BIKE: Kunstler's Eyesore of the Month

[dick ryan]

I rode out (or tried to) on the Lake Austin bike lane to the city  
council meeting yesterday - it is indeed ridiculous.
Not only does the asphalt move in and out, but there are sporadic piles  
of gravel and large holes to drop into.
The result is of course that you are forced out into the car lane - not  
something the drivers expect when there is a marked bike lane - the  
most dangerous of situations.

The point?  Well, as Mike mentioned, the bike/ped coordinator didn't  
have enough pull to get the lane fixed.
It is my understanding that the position of bike coordinator is now  
vacant and that the city will be hiring a new BC.

Is it possible that a citizen, i.e. bike rider, could be part of the  
team that helps decide who gets hired?
And if so, would the Lake Austin bike lane be a good example to use as  
a "for instance, what would you do if?"
We need to have a person as bike coordinator who will be an activist  
for bicyclist and fight to improve safety for bicyclists in the city of  
Austin.

Dick Ryan



On Friday, April 2, 2004, at 09:51 AM, Mike Dahmus wrote:

> The Lake Austin bike lane is actually bad in design _and_ upkeep.  
> There's a portion (eastbound) where it narrows to about 8 inches wide.  
> Was discussed here a bit at the time; the bike/ped coordinator was as  
> pissed as we were, but didn't have enough pull or peeve (don't know  
> which) to make them go back and fix it.
>
> Upkeep is not the fault of the bike program; but I question the sanity  
> of building a bike lane on a street with no curb and gutter and with  
> substantial debris immediately next to the road. (they do build bike  
> lanes on streets with no C&G in my hometown in Florida; but then again  
> hardly any streets have C&G there due to the water table; plus there's  
> far fewer idiots driving offroad bringing the gravel back with them).
>
> - MD
>
> Lauren Strickler wrote:
>
>> We had friends in from Chicago this weekend, and in riding around,  
>> went down Lake Austin Blvd. west of Exposition which is an excellent  
>> highlight of one of the worst examples of a bike lane I've ever seen  
>> (in terms of maintenance and upkeep - it appears that original design  
>> may not have been the problem).  One of our friends commented on the  
>> nice water garden being cultivated on the south side of the street,  
>> taking up most of the bike lane.
>>
>> There's a great poster I saw once of a large multi-lane road, with  
>> what looks like the standard rutted, gravely bike lane on the right.   
>> But if you look closer, you realize the multi-lanes are for bikes,  
>> with a few bicyclists riding down the road.  The "bike lane" actually  
>> has a car painted on the road as its a car lane that hasn't been kept  
>> up because bicyclists are getting priority:)
>>
>> Lauren Strickler
>> 512-567-9171
>> lauren
>>
>>
>> Original Message:
>>
>>> From: Dave W <daveintex13>
>>> To: forum-bicycleaustin.info
>>> Subject: BIKE: Kunstler's Eyesore of the Month
>>> Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 06:43:39 -0800 (PST)
>>>
>>
>>
>>> Thought you folks might like this for irony:
>>>
>>> http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore.html
>>>
>>> James Howard Kunstler, author of books criticizing
>>> suburbia (A Geography of Nowhere, Home From Nowhere),
>>> posts photos of an "Eyesore of the Month" on his Web
>>> site.  Also see his occasional, and always
>>> entertaining, blog.
>>>
>>> April's eyesore is a bike lane cluster-f#@k that
>>> you've gotta see to believe.  Previous months' are
>>> also hilariously sad.
>>>
>>> Roger:  Love your posts.  Keep it up.
>>> Jeremy: Excellent reasoning.
>>> Bluejay:  I just hit "reply" and I don't have to
>>> remember nor type a long nor short address.
>>>
>>> Dave Westenbarger
>>>
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>>
>>
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