In 2006, i waged a battle to prohibit cars from parking in the bike lanes on Shoal Creek Blvd. I know, it sounds like a no-brainer, but the City didn't agree. I was frustrated that I couldn’t get much help from the local cycling community on this effort. I’ve often been criticized by going it alon, but what do I do if others won’t join me? Below is the action form I posted to invite readers and subscribers to get involved, and the campaign (and the results) are described in detail in a separate article.

Help ban parking in bike lanes on Shoal Creek!

Here's how you can help:

1. Download the petition

Download the petition for car-free bike lanes, get four of your registered voter friends to sign it, and return it to us at the address on the petition no later than Monday, Feb. 27th.

2. Donate

If you can't get some petition signatures to us, then please donate to the fund so we can hire people to collect signatures.

I can donate:

3. Speak at City Council

You can do the most good by speaking in favor of car-free bike lanes at the City Council meeting:

Thursday, March 2
301 W. 2nd St.
Likely at some point between 10am-1pm
Here's the meeting agenda.

We need at least 10 people in order to make a difference.

The City is poised to officially approve parking in the bike lanes on Shoal Creek Blvd., at its March 2, 2006 meeting!

We can stop them, but only if we act now.

Here's a summary of the issue:

We're not trying to eliminate parking on Shoal Creek. We're just trying to have parking on one side of the street, so there will be plenty of room to stripe a car-free bike lane on each side of the road.
There was never any compromise with the neighborhood, despite the popular myth. The neighbors had unlimited parking on both sides of the street (in the bike lanes) before the city restriped the road, they have unlimited parking on both sides of the street (in the bike lanes) now, and what they want, and what the Council is about to approve, is unlimited parking on both sides of the street (in the bike lanes).
Cars already have the traffic lanes, and they have the driveways. Must they take our bike lanes too?
The City's plan violates AASHTO safety guidelines. (American Assoc. of State Highway & Transp. Officials)
City staff has repeatedly recommended OUR PLAN to council -- parking on one side of the street, and car-free bike lanes. Staff has told council point-blank that the plan they're about to adopt violates national safety standards.
Approving parking for bike lanes opens the City up to lawsuits. Injured cyclists and their families have successfully sued municipal governments when the cities failed to provide safe conditions for cycling. By thumbing their noses at safety standards in the face of City Staff telling them not to, the Council is practically begging for a lawsuit.

This is what we get if we don't act:

Quick Links

Help ban parking in bike lanes on Shoal Creek!