BIKE: Off the UTC

[Patrick Goetz]

Robert M Farr wrote:
> 
>> I received notification via a written letter today that my term has 
>> expired (it actually did on 1/1/05) and that Councilmember Slusher 
>> does not wish me to serve until I am replaced. No further information 
>> was given.
> 
> 
> Maybe you'll be proven correct about the folly that is commuter rail and 
> how that sad precident will sink any chance for a truly great rail 
> solution further down the road. Here's hoping you are wrong about that, 
> at least. It's a little scary because you're usually NOT wrong.
> 

Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, this leaves only one bicyclist 
on the UTC now that Tommy Eden and Mike Dahmus are both gone.

This is problematic, as I'm busy dealing with other issues right now, 
and don't have much time for bicycle politics. The UTC staff laison 
already contacted me about room reservations for the Bicycle Pedestrian 
subcommittee.  When I asked if I was going to be in charge of this 
again, she responded "who else?".

  I've grown fat and lazy enjoying the competent and effective efforts 
of Mike and Tommy.  I've said this once, and will repeat it again:  As 
far as concrete action goes, Tommy and Mike have done more to further 
bicycle transportation issues in the last couple of years than everyone 
else in Austin combined times 4.  When you're tooling down the nice new 
bike lanes on Jollyville road NOT getting killed by being run down from 
the back, you might want to give a few moments of thought to the fact 
that the existence of that bike lane (as well as other facilities) is a 
direct result of someone's hard political work; i.e. it didn't just 
happen by accident, and it's not going to start happening by accident in 
the near future.  When you get ticketed and/or arrested for walking 
across the street at an intersection where the city has posted a "No 
Pedestrians" sign, never mind that there isn't another intersection for 
a mile in each direction (no, I'm not making this up), you might wish 
that someone had been around advocating for the rights of pedestrians 
and bicyclists in a transportation environment designed to accomodate 
motor vehicles, and motor vehicles only.

Consequently I think it would be a good thing if someone on this list 
applied for the UTC position Dahmus is vacating.  Lane Wimberley would 
be a very good candidate, but I'm sure there are others.  All you have 
to do is apply.  That's what I did, that's what Tommy did, that's what 
Mike did.  You go to 8th and Congress and fill out an application.  You 
meet with the councilperson.  You get appointed, you go to meetings a 
couple of times a month and read a few documents in between; you start 
working to make things happen.  4 years later a bicyclist is NOT killed 
because of facilities you worked to get installed, and more people are 
biking because the facilities are there.  It's not much, but it's a hell 
of a lot better than nothing.  Think about it.