BIKE: Mostly Well-Done AusChron Article on SCB (Bury the Hatchet)

[Thorne]

I've thought it through many times, Dahmus.  And have again.  SCB was the
wrong place to be having the wrong argument, since cycling SCB with parking on
the sides is just fine, and I was no 'expert rider' my first several dozen
times riding it.  All of us might ask ourselves why SCB is so attractive to
cyclists if it's also so bad as some claim.  It's not the bike lane, its the
nice safe riding.

I agree that the SCB battle was bad for the future of cycling interests in
Austin--wholeheartedly.  Losing the SCB battle was bad for cyclists because it
showed cyclists fighting the wrong battle for the wrong reasons and seriously
reduced the credibility of 'bicycle advocates' in Austin.  And that was the
very concern I had from the moment I was approached in 2000 to sign the
petition in support.  By all appearances, it was a battle over turf, not
safety, which is why the 'debacle' started with the idea to paint the bike
lanes in the first place (long before the battle over parking began).  To
date, I've never heard a coherent argument for why SCB parking was the
priority of the day as far as Austin cycling safety was concerned.  Dangerous
places needed that attention, and still do.

But, since I'd really hoped that the repetitive SCB posts would end (and
noting that I have received several off-list replies thanking me for
interjecting into the SCB history debate my concern that there wasn't good
cause to enter the battle), and now regret getting baited into continuing
them, I'll fall silent for awhile.  I regret my tendency to be a bit
repetitive on this list as well.

Jeff

------ Original Message ------
Mike Dahmus <mdahmus> wrote:
So for you (whomever [sic] you are) and especially Thorne -- if you think this
is no big deal, you'd better think again. This was the biggest loss for
bicycle transportation in our city in a decade or more. The 
ramifications, even if no kid riding to Northwest Park ever gets killed 
by a car because of it, are just beginning to be seen.

- MD

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