Subject:     Bicycle Newsletter  1-30-00
Date:        1/30/00 1:29 AM
Received:    1/30/00 1:30 AM
From:        Michael Bluejay, bluejay@mail.com
To:          austin-bike-news@topica.com

######################################################################
     /__/   ==       
      /_____/       BICYCLING IN AUSTIN NEWSLETTER
  ___/ \  _/ \___   covering bikes as alternative transportation
 /  /\  \/___/\  \ 
 \___/   &   \___/  bluejay@mail.com  *  michaelbluejay.com/bicycle

  Michael Bluejay, editor                              Jan. 30, 2000
######################################################################

[See very end for publication info, and how to unsubscribe.]

[Please visit our website:  http://michaelbluejay.com/bicycle ]


 FORGET ABOUT WORLD PEACE, VISUALIZE USING YOUR FREAKING TURN SIGNAL!
######################################################################
#### C O N T E N T S :
####
####   FROM THE EDITOR:  Updates on items from the last newsletter
####   
####   CITY:  Job opening for Bicycle Planner with City of Austin
####
####   HUMOR:  Risque bicycle advertisement
####   
####   JUSTICE:  Police handcuff 9-year-old for not wearing a helmet
####   
####   ROADWAYS:  Funding for crosstown bikeway approved
####
####   WORLDWIDE:  Bicycle commuting wind tunnel in the Netherlands
####   
####   DISCUSSION:  Newcomers to Austin still think we suck
####   
####   CLASSIFIEDS:  Used bikes for sale
####
####   Publication / Subscription info
####
######################################################################


======================================================================
 FROM THE EDITOR:  Updates on items from the last newsletter
----------------------------------------------------------------------

500 SUBSCRIBERS!
----------------
With this issue, we've topped 500 subscribers for the first time.  Yea!


RUTA MAYA RIDES
---------------
In our last issue, we reported that the Ruta Maya rides happen every 
Sunday.  In fact, they happen every OTHER Sunday.  The next ride is 
today, Sun 1/30, and will be riding along the route of the future 
Crosstown Bikeway.  (See related story.)  Riders meet at Ruta Maya (218 
W. 4th) at 11:30am for coffee, and start riding at 12:30pm.  Biking in 
Austin News is chock full of regret about the error.


JAY WILLIAMS' HIT-AND-RUN
-------------------------
In our last issue we reported that Jay Williams had not heard from 
Councilmember Daryl Slusher's office regarding Williams' request for 
assistance in getting the police to take any action on his hit-and-run 
case.  We made our own inquiry to Mr. Slusher's office, and have been 
told that Mr. Slusher is very concerned about the matter, and has 
forwarded Williams' letter to police chief Stan Knee, with a request for 
the chief to respond to both Williams and to Slusher.  No word yet from 
the police.


DAVID SULLIVAN'S & OTHERS' CONTRIBUTIONS
----------------------------------------
In the preface to our interview with Amy Babich in our 1-16 issue, we 
commented that local bicycle advocates have been getting themselves 
appointed to citizens commissions to help improve conditions for 
cycling.  We used Patrick Goetz and Michael Zakes on the Urban 
Transportation Commission as examples, but neglected to mention:

 * Mike Librik on the Parks Board
 * Chris Riley on the Downtown Commission
 * David Sullivan & Chris Riley on the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee
 * David Sullivan on the Planning Commission from 1994-99

The Bond Oversight committee monitors how the City spends the Nov. 1998 
bond money, and will be pushing for trails, sidewalks, and parks this 
year.  Also, here are some of Dave Sullivan's accomplishments during his 
tenure on the Planning Commission:

* Helped stop the routine granting of variances for sidewalks and street 
connections.

* Drafted much, if not most, of the commission's Smart Growth 
suggestions that new subdivisions follow grid pattern streets with 
bike/ped connections wherever streets don't connect, with explicit 
verbiage on subdivision plans stating how bike & pedestrian travel would 
be carried out within the development.

* Sent the Bicycle Plan back to City Staff to have them add text to 
describe how destinations can be approached from north, east, south, and 
west, and what barriers existed if approach is not possible.

* Helped shape attitudes and perceptions in the development and planning 
community by riding his bike to almost every meeting he attended. (If he 
didn't ride, he walked or car-pooled.)


RECENT UPDATES TO THE BICYCLING IN AUSTIN WEBSITE
-------------------------------------------------
  * Added two new ways to How to Not Get Hit By Cars
     (GETTING AROUND -> HOW TO NOT GET HIT BY CARS)

  * Austin's ranking as a Top 10 city for cycling -- is it deserved?
     (OTHER STUFF -> 

  * Tons of minor updates throughout the site


======================================================================
 CITY:  Job opening for Bicycle Planner with the City of Austin
----------------------------------------------------------------------

According to the City of Austin website, the City is interviewing for an 
"Engineering Technician" for the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Program.  
The listing says the primary tasks of the job are to:

* Investigate citizen complaints related to bicycle traffic to determine 
validity and resolve issues.

* Conduct field investigations related to and support of the Austin 
Bicycle Plan and the Austin Pedestrian Plan.

* Locate and install bicycle racks. 

* Write/draft correspondence, maintain databases related to the bicycle 
service line and the bike rack program, maintain sidewalk database.

Salary is listed only as "Commensurate".  To view the job listing, go to:

http://malford.ci.austin.tx.us/cityjobs/jobs_detail.cfm?Requisition_ID=2352



======================================================================
 HUMOR:  Risque bicycle advertisement
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Someone sent us a photo of a bicycle advertisement that has an 
unintended visual message.  We're not saying any more, you'll have to 
check it out for yourself.  WARNING: This photo is definitely rated 
"hard R".

  http://BicycleUniverse.info/stuff/naughtyad.html


======================================================================
 JUSTICE:  Police handcuff 9-year-old child for not wearing a helmet;
            Chicago-area cyclist justice issues
----------------------------------------------------------------------

(Thanks to our Chicago correspondent James Longfield for bringing the 
following issues to our attention. These incidents happened outside of 
Austin, but they demonstrate that the kinds of problems we face here in 
Austin exist in communities all over the U.S.)


Police handcuff 9-year-old for not wearing helmet
-------------------------------------------------
A deputy in the sheriff's office in Palm Beach County, Florida 
handcuffed a 9-year-old boy for not wearing a mandatory bicycle helmet 
earlier this month, outraging local citizens.  The officer has been 
accused throughout his career with the sheriff's office of being rough 
with residents, and he resigned from the Jupiter Police Department 
before he could be fired in 1982 for an "overbearing approach and 
attitude," according to records. (Sun Sentinel, 1-6-2000)

If we look a little closer, we see that the real reason the boy was 
cuffed was not because he didn't have a helmet, but because he hurt the 
officer's ego.  The officer had seen the boy earlier and told him he 
needed a helmet.  When he saw the same boy again later that day without 
a helmet, he apparently became angry that he had been ignored, and 
that's when he handcuffed the boy.

My own experience bears this out.  When I was arrested for playing the 
piano in a local mall some years ago, what REALLY angered the officer 
was that I didn't show him the respect he demanded.  He scowled at me, 
"You didn't think I was a REAL cop!  You thought I was a mall cop!" 
(Actually, I did know.)  Then he phoned a friend of mine (on the pretext 
of needing to verify that I hadn't just escaped from a mental 
institution, because "only a crazy person wouldn't obey a police 
officer"), and brow-beat my friend, demanding to know what was so wrong 
with me that I wouldn't "show respect" to police officers?  When I was 
arrested for running a red light on my bike, it was the same story.  
They weren't concerned about the red light, they were angry about not 
feeling respected.

Getting back to the handcuffed child, this is exactly one of the reasons 
why citizens here so strongly opposed the local helmet law, and why the 
city council blundered when it retained the law for children in the face 
of massive community opposition.  We complained to the council that 70% 
of the no-helmet tickets given to kids were given to black and Hispanic 
kids, with police obviously using the law as an excuse to shake down 
poor kids on the East side, but the council ignored us.  After that, 
that figure went up to 92%.  We've always believed that it's a good idea 
for kids to wear helmets, but there are serious problems with making it 
ILLEGAL for kids not to, and police harassment is one of them.


Drunk motorist gets lesser charge for killing cyclist
-----------------------------------------------------
In DuPage County, IL, drunk motorists who kill others are often charged 
with reckless homicide.  But in a recent case in which a drunk motorist 
killed an African immigrant cycling at night, the grand jury indicted 
the motorist on a lesser offense.  The Aurora motorist, whose blood 
alcohol level was more than 50% over the legal limit, was convicted of 
drunk driving and causing great bodily harm.  (Chicago Tribune, 1-25-00) 
 Read the complete article at:

http://chicagotribune.com/news/metro/dupage/article/0,2669,SAV-0001250245,F
F.html


Three siblings hit by cars one at a time over a period of years
---------------------------------------------------------------
Yolanda Lopez' son Sammy was critically injured when struck by a car 22 
years ago when he was 2 1/2.  Her son Zenon was injured when struck by a 
car 14 years ago when he was 13.  Lopez said she always thanked God that 
her daughter Martha, 22, had never been hit by a car.  That changed last 
week when Martha was critically injured by a hit-and-run motorist while 
she was walking home.  (Chicago Tribune, 1-25-00)  Read the complete 
article at:

http://chicagotribune.com/news/metro/chicago/printedition/article/0,2669,SA
V-0001250331,FF.html


======================================================================
 ROADWAYS:  Funding for crosstown bikeway approved
----------------------------------------------------------------------

In early 1999, local bicycle advocate and Yellow Bike Project volunteer 
Eric Anderson proposed that the City construct a crosstown bikeway 
running about 5 miles east/west from 183 in East Austin to Mopac, mostly 
along the abandoned railway on 4th St. The City Council approved $1.2 
million for the project and applied for $1.97 in federal matching funds, 
which were awarded last week.  The bikeway is expected to take one year 
to design and another 2-3 years to construct.  It will consist of a 
paved path along abandoned lots and railways, and striped bike lanes on 
city streets.  A single bicycle project of this magnitude is 
unprecedented in the city's history.  And significantly, this will be 
the only truly bicycle-friendly crossing of I-35 to join the East and 
West sides that we can think of.

Cycling advocates are inviting cyclists to tour the route of the future 
bikeway today, Sun 1/30.  Riders will meet at Ruta Maya (218 W. 4th) at 
11:30am for coffee, and start riding at 12:30pm.

The bikeway is the only project to receive federal funds of the 11 
non-highway projects submitted by the City.  One project that failed to 
receive funds was the Barton Creek bridge over Barton Creek at Mopac.  
Even worse, the Texas Department of Transportation recently removed the 
northbound shoulder on the bridge, in violation of TEA-21 legislation, 
effectively rendering the Brodie area completely inaccessible for 
cyclists.  Cyclists who want to take this route now would have to share 
a traffic lane with motor vehicles going 60-80 mph.  As Annick Beaudet 
of the City's Bicycle Program put it:

"The chances of getting people out of their cars and relieving the 
peak-hour backups on that bridge (polluting the creek) will now not be 
possible.  There is great latent demand for folks living in the Travis 
Country Subdivision, those working at Motorola, and the rest of SW 
Travis County to ride bikes to work and downtown Austin, but we will not 
experience it, at least not with this round of Enhancement Funding.  
Let's gather our efforts and push for the funding of the bridge through 
STP4C funding or Bicycle Bond Funding. Oak Hill has been screaming for 
connection to Austin for a long time and the many recreational riders 
who traverse that bridge every day deserve out attention."

(Information for this article was provided by Eric Anderson, Ken Marsh, 
Annick Beaudet, and the Austin American-Statesman.)


======================================================================
 WORLDWIDE:  Bicycle commuting tunnel in the Netherlands
----------------------------------------------------------------------

This is such an interesting idea that we feel compelled to report on it 
even though it's been over a year since it first appeared in the 
national media.  It was reported that Holland was slated to begin 
construction of a trial-size, eight-mile long bicycle commuting tube to 
connect the cities of Eindhoven and Helmond.  Here's how it's supposed 
to work:

The tunnel is an elevated, transparent plastic tube -- like a roadway 
only with a curved plastic cover.  As cyclists enter, a strong gust 
blows at their backs, increasing their speed and efficiency and 
propelling them to a swift 30 mph. Ten miles and just 20 minutes later, 
they arrive at work after barely breaking a sweat.

Wind inside the 25-foot-wide commuter tube will blow two ways. On one 
side of a dividing wall, enormous six-foot ceiling fans stationed every 
mile will blow towards Helmond, and on the other side, fans will blow 
towards Eindhoven.

Dutch city officials hope the so-called TransGlide 2000 system, which 
was designed by a Denver engineer and will cost approximately $8 million 
per mile to build, will reduce automobile travel in the region by 33 
percent. The hope is that more people will pick up the bicycle if 
pedaling is made easier, and if there is a cover to shield riders from 
foul weather.   As designed, the bicycle transportation system would 
price at less than half the cost of a light rail commuter system and, 
with a capacity of more than 12,000 riders per hour, it could also carry 
more passengers.

Here's the Christian Science Monitor article on the tunnel:

   http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/1998/11/19/p14s2.htm


======================================================================
 DISCUSSION:  Newcomers to Austin think we suck
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In the 1-16 issue we ran a letter from a Denverite who had planned on 
moving to Austin, but decided not to after she visited and saw that the 
city wasn't as bike-friendly as she'd heard.  We followed that up in our 
last issue (1-23) with a letter from a Lawrence, Kansan who did just 
move here, and is unhappy about her inability to traverse her area of 
town easily by bicycle.  Following THAT issue we heard from yet another 
disgruntled newcomer made the following post on the local email 
discussion list.  We never intended this "Discussion" column to focus on 
this one topic for three issues straight, but it looks like we've tapped 
into a hot issue here.  Check out this post by newcomer Tom Haycraft:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Reading Michael Bluejay's Bicycling Newsletter 1-23-00 was very timely, 
especially, "DISCUSSION:  Newcomers to Austin think we suck."  This 
statement could not be more to the point, more correct (in my opinion) 
or more timely.

In early October 1999 I was offered a job here in Austin. It was a great 
career move and from all I had heard about Austin and cycling here, I 
jumped at it.  I got here November 1, and moved my family on December 11 
after I closed on a house.  I live in south Austin near Slaughter and 
West Gate.  Nice community.  I love the fact my boys can go out for 
hours at a time and roam the neighborhood and surrounding fields, 
something I never felt comfortable with them doing where we lived in 
Dallas.

I have now ridden with Velocity out of Cycle 360 and the Sweetish Hill 
Bakery Ride (great ride, nice pace!).  While in a pack, the drivers have 
been moderately well behaved.  While alone, in this first month of 
riding I've had a bottle thrown at me and countless drivers laying on 
their horn while passing and countless others creeping onto the shoulder 
with me while passing at 50 to 70 mph.  Welcome to Austin.

Cycling in north and east Dallas for 9 years (4,000 to 7,000 miles each 
year) got me the occasional horn honk, but in those years I can't 
remember any bottles thrown.

Moving to Austin, rated a "top 10 cycling city" by Bicycling Magazine, 
home to Lance Armstrong and all those stories about the incredible 
riding here had me thinking I'd died and gone to heaven.  I'm mystified 
by what I have found.  While my kids can ride and roam the neighborhood, 
I feel very limited on when I can venture out to ride without tossing 
the bike in my truck and driving out of the city.

Yes, 360, Mo-Pac, Bee Caves Rd., Southwest Parkway and others all have 
wide shoulders -- full of glass, rocks, and trash providing 3 flats in 3 
weeks.  But I know, the drivers must think I'm Lance -- that is why they 
are honking!  And those young boys in the pickup (yes, I drive one too), 
they were probably brought up with the best of manners and just wanted 
me to have something of theirs to cherish and hold close to my heart (or 
head). Good thing they had a bad aim.  And again, those drivers coming 
over onto the shoulder with me, they DO think I'm Lance and want a 
closer look like goes on in Hollywood with all those big stars.  Right!  
That's it, and here I thought Austin was full of copulating idiots 
behind the wheels of the motor vehicles.  (Please notice tongue poking 
out of my cheek!)

Well, 2 out of 3 (job, home/community ... not cycling!) have been 
positive aspects of the move here.  And yes, in regards to cycling in 
Austin, this newcomer thinks it sucks.  Too bad I have to work for a 
living and to an extend, my job dictates where I live.

Funny thing is (if there is anything funny about this), while driving my 
pickup around town, driver-to-driver things appear to be more civilized 
as compared to my experiences in Dallas.  I can't help but think that 
the "in-your-face" advocacy efforts in this town have pissed off a lot 
of drivers.  Critical Mass?  Looks to this newcomer like it and similar 
actions could be adding to the attitude displayed by many of the drivers 
I've encountered in my short time here.  -- Tom Haycraft, 
te_craft@swbell.net

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[Ed. note:  While I'm embarrassed for us Austinites about the treatment 
that Mr. Haycraft has received at the expense of Austin drivers, and 
while such treatment isn't surprising, I can confirm for him that I 
received just as many death threats from motorists in the days BEFORE 
Critical Mass as the days since.  And while I can't really be sure there 
is any correlation, nearly all the significant bike activism in this 
city started AFTER Critical Mass appeared (City's Bicycle Program, 
Yellow Bike Project, activists on citizen commissions etc.)  As for 
Austin making Bicycling Magazine's list of Top 10 cities, yeah, that one 
had us scratching our heads too when that came out.  Rest assured that 
we wrote to Bicycling magazine to provide some details about exactly 
what's wrong with the state of cycling in Austin.  See the website for 
more about the fallout about Austin's Top 10 ranking, in the OTHER STUFF 
section.]


======================================================================
 CLASSIFIEDS:  Used Bikes for Sale
----------------------------------------------------------------------

TREK 1400 RACING BIKE. 21" (54cm) Aluminum Frame, Shimano 105 
Components/Clipless Pedals. Excellent Condition. Perfect for upcoming 
racing season. $600 OBO. Brian Chen, brian_chen@mail.utexas.edu, 481-0816 
(1-24)


AD POLICY
---------
Ads for individuals up to four lines are free, and run for six months 
or until you tell me to remove it.  Ads are accepted ONLY through 
email at bluejay@mail.com.  This newsletter is geared towards people 
who ride for transportation; if you're trying to sell a $1000+ racing 
or mountain bike, it probably won't sell well here.

Commercial ads are $10 per insertion per issue for up to three lines. 
Email me to get an account set up.

We reserve the right to reject any ad or to suspend its publication 
for any reason.  Actually, we don't even have to have a reason.

  
======================================================================
 PUBLICATION / SUBSCRIPTION INFO            by Michael Bluejay, editor
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
      http://michaelbluejay.com/bicycle    bluejay@mail.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------

We currently have 502 subscribers, up 10 from the last issue.  (In the 
last issues we were up 14 and 14.)

Back issues are available on the Biking in Austin website.

Biking in Austin is published about once every week or two.  You're
getting this newsletter because you either asked for it, or you
joined the austin-bikes discussion list.  (As advertised, joining the
discussion list gets you an automatic subscription to this newsletter.)

If you no longer want the newsletter, send a blank email to:
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If someone forwarded you this newsletter and you want your own 
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Articles are by me if uncredited.  Articles by others may have been 
edited for grammar, clarity, conciseness, superstition, or just for 
the hell of it.

News submissions that focus on bikes in general or on bikes as 
alternative transportation are welcome, but please don't be upset if 
I don't have room to run them.  (I've already got plenty of material 
for dozens more newsletters.)

Please don't write to us about sport or off-road cycling, since we 
don't cover those areas.  Also, please don't send OPINION pieces for 
inclusion in the DISCUSSION column of this newsletter. I get material 
for the Discussion column by selecting highlights of the discussions 
on the austin-bikes email list (see above).  Post there, and your 
opinions may show up here.

Before writing with questions, please check the Biking in Austin 
website to see if your question is answered there.  Here are some 
useful links:

  Bike Safety...........   michaelbluejay.com/bicycle/safety.html
  Back Issues...........   michaelbluejay.com/bicycle/newsletters
  Traffic Laws..........   michaelbluejay.com/bicycle/laws.html
  No Justice for Cyclists  michaelbluejay.com/bicycle/justice
  Yellow Bike Project....  michaelbluejay.com/yellow
  City's Bicycle Program.  www.ci.austin.tx.us/bicycle
  Tracking License Plates  www.publicdata.com
  Calendar..............   michaelbluejay.com/bicycle/calendar.html

Don't worry about copying, saving, and bookmarking 
all the website URLs you see throughout these newsletters.  Links to 
these sites appear on the Bicycling in Austin website, for one-stop 
URL shopping.

Thanks for reading this far.  Ride safely! :)  -MBJ-

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