BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

stuwerb · 2010-06-24 02:01:30

Make a point to not show up for the council rubber stamping of the flawed Downtown Bicycle Blvd Plan.

First of all, it will start late and go on too long. Second of all, it is not a public hearing in that while you are allowed to attend, you won't get a chance to speak. Third of all, it is for a suboptimal compromise to the original proposal for a bicycle blvd. on Nueces St., as overwhelmingly supported by the local bicycle community. As we have seen many times before, city officials have once again knuckled under to political pressure from old school development and business interests, and are moving the bicycle blvd. to Rio Grande St., instead.

If you are fortunate enough to have a job in this economy, just think, you could be at work doing something useful, and earning a living instead.

So, just don't go to this event. Register your frustration with City of Austin officials, and go on with your life. Save your vacation and stay at work; do some extra yard work or gardening; do that shopping errand before it gets too hot; cool off at Barton Springs; ride your bike, or spend time with a friend or loved one.

Please send a strong message to City of Austin officials that you as a cyclist are tired of being on the losing end of politically driven compromises with moneyed interests.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=1 … 334&ref=mf

bikinpolitico · 2010-06-24 08:53:25

I can honestly say this is the lamest idea I've ever heard. Imagine the NAACP, "We don't like how politicians are ignoring us on segregation. We'll show them by not doing anything about it." I've been pretty disappointed with the cycling community's ability to take this on and think more than 1 step ahead, but doing nothing gets you absolutely nothing.

Last edited by bikinpolitico (2010-06-24 08:53:47)

rickb · 2010-06-24 08:57:56

I agree with bikinpolitico. Interest groups don't get much accomplished via political boycotts. It's better to stay involved and use this project to call for more.
And consider that those two streets will end up with more bike facilities....it's still better than nothing.

damicoaustin · 2010-06-24 09:01:27

I think it could have been a good idea under the right circumstances if it was accompanied by an associated campaign.... e.g. you had something communicating how many people showed up for the bike plan, the helmet hearing, etc., then contrasted that with nothing. Regardless, I'll be there with the following position.

League of Bicycling Voters
P.O. Box 1395
Austin, TX 78767-1395
www.lobv.org

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2010

CONTACTS:
Rob D'Amico, 627-1343

Bike boulevard project moves ahead

LOBV supports plan and awaits Nueces improvements after street project completion

The League of Bicycling Voters today offered its support for the final stage of the public process for the city's "Downtown Bike Boulevard Project," which will be presented to the City Council as a briefing this morning.

"The bicycle and pedestrian improvements on Rio Grande will make that corridor a great amenity for all Austin bicyclists, and we're confident it will add to a network of improvements that will attract new riders," said Tom Wald, LOBV executive director.

The project includes traffic calming on Rio Grande—such as median islands with speed cushions, traffic circles, stenciled streets and signage to promote it as a bike boulevard, and street "cutouts" for dropping off passengers at Austin Community College and Pease Elementary School. The Rio Grande improvements—intended to slow traffic and make bicycling safer—could be completed as soon as summer of 2011.

The city plans to include an evaluation of the project in about two years to gauge impacts, bicycle ridership and community feedback when implementing an additional phase of improvements on Nueces Street. Bike lanes on some segments, along with sharrows (shared lane markings that encourage motorists to share the lane with bicyclists) are recommended in the city plan, but no improvements can be made until a water line project with street reconstruction is completed. Completion date for the Nueces water line project could come as soon as spring 2012.

-- more --

"We're encouraged that the city is offering some flexibility on Nueces, since the bike boulevard improvements originally were planned for that street and it's a street preferred by bicyclists," said Rob D'Amico, LOBV president.

"With nothing able to be done for at least a couple of years on Nueces, we feel it's important to move ahead and get these much-needed improvements in on Rio Grande now and look at the benefits before weighing in again on Nueces," D'Amico said. "Additionally, there's a planning effort underway for West Campus bicycle facilities, and we'd like to see where that effort goes and how connectivity will work so we know how Nueces plays into the overall picture."

The official LOBV position has been to support the planned improvements on Rio Grande while still advocating additional improvements on Nueces above and beyond the bike lanes and sharrows now planned by the city. The Austin Cycling Association recommended the Rio Grande improvements, but also recommended that bike lanes be taken out of the plan for Nueces from MLK Blvd. to 13th Street and replaced with traffic calming.

Wald noted that all bicyclists agree that one of the big benefits of the project will be a new bike/pedestrian bridge over Shoal Creek on Rio Grande just south of 5th Street. "The bridge will let bicyclists connect easily to the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, Lady Bird Lake, and eventually the redevelopment projects at the former Seaholm Power Plant," he said.

D'Amico said that the city did a good job of responding to concerns of residents and businesses on Nueces and Rio Grande about potential impacts. The process included a series of three neighborhood workshops and several city board and commission hearings. "The Rio Grande segment will show that the traffic calming proposed for the area will enhance the streets for everyone and won't cause any negative impacts to business. And I think that the downtown community will come to see that the prospect of future development is a reason to create bicycle facilities, since city officials note that arterials serving travel in and out of downtown are at capacity."

This month bicycle advocates led a bike tour with four city council members and aides from two other council offices to highlight the plans for the project. "It was a great show of support to have elected officials get on two wheels and look at the issues on the street," D'Amico said. "One council member—Laura Morrison—even signed up and participated in a bike repair workshop with the Yellow Bike Project. I think that signals good things to come for bicycling in Austin."

For more information on the bike boulevard project, visit http://www.lobv.org.

The League of Bicycling Voters is Austin's voice for bicyclists. LOBV is a nonprofit advocacy organization promoting better transportation policy decisions, justice for bicyclists, and more resources to increase the number of bicyclists in the Austin area.
###

stuwerb · 2010-06-24 23:23:44

I'm glad everyone liked the idea. So glad I did something else with my Thursday other than going to a lamo hearing where nobody from the public is permitted to say anything! Democracy in action!! I wonder what these critics did on their Thursday, other than D'Amico. I bet they didn't go to the hearing either. They just wasted their bosses' time by spraying a few bits as seen from their postings.

And to address the NAACP analogy, I have a hard time imagining that a lot of African Americans showed up at city council hearings when it was decided that they were supposed to sit in the back of the bus, instead of sit wherever they want. There may have been some, but it obviously wasn't too effective. What was ultimately more effective was organizing for real change, outside of city council chambers.

Last edited by stuwerb (2010-06-24 23:33:19)

MichaelBluejay · 2010-06-25 00:50:24

stuwerb wrote:

What was ultimately more effective was organizing for real change, outside of city council chambers.

Probably so. So why is it you were suggesting that "stay at work; do some extra yard work or gardening; do that shopping errand before it gets too hot; cool off at Barton Springs" is a good way to get the kind of change we want? Doesn't seem very productive to me.

stuwerb · 2010-06-25 07:27:54

The hostility expressed by others in this thread perfectly demonstrates what makes our local bicycle community so dysfunctional, and so ineffective. When the organizer of this website, and others, have nothing better to do than criticize someone who thinks that a hearing on a major piece of bike infrastructure that doesn't include a vote and doesn't include public comments, IS UNACCEPTABLE; instead of criticizing the officials that are putting on that hearing, we have a real problem. When people would rather focus on a critic of the suboptimal compromise that this bike blvd represents, instead of on the suboptimal compromise itself, we have a real problem.

BTW, I despite my busy schedule, wrote to the Chronicle, the Statesman, and of course, to the City Council. In addition, I had discussions with other members of the cycling community on this issue. Could I have done more? Sure. I could have quit my job, and organized a hunger strike, or a march on city hall, etc..., but again, I am only one person, and am not financially independent. This call to boycott the hearing was only the last in a series of actions that I undertook, and was purposely in response to efforts by others to gather people to attend this sham. And, I am proud of my call for boycott.

If people want to take their frustrations out on me, go right ahead. Blame me for the suboptimal facility that is going in on Rio Grande. But, you gotta wonder how useful that is. It might be better to ask what others in the cycling community did, as well. Obviously not enough. How many others wrote to the Chronicle, Statesman, City Council, or took other action?

Last edited by stuwerb (2010-06-25 10:24:58)

rickb · 2010-06-25 08:50:52

..."When people would rather focus on a critic of the suboptimal compromise that this bike blvd represents..."
Not to detract from the main argument here, but Stu, I suggest that's not a correct conclusion. The objections are to the plan of action. Your past efforts on behalf of our community are very much appreciated!

Rick

MichaelBluejay · 2010-06-25 08:51:43

stuwerb, I think you just need to decide exactly what you're advocating. In your original post you suggested that doing NOTHING was the best way to effect change. (That's what I responded to, and probably what others were thinking as well.) Now you seem to be suggesting that we all should actually be actively agitating. Which is it?

For the record, my position on the NBB has always been pretty clear: I didn't want us to spend our precious political capital on a project with very little tangible benefit (Nueces is already one of the safer streets to bike on), especially when a defeat would just set another precedent that cyclists' concerns can be easily dismissed. I also said that Rio Grande was an unacceptable substitute, and that if the bike community was going to press for a bike boulevard, it should do so without compromising away the most important points.

I just don't think your original suggestion that we all do nothing is a good way to achieve any positive end. You can call that "hostility" all you like, but I think it's more matter-of-fact.

bikinpolitico · 2010-06-25 08:56:14

Whoa, Stu, I'm not seeing hostility in this thread, just a disagreement on your suggested course of action. Forums like this should be a dialogue, and if you throw something controversial out there, you should expect a spirited debate.

waterloo_cycles · 2010-06-25 10:27:28

a more useful tactic would have been to show up with a TBC bicycle pin on and sit in the front row (or as close as possible.)

rich00 · 2010-06-29 12:44:36

The more I ride Rio Grande, the less I oppose it as an option. Since whenever I go north I am going to Rio Grande north of MLK anyway, it's actually less of gradient to just take Rio Grande from say 12th street, instead of taking Nueces and then cutting left to Rio Grande near MLK. (17th st is relatively steep).

Resurfacing both of these roads would make riding them vastly more enjoyable.

On another note, I remember how the opposition to a bike boulevard didn't want to "burden" or "discourage" cars. Well, that's quite a funny thing, as bikes are extremely burdened and discouraged (i.e. your life is at risk) on MANY Austin roads such as Lamar, Sections of Guadalupe, Barton Springs, Riverside, RED BUD, Lake Austin bvd, and just about 90% of main arteries outside of downtown. Talk about selfish.

dougmc · 2010-07-02 12:51:00

rich00 wrote:

On another note, I remember how the opposition to a bike boulevard didn't want to "burden" or "discourage" cars. Well, that's quite a funny thing, as bikes are extremely burdened and discouraged (i.e. your life is at risk) on MANY Austin roads such as Lamar, Sections of Guadalupe, Barton Springs, Riverside, RED BUD, Lake Austin bvd, and just about 90% of main arteries outside of downtown. Talk about selfish.

Yes, but the people who are talking about "burdening" or "discouraging" cars typically don't ride bikes, and therefore that's only a problem if a cyclist is somehow in front of them. Please, try to keep up! :)

rich00 · 2010-07-02 22:42:03

Their logic says that it's more important for cars on Nueces to not be slowed down by maybe 30-60seconds (most of the time it'd be much less than that) due to bicycle riding improvements, than it is for a cyclist to have a safe road to ride on.

But wait, I can think of many instances throughout my rides where cars burden me, being in my way. It's part of sharing the road, but once again, the thought process for cars is "we don't want to share the road if it slows us down, our convenience is more important than your safety."

I had a good experience tonight, when going west on Steck at the Mopac intersection, I almost always get cut off by cars speeding around me as I climb that short steep hill to the light, where they are turning right to get on the highway. But tonight, I had a car wait behind me AT A GOOD DISTANCE of at least 50 ft and let me continue up the hill to the bike lane at the stop light. I was going quite slow since I was not on my road bike and just commuting back from a store. That was nice for once, I didn't have a car racing up behind me there. I think a colored bike lane there (as done on Dean Keaton) would be beneficial to cyclists.

Last edited by rich00 (2010-07-02 22:43:41)

Bicycle Austin forum

#1 2010-06-24 02:01:30

BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#2 2010-06-24 08:53:25

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#3 2010-06-24 08:57:56

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#4 2010-06-24 09:01:27

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#5 2010-06-24 23:23:44

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#6 2010-06-25 00:50:24

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#7 2010-06-25 07:27:54

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#8 2010-06-25 08:50:52

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#9 2010-06-25 08:51:43

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#10 2010-06-25 08:56:14

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#11 2010-06-25 10:27:28

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#12 2010-06-29 12:44:36

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#13 2010-07-02 12:51:00

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

#14 2010-07-02 22:42:03

Re: BOYCOTT Thurs. 6/24 Downtown Bicycle Blvd Meeting

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