BIKE: [Fwd: Invitation to Public Meeting - Shoal Creek Boulevard Transportati on Project]

[Patrick Goetz]

This meeting needs to include a strong showing by bicyclists, so I urge 
everyone to attend.  SBC is on the May Urban Transportation Commission 
agenda, too -- I urge as many people as can make it to attend this 
meeting too.  My strong opinion is that the city needs to take out the 
bicycle barriers and return the road to its original configuration, 
possibly with some traffic circles at certain intersections.  If there 
is any way possible, residents of SBC should be made to shoulder most or 
all of the cost of this, since they're directly responsible for this 
debacle.

Some brief thoughts:
1.  If you want to slow down car traffic, you put up a barrier IN THE 
MIDDLE OF THE STREET (like a traffic circle).  This will slow them down. 
  Putting a barrier in the bike lane is an Imbeciles of America 
solution:  it doesn't slow down cars at all, but it does present a 
significant hazard to cyclists.
2. The new barriers create parking lanes.  Period.  It has become quite 
dangerous to bike on SBC, a street which by all rights should be one of 
the city's primary bicycle arterials, because of the additional cars 
parked on the street, the narrower through traffic lanes, and the fact 
that bicyclists are channeled into these lanes by the bicycle barriers.
3. Dangerous, hideous mistakes need to be corrected.  Never mind that 
$300,000 were spent on this.  If this cost isn't covered by SBC 
residents, then they need to go to the end of the list for future 
enhancements and city services for at least the next 20 years.

4. If nothing is done, a mechanism needs to be found which will allow 
SBC residents to be held liable for any accidents on SBC resulting from 
the bicycle barriers.  This would go a long way towards slapping the 
smug attitude off their faces, as they've accomplished the goal of 
getting bicyclists off the street while enjoying 3 or 4 new 
semi-private, secure car parking spaces per resident courtesy of the 
city; i.e. we the taxpayers.  Talk about middle class welfare!



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Invitation to Public Meeting - Shoal Creek Boulevard
Transportati on Project
Date: 	Mon, 25 Apr 2005 09:14:04 -0500
From: 	Keri.Juarez

Dear Resident and/or User of Shoal Creek Boulevard:

The City of Austin Public Works Department invites you to attend a
Public Meeting about the Shoal Creek Boulevard Transportation Project:

Date:                May 11, 2005

Time:                7:00 pm

Location:           Gullett Elementary School Cafeteria, 6310 Treadwell 
Blvd.


This Public Meeting will also be advertised through posted signs and
hand-delivered flyers in the coming weeks.  Please feel free to forward
this invitation to anyone who might be interested in attending.  If you
have any questions, please contact me at 974-7298 or
keri.juarez.  Please join us for the meeting!

Sincerely,

Keri R. Burchard-Juarez, PE
City of Austin
Project Management Division
Public Works Department
phone: 974-7298
fax: 974-7203