On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 7:04 PM, George McQueen
Bicyclists Beware: Austin is definitely not "bicycle friendly".
As an experienced urban cyclist (riding to work, to school and for recreation) I've grown accustomed to the many hazards on Austin streets, such as disappearing and reappearing bike lanes and unpredictable potholes. I also manage to steer clear of most aggressive and oblivious drivers. And I just hope for the best after reading (all too frequently!) about the latest dead cyclist on page-two of the newspaper.
But when I get run off the road by a black Mercedes driven by a blond talking on a cell phone (North Guadalupe near 29th Street) and later get a ticket for riding my bicycle on the sidewalk (North Guadalupe near 24th St. a.k.a. "The Drag") I get the feeling that there's a curse on me and my bicycle. This sentiment is then compounded by the fact my previous bicycle was recently stolen off a campus rack in the same area!
I don't entirely blame the officers for this curse; they can't expected to make such difficult judgment calls. I don't even blame the drivers; to me they're always a hazard. I do, however, blame businesses along "The Drag" for insisting the widest sidewalk along Guadalupe be entirely off-limits to bicycles; and I blame the City of Austin for the elusive bike lanes and contradictory bike laws.
Until bicyclists get some respect, I curse those businesses and City of Austin.
Meanwhile, bicyclists beware: You're on your own in this city!
George McQueen
Graduate Student
Community & Regional Planning—School of Architecture
Latin American Studies—Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies
Teaching Assistant—Department of Spanish & Portuguese
University of Texas at Austin
