#1 2014-01-07 11:35:16

bizikletari
Member
Registered: 2009-03-18
Posts: 223

APD's on the bike lane

Today at 7:40 am, APD police patrol 1467 was sitting on the southbound bike lane in the 1200's block of Webberville Road while its driver-officer was busy scanning the speed of the passing motorists.

I imagine he was doing so to protect us all from the dangers of speeding parents driving their offsprings to school while texting and/or trying to have breakfast at the wheel. Perhaps that might be deemed a laudable task; but forcing cyclists to move to the regular traffic lane —occupied by those very same drivers— seems unwise, at least to me.

It probably is just my limited understanding of human behaviour once again kicking in but, I can think of only two reasons why this happened; either the training APD gives to their officers does not include the not-parking-on-the-bike-lane truism, or that specific officer could not grasp the concept itself.

In any case, the outcome was the same: the APD patrol car was blocking the lane, and in doing so it was putting cyclists at risk of becoming collateral damage of the officer's speed-curbing zeal in order to achieve safer streets.

Although one may think it sensible to report the event to APD itself, my experiences reporting to APD tell me otherwise.

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#2 2014-01-09 21:21:04

chavela
Member
Registered: 2008-06-03
Posts: 55

Re: APD's on the bike lane

I was on this very same road this morning, and--once again--there were cars parked on Webberville in the bike lane, at the foot of Samuel Huston (waiting to deposit their kids on the school bus, I guess).  I stopped for the nth time to ask a woman to please just park on the other side of the street where there is both a parking and a bike lane.  She said "a police car just went by and didn't ask me to move."

That is a particularly dangerous place to have to swerve into traffic.  It's at the bottom of a hill, regularly traveled by dump trucks and heavy equipment.

IS there a way to have a constructive dialogue with APD?

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#3 2014-01-09 22:56:22

damicoaustin
Member
From: Austin, TX
Registered: 2008-05-27
Posts: 143
Website

Re: APD's on the bike lane

I nominate Alonso to talk with APD. But in all seriousness, yes, report it to APD, and if they don't respond, I will volunteer to call higher up of talk with Bike Ped and/or Bike Austin.

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#4 2014-01-10 14:58:10

bizikletari
Member
Registered: 2009-03-18
Posts: 223

Re: APD's on the bike lane

damicoaustin wrote:

I nominate Alonso

You lost me right there. Please move with plan Ω, it's time.

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