Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

dougmc · 2017-12-05 17:46:34

This was posted to the Facebooks (and more discussion here) --

It's not hard to tell which side of things the makers of this flyer are on.

In any event, somehow I suspect this may even be more than part three, and Michael has documented some of the previous attempts really well ... and I guess here we go again!

(That said, if this is the plan, I'm not sure I'm in favor of a two-way bike lane on anything but a one-way street ...)

It's all that accursed "downtown entity" !

RedFalcon · 2017-12-05 20:32:01

Riding against the flow of traffic while crossing busy intersections. The whole way from 38th to Foster? What could possibly go wrong?? I' m not anti-bike lane, but I am anti stupid bike lane. If they build it, I will not go there.

MichaelBluejay · 2017-12-06 18:56:44

dougmc, I didn't just *document* previous attempts, I *spearheaded* the 1996 attempt. Pretty much by myself, but only because I couldn't get anyone else interested in helping me push for it. I thought the fact that city staff was recommending car-free bike lanes too might be enough. It wasn't. Anyway, here's my report on that first attempt.

On the current plan, Bike Austin's website, typically, doesn't have any level of detail about what they're proposing for Shoal Creek Blvd., besides "Add protected bike lanes to serve people of all-ages and abilities on the street" and "Improve the street for more experienced bicyclists through signage, on-street markings and traffic calming."

I've begged Bike Austin to occasionally post what they're up to here (on the BICYCLE Austin forum), but they refused.

Jack · 2018-12-03 17:49:48

Quatre? http://austintexas.gov/sites/default/fi … 112118.pdf A new phase for the Shoal Creek Massacre is beginning. https://data.austintexas.gov/stories/s/yjim-unm2

RedFalcon · 2018-12-13 21:42:28

In spite of my earlier comment about not wanting to ride on a contra-flow bike lane, I ended up getting involved in this Shoal Creek bike lane effort anyway. I am still opposed to these contra-flow protected lanes because...intersections...and driveways. BUT, I AM in favor of banning all on street parking on SCB. Ban on street parking and we could have a pretty good north to south bike lane route that doesn't include door zones and needless contra-flow confusion. Throw in some traffic calming and you could almost pretend you were in an advanced First World Country.

Why should people be allowed to store their private property on a public road designed to move people? A couple of years ago my daughter and her kids moved in with me and now my garage is overstuffed. Does that mean I can now rent a pod unit and store my private property on the street in front of my shitty rat infested duplex*? Do the other tax payers have to help me cover the costs of the decisions I made about how much stuff I own?

Suggesting banning parking on SCB will go over about as well as herpes in a whore house, but for anyone who agrees, maybe you could add a supporting comment to the COA survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ShoalCreekBlvdSurvey.

I went to the meeting with Leslie Pool a couple of weeks ago as well as a few other meetings and of course the NIMBY Carnivale at Gullet last night. Pool talks a good talk, but I trust about as much as I would trust my 10' Burmese Python alone with my hamster**. Even after talking about her own cycle commuting she couldn't manage to give a full-throated commitment to plans that would help kids safely bike to school. Well, I guess JFK isn't around to write a sequel to 'Profiles in Courage' anyway.

I was early to the Gullet NIMBYfest last night, so I rode up and down SCB from Foster to 2222 and looked at the driveways. Wow! I was prepared to think about considering toning down my radical anti-parking stance, but WOW. These rich people have plenty of parking on their properties as it is! SO, if the "But, we need to be able to park someplace" comes up, that is 100% Grade A, USDA prime bullshit. And it will come up. At the open house they had maps with post-it notes so people could make comments. I made the mistake of reading a few. From being on the BAC, I know some of the city staff who where there. I talked to one and she told me she was going to have to read all of those comments. I told her that I would rather be boiled alive in my own blood than have to read those post it notes. I suggested she call in sick for a day or two.

Today at work my boss gave me a stupid boring task to do. As I sat there thinking about how much I hated doing it I thought about how the city ATD staff are reading those NIMBY notes right now and I said "Yes, boss, right away boss, I'll be happy to do this stupid meaningless job, boss!"

* I see the SCB bike lane debate as a proxy war between the Haves v the Have Nots. The rich and well connected usually get what they want. A single member of the Landed Aristocracy in an Austin neighborhood can kill a potentially decent bike lane and force a stupid compromise that is Unsafe at any Speed.

** I don't really have hamsters or snakes.

MichaelBluejay · 2018-12-14 06:17:24

I feel your pain, Red. Thirteen years ago I led a one-person effort to try to ban parking in bike lanes on Shoal Creek, one-person only because I couldn't rally any support from within the bike community. I was miffed that cyclists flooded Council chambers to oppose the proposed resurrection of the adult bike helmet law, but when we had the chance to kick cars out of bike lanes then where were they? City staff had actually proposed the parking ban, and I showed up to Council with pictures and video illustrating the problem, and then council proceeded to officially give the green light to continued parking in bike lanes.

I know I'm a broken record on this, but it's the *attitudes* behind the support for parking in bike lanes, more than the parking in bike lanes itself, which is why we have a safety problem. We can build facilities out the wazoo, but until we change drivers' hearts and minds, the roads will never be safe. Europe isn't safer to ride because they have more bike lanes. It's safer to ride because drivers there respect cyclists' right to keep living.

P.S. I filled out the survey.

Jack · 2018-12-14 13:21:29

Thanks for posting the survey link, RF. In terms of false "bike friendliness" the proposed two-way lane hits a lot of notes for those who don't understand what bicycle riders really need to be safe, but the reality of it is that implementing the proposal would make Shoal Creek riding far worse for riders of all skill levels than it is today.

Darron · 2019-03-27 08:59:03

Just read an article saying there is still time to give feedback on this:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ShoalCreekBlvd

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/ … 1879545840

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Shoal Creek Boulevard in central Austin may see some changes soon. The Austin Transportation Department is weighing several different options to see if there's a better way for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians to share the same road.
"I'm concerned about that intersection. I'm concerned about Shoal Creek in general," said Brock Lawson, who lives on Shoal Creek Boulevard.
Lawson attended the first of three open houses the city hosted to learn about the options the city is reviewing.
The city is looking at Shoal Creek Boulevard in two sections. For the section that extends from 38th Street to Foster Lane, ATD came up with five possibilities:
Leave the road as is. Right now, it has two lanes of traffic in the middle and on either side is a lane for parking that can also be used as a bike lane.
One way painted bicycle lanes. Remove parking on one side.
One way buffered bicycle lanes. Parking remains on both sides, but restricted between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
One way protected bike lanes. Parking removed.
Two way protected bike lanes. Parking removed on one side.
Upper Shoal Creek is from Foster Lane to 183, and ATD is considering three options for that stretch. They include installing different forms of bike lanes or keeping the status quo.

MichaelBluejay · 2019-03-27 12:13:47

Thanks for posting this, Darron! I filled out the survey. But I don't want to get my hopes up, because the last effort was heartbreaking.

dougmc · 2019-03-29 01:14:27

It would seem that the people against this are also getting their word out.

MichaelBluejay · 2019-08-09 19:14:32

Work on Shoal Creek to begin mid-August. https://data.austintexas.gov/stories/s/ … akeholders

I'm not wild about the two-way bike lane, but it's certainly better than cars parked in the bike lane.

I haven't ridden on Shoal Creek Blvd. in years, but I might venture over to check it out once the new work is done.

Jack · 2019-08-12 14:21:23

MichaelBluejay wrote:

Work on Shoal Creek to begin mid-August. I might venture over to check it out once the new work is done.

I surely will.

RedFalcon · 2019-08-12 22:42:02

And it looks like the city will be using chip seal on the new Shoal Creek surface. https://mailchi.mp/austintexas.gov/shoa … c3762d773a

I hate cars, but they are at least useful for tamping down chip seal. So, we will have to wait for drivers who are distracted or drunk to drive into the bike lane to help squish down the loose gravel. Of course, SCB residents will surely help by putting their trash cans in the bike lane too.

So, for a little while the new bike lane will be a gravel grind! Very cool. Very trendy! I will buy a new gravel bike so I can ride it before the drunks ruin it.

Last edited by RedFalcon (2019-08-12 22:49:29)

MichaelBluejay · 2019-09-20 18:55:16

The City reports that they've installed the protected bike lanes between Foster Lane and 183, and are trimming trees for the lower part of Shoal Creek Blvd.

https://mailchi.mp/austintexas.gov/prot … and-us-183

RedFalcon · 2019-09-21 11:15:50

MichaelBluejay wrote:

The City reports that they've installed the protected bike lanes between Foster Lane and 183, and are trimming trees for the lower part of Shoal Creek Blvd.

Didn't most or part of this section already have buffered bike lanes on both sides? I guess the 'protected' parts are the flexible plastic posts designed to easily fold over when hit by a car.

Leaving aside the argument about the usefulness of this bike lane, this seems like yet another BS City of Austin measure. Make 'em out of concrete if you want to call it a 'protected'.

MichaelBluejay · 2019-09-21 20:30:30

I don't think "protected" means they're suggesting that it's impossible for a vehicle to hit us, just far less likely for them to do so. I applaud "far less likely".

It's also an efficient use of limited funds. They can improve way more miles of bike lanes with plastic posts than they could with concrete. I'll take it.

Donald Lewis · 2019-09-27 21:45:15

Plastic posts are all there is to discourage someone of jumping on or off a Mopac toll lane in a non-approved spot.
Plastic or not, I would not risk tearing up the bottom of my car by driving over those.

Jack · 2019-10-18 17:47:09

Donald Lewis wrote:

Plastic posts are all there is to discourage someone of jumping on or off a Mopac toll lane in a non-approved spot.
Plastic or not, I would not risk tearing up the bottom of my car by driving over those.

Note the number of broken posts at the entrance to Mopac from the northbound frontage road near the south end of the bike/ped bridge--and most of those were done in within a week of their going up.
http://austintexas.gov/page/mopac-bicyc … ge-project for aerial view (photo pre-posts)

MichaelBluejay · 2020-02-19 03:42:05

The Chronicle ran a photo of the newly-opened portion of the bikeway on Shoal Creek Blvd., noting "the 2-mile segment has already seen an 80% decrease in dangerous speeding, according to a press release from MoveATX, Bike Austin, and Walk Austin".

However, I'm with Jack on the idea that two-way bike lanes are a Bad Idea. Should have had one lane on each side of the road, same direction as car traffic.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/20 … headlines/

MichaelBluejay · 2020-05-29 22:00:44

From the City: "Bikeway installation was recently completed on the west side of Shoal Creek Boulevard between 39th ½ Street and Shoalmont Drive. This was the final segment of bikeway installation on Shoal Creek Boulevard between 38th Street and US 183."

open-uri20200529-93-12wob9o?1590789566

https://data.austintexas.gov/stories/s/ … -197074635

Jack · 2020-06-01 15:58:22

Man; if you think that looks dangerous now, wait until the paint is wet. Geez.
I presume they have separate signalization sorted out to help, but still.

Bicycle Austin forum

#1 2017-12-05 17:46:34

Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#2 2017-12-05 20:32:01

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#3 2017-12-06 18:56:44

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#4 2018-12-03 17:49:48

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#5 2018-12-13 21:42:28

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#6 2018-12-14 06:17:24

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#7 2018-12-14 13:21:29

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#8 2019-03-27 08:59:03

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#9 2019-03-27 12:13:47

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#10 2019-03-29 01:14:27

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#11 2019-08-09 19:14:32

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#12 2019-08-12 14:21:23

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#13 2019-08-12 22:42:02

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#14 2019-09-20 18:55:16

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#15 2019-09-21 11:15:50

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#16 2019-09-21 20:30:30

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#17 2019-09-27 21:45:15

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#18 2019-10-18 17:47:09

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#19 2020-02-19 03:42:05

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#20 2020-05-29 22:00:44

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

#21 2020-06-01 15:58:22

Re: Shoal Creek, part trois (?)

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