Subject: Austin Bike News 9-15-00 Date: 9/15/00 5:12 AM Received: 9/15/00 11:52 AM From: Michael Bluejay, bluejay@mail.com To: austin-bike-news@topica.com >##################################################################### /__/ == /_____/ AUSTIN BIKE NEWS ___/ \ _/ \___ covering bikes as alternative transportation / /\ \/___/\ \ \___/ & \___/ Michael Bluejay, editor * bluejay@mail.com http://BicycleAustin.info Sept. 15, 2000 >##################################################################### >> [See the very end for how to subscribe/unsubscribe.] M Y O T H E R C A R I S A B I C Y C L E . >>#################################################################### >### FROM THE EDITOR: - What's up with the newsletter >### - Name the Domain Contest Winner >### - BicycleAustin.info makes Chronicle's "Best of" ### >### CALENDAR: - 9/15 Capital Metro's Bike to Work Day, 7:30am >### 9/16 Annual Moonlight Cruise, 2:00am >### 9/21 Bicycle Advocacy Council meeting, 6:30pm >### 9/24 Ruta Maya Sunday Ride, 11:30am >### 9/27 UTC Bicycle Subcommittee Mtg., 6:30pm >### 9/29 Critical Mass Ride, 5:00pm >### 10/19 Trial for motorist who killed Ben Clough ### >>#################################################################### >===================================================================== > FROM THE EDITOR: "Name the Domain" contest winner >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >>> WHAT'S UP WITH THE NEWSLETTER Sorry there hasn't been a newsletter in such a long time. I've been busy, but I'll spare you the details. While I'm at it, though, let me explain that I have over 900 emails in my In Box (250 of which arrived while I was recently out of town for three weeks). What this means to you is that I can't always get back to you right away when you email me. It's not personal, it's just impossible for me to help everyone who writes to me with a request. I'll do my best, but I'm afraid I can't make any promises.... :( So here's a short newsletter this time as I try to catch up. Over the next month, you'll get newsletters covering the following topics: - UT's ban on bicycles riding on Speedway & 24th St. - The City's plan to get cars out of bike lanes on Shoal Creek - The memorial ride for Ben Clough and other cycling victims - Austin's light rail initiative - The presidential election (as it relates to alt. transportation) - A bike- and ped-only temporary city at the Burning Man festival - The oil crisis and how we may see radical changes, soon >- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >>> "NAME THE DOMAIN" CONTEST WINNER In our last issue, we asked you to help choose the new domain name for our website. Here are the results of your votes: BicycleAustin.info ****************************** (15) BikeAustin.com ************************** (13) BicyclingInAustin.com ************ (6) AustinBikeNews.com **** (2) So, you can now reach our site at our new address, BicycleAustin.info. But I went ahead and registered the other three domain names and pointed them to BicycleAustin.info, so now there are lots of ways to get to BicycleAustin.info. Everyone who cast a vote to help name the domain was entered in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate at the local bike shop of their choice. And the winner is: Robert Mack Congratulations, Robert! >- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >>> BicycleAustin.info MAKES AUSTIN CHRONICLE'S "BEST OF" ISSUE Nothing like having your own domain name to give you instant credibility. Shortly after we moved the bike site to its own domain name, the Austin Chronicle selected us for kudos in its "Best of Austin" awards, published in this week's issue. Here's what they said: BEST PLACE TO SURF, ER, BIKE THE WEB: BICYCLING IN AUSTIN Michael Bluejay is determined to save the world, one turn of the pedal at a time. He does so quite effectively on his very thorough Web site, covering every cycling issue imaginable. The highlight is an excellent manual on bicycling safety -- it IS possible to cycle in an urban environment and not get run over, you just have to know how to make it happen, both on the bike and at City Hall. >===================================================================== > BICYCLE CALENDAR http://BicycleAustin.info/calendar.html >--------------------------------------------------------------------- [Up-to-date information, as well as more detail, is always available on the website. The website is always your best source of calendar information between newsletters, or to get more info or updates on what's in the newsletter.] > 9/15 CAPITAL METRO'S BIKE-TO-WORK DAY // Wheatsville, 3101 Guadalupe 7:30am If you catch this email in time, have pre-ride breakfast this morning with with Mayor Watson, Karen Rae (Capital Metro's General Manager), Preston Tyree of the Texas Bicycle Coalition, and others. Part of CapMetro's Commute Solutions Month. [Sorry about the late notice; I've been out of town.] > 9/16 ANNUAL MOONLIGHT CRUISE /// Palmer Auditorium, downtown, 2:00am Hundreds of cyclists (sometimes over a thousand) participate in this annual, casual ride. Yes, it's in the middle of the night, but there's something mysterious and magical about hundreds of cyclists riding together on streets that are ABSOLUTELY DEVOID OF CARS! If you've been stressed out about biking in traffic, riding at night on empty roadways is a real treat. Note that we list the ride as 9/16 (Saturday night), but that's technically 9/17 (Sunday morning) since it's at 2:00 am. > 9/21 BICYCLE ADVOCACY COUNCIL MTG. // Mother's Cafe, 43rd & Duval, 6:30pm > 9/24 RUTA MAYA SUNDAY RIDE // Ruta Maya, 218 W. 4th, 11:30am > 9/27 UTC BICYCLE SUBCOMMITTEE MTG. // One TX Center, 505 Barton Sgs., 8th floor, 6:30pm > 9/29 CRITICAL MASS RIDE // UT West Mall, 5:00pm Expect Critical Mass to ride loops around the campus streets where bikes have recently been banned. >10/19 TRIAL FOR BEN CLOUGH'S KILLER /// County Courthouse, 299th, 9:00am The trial for the motorist who killed Ben Clough has been postponed, again. This is the seventh new trial date, but even non-bicycle cases routinely get postponed this many times. Given our experience with the justice system, we think there's about an 80% chance that the case will actually go to trial on this date instead of being postponed again. >===================================================================== > CLASSIFIEDS: Used bikes for sale >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >> DIAMONDBACK MT. BIKE, $300. Recently overhauled, excellent shape, >> excellent for both on- and off-road. Curt_Lansing@Dell.com (6-30) CLASSIFIED POLICY: Ads from individuals are FREE and run for four months or until you tell me to remove it. Commercial ads are $10. Four lines max. for either. >===================================================================== >PUBLICATION / SUBSCRIPTION INFO Michael Bluejay, editor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >> http://BicycleAustin.info bluejay@mail.com >--------------------------------------------------------------------- Back issues are available on http://BicycleAustin.info . Austin Bike News is published one to four times a month. You're getting this newsletter because you either asked for it, or you joined the austin-bikes discussion list. (As advertised, joining the discussion list gets you an automatic subscription to this newsletter.) >UNSUB: If you no longer want the newsletter, send a blank email to: austin-bike-news-unsubscribe@topica.com >If someone forwarded you this newsletter and you want your own >subscription, send a blank email to: austin-bike-news-subscribe@topica.com Articles are by me if uncredited. Articles by others may have been edited for grammar, clarity, conciseness, superstition, or just for the hell of it. Before writing with questions, please check BicycleAustin.info to see if your question is answered there. Here are some shortcuts: Bike Safety........... http://BicycleSafe.com Back Issues........... http://BicycleAustin.info/newsletters Traffic Laws.......... http://BicycleAustin.info/laws.html No Justice for Cyclists http://BicycleAustin.info/justice Calendar.............. http://BicycleAustin.info/calendar.html City's Bicycle Program. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/bicycle Tracking License Plates http://www.publicdata.com We currently have 606 subscribers, up 44 since June. > Thanks for reading this far. Ride safely! :) -MBJ- ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics