This design is all part of a growing disease called “The New Austin,” in which traffic issues are solved by throwing unprotected bike lanes into major streets that I guess only make the Lance Armstrong Mafia happy. I know thanks to Adam Ruins Cars how adding more lanes and/or roads only increases traffic. It’s right there with this painfully true joke from The Onion. Personally, I would love to take the bus, subway or train to my job like I used to in Milwaukee or while I managed to afford Austin’s Hyde Park. I got so much reading done! All the podcasts I could catch up on! Alas, this is Texas. Public Transportation is for the Poors and you’d get universal healthcare before a second light-rail line.
Back to my gripe the illustration proves. The assholes who do this are often the same clowns pissing away millions of tax dollars in abatements to “create” low-paying jerbs. Taking one’s bike to work isn’t a serious option since I doubt most McJobs have a locker room with showers for the employees to clean up in. Throw in all the dildos driving Tundras, F-350s, Teslas, BMWs, Benzes and other very expensive vehicles who tend to drive as if they’re competing in Le Mans. It’s not fair to the nice people I know with such nice wheels; one person I know saved up to get what she really, really wanted for a while. Yet these wannabe Dale Assheads weave, use the shoulder as a lane, don’t signal and worst of all, don’t look where they’re going…killing cyclists. Good thing they painted a white line to remind them they’re plowing through a bike lane on their way to Whole Foods. Being a former bike user from 1994-96 and by then mine was stolen, I had a near miss at least once a month around UT and Hyde Park. If the local government really wants to beautify downtown Austin, cut off the whole area to cars. Only city buses, the light rail and those bike cabs. NO scooters too.
