https://www.austinchronicle.com/food/20 … e-streets/

In 2006 I pushed for car-free bike lanes on Shoal Creek, as a one-person effort, because I couldn't get anyone else interested.  I'm not a leader.  (I was rattled that that same year cyclists packed the Council meeting when there was talk of bringing back the helmet law, but everyone was MIA on car-free bike lanes on Shoal Creek.)  Years later Bike Austin picked up the Shoal Creek issue and ran with it, and unlike me they actually got something done.  I didn't pay much attention to the details of the implementation, I guess I've just moved on.

Years ago when I used to publish the e-newsletter, I ran into a YBP'er at Wheatsville who demanded to know, "Why didn't you publicize the benefit we had recently?!"  My answer was, "Because your telling me about it now is the first I've heard of it."

Right now we are focusing on making sure we give feedback at city board and council meetings when transportation items are on the agenda.  The city just released it's new strategic goals which are more focused on alternative transportation than they have ever been so now is a good time to get involved and keep the momentum going.

Darron

Austin becomes a mini version of the U.S., which spends most of its budget on the military, leaving less for education, housing, homelessness, infrastructure, etc.

I have no idea if it has ever helped anyone get their stolen bike back.

It probably has.

I mean, APD doesn't put a whole lot of effort into solving property crimes, but stolen property often falls in their collective lap, and they'll take the serial numbers they have and run them against those in police reports, their own registration database, etc.  If they don't find anything, they may just return the property to the thief, or throw it into their auction or whatever they do with lost property.

And so if your stuff is stolen, absolutely do file a police report.  And serial numbers are absolutely essential -- they are the key that the police will use to identify your bike, often the only key.

The usual advice was to buy or borrow a video camera and go through your house and record every valuable item with it and the contents of every room in general, catching serial numbers when practical, and then put the tape somewhere safe (like a safe deposit box.)

And it's still great advice, but of course, now it's a lot easier as your phone can do that, and just save the file somewhere in the cloud.  (And when it comes to dealing with insurance adjusters, this advice is fantastic.)

But regarding bikes, keeping your serial number is key if it is ever stolen.  If you bought the bike new, the bike shop might be able to look it up for you, but ... just keep it yourself.

It's odd only if you don't understand that transportation bicyclists are sympathetic to other forms of non-car travel.  If the head of a transportation committee doesn't get that, that's sad.

Advice I took to heart and benefitted from more than once...

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And they say there's no such thing as a free lunch.