once the request is processed unless one of the ...

 


Drivers are at fault in over 90% of car-bike collisions (source) and 90% of pedestrian deaths (source).

Upcoming rides & events

Want to get your event listed below? Just post it on the web forum and it will show up here automatically 30 minutes later. Be sure to include the exact date & time of your event in the title, so that shows up too. Do NOT use relative dates like "This Saturday" or "tonight" because your post will still be here weeks from now, and at that time the reader won't know which day you're referring to. (i.e., Do not write your post as though everyone who reads it is reading it today.)

YBP has a party (posted 5/14)

Resurrecting the Austin Bicycle Calendar (posted 2/20)

HONK!TX is returning to Austin in 2013 - March 22nd, 23rd, and 24th (posted 2/7)

Viva! Streets Austin - run, play, walk & roll - May 19, 2013 12pm-5pm (posted 4/29)

Critical Mass- Austin, TX 6:00 p.m. 2/26/2013 (posted 4/16)

2013 Austin World Naked Bike Ride (6-15-13) (posted 4/15)

4/12/2013 The Freeway Ride: south steps of the capitol @ 5:30 p.m. (posted 4/12)

Critical Mass-Austin, TX 3/29/2013 6:00 P.M. (UT west mall) (posted 3/24)

Austin Ciclovia, Sun. 5/20/12, 10am-3pm, 6th Street (posted 5/18)

Operation: Unanimous Disgust 4/6/2013 noon:30 (Shipe Park) (posted 3/24)


Bicyclists cheated out of bond money!

Voters passed $150 million in transportation bonds in 2000 (Proposition 1), which was supposed to be spent at $15M per year for ten years, and was supposed to include bike projects.  In March 2006, Councilmember Raul Alvarez asked the city to reveal how the money had been spent so far.  The answer was that the first $67.2 million ALL went for SH 130 right of way, and not a penny for any of the the other things promised to the bond voters on the ballot, including bike projects!  As a result of Alvarez' request, $10 million was proposed (with about $5 million so far for sidewalks). If you read the Chronicle article, you will see that $20 million was being promised for bike and ped projects just before the election. (info courtesy of Roger Baker, May 6, 2005)

The City now has a Bond Oversight Committee which is an important check on the system.  It makes the above kind of bait-and-switch a lot harder to pull off.






Another site by Michael Bluejay...

Cheapest Airfares. I actually hope you won't fly, because of the pollution it causes. But making this site was my way to get your attention for that message. If you're going to fly anyway, see my top 10 tips for finding cheap airfare, a comparison of the different search engines, and which site to use in which situations.

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