BIKE: What should we ask council candidates?

[Michael Bluejay]

A few years ago I polled this list to get questions to ask candidates 
for City Council for the (then) Car-Free Austin newsletter.  I'm not 
sure I ever got around to doing so, and I can't find the list of 
questions I compiled among the thousands of email messages I have.  So 
I'm starting over.  Below is what I've come up with so far.  What else 
should we ask?

If you want to reply to me directly instead of the whole list, please 
write to disposable2(at)michaelbluejay.com.

Thanks,

-MBJ-
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1. Many people have reservations about the helmet ordinance because the 
last time anyone checked, over 90% of the no-helmet tickets given to 
kids were given to black and Hispanic kids, and because many believe 
that getting kids to wear helmets should be the responsibility of 
parents, not the police.

	(a) Would you vote for a repeal of the helmet ordinance?

	(b). Would you sponsor such a resolution?

2. It is perfectly legal for cars to park in most bike lanes in Austin, 
rendering them useless for their intended purpose.  One supposes that 
in the rest of the civilized world outside of Austin, people understand 
that bike lanes are actually supposed to be for bikes, not cars.

	(a) Would you vote for legislation prohibiting cars from parking in 
bike lanes?

	(b) Would you sponsor such a resolution?

	(c) If you would not vote for such a resolution, do you have an 
alternative plan for dealing with the problem of cars parking in bike 
lanes?

3. In those few bike lanes where it's illegal for cars to park, 
enforcement is spotty at best.  Many times we've seen a police cruiser 
pass one or more cars parked in a bike lane, paying no notice.  By 
contrast we know cyclists who have been arrested and gone to jail for 
minor traffic infractions such as bicycling on the sidewalk, running a 
red light, or biking without a helmet.  How would you improve 
enforcement of the no-parking in bike lanes rule where it exists?

4. For years Shoal Creek had narrow bike lanes where it was legal for 
cars to park.  Cyclists pushed for a restriping of the road which would 
have had parking on just one side of the street, so there would be room 
for car-free bike lanes.  But instead the City came in and widened the 
bike lanes, put in obstructions (planters) up and down the roadway, and 
continued to allow car parking.  So, what we had before:  Bike lanes 
with cars parked in them.  What we have now:  Bike lanes with cars 
parked in them, plus more obstructions.  This mess is detailed at 
http://BicycleAustin.info/shoalcreek

	(a) Do you believe that the current setup for Shoal Creek is 
preferable to what we had before?  If so, why?

	(b) Would you support a plan for Shoal Creek to have parking on one 
side of the road and car-free bike lanes in both directions?

	(c) What else, if anything, would you do to improve conditions for 
cycling on Shoal Creek?

5. Do you think the budget for the City's Bicycle Program should be 
increased, decreased, or remain the same?

6. How can the bus system best be improved?  What role would you take 
in that?