Bicycle Austin forum

The racks have always been intended as public art first with a secondary function as bike racks thus not needing large capacity. (Minimum of 2 bikes)

The large commission covers design, fabrication and installation - it was intended to support the idea that creative work has value and artists can make a living in Austin. Other cities were commissioning public art bike racks for about a quarter of that. (Pretty difficult to fabricate and install for that amount.)

I was glad to see that the Downtown Austin Alliance and Art in Public Places were committed to creating them as bike racks and seeing the project through after all the various "road blocks" with installing these on Congress Ave.

Enjoy them and be glad some local artists can pay the rent!

Eileen

The corresponding bike (and disabled) parking minimum requirements will be based on the original calculations with some extras for those that do upgraded options like showers and secure parking. That code amendment is working it's way towards council through boards and commissions now.

If the lane is narrow ( < 14 ft ) then by filtering up the right side, the cyclist is initiating the unsafe pass so the driver is not at fault. The city ordinance contains a provision for cyclists that are riding unlawfully. An attorney may be able to speak more directly to what the provision implies legally.

On wider (>= 14 ft) unmarked lanes approaching the intersection it is a bit more ambiguous but generally unwise to pull up alongside on the right. From a safety standpoint, a lot depends on the circumstances including traffic patterns of the particular intersection, how long the light has been red, types of vehicles in the lane (buses and trucks should not be passed on the right), previous pass of the cyclist by the drivers waiting in the intersection, width of lane across intersection, etc. I tend to err on the side of caution and if I'm going straight through the intersection then I'll queue up in the line of cars in the middle of the lane so I am seen by all and maintain that position through the intersection until it is safe to move over into either a safe bike lane or the right portion of a wide lane.

If I'm at the front of the line at a wide lane and the light sequence is long, I'll look at the driver behind me to determine if they are signaling a right turn. If it is safe for me to move over to allow them to turn, I'll do so.

Marked / designated bike lanes are not to be assumed a safe space in these situations either. For example, the Anderson Lane / Shoal Creek bike box was a failed test location due to the circumstances of the intersection including a high percentage of right turning motor vehicles (something like 85% turn right for access to MoPac -- with my own conjecture that only 25% signaling the turn...) Bike boxes require no turn on reds thus cyclists would get trapped alongside the long line of right turning vehicles when the light turned green. For any bike boxes, a long line of vehicles in the right lane should indicate to a cyclist that the light has been red for quite some time and is likely to be turning green soon, safer to queue up in the line of traffic maintaining that space through the intersection. Understanding this pattern allows a cyclist to make better decisions when navigating the intersection.

Combined straight through and right turn lanes generally only widen at the intersection. Most of the 14 foot lanes are only found on access roads these days with the City moving towards 11 foot lanes in town.

Understanding the minutia of the law is good as long as you know how to apply it in complex situations. I'd have to agree with Donald that if you are having multiple confrontations / situations where you are knocking on someone's car panels, then you are failing to negotiate our shared space with the other drivers and could benefit from some instruction. Austin Cycling Association offers the Traffic Skills 101 class and the Defensive Cycling courses on a regular basis. You'll learn how it "should" work and ways to negotiate with others so that it "does" work.

I have a request in.

Eileen Schaubert

Hi all,
this is last call to submit questions for the Nov 2nd Ask the Agency meeting. I'll be sending in the last round on Monday. Post here or send to vp \at\ austincycling.org

The official program will start at 6:30 but TXDoT and CTRMA will be bringing project posterboards for viewing starting at 6:00. CTRMA will also be collecting comment cards since they didn't have a bike only meeting this summer.

Light appetizers will be served. Cash bar.

thanks,
Eileen

Our paperwork is in the queue and we've been following up with the IRS but as you can see in the article there is a large backlog.

Eileen Schaubert
Vice-President
Austin Cycling Association