BIKE: What should we ask council candidates?

[Jeb Boyt]

Rather than the general question about the Bike/Ped program and the specific 
question about Shoal Creek (what's done is done), I would recommend asking 
about their commitment for funding bike/ped projects.  Something to the 
effect of:

In recent years, the City Council has supported allocating 15% of 
transportation funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects, do you favor 
continuing to commit at least 15% of transportation funds for bicycle and 
pedestrian projects?

Jeb

----Original Message Follows----
From: Michael Bluejay <bikes>
To: Austin Bikes <forum>
Subject: BIKE: What should we ask council candidates?
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 00:42:06 -0600

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-
------------------------------------------------------------

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?


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