#1 2014-04-17 10:47:30

bizikletari
Member
Registered: 2009-03-18
Posts: 223

TXDOT against bikes ghosts and living

It looks so clear that the TXDOT administration is made out of idiots, that it should be called TXidiots instead.
Now, after years of being a deaf wall against the idea of building roads that accomodate safely pedestrians and cyclists, they decide to remove the memorials placed to remember the victims of motorists and their own lack of thinking while planning routes.

http://www.kvue.com/news/TxDOT-orders-r … 84941.html

Perhaps a the next ghost bikes, we know there will be more, should be erected in front of the TXDOT administrative offices (7901 N. I-35, Austin, TX 78753)

Offline

#2 2014-04-17 16:06:53

Donald Lewis
Member
Registered: 2009-07-11
Posts: 184

Re: TXDOT against bikes ghosts and living

When is TXDOT going to confiscate all the portable signs that churches put on the side of 360 advertising their Sunday services?

Don in Austin

Offline

#3 2014-04-17 16:43:42

dougmc
Administrator
Registered: 2008-06-01
Posts: 620

Re: TXDOT against bikes ghosts and living

I thought that there was a protocol that was gone through when putting up ghost bikes, and a part of that involved approval from TxDOT and others, and in exchange they agreed not to remove the bikes?

I guess if true, they've altered the deal, and we should pray they don't alter it further?

Here's where they're replacing Gay Simmon's ghost bike -- Saturday at 10am.

Offline

#4 2014-04-21 07:03:43

tstarry
Member
From: Austin, TX
Registered: 2010-02-22
Posts: 20

Re: TXDOT against bikes ghosts and living

Not sure I would call them idiots (I used a different word).  Whatever the cause of the decision, I'm sure they think they are truly improving "safety" by standardizing memorials and how they get placed.  Interesting how our uses of public land continue to be restricted.  Kind of like the no trespassing signs in the parking lots of the library. 

Yes, let's promote safety by removing the very visual reminder of the deadly nature of our surface transportation system.

Offline

#5 2014-04-29 21:12:47

rich00
Member
Registered: 2010-01-18
Posts: 166

Re: TXDOT against bikes ghosts and living

TXDOT is run by people who laugh at the idea of door-ing a vulnerable user (motorcycle) for lane splitting. How do I know? I was there at the public meeting when they got their chuckle on. It's mostly just an organization of old men who grew up in an era where the automobile was their lifeblood and the idea of a bike for transportation is lunacy for them. The younger TXDOT staff are more progressive from what I've seen, luckily.

Offline

#6 2014-05-01 07:48:37

RedFalcon
Member
Registered: 2013-10-10
Posts: 233

Re: TXDOT against bikes ghosts and living

TXDOT is bad news.  Years ago I lived off St Johns near I35.  TXDOT was planning on changing some of the entrance and exit ramps near us.  It looked like the changes would result in a lot more cars pouring through our neighborhood, so a bunch of us decided to speak out at the public hearing that was scheduled to supposedly gather input about these changes.  We signed up to give a few minutes of public testimony, but right before the public meeting TXDOT changed the rules.  The guy in charge was named John Hurt.

Anyway, they decided to not allow any discussion about any part of the I35 changes north of HWY290.  This was just a block or so south of the ramps we came to talk about.  So we listened patiently to all kinds of people talk about all kinds of things, but when any of us got up for our 3 minutes Mr Hurt ordered the mikes cut and he told the person recording the testimony to stop taking notes as well.

There happened to be a newspaper reporter sitting next to me.  Until TXDOT cut the mikes he looked to be pretty bored, but he got excited when some of us refused to stop talking even though we weren't being recorded.   It made the paper, and I was told that Lloyd Doggett, who was then our rep, gave Mr Hurt a call and a free civics lesson.   Not that it did any good.

And for anyone riding the wonderful TXDOT road FM1325 (Burnet) around the Domain, watch out!  They have scraped grooves in the road surface that will grab your front wheel and redirect you to someplace you didn't intend on going.   This is the second time in 4 years they have resurfaced this stretch, and I'll bet they forget again to add a sidewalk or bike lane, or even a wide shoulder.

Offline

Registered users online in this topic: 0, guests: 1
[Bot] claudebot

Board footer

[ Generated in 0.013 seconds, 9 queries executed - Memory usage: 540.59 KiB (Peak: 541.22 KiB) ]