Subject:     Austin Bike News  10-10-00
Date:        10/10/00 4:59 AM
Received:    10/10/00 5:07 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                             Oct. 10, 2000
>#####################################################################

      >> [See the very end for how to subscribe/unsubscribe.]


   B   I   K   E      I   S      B   E   A   U   T   I   F   U   L  .
>>####################################################################
>###  FROM THE EDITOR: - Goodbye
 ###
>###  VOTE FOR LIGHT RAIL
 ###
>###  RECYCLED BIKES AT ECOLOGY ACTION, COURTESY OF YELLOW BIKE PROJECT
 ###
>###  CITY'S BIKE PROGRAM CENSORS ITS LINK TO BicycleAustin.info
>>####################################################################


>=====================================================================
> FROM THE EDITOR:  Goodbye
>---------------------------------------------------------------------

After this issue, I will cease publication of Austin Bike News
indefinitely for personal reasons.  In the meantime, I suggest you
read _Cycling News_, available at most shops and at Wheatsville, or
get it mailed to you when you join the Austin Cycling Association.
For more on _Cycling News_:

   http://BicycleAustin.info/news.html#cn


>=====================================================================
> VOTE FOR LIGHT RAIL                   http://BicycleAustin.info/rail
>---------------------------------------------------------------------

Rail bashers are doing their best to paint light rail as an expensive 
project that won't help Austin's transportation problems.  We could 
refute their claims point by point (and we will), but the point that 
makes all other points irrelevant is this:  In cities across the U.S. 
which have been smart enough to adopt rail, light rail WORKS.  The 
projects come in on or under budget, ridership is way above 
predictions, there are fewer cars on the road, the air gets measurably 
cleaner, and, here's the kicker: even the skeptics see that rail is an 
unqualified success.  Check out Dallas, where citizens recently voted 
to speed up construction of the rest of their rail system, with a 
whopping 77% voting for the proposal.  If that's not a stunning 
endorsement by a community for more rail once it's had a taste of it, 
we don't know what is.
Ê
In fact, we'd like to turn the tables on the rail-bashers: If all the 
negative things you say are true, then give us an example of a U.S. 
city where light rail failed or the citizens don't like it.
Ê
The fact that light rail is so successful shouldn't be surprising.  
It's fast, clean, comfortable, and moves large numbers of people, for 
less than the cost of new roadway construction.  With all this going 
for it, how could rail NOT work?
Ê
And if we don't build rail, what's the alternative?  A revamped bus 
system?  Not even close:

  * Buses are stuck in the same traffic as cars.  So instead of being 
    stuck in traffic jams in your car, you can be stuck in traffic jams 
    on the bus.  Some alternative.

  * Buses have a much higher operating cost than rail, because you 
    need one driver for just one small bus, while rail has one operator 
    for multiple large rail cars.

  * Buses move fewer people than rail.  A train with multiple rail 
    cars moves LOTS more people than the bus, especially during rush 
    hour.  Sure, you could run the buses more frequently, but then the 
    operating cost would skyrocket.  And you'd be putting more vehicles 
    on the road.

  * People who won't take the bus will ride the rail.  It's crazy, 
    but it's true.  That's been the experience with rail in countless 
    other U.S. cities.

  * Buses emit lots of polluting exhaust, but rail doesn't.

In any event, we can't choose between more buses vs. rail, because THAT 
CHOICE ISN'T ON THE BALLOT. If we don't vote for rail, the money that 
Capital Metro has been saving for it won't go for more buses, it'll go 
for more roads.  Road-lovers have been chomping at the bit waiting to 
raid that money.

Some people want us to improve the bus system "before" we build light 
rail.  Sorry, but that's not the choice being offered to us.  If light 
rail is defeated, that doesn't mean that the bus system will be 
magically improved.  It just means we've screwed ourselves out a system 
that would have been better than the best bus system we could ever hope 
for.
Ê
Some are wary of Capital Metro being in charge of the rail system. But 
for all its problems, Capital Metro has been steadily improving.  As 
the Statesman said on 9-10: "Over the past three years, Cap Metro has 
cleaned house and received high marks from auditors.  It has new 
management, and its books are in order and in the black.  Bus ridership 
is up, operating costs are down, and the agency is contributing 
increasing amounts to improving area roads." In any event, it is MUCH 
easier to get rail to run on time than it is to get buses to run on 
time.  If you really believe that Capital Metro is incompetent, then 
you'll want to give them something easier to schedule than buses.
Ê
So how about building more roads instead of building rail? Great, 
except for this:

  * That's what we've been doing for decades, but it's not working.

  * Austin ALREADY has more road-miles per capita than any other 
    major Texas city (lane-miles per capita of high-quality state & 
    federally funded roads).

  * Road building costs more than rail, takes longer to build than 
    rail, disrupts traffic much more during its construction than rail, 
    and costs much more to maintain than rail.  Plus roads can't even 
    move as many people as rail.

  * Rail's greatest promise is moving people through the congested 
    central city. Where exactly are you going to put a new highway 
    through Austin? Down Lamar or Guadalupe?!?

Most importantly, more massive roadbuilding is ALREADY planned for this 
area.  We're getting more roads whether we put in rail or not.

Some people say that we shouldn't build rail because it won't solve 
congestion. The reality is that Austin is growing so fast that NOTHING 
will "solve" congestion, but there are definitely steps we can take to 
make it better.  The point is, if we DON'T build light rail, congestion 
is going to be WORSE.  It's just common sense: How is moving tens of 
thousands of people in compact rail cars NOT going to have a positive 
impact?
Ê
The charge has been made that rail is useless because it would handle 
only 3% of Austin traffic.  But Mopac itself moves only 5%!  And does 
anyone think congestion wouldn't get worse if we shut down Mopac?!?
Ê
One of the letters in the Statesman said, "If you wouldn't ride light 
rail yourself, then don't vote for it."  That's just crazy!  Most 
people don't ride the bus -- should we get rid of the bus system too?!? 
 Or the public schools, or the WIC program, or substance abuse 
programs?  In any event, any motorist who won't ride rail but wants 
fewer cars in front of him on his way to work should vote FOR light 
rail. 
Ê
Here's a visual depiction of light rail's promise:  This summer 
transportation advocates gathered downtown to take some clever photos 
which show how much roadway space is wasted by automobiles vs. rail.  
Check out the photos:

   http://www.lightrailnow.org/wastedspace.html
Ê
Bicyclists have another reason to support rail:  We'll likely be able 
to carry our bikes right onto the train, as is common in other cities. 
Not only is it quicker than fumbling with the rack on front of the bus, 
but rail cars can accommodate more cyclists (no more worrying that the 
rack already has bikes on it), and you won't have to worry about your 
bike getting stolen from the bus rack.
Ê
Remember, a vote for rail doesn't raise taxes and doesn't authorize 
more bonds.  The project would be funded by the EXISTING sales tax and 
federal grants.  Rail is so affordable it's ridiculous.
Ê
In Austin, this will be our last chance to build light rail for quite 
some time.  Capital Metro has been saving money in anticipation of 
building rail, but if the election fails, that money will likely go to 
build more roadways instead -- even though more massive road-building 
is already planned for this area even if light rail wins.
Ê
The facts are simple:  Rail works. It's fast, efficient, comfortable, 
less polluting, a good investment, and affordable.
Ê
----------------------------------------
What you can do to support light rail.
Ê
(1) Check to make sure you're registered to vote:

     http://www.taxnetusa.com/travisvoter
Ê
(2) Talk to your friends about rail. If they give you some of the 
trendy, lame criticisms of light rail listed above, politely point out 
the facts.
Ê
(3) Write to the Statesman. Positive letters about rail are needed to 
counter the barrage of anti-rail letters. Send polite, short letters 
(150 words or less) to: Letters to the Editor, PO Box 670 Austin, Tx 
78767, or to letters@statesman.com.  Include your mailing address &
phone number for verification purposes or they won't print your letter.



>=====================================================================
> RECYCLED BIKES AT ECOLOGY ACTION, COURTESY OF YELLOW BIKE PROJECT
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
[from the Ecology Action newsletter]

Austin's Yellow Bike Project (YBP) and Ecology Action of Texas (EA) 
have teamed up to offer an exciting solution to your human-powered 
transport interests and needs in central Austin.  YBP's Library Bike 
program offers individuals the chance to earn a library card through 12 
hours of volunteer work or a $20 donation.  With a library card you can 
"check out" a bike, ready to roll with u-lock and lights, for a week at 
a time.

The newest Bike Library station is conveniently located in downtown 
Austin, on the front porch of EA's recycling center.  The bicycles fit 
well with EA's goals, as all Library Bikes are recycled -- rebuilt from 
donated materials into quality machines by YBP volunteers.  Both YBP 
and EA are proud to be collaborating on this innovate program and 
encourage you to stop be EA, at the corner of 9th St. and S. I-35, 
weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends from 9am-5pm, and check out our 
bikes.  You can even perform your volunteer hours right there at the 
recycling center.  Bring your recyclable materials while you're at it.

There are also Yellow Bike Library Stations up and running at the YBP 
shop in East Austin (1182 Hargrave), Ecowise in South Austin (110 W. 
Elizabeth), with one coming soon to the Wheatsville Food Co-op near 
campus (3101 Guadalupe).  For more information about the Library Bike 
program, call YBP at 457-9880.



>=====================================================================
> CITY'S BICYCLE PROGRAM CENSORS LINK TO BicycleAustin.info
>---------------------------------------------------------------------

We hate airing dirty laundry, but this is newsworthy and we thought 
you'd want to know:  The City of Austin's Bicycle Program has removed 
its link to BicycleAustin.info.  Why?  Because supposedly 
BicycleAustin.info "recommends that cyclists disobey traffic laws".

This is, of course, absurd; BicycleAustin.info makes no such 
recommendation.  Where exactly does the Bike Program staff see this 
kind of content?  They won't say.

But this is not the first time this issue has come up.  Months ago when 
the Bike Program first threatened to remove its link, their complaint 
was about an article called "Fighting Bicycle Tickets".  We pointed out 
that that article is not a part of BicycleAustin.info; we merely link to 
it.  We didn't hear back from the Bike Program, and their link to us 
remained intact.  Until recently.

Why would the Bike Program do something so crazy?  Two words: Doug 
Ballew.  Some of you may remember that Doug Ballew was the guy behind 
Austin's infamous helmet law.  Without involving any of the local 
cycling community, Ballew met with city councilmembers in 1996 and 
convinced them to pass the helmet law as an emergency measure, making 
it a law before any of the rest of us even knew it was on the agenda!

Here's how this ties back into the censored link:  In our "Who's Who 
Guide" to local cycling on BicycleAustin.info, we correctly identified 
Ballew as the unpopular figure who secretly pushed the helmet law 
through City Council.  This angered Ballew, so he falsely complained to 
the Bike Program (and probably to their superiors, and to APD, etc.) 
that we were advocating illegal activity, and asked them to remove 
their link to us.  So the bottom line is, the REAL reason we got 
censored was not because we advocated law-breaking; we got censored 
because Doug Ballew didn't want people to go to BicycleAustin.info and 
read our criticism of his role in passing the helmet law.

Perhaps Ballew thinks that by preventing people from going to 
BicycleAustin.info, they won't find out about his helmet law legacy, but 
he apparently doesn't realize that BicycleAustin.info gets nearly 1,000 
visitors a month WITHOUT the city's link.  And here's the real irony:  
only a tiny fraction of our visitors ever read the "Who's Who Guide", 
but this newsletter is going out to over 600 people.  By getting us 
censored, Ballew has inadvertently caused hundreds of people to learn 
about his tactics who wouldn't have known about it otherwise!

Wait, it gets better.  After Ballew asked the Bike Program to censor us 
(without knowing that we had figured out that he was the one behind 
it), he had the nerve to write and ask us to say glowing things about 
his other cycling work!

Back to the web side of the story, there are some other crazy things 
about the censored link.  For example, the Bike Program still links to 
the Austin Cycling Association and to the Austin Ridge Riders, and BOTH 
THOSE GROUPS LINK TO BicycleAustin.info!  Why hasn't the Bike Program 
censored its links to those sites?  Doesn't the Bike Program realize 
that by linking to them, visitors to those sites can easily click over 
to the evil and supposedly law-breakin' BicycleAustin.info?  (This is 
kind of rhetorical, because as we've said, the real reason we got 
censored was because of Ballew and not because of what we link to.)  
Also, get this:  NOW the first two links on the Bike Program's site
are -- you guessed it -- the Travis County Supercyclist Project, headed
by none other than Doug Ballew!

It's funny, we put local cycling issues on the web years before anyone 
else, including the Bike Program.  And we've built BicycleAustin.info 
into a massive resource (hundreds of pages) that covers information you 
just can't get anywhere else -- especially not on the Bicycle Program's 
website or anyone else they link to.  While the Bicycle Program avoids 
pointing visitors to the largest single source of local biking info, 
they're also not providing that info themselves:  for example, the 
"late-breaking news" section on their website hasn't been updated since 
June.

It's not that we're worried about a lack of visitors to 
BicycleAustin.info from the lack of the link.  With our stats, our guess
is that we send lots more traffic to the Bike Program's site than they 
ever did to us.  (We also include a link to the Bike Program at the end
of each of these newsletters.)  And we know that the community supports
us, from the 600+ subscribers to this newsletter to our recent "Best of
Austin" award from the Austin Chronicle.  No, we just think it's a shame
that the Bike Program is cheating visitors out of getting local biking
info just because Doug Ballew whined to them.

Of course, it's possible we're being too hard on the Bike Program -- 
maybe Ballew pulled some political strings and made it impossible for 
the Bike Program to refuse.  We don't know, but it would certainly fit 
his style.  First the helmet law, then getting BicycleAustin.info 
censored, what's the next wonderful thing that Doug Ballew is going to 
do for the local cycling community?

[The City's website lists Doug Ballew's phone number as 708-0513.]


>=====================================================================
>PUBLICATION / SUBSCRIPTION INFO               Michael Bluejay, editor
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
>>     http://BicycleAustin.info                      bluejay@mail.com
>---------------------------------------------------------------------

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Austin Bike News is published one to four times a month.  You're
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Before writing with questions, please check BicycleAustin.info to see 
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> Thanks for reading this far.  Ride safely! :)  -MBJ-


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