Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to be writing a section-by-section summary and info on the City of Austin Street Smarts Task Force 2008 final report, which is Austin’s updated bicycle plan. I will add comments and links to other related news articles where needed.

The Street Smarts Task Force Final Report can be downloaded here:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/bicycle/downloads/sstf_final_report.pdf

The City of Austin’s main page on bicycle resources is here:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/bicycle/

First, for background information, some links to news & blog coverage of the Street Smarts Task Force Final Report:

City Gets Street-Smart About Bikes
Austin Chronicle, April 6, 2007

Intent on finding new ways to make bicycling on Austin’s streets safer and friendlier, a city-organized task force got rolling last week, with the backing of local cycling celebs Lance Armstrong and Mayor Will Wynn. “The Street Smarts Task Force will help move us in the right direction and make it easier for more Austinites to get out of their cars and onto their bikes,” Wynn said. Street Smarts – whose 31 members include citizen bicyclists, medical and health professionals, transportation planners, motorists, and members of recreational cycling organizations – was formed at the behest of the Mayor’s Fitness Council and the Urban Transportation Commission – which passed a resolution during the debate over a mandatory-helmet ordinance last August calling for a broad look at bike safety. The task force’s recommendations will go to City Council in early 2008 to be adopted as part of Austin’s Bicycle Plan, which was drafted first in 1996, sluggishly implemented over the years, and currently undergoing revision. The stated objectives of Street Smarts include:

• Facilitating bicycling as a viable transportation option
• Examining causes of recent bicyclist fatalities and injuries in Austin
• Addressing Austin’s severe congestion
• Identifying barriers to bicycle use
• Encouraging bicycling for its health benefits
• Laying the groundwork for a citywide bicycle-safety education initiative
• Linking parks and open spaces with neighborhoods

Highs and Lows of the Street Smarts Task Force
Bicycle Austin Blog, February 16, 2008

Highs

1. The mayor cared enough to even name a task force.
2. Task force members realized they could throw in the word “connectivity” if they weren’t exactly sure what they were aiming to recommend, and then everything would be all right. This strategy likely would work for any transportation-related effort they were called in to tackle.
3. A recommendation banning cell phone use in moving vehicles, including bikes (with further study of hands-free use before banning that method). A lot of people questioned whether a ban that doesn’t include hands-free is worth it, since studies show it’s the lack of attention due to the call, not necessarily that punching of buttons that is the problem. But at least this confronts the no-brainer of prohibiting text messaging. The city public safety task force recently looked at this issue as well, with Mike Martinez coming out tentatively supportive of a ban.
4. My recommendation for getting the city to fund a contractor to immediately develop and submit an application to the FHWA for the required sharrow pilot project. OK, I’m being self-centered here, but my gut was telling me that we needed to try something completely different–at least for Austin–and we need to try it now.  I was adamant about not having any more “study” words being attached to recommendations. This recommendation will be a focal point for LOBV follow-up to ensure that it is embraced, funded and implemented.
5. The thought and work put into the recommendations from the “infrastructure subcommittee.” The subcommittee developed a matrix for project listing, evaluation and eventual prioritization and outlined a healthy series of recommendations for improvements. OK, they call it a “Barrier Categories and Rating Criteria Spreadsheet,” but check it out sometime and you’ll see what I mean.
6. Sara Krause, the task force chair, was the workhorse for Bruce Todd’s ill-advised helmet law crusade. LOBV was content to have the enemy at the helm, where she could be watched. Regardless, Sara proved to be a great chair, demonstrated that she could keep things organized and moving, and also related enough personal anecdotes about her bicycling experiences to show that she really cares about spurring significant changes in our city to promote bicycling and make it safer.

Lows

1. The infrastructure committee not getting more specific. You’ll note they got a “High” above, but they get a “Low” too for remaining so general about everything. I can understand the reasoning for not getting to specific. Can you imagine getting bogged down in discussing specific intersections and patches of road? Then again, a handful of high-profile recommendations for specific facilities or fixes would have been nice.
2. No free coffee for task force members. While city council aides drifted in and out of meeting with trips to the coffee pot, many of us were left stranded with nothing to juice us, unless we ducked out and went through he metal detectors to the cafe. We were working for the love of our city and didn’t even expect cold bagels with strawberry cream cheese, but for the love of God, give your working citizens some coffee.
3. The debate over the three-foot passing law. The Texas Bicycle Coalition has been working at the legislature to get a three-foot passing law established. More at their Web site at: http://www.biketexas.org/content/view/883/72/ . That particular bill isn’t really a priority for the yahoos at the Capitol, and it failed again this last session. When task force members suggested making a recommendation for a city ordinance mirroring the state law proposal, TBC balked, saying an Austin law actually would be detrimental to getting a state law passed. The theory goes: Austin is wacky and liberal. Let them swim in their hippy dippy shit and we’re not going to do something just to appease them…in fact, let’s punish them for doing this crazy shit on their own. It’s a valid point, but in retrospect, we should have been more vocal about doing our own thing. Times are changing under the dome. Austin bashing is waning, and we can’t always be worrying too much about “what ifs” from politicians who don’t give a damn about this issue one way or another.

Related posts:

1. Austin City Council Passes Master Bike Plan on 6-0 vote ...
2. League of Bicycling Voters releases its Austin City Council Endorsements ...
3. Update on action on the Austin 2020 Master Bike Plan ...
4. Bike plan input: we’ll give you four more chances ...
5. City consultant recommends removing hemletless bikers from Master Bike Plan document ...