04/22/2024
It may not come across how dangerous parking in a bike lane can be. I think it is a hard concept for folxs who have never ridden a bike.
Suppose it is understood that people on bikes are vulnerable and have no protection other than the awareness of car drivers to save them. In that case, the
slight inconvenience of finding a legitimate parking space may make more sense? The car that decides to hard stop to park with bikes behind it
can cause imminent harm and even death to a rider by the sudden and unpredictable stop. I think folxs generally believe that before a car
makes a hard stop in the bike lane they are aware of who and what is behind them. That simply is not the case or we wouldn't have these
types of injury-producing instances as often as we do.
As a cyclist tries to pass, the rider can be hit by vehicles from behind. As a cyclist passes the car illegally blocking the lane the offender can and often does
suddenly and unpredictably pull out into the rider passing. The thing to be considered is the driver choosing to buck the laws by
pulling up in a bike lane to park is already unconcerned with the law, so enforcement is necessary to keep riders safe. Empathy and compassion are not working. Also, I am not sure
this will get the results we are seeking because if there is no enforcement the behavior will continue. I think the largest offenders in size and the vehicles causing the greatest
obstruction are the delivery vehicles downtown. Commerce must go on and I have yet to see any of the drivers of those vehicles concerned, their response is generally -"i have to make these deliveries"
The Austin City Council ratified a resolution on April 4 banning parking cars in bike lanes, along with approving enforcement of it through new means and equipment. The resolution specifically directs the city manager to adopt changes to the city’s traffic regulations and will apply to all bike la...