4.5 Mile Central Austin Rush Hour Race - Bike FTW (Howe: 2013, movie theaters)

[LiveUrban]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

That's why people hate cyclists.

This type of attitude (judging all by the actions of one's negligence) is what causes perpetuates road rage against cyclists. I follow the road laws when I'm riding and yet I still have had drivers tailgate, honk, and yell profanities at me.

I wish more people would cut cyclists some slack.. there's a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings. One complaint I hear a lot is that "cyclists always ride on the line of the bike lane". The reason many do that is because debris and tiny pieces of glass (that can cause flat tires) get swept into the bike lane.

Another complaint I hear is that "cyclists are entitled and arrogant". When I ask people why they think that, they say that cyclists often take up the whole lane. By law, cyclists are allowed to take the full lane.. it is often times more safe than keeping to the edge of a lane and setting the stage for a possible side swipe accident by a car.

Keep in mind.. people riding bikes are exposed to the elements and are using their own two feet and physical energy to get around. The bike infrastructure in this city is lacking and often forces cyclists into hairy situations. please try and understand.

As for cyclists running stop signs/red lights.. I hate when I see it just like everyone else. Interestingly enough, it's actually legal in Idaho. Cyclists are allowed to treat stop signs as yield signs there.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by LiveUrban

As for cyclists running stop signs/red lights.. I hate when I see it just like everyone else. Interestingly enough, it's actually legal in Idaho. Cyclists are allowed to treat stop signs as yield signs there.

Which is exactly what they did in this "scientific test" to "prove" how much faster a bike is than a car ...

[Paddy the Plasterer]

The driver of the car must have stopped at the Dog and Duck for a couple of pints, because there is no way in the world that it takes 90 minutes to drive that route. And any sensible driver if they encountered traffic that was absolutely stopped and not moving for minutes on end would do the smart thing and take an alternate route.... there is more than one street downtown.
The whole think is a bit of a sham.
However, I do agree that many people don't realise how effective bikes can be around downtown over short distances. The problem is that 90% of people are not making a commute that short, and can't afford to live that close to downtown.

[joqua]

During the three years I attended UT Austin, I commuted by bicycle regularly from my home located in Woodcliff - intersection of Braker and Dessau.

There were several different routes I could use that kept me out of more dangerous traffic but also required some deviation from a straight route in order to be safe. I don't recall ever having a close call. What I do recall are the number of useful items I found lying in the gutter where someone had lost them - including an expensive watch still in operating condition, and THREE bibles! One of the latter was returned to a preacher who was visiting Austin from Atlanta and had written his address in it.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by Paddy the Plasterer

The driver of the car must have stopped at the Dog and Duck for a couple of pints, because there is no way in the world that it takes 90 minutes to drive that route. And any sensible driver if they encountered traffic that was absolutely stopped and not moving for minutes on end would do the smart thing and take an alternate route.... there is more than one street downtown.
The whole think is a bit of a sham.
However, I do agree that many people don't realise how effective bikes can be around downtown over short distances. The problem is that 90% of people are not making a commute that short, and can't afford to live that close to downtown.

I'd like to know the actual statistic here. Seems off.

[Westerner92]

Weird, I made a very similar drive at the exact same time (last Friday's rush hour). There's no way it took 91 minutes for the car. It took me about 40 minutes, though I abandoned Guadalupe for Colorado downtown, which likely saved me 10 or so minutes. The biggest problem, I'd say, is that the signals are timed atrociously. When the roads are that crowded, the green lights need to roll backward block-by-block instead of forward so that there's actually room for cars to go once their light has turned.

About 15 minutes in I regretted not taking my bike and just packing my SO's Valentine's gift in my pack.

[Paddy the Plasterer]

Originally Posted by joqua

During the three years I attended UT Austin, I commuted by bicycle regularly from my home located in Woodcliff - intersection of Braker and Dessau.

There were several different routes I could use that kept me out of more dangerous traffic but also required some deviation from a straight route in order to be safe. I don't recall ever having a close call. What I do recall are the number of useful items I found lying in the gutter where someone had lost them - including an expensive watch still in operating condition, and THREE bibles! One of the latter was returned to a preacher who was visiting Austin from Atlanta and had written his address in it.

Out of curiosity, how long did that take you on average? I bet it took a little longer going north than coming into town..... most people don't realise that everything slopes down towards the river, so you are going uphill gradually as you go out.
What route did you take, was it..... Dessau/Cameron-> 51st-> Duval -> UT? Did you ride sidewalks coming down Dessau/Cameron?

[scm53]

Originally Posted by AguaDulce

I'd like to know the actual statistic here. Seems off.

"According to the ACS data, the commute distance ranges between a quarter mile and 70 miles, and has an average of about 12.3 miles. Only 4% of the commuters live within 2 miles from work. The majority of commuters (72%) live within 15 miles from work, though a sizeable fraction of commuters (28%) live beyond 15 miles (Figure 27)."

There isn't a number for living w/in 4.5 miles, so it is impossible to know if the 90% number is correct. Closest is w/in 5 miles, at 19%. So unknown if 90%, definitely 81%.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by scm53

"According to the ACS data, the commute distance ranges between a quarter mile and 70 miles, and has an average of about 12.3 miles. Only 4% of the commuters live within 2 miles from work. The majority of commuters (72%) live within 15 miles from work, though a sizeable fraction of commuters (28%) live beyond 15 miles (Figure 27)."

There isn't a number for living w/in 4.5 miles, so it is impossible to know if the 90% number is correct. Closest is w/in 5 miles, at 19%. So unknown if 90%, definitely 81%.

Thanks!

[Paddy the Plasterer]

Alright then, make it 80%, the point still stands.... it is IMPRACTICAL for most people to bicycle commute. Besides distance you have to deal with weather conditions (intense heat, torrential downpours, occasional freezes), inability to perform other daily tasks (picking up dropping off kids, stopping for groceries, or other errands), and unsafe roads conditions for bicycles.
I like to bike personally (recreationally, on evenings and weekends), but there is no way it would work for me as a daily way to get around this town. I find listening to Bike fundamentalists tiresome and unrealistic. It will only ever be only a very small part of fixing Austin's transportation puzzle.