another slap on the wrist (Houston, Dallas: car registration, neighborhoods, buy) - Austin - Texas (TX) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

verybadgnome · 04-08-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasGirl@Heart

As unfortunate as this story is, it's also true that not all drivers are reckless. This accident probably could not have been prevented..."wrong place at the wrong time" is very spot on.

I don't understand how you can state this when it is known that the driver in this case went over the double yellow line.

If it "could not have been prevented" why did the driver leave the scene of the accident?

TexasGirl@Heart · 04-08-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

I don't understand how you can state this when it is known that the driver in this case went over the double yellow line.

If it "could not have been prevented" why did the driver leave the scene of the accident?

I was talking about Trainwrecks story in his post--reason why I quoted him!

I know none of the details about the cyclist being killed! What I did say in relation to your story is the driver should be charged with a felony--he/she left the scene of an accident in which a fatality occurred.

inthecut · 04-08-2009, 11:20 AM

The news here is that if Austin had bike lanes, this very likely would not have happened....We get more traffic on our roads each year. We also have a large number or recreational bikers. Something has to give.....maybe this is a good time to mandate bike lanes on all streets used often by bicyclists. Or continue to read stories like this one....

Let's face it, Austin is VERY bicyclist-unfriendly, and, if they want to continue attracting quality relocatees, they certainly don't want word getting out of the same.

ATX Homeboy · 04-08-2009, 01:33 PM

When I was about 12 years old, I was riding my 10 spd on the sidewalk at N.Lamar and 51st. I was coming home from Austin Comics going north bound. Anyway, this guy in a car was coming out of an apartment complex and ran me over. I was literally under the car along with my bike. He didn't see me until it was too late and stopped just as he entered N. Lamar. Make a long story short, he helped me up and sent me on my way after I convinced him I was OK.

Austin has always been a bicycle friendly city. Accidents are an unfortunate part of Austin's traffic situation. I don't think tax payers should have to foot the bill for bike lanes. Bicylists and Motorists are supposed to follow the same traffic laws. It is sad that the guy left the scene after hitting the bicyclist but its like ITC said, something has got to give. With Austin's population increase and by all accounts supposed to continue that only means more motorists on the road. So, if bicyclists are truly concerned with their safety, then they should ride on only those streets with existing bike lanes, in parks, or town lake trails or not at all. Not worried about attracting quality relocatees if the qualifications include that they be bicyclists.

woodinvilleguy · 04-08-2009, 03:29 PM

I'm not a fan of bike lanes. In general, we road bicyclists do follow the same rules. And just because more people are moving here doesn't mean that we should only ride on existing roads with bike lanes.

We are concerned with our safety as we expect that everyone has the same responsibility to follow traffic laws and be aware of their suroundings. Just because he hit a bike doesn't mean that he should get a free pass to leave the scene of the accident.

jobert · 04-08-2009, 04:11 PM

pro-bike lane here. I wouldn't mind donating a vehicle lane for it even, much to my own detriment. If traffic becomes bad because of it, maybe some fat-a$$es around here would hop on a bike for once in their lives and take some cars off the road. We don't give enough respect to bicyclists - at least they are doing something about traffic and pollution. The rest of us complain about them, then sit in our cars idling in the fast food parking lots with the a/c cranked up. I give them the respect they deserve for doing the socially responsible task that I'm not usually willing to do. Should we all ditch our cars? no, but we should all try to ride if it is within our power to do so. Treat them like motor vehicles even, if they are going 15-20 mph on a city street, deal with them and go around when you get the chance - don't tailgate them, flip them off or honk at them like a redneck.

inthecut · 04-08-2009, 06:57 PM

We need bike lanes for the simple reason that a bicyclist has no protection if a driver takes his eyes off the road, presuming the bike is sharing the lane with motor vehicles. I just can't see how bikes and cars can share the same lanes......some roads have that little extra space to the right of the road, and I usually stay in that little 6-inch space myself when I bike.......Usually it works, but if I had a buck for everytime a car missed me by 6-inches I'd be rich......I think there is WAY too much traffic in Austin NOT to mandate bike lanes.......Austin has some of the busiest city arteries of any place in the country.....many people also are new to the area, and dangerous while they look for streets and find a bike in front of them.......

The ultimate solution would be to install a city-wide trail.....or several....that would traverse the entire metro, and provide jogging trails as well......people say they won't pay for it....I presume you can kiss Austin's desire to be a trendsetting city goodbye, as even dumpy cities like Indianapolis have city wide bike trails...

Monon Trail, Indy Greenways (http://www.indygreenways.org/monon/monon.htm - broken link)

I can't believe we can't even provide such a forward thinking city with the same resources as Indianapolis.......really sad when you think about it....

woodinvilleguy · 04-08-2009, 07:17 PM

Texas has a 3 foot law for a bicycle btw. I completely disagree with your idea of keeping bike segragated from cars. Car and bikes can mix well, look at Portland about how well they work.
I don't ride my bike in central Austin but I have not found many issues with Austin drivers. As long as you follow the rules and hold your line cars deal with bikes fine. The biggest issues are to make sure that everyone knows what you are doing.

inthecut · 04-09-2009, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodinvilleguy

Texas has a 3 foot law for a bicycle btw. I completely disagree with your idea of keeping bike segragated from cars. Car and bikes can mix well, look at Portland about how well they work.
I don't ride my bike in central Austin but I have not found many issues with Austin drivers. As long as you follow the rules and hold your line cars deal with bikes fine. The biggest issues are to make sure that everyone knows what you are doing.

I think its simply a matter of TRYING to make things more pleasant for bikers, and safer as well......I bike in major streets in Austin every day, only on the way to the trail, and I have cars buzzing inches away constantly...is that mixing well? And I'm as far to the side of the road, on the right, as you can get..........

Again, if Austin was just any other city, no issue, but people move here because of what they perceive as something special......a special environment and trendsetting mindsets......if we were just like any other city, there would be no reason for people to NOT move just as readily anywhere else, like Houston, Dallas, what have you......are we REALLY that different than those two when all is said and done?

ATX Homeboy · 04-09-2009, 11:06 AM

We are very different from Dallas and Houston. I see bikes on Loop 360 all the time. Would you ride your bikes on the loops around D-Town, Houston, or SA? Not likely. Trendsetting mindsets is right on, what we could do is have bikers pay to register their bikes and then use the money to pay for bike lanes.