Another clue that Austin is far from bike-friendly...... (West, Fifth Street: codes, dangerous)

[twange]

Originally Posted by inthecut

Actually, this city is growing far too crowded with cars....18,000 new ones in the metro every year......at what point do we build bike lanes so this doesn't happen?...

Well, city council passed a new bike master plan in May -this was considered a big victory for the biking community - so now we'll see if they can get off their *sses and get something done.

For a city that's talks a lot of "greensmack", we're a long way from walking the walk when it comes to transportation, pedestrian and bike infrastructure.

[woodinvilleguy]

Originally Posted by inthecut

Sad, but necessary in emergencies, especially for those with medical conditions..

Yeah, she got me the road id, because my neighbor had a kid in a pickup turn left in front of him. He ended up going through the passenger window.

He woke up in the ambulance and they had no idea who he was so they started calling numbers in his phone until they got his wife. Very scary.

[CptnRn]

I feel badly for the rider, but again I have to point out that he would not have been hit if he had been on the sidewalk. Its dangerous to ride in the street with 4,000 lb automobiles.

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

I feel badly for the rider, but again I have to point out that he would not have been hit if he had been on the sidewalk. Its dangerous to ride in the street with 4,000 lb automobiles.

Totally irrelevant comment. One, bikes have just as much right to the roads as motor vehicles and, Two, do motorists really look both ways for cyclists riding on the sidewalk when they are pulling out of a driveway? In my neighborhood they don't.

Of course it is also dangerous for motorcyclists to be on the road with 4,000 lb vehicles. Should they be banned too?

[CptnRn]

How can a safer alternative be irrelevant? Who said anything about banning? Yes people have the right to put their lives at risk, but there is no need to do so when a safer alternative is available. Yes the motorists have an obligation to look out for pedestrians and cyclists, but they make mistakes. Since we know this, unless we have a death wish, the obligation to ride safely is on the cyclist, it would be foolish to count on anyone else looking out for your safety.

[atxcio]

It's irrelevant because many people believe it is actually not safer on the sidewalks. That is debatable, for the reasons mentioned on other threads. You may be giving people dangerous advice.

Best just to focus on the actually lawbreaker and cause of the accident in this case -- the car -- and not try to blame the victim.

[CptnRn]

I think that belief is what is dangerous. I have done extensive internet searches for data to support it and cannot find any. Meanwhile every report of a bicycle/vehicle accident that I can find was when the bicycle was riding in the street.

Also if marked bicycle lanes are safer, and separated bicycle lanes are even safer, how can we not conclude that a sidewalk is also safer?

[atxcio]

Well, I think at least we should make another thread for the "sidewalk vs. street" safety argument, if we must have it. I hate the direction these bike accident threads always seem to go... I know people probably don't mean it, but it comes out sounding like someone blaming a rape victim for dressing provocatively... "she was asking for it by dressing like that"...

[CptnRn]

I'm not trying to offend anyone, but there is such a thing as contributory negligence.

I often drive the section of roadway where this accident happened. It is a busy, crowded roadway, so busy it makes me nervous taking my car through there. I am always hyper attentive because it is so crowded and the lanes get really narrow where they added a turn lane at William Cannon. I cannot imagine intentionally riding a bicycle through there on the roadway when there is a nice smooth sidewalk several feet away. The photo below is general area of the address given for the accident. There are nice smooth sidewalks on both sides of the street.



Riding in unsafe areas in heavy traffic increases the chances that there will be an accident. If you walk on the railroad tracks you are far more likely to get hit by a train.

[Jennibc]

I thought it was illegal to ride bicycles on sidewalks. Maybe not here. Anyway, having bikes on sidewalks going 20 to 30 MPH could be deadly if they were to hit pedestrians.