Bicycle Austin 

Drivers are at-fault in 90% of cyclist and pedestrian fatalities. (report, p. 25)  •  In 40% of fatal car/bike crashes the driver was drunk. (source)

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This forum’s roots date back to the very first bike email list in Austin, starting in 1994, and it played a part in the getting the segregated bike lanes you see all over town.  Be a part of history and make a post!

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#1 Re: Laws (Traffic, Helmet, Proposed Legislation) » NJ requiring eBike registration, insurance » 2026-01-14 00:58:05

MichaelBluejay

In 2000 councilmember Spelman sponsored a successful resolution which lifted the ban on eBikes using bike lanes in Austin.  eBikes were only barely becoming a thing back then.

Austin used to require licensing and registration for even NON-motorized bicycles, from 1954-1980.  Until you read this just now, I was likely the only person on the planet who knew that.  I just dug it up from old City documents (which are not on the Internet).

#2 Bike Lanes » City staff plans for no bike lanes on 6th St, over public objection » 2026-01-12 19:26:08

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 1

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/ … th-street/

The Statesman article below is paywalled, which can be defeated by turning off Javascript and reloading the page.  I normally wouldn't explain how to do that, but the Statesman has been an enemy of walking and biking and doesn't deserve consideration.

https://www.statesman.com/news/local/ar … tdoor_news


It seems like the City thinks the choice is between wide sidewalks or bike lanes.  Of course they could just get rid of a car traffic lane then they'd have room for both.

Discuss.

#3 Laws (Traffic, Helmet, Proposed Legislation) » NJ requiring eBike registration, insurance » 2026-01-12 13:04:56

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 2

https://www.nj.com/news/2026/01/nj-e-bi … omers.html

Discuss.

#4 Re: Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » Bicyclist Paul Wuersig killed @ Denson/Guadalupe 10/25 » 2026-01-02 23:16:17

MichaelBluejay

It is indeed sad, and frustrating.  A case 30 years ago in which an at-fault driver killed a cyclist and faced zero consequences was a motivating factor in getting me into bike advocacy.  But thirty years later, cyclists are still dying, and drivers aren't facing consequences.  Facility-wise, Austin is a cycling utopia vs. 30Y ago, with miles and miles of bike lanes and protected bike lanes, but that hasn't moved the needle on the local fatality rate.  As I'd said for years, until we change drivers' hearts and minds, the roads will never be safe.  The more things change...

#5 Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » Black DWI driver charged, for killing another driver (1/2026 Airport) » 2026-01-02 18:09:49

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 0

We're all used to drivers getting slaps on the wrist, if even that, for killing pedestrians and bicyclists, even if they were drunk, and even if the crash was a hit-and-run.

The following case was NOT hit-and run, but the driver was still charged with Intoxication Manslaughter.  The fact that she got a serious charge is probably because the victim was another driver (not a pedestrian or bicyclist), and because the drunk driver is black.

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/woman- … in-airport

How many white drunk and/or hit-and-run drivers get serious charges for killing cyclists and pedestrians?  Without looking it up, memory says it's a vanishingly small number.

#6 Re: Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » Bicyclist Paul Wuersig killed @ Denson/Guadalupe 10/25 » 2025-12-31 17:17:05

MichaelBluejay

KXAN article

Details in the article are typically sparse.  It does note that the driver didn't flee and was not impaired.  Historically this means the driver will face no charges even if the driver was at fault, because charges often aren't filed even IF the crash was hit-and-run and/or driver was drunk.

I have heard, but cannot verify, that the cause of the crash was a Left Cross.

The crash happened at night, when a disproportionate number of bike crashes happen.  I don’t ride at night any more.  When I did, I was well-lit.

#7 Re: Rides (NOT charity, does NOT require registration) » Recurring rides » 2025-12-29 18:21:56

MichaelBluejay

(I'm un-stickying this post because it's no longer being updated.)

#8 Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » 11/7/2000 was the last day there were no road deaths in Texas » 2025-11-19 10:27:56

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 1

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local … -in-texas/

#9 Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » Hit-and-run on cyclist near 30th at East Dr., 10/14/25 » 2025-11-10 22:41:30

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 0

Yet another hit-and-run on a bicyclist.

What a world.

https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/austin- … t-and-run/

#10 Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » Bicyclist Paul Wuersig killed @ Denson/Guadalupe 10/25 » 2025-10-25 14:05:21

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 4

Few details in the article, except that the driver remained on the scene and was not impaired.  I'm certain that someone ran the red light, don't know if it was the cyclist or the driver, but I'm betting on the driver, since cyclists generally try to avoid getting killed.

I used to live in that neighborhood and I've biked through that intersection hundreds of times.  Mike Librik, who owned Easy Street Recumbents, lived on Denson I think less than a block from that intersection.

Wuersig was active in Bikes Across Borders and the Yellow Bike Project.  Because it's a small world, I'm one degree of separation away from the bicyclist.  I'm friends with another bicyclist who knew him.

City of Austin news release

#11 Getting started with biking » New bike safety learning area opens at East Austin’s Parque Zaragoza » 2025-10-16 21:25:19

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 0
Community Impact 10/2/25 wrote:

For parents preparing to give their kids a bit more independence on the way to school, Parque Zaragoza in East Austin now offers a scaled-down street network where children and new riders can practice biking and road safety in a low-risk setting....

https://communityimpact.com/austin/nort … -zaragoza/

#12 Cars / Parking / Danger from / Gas+Energy » City to deputize citizens to police parking in disabled spaces » 2025-10-08 10:19:36

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 1

Thirty years ago I tried to get the City to deputize citizens to police cars illegally parked in bicycle lanes.  They said no.  But now they're doing the same thing for parking in disabled spaces.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local … cbfbac8270

#13 Re: Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » How should hit-and-run drivers be remembered? » 2025-10-02 19:44:20

MichaelBluejay

Thank you.  I know that friends and family write the obits.  I'm saying that as a family member, I'd have a hard time describing a hit-and-run driver as "overflowing with love and kindness".

It's not that the driver killed someone (if it were truly accidental, that wouldn't call the driver's character into question), it's that he fled the scene.  Once a traffic death involves any of recklessness, DWI, or hit-and-run, then it becomes morally questionable…and that would make it hard for me to describe the driver in saintly terms.

#14 Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » Cyclist hit-and-run'd at 53rd-1/2 & Airport Blvd, survived • 6/7/25 » 2025-09-29 21:18:35

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 0

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local … fc3f147fab

#15 Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » Black Hawk, CO bans bicycles; overturned 3Y later by CO supreme court » 2025-09-29 16:25:01

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 0

This happened in 2010 and 2013, but I'm only just learning about it.

https://www.denverpost.com/2013/02/04/c … s-in-city/

Discuss.

#16 Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » DWI charges against black driver killing pedestrian 7/25 N. Lamar » 2025-09-27 13:55:02

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 0

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/crime … bd3ae29a41

As I've said here and here, waiting for white DWI drivers to get charged and convicted.

(And to be perfectly clear, I want DWI drivers of *all* colors to be charged.)

#17 Re: Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » How should hit-and-run drivers be remembered? » 2025-09-27 13:35:22

MichaelBluejay

I'm bumping this post, hoping that others will weigh in on this.

#18 Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » Driver seemingly intentionally hits bicyclist on Riverside Dr. » 2025-09-25 23:10:54

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 0

Last month:

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/jose-to … lice-chase

Glad I don't bike any more.

#19 Re: Rides (NOT charity, does NOT require registration) » World Naked Bike Ride Austin: June 14th, 2025, Pease Park » 2025-09-01 17:52:06

MichaelBluejay

This is a bump to dougmc's post, of sorts.

I just realized that when I moved the site to a new Unix user so dougmc could have access to it, that killed the feature where web posts got automatically emailed out to the list, so apologies about that, and that's why I (and probably everyone else) didn't see this thread until now.  Hopefully this post gets sent to the email list, we'll see...

#20 Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » How should hit-and-run drivers be remembered? » 2025-08-29 21:50:16

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 3

In June, Agustin Guillen was arrested for killing a motorcyclist in a hit-and-run on Mopac in May. KXAN  The next month, Guillen was apparently and ironically killed by a drunk driver while out on bond. KVUE  (In case you're keeping count, MAY = 1st collision, JUNE = arrest, JULY = 2nd collision=death, AGUSTin = his name).

I found his obituary, and was struck by this (no pun intended) (okay, maybe a little):

(Obituary of Agustin Guillen) wrote:

From a very young age, Agustín stood out for his gentle spirit and, most of all, his radiant smile. He was always a joyful young man, overflowing with love and kindness. Loving him was simply inevitable....Agustín left a deep mark on all of us who had the blessing of knowing him. His time in this world was brief, but his legacy of love, joy, and kindness will live on forever in our hearts.

If one of my family members did something so ethically egregious as Guillen I'm not sure I'd be able to write something like this for their obituary.    But maybe I'm biased, or an outlier.  What do you all think?

#21 Re: Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » Drunk driving culture » 2025-06-15 23:24:16

MichaelBluejay

Travis County sheriff's deputy arrested for DWI:

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/crime … b05c32936b

#22 Re: Commuting/Routes » TXDoT needs a plan for carpooling or group transit for its employees » 2025-04-07 23:13:12

MichaelBluejay

Classic.  DPS workers parked in the bike lane along north Guadalupe for years.  Maybe still do, but I haven't been in that area for a while.

It's not just workers at some random business or agency doing the bad parking, it's workers at agencies responsible for TRANSPORTATION and ENFORCING LAWS that are doing it.  Nice.

#23 Re: Equipment (Discussion, For sale) » Square-wheel bicycle » 2025-02-17 03:33:05

MichaelBluejay

Here's another wheel-less bicycle from the Q, again with tank-style conveyer belt.

https://www.yankodesign.com/2023/06/27/ … ing-heads/

#24 Justice Issues / Collisions / Anti-bike bias » 28yo man arrested for fatal hit-and-run on pedestrian Kyla Walker, 39 » 2025-01-17 22:22:02

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 0

Crash was 11/10/25 at E. Stassney Ln. and Teri Rd.

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/ … t-and-run/

Still keeping an eye out for a white driver to be arrested for killing a bicyclist/pedestrian of color, rather than the other way around.  Also interested to see if the driver in this case will face any meaningful penalties.

#25 Cars / Parking / Danger from / Gas+Energy » "How extreme car dependency is driving Americans to unhappiness" » 2025-01-08 03:33:43

MichaelBluejay
Replies: 0

Skimming it, seems to say that having a car increases satisfaction, but overuse does the opposite.  It's supposedly not the ownership, it's the excessive use that's the problem.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 … -americans

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