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It looks like our mayor is easily impressed by bright shiny things.
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/ … nd-austin/
Austin Mayor Steve Adler recently rode in one of the cars.
“I was just really surprised at how much the driving of this car autonomously mirrored the way that people drive cars on our streets today,” he said.
Seriously? THIS is where we are going to set the bar for 'self-driving' vehicles?
To me, the 'Run' part of the Hit and Run is why the maximum penalty should be given. I could be convinced that a crash was unintentional IF the driver stays on the scene. But when a driver runs away, that driver just checked out of the human race.
Ride of Silence - Takes place all around the world at 7pm on Wednesday 18th of May. Join us in North Austin on a free family-friendly 8 mile ride to honor cyclists killed or injured on our roads. Helmets and lights required. Leaving from the parking lot south of St. David’s North Austin Medical Center at 2511 Park Bend Drive, Austin 78758 (go to the parking lot on the south side of Park Bend Drive next to the Walnut Creek trail). Arrive by 6:45.
I changed the route a bit this year to make it easier to ride. The suburban wasteland is a very different place than the cool trendy areas in central Austin. We are going to stop at a few spots along the way to look at where cycling infrastructure could be improved and show why our needs in the hinterlands are different from the parts of town the city tends to focus on.
This is exactly why I don't even ride around the block without both front and rear videos cameras on my bike. Yeah, they are expensive, but I got them when I was commuting and running errands every day. They would have been able to capture the plate (if there was a plate) on that car. Of course, the driver would still get away with it since no one saw his face to connect him with the crime.
That was how it played out when I was hit and run on. The cops found the guy and wanted to charge him, but the DA would not let them.
Oh, and the KXAN headline was: "Austin cyclist OK after being hit by car that sped off" So, if I go outside and started firing my gun randomly up and down the street and I kill someone, for consistency, the headline should be "Austin resident dead after being hit by 9mm hollow point" No mention of the person firing the gun.
You can register your bike with APD here: https://secure.coplogic.com/dors/en/fil … 8268099387
Also, it's a good idea to go through your stuff and take picture of everything of value. Record serial numbers of bikes, guns, etc. Take picture of your rooms with your stuff. Back this stuff up remotely, along with all important documents so that when your place burns down/gets broken into, you can be ready to make an insurance claim. (That number to call should be in your phone, but also backed up remotely in case you phone is gone too.)
I also have images of my dogs and grandchildren on my phone in case I ever need to show them to strangers while searching for them/identifying them.
Well, that was a close call in local news today.
"Why neighbors worry city transportation plan could change their central Austin neighborhood"
https://www.kxan.com/news/neighbors-wor … ghborhood/
Thank goodness they didn't go with "Why pedestrians, cyclists, and people concerned about global climate change are glad to see city transportation taking these issues seriously."
Wheh! Close one. Clutch my NIMBY pearls and maybe even faint at the thought. To change a Central Austin Neighborhood would be like deleting some of the Ten Commandments or revoking the Bill of Rights! Those poor poor Central Austin homeowners are just so overlooked by the big bad mean system!
Does anyone know where there is an accurate and up to date count of traffic fatalities for Austin?
Vision Zero has a counter, but it is not well maintained and usually a month behind.
We must be setting an all time high record this year.
MichaelBluejay wrote:Who knew this already?
It's why training wheels teach kids the opposite of the right way to steer a bike. Without training wheels, one learns to do it without thinking about it.
Understanding the principle can, with some practice, save your life.
I have seen both pro and con on balance bikes, but it seems that balance bikes are the way to go. They allow kids to get the hang of the balance without worrying about the pedal motion. Both my grandkids learned quickly on balance bikes.
Ages ago I taught my younger sister to ride a bike by sitting on the back rack while she rode. I dropped the center of gravity a bit that way and also provided 'outriggers' to help her feel more confidant. She was riding solo in a day.
I came across this the other night. Interesting to hear what Johnny Cash had to say about trains.
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KXAN has a picture showing the other side as well. I think it is even worse. https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/ … ike-lanes/
Yep, these changes are just lipstick on a pig.
APD has a bike registration system. You can add images, serial number, and a description. I have no idea if it has ever helped anyone get their stolen bike back. Even if you don't use one of these online registrations, its a good idea to go through your stuff and take images of tools, equipment, bikes, guns, electronics, etc. Record any serial numbers. I also took pictures of the rooms in my place, just so I could use for insurance purposes if I ever needed to.
That intersection is just plain cursed. But, as long as ATD keeps doing stupid things, the guys who do the actual work will always have a chance to - bring home the bacon.
It's always interesting to think about how the energy gets used. One could also argue that the people who built the robots could have been using that energy better by just delivering pizzas themselves. I guess my main point is that stuff like electric cars have a cost associated with them, but I often hear people talk about them as if they are magically green.
I work with an insufferable woman who brags about her electric car that she drives 2 miles to work and plugs into the outlet in the parking lot. The one that gets electricity from coal.
Also, the 'Love to Ride' site where you can track how much carbon you are keeping out of the atmosphere by riding your bike. So, I used to bike commute 12 miles round trip to work four days a week. That is 48 miles, and I so work my way towards a gold star in gamification world. I don't own a car at all and ride, walk, or take the bus. Meanwhile, a coworker lives in Buda and commutes in his F150 to Round Rock 5 days a week. On the weekend he does a 50 mile charity ride and enters that into the game. He's ahead now. Of course I don't care about the silly game, I'm just pointing out it doesn't always make sense.
Say, years ago I heard about a delivery cyclist who tried to write off his meals as a business expense. It makes sense, but the IRS didn't buy it.
The images of an expensive robot going along the bike lane being followed by a guy on a scooter (using up batteries) is just too much. The amount of resources poured into that Musk level stupidity is staggering.
You know, we could have just paid someone, who needed the money, to ride a regular bike towing a $30 craigslist kid trailer.
Technology is NOT going to save the planet. Making better choices about resources might. Maybe.
What are the odds it makes it past the governor? It will be interesting to see.
Good idea, but not for me personally. There was a time I would definitely have applied. What I'm afraid of is dying and getting to the Pearly Gates, and Saint Peter says to me "We looked at your permanent record, I'm afraid you are going to have to go to hell." And for me, that would involve going door to door to "Listen, ask questions, and collect community feedback about bike lanes."
You can accidentally shoot someone and in Texas and be criminally charged but if you accidentally run a person over in a crosswalk you are free to walk.
In fact, if you accidentally shoot your own kid in Texas you cannot be arrested for up to one week. That's so you have time to make funeral arrangements. This lovely tidbit was in the License to Carry course.
Yeah, it had to do with the 'cause bodily injury' part. He felt that it was too broad, and that a driver would be punished too severely for even a very minor brush. He also said we already have too many laws. He didn't say 'nanny state' like I thought he would, which was too bad because that was on my bingo card.
Like I said, I didn't argue it out, but I did ask him what we could change in the bill that would get his support. He kind of waffled around on that, but I was just trying to get some kind of positive spin going.
One of my team mates on that call was a woman who lives in his district. She talked to him about a specific intersection where a cyclist was killed recently. To be slightly fair to the fascist pig, he did show some concern about that and said he was open to putting some pressure on TXDoT to get that place fixed. Of course, that's like me promising my granddaughter that Santa will bring her a unicorn for Christmas.
There was another rep we talked to, I can't remember his name, but he was actually very supportive. Part of what helped is that we told the story of why the Act is named Lisa Torry Smith. It was named for a young woman who was killed in a cross walk taking her kid to first day of kindergarten. It's just too heartbreaking to think about, really.
Wow, I just realized something! Maybe the name 'Torry' has a subliminal message to these people.
OK, here's the plan. Next session, we get a 3' passing law by calling it the 'Ronald Reagan 3' of American Freedom Act'.
I volunteered with Bike Texas on their Cyclists in Suits day a month or so ago. This is one of the bills we were promoting. It was interesting, because this year we did it virtually. It was actually better because Bike Texas had made appointments to talk to reps and senators, and so we actually got to talk to a few in person. In years past, we almost always just talked to a bored aid.
The plan was to only talk to republicans because they are the ones that need to be convinced. We actually had some success, and a couple seemed enthusiastic even. One, I can't remember which, was really against, and tried to argue with me about it. I just dropped it to avoid drawing any more attention to it. I figured the best we could get out of him is him forgetting about it and not showing up to vote against it.
It was a fun day, but after talking to that many fascists I had to take a shower.
When: Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 6:45; Ride starts at 7:00 PM
Where: On all 7 continents, but locally, we will start from the parking lot south of St. David’s North Austin Medical Center at 2511 Park Bend Drive, Austin 78758 (go to the parking lot on the south side of Park Bend Drive next to the Walnut Creek trail).
What: Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways.
Why: Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.
Who: You. Join us for a slow placed family friendly 8-mile ride.
Free and open to anyone. No registration. Lights required.
For more information, visit: http://www.rideofsilence.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This ride is on North Austin, not downtown. This is our fifth year to hold this ride in North Austin, but we have a new route this time. We will start from the parking lot south of St. David’s North Austin Medical Center at 2511 Park Bend Drive, Austin 78758 (go to the parking lot on the south side of Park Bend Drive next to the Walnut Creek trail). This is a family friendly ride. We will be on Walnut Creek trail, quiet neighborhoods, and a couple of roads with painted bike lanes. Make sure you have lights! Route can be viewed on mapmyride here: https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/4205743186
Bicycle Sport Shop used to take old tires. Not sure if they still do.
Yesterday I took the train for the first time since February. The ticket inspectors were wearing very different uniforms from the Before Times. They now seem a lot more appropriate for the job. I used to wonder why exactly a ticket inspector needed to wear tactical gear and look like a storm trooper. Does anyone know what prompted the change? I was wondering if it was recent events and the demand for a less militarized police. Or maybe CapMetro just got a good deal on different outfits.
The city is putting on a series of repair clinics about all kinds of topics. I signed up to do a basic bike repair presentation. It'll be on 9/1 at 4:30 pm. The link to register is: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/114367077006
I'm just going to go over some pretty basic side-of-the-road repair stuff as well as some basic routine maintenance. Probably everyone on here already knows as much or more than me, but if you get a chance to pass this along to someone who might benefit, please do.
I like trying to fix things before I just give up and buy a new one. When I fix a washing machine or dishwasher, or anything, I feel like I stuck it to the man just a little bit. A little victory over a wasteful system of planned obsolescence.
Yeah, the other day I was pulling my 100+ lbs trailer packed with groceries home from HEB. My left crank arm just plain fell off in the middle of the parking lot. A few seconds later and I would have been crossing Parmer lane (in the same spot I was once hit), so I guess it could have been worse. And it could have been raining.
I called Bicycle Sport Shop to see about a replacement crank arm fixing bolt. They aren't even taking calls! I was directed to send an email to their sales people. I never heard back so I ordered the part, and a few other things, from Nashbar. And most of that is on backorder.
Good thing I thought to have a whole garage full of bikes! I never expected there to be such a bike boom. I figured with the drop in the price of gas, in a state without strict stay-at-home policies, there would be even more cars on the road - even if they didn't have a place to go.
The North Austin Ride of Silence is on again this year, but limited to me and the people I already share airborne water droplets with everyday. This is the recommendation of the organizers (http://www.rideofsilence.org/main.php). I'm not sure if Social Cycling is doing anything downtown this year, but I guess anyone who wants to organize their own RoS with family members could just do that.
So, we'll be riding around the Parmer Lane, Metric, and Wells Branch area puling a trailer with a sign. I'll ride my recumbent tadpole trike, which always gets attention. If you see us out there, give us a wave!
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