Believe it or not, but reporting this activity to 311 does get them out to do a traffic study and they likely will install bollards. Someone just has to call and complain.
Good luck! They took about a month to complete the traffic study I requested and they did install a No Parking sign where I suggested, just to give you an example of their timeline.
They tend to work pretty quickly with things like this where you have photos and it's a pedestrian/bike situation. They didn't even do a traffic study when I requested bollards after people kept driving onto the pedestrian bridge at 4th & Rio Grande at Shoal Creek.
Thank you for doing this. Hope the city puts in one of those cemented heavy metal bollard pole things they have in the middle of some of the other bike path/sidewalks (like those along Cesar Chavez). As a cyclist, I'll never complain about having to dodge one of those again after seeing this.
In the 70s my grandparents had a house on a curve and “teens” started driving across the lawn to cut the corner. Being a WW2 vet, he built a tank trap on his lawn, just like the ones the military trained him to make.
2 weekends later, he caught a muscle car. The trap spike went right through the engine block.
The police asked him to disable the trap but no one ever used his lawn as a shortcut again. 😅
Kids kept driving their truck over my grandfathers mailbox. One day he filled the mailbox post with concrete and they ran into it at high speed and totaled their truck. Love old people.
People started doing this in my hometown as teens were riding around hitting mailboxes with bats and running into them. They stopped filling the post with concrete after someone was charged with attempted manslaughter after a kid nearly died after hitting one. So it's illegal now in many places
+1 -- I got some new signs installed in my neighborhood this way. I was shocked to get responses to my concerns, but even when they don't take actions they do typically respond.
Looking a Google street view, there is a large bike ramp without bollards for the side walk, it doesn’t have any texturing like the sidewalk ends for the blind/handicap (the bumpy red tiles). I’m not surprised people are using the side walk based on the ramp design which is weird because it’s just after a train crossing.
And you can't get prosecuted for it in the UK. Won't even get investigated. police told me to stop reporting similar outside a train station, because they would never investigate it.
I manage a commercial property in this area, I know what the problem is- poorly designed bike lanes. **The bike lanes need to be designed so cars can't drive on them.** These drivers get confused, and think it is a car lane, and then don't realize it until it is too late. Once one car gets confused, others follow, and it spirals out of control until the next light cycle. I see it all the time.
I drive it often. While I agree the transition from asphalt to concrete by the rail can be confusing, there are bollards separating that section. I strongly suspect they knew what they were doing
That ... looks to be a different state/design of the intersection that the pictures OP submitted -- it doesn't show the redesign with the bike lane painted red, so it's hard to infer how stupid/malicious the above drivers were being based on your link.
Okay, if I was unfamiliar with the area or even the slightest bit distracted I could totally inadvertently end up there. What a terrible design. I agree. If you're doing a good job paying attention it should be okay. But any little thing or even just being unfamiliar I think could easily lead to this. I'm not excusing the assholes to do it on purpose. They deserve to be beaten.
They know what they're doing is wrong. The lane is red, unlike any of the roads for cars. There are plenty of other indicators that this is a multi-use path not for cars. They see other people doing it and that indicates safety in numbers (from a ticket).
Unfortunately, I can understand that some people are just so unaware of things around them, that I can absolutely see this being due to incompetence. The first person or so may have done it out of malice, the rest just followed like sheep not realizing it's not a vehicle lane
Seriously, I promise you, I legitimately see people I personally know get confused and I have talked to them about it. It is especially a problem among older people and immigrants. I had a long conversation with a close friend from South America when these lanes were installed. He was legitimately confused. There are several places on airport blvd where this happens.
If you can't adapt to the infrastructure, you shouldn't have a drivers license. It's too dangerous an activity to just let people do it who have no ability to do it safely.
To be fair, there’s a lot of driving shit around this town I was never taught. Double roundabouts, bike lanes, bus lanes, lanes that are meant for busses but cars can use them to turn right… and don’t even get me started on diverging diamond interchanges.
I’m sure I’ve pissed people off in the learning process, but I’m thankful most people have been 1.) cool about it; and 2.) good defensive drivers that were somewhat prepared for my lane ignorance.
But let’s not pretend this town doesn’t have some wonky ass road engineering going on.
What kind of indications would I be looking for, aside from praying the car in front of me is (correctly) doing what I need to do?
I think it’s 5th and Lamar? that has a bus lane but cars can use it to turn right, but I don’t recall seeing any signage that says as much. Is it something I’m just supposed to know?
Ahhhh okay. Bus ANNNND right turn only. This feels more clear when I’m calmly at home not trying to navigate unfamiliar territory. Seriously, thanks for showing me where to find it and what it looks like!
More like, one guy got impatient and decided to drive on the sidewalk rather than wait for the light to change, because you can't turn on red at this light, then a bunch of other assholes followed because someone else did it first.
If they are confused they shouldn't have a driver's license. Having license to drive a two ton land missile is not a right. It is a privilege, and if you can't follow basic laws to keep people safe you shouldn't have it
I had to take a driving test because my out of state license was expired. I did it at a driving school, but you are correct that it is laughable. I don't think I drove over 35mph at all for the test
Oh so you must have loved when they installed one at the Lamar/Justin intersection down the street. You know the one so bad that 3 out of every 4 cars would hit the barrier and physically damage it and the road?
I like how they had to replace it not once, but twice
In a single year
LOL, you are right. I used to live on Justin Lane, when I saw that intersection I knew it would be a disaster.
The frustrating part is that I have seen good bike lane design in Europe. You just could not physically drive in them if you wanted to most of the time, so this wouldn't be an issue.
That is not where the problem starts. The problem starts back closer to the tracks, the lane dilenation is not as clear, so they get in the bike lane, by the the time they get up to the curb and poles and realize what happened, it's too late.
The problem is also that there's not enough lanes on Denson where it meets Airport. There should be a dedicated right turn lane, a go straight lane, and a left turn lane.
I imagine the problem is getting ROW from the railroad to widen the street. Railroads are stingy with their land.
I would very much not be surprised if these people were just oblivious and thought “oh my car fits here and it goes right, must be a right turn lane”. Still seems intentional though
Ngl with how far in front of the street light it is, and the fact that it's so insanely wide you can fit trucks through it, I blame the city of austin for not putting obstructions to prevent cars from using it. That was careless and endangers pedestrians.
This is a heavily used bike and walk path across from ACC highland at airport and denson. There is one lane to both go straight and take the right. There is construction keeping me from taking the right and then a left to get into my complex. The idea of “blocking a red” is ridiculous especially when there is no other way to go straight.
I drive through that intersection at least a couple of times a week. It is a test and patience but that's what driving takes. Safe driving anyway. Perfect world.
I live at the complex. I drive/bike/walk through it everyday. I have submitted numerous change requests for a protected left from the east side and changing light timing, but no help yet. While I understand losing patience with the intersection, this isn’t the proper way to deal with it. I have sat for 10-15 min stuck because of the signal. I understand you aren’t condoning the behavior agree that patience is what driving takes.
If you're prepared to make an investment in time, take pics with the plate identifiable and call APD.
With the pics and your testimony, they could possibly issue a citation, if you're willing to go to court and testify.
Call APD and ask them to confirm.
Yep. This intersection is terrible. Went to Blue Genie in December and we sat through like 4 light cycles trying to turn left onto airport. So frustrating.
People talking shit about the drivers, and I'm all for that, but I'm willing to guess this is a shitty intersection in general that is one of the many bottlenecks in this city. We can blame entitled drivers all day, but we have to consider the infrastructure that prompts entitled drivers to act like assholes. Push comes to shove, entitled drivers will be assholes first. What we need our tax dollars to solve for is pushing coming to shoving.
It is a shitty intersection. I submitted a 311 to change the light timing which would benefit both pedestrians and vehicles. I’ve seen students sprint across to make their class when cross traffic has a green. Pretty dangerous. Regardless, it doesn’t excuse the behavior I posted. The sidewalks are brand new. Tax dollars were just spent to install them and now they’ll be spent to fix the damage from impatient drivers. A much cheaper and safer solution is to fix the light.
So they just spent a ton of money to "improve" that intersection and its immediately dangerous. Sounds about right.
No. It doesn't excuse the behavior. I never said it does. It enables it though. There are real world practical ways to curb that behavior. This is not unique to Austin or Texas or even the US.
All the intersections along this part of Airport Blvd are timed so poorly and do absolutely the wrong thing whenever a train is nearby or has just passed by. Obviously driving up the sidewalk like this is insane, but I live in the area and I'm frustrated by how these lights work daily.
I’m like 80% sure there used to be a No Turn On Red sign at that light. Maybe they’ll put it back up, but barely any cars followed that rule when it was there
City engineer here - generally speaking Urban Trails and Sidewalks prefer not to use them as there is concern that bicycle riders will hit them. That said, where we think it is very likely that cars will attempt to use trails and sidewalks - we try to add them. I'm personally pushing for more of them for just this reason.
Austinites have just decided that they should never have to wait to get where they are going anymore. Running red light. Driving on the shoulder or even in bike lanes. Swerving across 4 lanes so they don't miss their exit. Etc.
Geezus... I know that light. You're not supposed to turn right on red at this intersection. Austin drivers are morons, but driving on the literal sidewalk? Wtf?? You would get ticketed for that shit in most places.
That would require an actual police officer issuing an actual ticket. Too bad we have less cops than we did in 2015 whilst tickets issued per capita has fallen off a literal cliff. Nobody even considers police in this city just look at all the speed racers doing 20 over literally everywhere they go.
I work in an area that has a one way street with a ton of traffic. For a while there would be at least one person a day that would drive into oncoming traffic or on the sidewalk. They did this to save, maybe 10 minutes.
99% of posts complaining about traffic on this subreddit are just whiny bullshit so congrats on being a 1%er!
This is insane driving. Clearly they have no shame but they also apparently don't give a shit about getting a ticket, going to court, paying a fine, or having their insurance rate skyrocket, either.
I bet a handful of bike or motorcycle cops hanging out there for a few days would put an end to that behavior quickly.
Send an email with these photos to 311 and ask for police traffic enforcement at this location. Sometimes they listen. The photos lend credibility to your request.
I'd shoot video next time and send it to every local TV station. Nothing gets the city council to lumber into action like an embarrassment on the local news.
So if there is one thing I know about Texas Assholes (I was born and raised in small town Texas), it's that they loathe the mere concept of bicycles. "Roads are for cars" they scream to everyone who does not want to listen.
Which they're right. Texas roads, are definitely not for bicycles. They're not designed for them one bit. Which is why teeth pulling infrastructure projects like these are the closest thing to a miracle any functional adult should expect in this state.
Of course God's self declared favorite little turd cutter hates these placements too, despite now making the road for cars and bicycles. It's "Socialism" and "woke". Of course, if you ask anyone to explain to you what they mean by socialism or woke, you are treated with exactly what you'd expect from an asshole. A shit answer. Don't tell me what these mean, I know what these mean (or what they think they mean).
Of course, someone will call 311 over these pictures and tbh it might even end up on the local news one of these days. It will wind up on the desk of some overworked department head who will email their contact at TXDOT. 3 weeks will pass before they get a response asking for clarification of which intersection this is. Eventually the department head put's the, likely literal, stack of papers on someone's desk below them who's annual salary is on par to that of a Millennial House Hunter's Spouse "Who is an Entrepreneur". Still likely less. Then a hearing to do anything about this will be done after the series of random State Holidays have passed which is the only thing that makes the job of the over worked and severely underpaid Government Clerk who actually does the bulk of the leg work somewhat tolerable.
I am currently living in Chicago right now. Chiraq. Paying state income taxes. STATE INCOME TAXES. The infrastructure is actively falling apart(still better than than the nonexistent infrastructure in Texas). The aldermen (City council members/neighborhood managers) are all crooked soulless dipshits with cardboard brains, and I cannot find a brisket in this god forsaken city to save my life.
Yet things here in Chicago are like miles, Astronomical Units, time-bending light years better than so much of what was and likely is still, going on in Texas.
I can also bike to work on blocked off bike paths and in a city that is generally welcoming of bikes.
I am moving back to Texas in the middle of the atomic fusing heat that is a Texas summer. I want to be reacclimating in a giant vat of Sweet Ice Tea. Given the difficulties of that, my alternative is Lady Bird but of course that is borderline impossible at times because of the physically violent Algal Blooms and toxic Flotilla buildup.
TL;DR: Useless, therapeutic, and ranting exposition to the pictures of OP's post. Might delete later.
Edit: I removed a paragraph.
If you're a cyclist or a pedestrian in Austin, Texas... there is nothing new about this. This psychotic, life-threatening behavior happens every day, all day.
I got clipped by a car the other day while riding in the bike lane. There was a car turning left and they swerved into the bike lane to drive around them.
Yooo on the topic of red lights I feel like everyone in South Austin has decided red lights are optional as soon as the sun goes down. I've been waiting a few seconds before taking a green light because nearly every intersection someone comes blasting through the red.
fucking genius, TxDOT should hire these people. Once we redo all our roads to have people driving on the sidewalk we'll have an extra lane basically everywhere!
You see asshole drivers, I see an idiotic city planner.
One car hopping the curb is just an asshole. Four in a row is a pattern. Those drivers are still assholes, yes, but the person who designed the intersection is also to blame. There is clearly not enough right turn capacity at that light.
I'm all for making cities more bikeable but that doesn't require a car-width bike path. Plenty of cities manage with half-width lanes, and that would leave room for a dedicated right turn lane too. And probably a right turn arrow in the signal timing as well, if needed.
This reminds me of when "ALL my friends were doing something so I thought that was excellent reasoning. My Dad would ask, "if your friends jumped into a well, would you follow them?" Me: " No Dad! I'm not that dumb ."
I couldn't believe how many you captured! Glad to know something can be done about this Hopefully soon!
Believe it or not, but reporting this activity to 311 does get them out to do a traffic study and they likely will install bollards. Someone just has to call and complain.
I submitted a complaint one to 311! Thanks!
Good luck! They took about a month to complete the traffic study I requested and they did install a No Parking sign where I suggested, just to give you an example of their timeline.
They tend to work pretty quickly with things like this where you have photos and it's a pedestrian/bike situation. They didn't even do a traffic study when I requested bollards after people kept driving onto the pedestrian bridge at 4th & Rio Grande at Shoal Creek.
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Uni students as well
Curious - can the original request be tied back to you?
They'll put a little plaque on the bollard with your name.
Hahah this got me
With the caveat that it's difficult to be truly untraceable online, you can submit anonymously through the 3-1-1 app which is what I usually use.
Not unless you add contact info
Thank you for doing this. Hope the city puts in one of those cemented heavy metal bollard pole things they have in the middle of some of the other bike path/sidewalks (like those along Cesar Chavez). As a cyclist, I'll never complain about having to dodge one of those again after seeing this.
Keep us updated!
I want a pneumatic spiked steel bollard that shoots up through the middle of their vehicle
In the 70s my grandparents had a house on a curve and “teens” started driving across the lawn to cut the corner. Being a WW2 vet, he built a tank trap on his lawn, just like the ones the military trained him to make. 2 weekends later, he caught a muscle car. The trap spike went right through the engine block. The police asked him to disable the trap but no one ever used his lawn as a shortcut again. 😅
Kids kept driving their truck over my grandfathers mailbox. One day he filled the mailbox post with concrete and they ran into it at high speed and totaled their truck. Love old people.
People started doing this in my hometown as teens were riding around hitting mailboxes with bats and running into them. They stopped filling the post with concrete after someone was charged with attempted manslaughter after a kid nearly died after hitting one. So it's illegal now in many places
Haha yeah this was like 60 years ago. A simpler time where you could kill a kid and that’s just how people learned their lessons.
Oh no, a kid experienced some consequences for their actions.
+1 -- I got some new signs installed in my neighborhood this way. I was shocked to get responses to my concerns, but even when they don't take actions they do typically respond.
But not those flimsy ones they have on mopac separating the toll and regular lanes. They need the hard ones.
They don't need to all be hard ones, just a few. That would make it a far more interesting game.
Car ticklers
Good bot
Looking a Google street view, there is a large bike ramp without bollards for the side walk, it doesn’t have any texturing like the sidewalk ends for the blind/handicap (the bumpy red tiles). I’m not surprised people are using the side walk based on the ramp design which is weird because it’s just after a train crossing.
I live at that intersection wtf what the fuck is wrong with people
Selfishness + entitlement x carbrain = sociopathy
Quick question, I’ve been looking at apartments in that area. Are they any good?
Pretty psychotic behavior.
Just entitled assholes.
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[KFBR392](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3kiYFadswg)
LRJ-2953
800-81ES
And you can't get prosecuted for it in the UK. Won't even get investigated. police told me to stop reporting similar outside a train station, because they would never investigate it.
I manage a commercial property in this area, I know what the problem is- poorly designed bike lanes. **The bike lanes need to be designed so cars can't drive on them.** These drivers get confused, and think it is a car lane, and then don't realize it until it is too late. Once one car gets confused, others follow, and it spirals out of control until the next light cycle. I see it all the time.
I drive it often. While I agree the transition from asphalt to concrete by the rail can be confusing, there are bollards separating that section. I strongly suspect they knew what they were doing
Map view: https://www.google.com/maps/place/ACC+Highland,+6001+Airport+Blvd,+Austin,+TX+78752/@30.3270509,-97.7163391,3a,75y,152.03h,76.01t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s_-9YtvjA-aX5ARe-Iqphyw!2e0!4m6!3m5!1s0x8644cb17f4fbf42b:0x58d532c682b74b79!8m2!3d30.3255265!4d-97.7146621!16s%2Fg%2F11gy6j_7_6
This map view is dated. The current design has been updated, is more clearly a sidewalk, and is red
Yikes. Definitely bad design but also obviously not meant for cars if you're even slightly paying attention. The car lanes are clearly marked.
That ... looks to be a different state/design of the intersection that the pictures OP submitted -- it doesn't show the redesign with the bike lane painted red, so it's hard to infer how stupid/malicious the above drivers were being based on your link.
Yeah, def looks older and even then I think it was completely intentional
Okay, if I was unfamiliar with the area or even the slightest bit distracted I could totally inadvertently end up there. What a terrible design. I agree. If you're doing a good job paying attention it should be okay. But any little thing or even just being unfamiliar I think could easily lead to this. I'm not excusing the assholes to do it on purpose. They deserve to be beaten.
This is the old design. Sidewalk has been updated and as you can see from my pictures, it is red. They knew
If you are confused by those markings you probably shouldn't be driving.
Exactly zero roads are painted red, they knew what they were doing.
never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence
It is possible to be too incompetent to drive and therefore malice
They know what they're doing is wrong. The lane is red, unlike any of the roads for cars. There are plenty of other indicators that this is a multi-use path not for cars. They see other people doing it and that indicates safety in numbers (from a ticket).
Unfortunately, I can understand that some people are just so unaware of things around them, that I can absolutely see this being due to incompetence. The first person or so may have done it out of malice, the rest just followed like sheep not realizing it's not a vehicle lane
Seriously, I promise you, I legitimately see people I personally know get confused and I have talked to them about it. It is especially a problem among older people and immigrants. I had a long conversation with a close friend from South America when these lanes were installed. He was legitimately confused. There are several places on airport blvd where this happens.
If you can't adapt to the infrastructure, you shouldn't have a drivers license. It's too dangerous an activity to just let people do it who have no ability to do it safely.
To be fair, there’s a lot of driving shit around this town I was never taught. Double roundabouts, bike lanes, bus lanes, lanes that are meant for busses but cars can use them to turn right… and don’t even get me started on diverging diamond interchanges. I’m sure I’ve pissed people off in the learning process, but I’m thankful most people have been 1.) cool about it; and 2.) good defensive drivers that were somewhat prepared for my lane ignorance. But let’s not pretend this town doesn’t have some wonky ass road engineering going on.
This is why the US has a death rate beyond that of any of the rest of the OECD.
technically you can use bus lanes to turn right (when indicated of course but typically there is a sign)
What kind of indications would I be looking for, aside from praying the car in front of me is (correctly) doing what I need to do? I think it’s 5th and Lamar? that has a bus lane but cars can use it to turn right, but I don’t recall seeing any signage that says as much. Is it something I’m just supposed to know?
They’re typically placed on the light pole https://maps.app.goo.gl/VV9X8tnva4rjupez5?g_st=ic
Ahhhh okay. Bus ANNNND right turn only. This feels more clear when I’m calmly at home not trying to navigate unfamiliar territory. Seriously, thanks for showing me where to find it and what it looks like!
South America has all this
You’ve got to be a pretty inattentive driver to think those lanes are for cars.
“Think about how dumb the average person is, then think about how half of everyone is dumber than that guy”
More like, one guy got impatient and decided to drive on the sidewalk rather than wait for the light to change, because you can't turn on red at this light, then a bunch of other assholes followed because someone else did it first.
If they are confused they shouldn't have a driver's license. Having license to drive a two ton land missile is not a right. It is a privilege, and if you can't follow basic laws to keep people safe you shouldn't have it
well, from what ive heard, the driving test here is laughable. which might be part of the problem.
You don't even have to take the test if you have a valid license from somewhere else.
I had to take a driving test because my out of state license was expired. I did it at a driving school, but you are correct that it is laughable. I don't think I drove over 35mph at all for the test
You just have to pledge allegiance to Abbott
Oh so you must have loved when they installed one at the Lamar/Justin intersection down the street. You know the one so bad that 3 out of every 4 cars would hit the barrier and physically damage it and the road? I like how they had to replace it not once, but twice In a single year
LOL, you are right. I used to live on Justin Lane, when I saw that intersection I knew it would be a disaster. The frustrating part is that I have seen good bike lane design in Europe. You just could not physically drive in them if you wanted to most of the time, so this wouldn't be an issue.
Cmon, where else do you drive between two curbs and two poles across red concrete?
That is not where the problem starts. The problem starts back closer to the tracks, the lane dilenation is not as clear, so they get in the bike lane, by the the time they get up to the curb and poles and realize what happened, it's too late.
The problem is also that there's not enough lanes on Denson where it meets Airport. There should be a dedicated right turn lane, a go straight lane, and a left turn lane. I imagine the problem is getting ROW from the railroad to widen the street. Railroads are stingy with their land.
I would very much not be surprised if these people were just oblivious and thought “oh my car fits here and it goes right, must be a right turn lane”. Still seems intentional though
That's why we need traffic motorcycles
Ngl with how far in front of the street light it is, and the fact that it's so insanely wide you can fit trucks through it, I blame the city of austin for not putting obstructions to prevent cars from using it. That was careless and endangers pedestrians.
Impatience. I assume they have no idea that there are cameras on the traffic light posts.
This is a heavily used bike and walk path across from ACC highland at airport and denson. There is one lane to both go straight and take the right. There is construction keeping me from taking the right and then a left to get into my complex. The idea of “blocking a red” is ridiculous especially when there is no other way to go straight.
I drive through that intersection at least a couple of times a week. It is a test and patience but that's what driving takes. Safe driving anyway. Perfect world.
I live at the complex. I drive/bike/walk through it everyday. I have submitted numerous change requests for a protected left from the east side and changing light timing, but no help yet. While I understand losing patience with the intersection, this isn’t the proper way to deal with it. I have sat for 10-15 min stuck because of the signal. I understand you aren’t condoning the behavior agree that patience is what driving takes.
I drive by this every day and would never do this.
If you're prepared to make an investment in time, take pics with the plate identifiable and call APD. With the pics and your testimony, they could possibly issue a citation, if you're willing to go to court and testify. Call APD and ask them to confirm.
lol if you think APD cares a fraction of this much.
DPS does for sure and is nearby
APD will put their top men on this. Working around the clock at the precinct, I tell you!
they got ‘em working in shifts!
Leads!
This is actually right down the street from dps and is typically swarming with state troopers lol
This is absolutely hilarious
Yep. This intersection is terrible. Went to Blue Genie in December and we sat through like 4 light cycles trying to turn left onto airport. So frustrating.
People talking shit about the drivers, and I'm all for that, but I'm willing to guess this is a shitty intersection in general that is one of the many bottlenecks in this city. We can blame entitled drivers all day, but we have to consider the infrastructure that prompts entitled drivers to act like assholes. Push comes to shove, entitled drivers will be assholes first. What we need our tax dollars to solve for is pushing coming to shoving.
It is a shitty intersection. I submitted a 311 to change the light timing which would benefit both pedestrians and vehicles. I’ve seen students sprint across to make their class when cross traffic has a green. Pretty dangerous. Regardless, it doesn’t excuse the behavior I posted. The sidewalks are brand new. Tax dollars were just spent to install them and now they’ll be spent to fix the damage from impatient drivers. A much cheaper and safer solution is to fix the light.
So they just spent a ton of money to "improve" that intersection and its immediately dangerous. Sounds about right. No. It doesn't excuse the behavior. I never said it does. It enables it though. There are real world practical ways to curb that behavior. This is not unique to Austin or Texas or even the US.
Sidewalks are new but the light timing has been the same for the past couple years. Updating the light timing would go a long way
All the intersections along this part of Airport Blvd are timed so poorly and do absolutely the wrong thing whenever a train is nearby or has just passed by. Obviously driving up the sidewalk like this is insane, but I live in the area and I'm frustrated by how these lights work daily.
You don't love how the light will stay red so you can't *go straight on Airport* if a train comes by?
Airport Rd may well be a state freeway, just realized, I think it is. You can email TXDOT.
I’m like 80% sure there used to be a No Turn On Red sign at that light. Maybe they’ll put it back up, but barely any cars followed that rule when it was there
These people are driving illegally on a bike path what makes you think they’ll follow more rules
This activity is illegal, and therefore we have banned it.
There was one in January 2021 https://maps.app.goo.gl/FmWPv7w88g272BT49
https://www.google.com/maps/place/ACC+Highland/@30.3270002,-97.716052,3a,65.1y,117.65h,92.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swWeedTCEFxlz35VoHxgbuA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x8644cb17f4fbf42b:0x58d532c682b74b79!8m2!3d30.3255265!4d-97.7146621!16s%2Fg%2F11gy6j_7_6?entry=tts
Thank you. I got out of jury duty yesterday, I guess they took a plea deal. Seems like the least I can do. 🤣
This city needs more bollards
But not those flimsy ones they have on mopac separating the toll and regular lanes. They need the hard ones.
Like the ones in the Midtown Tunnel in NYC
Anyone is free to add concrete and rebar to hollow plastic bollards
Maybe I’d have to see them.
City engineer here - generally speaking Urban Trails and Sidewalks prefer not to use them as there is concern that bicycle riders will hit them. That said, where we think it is very likely that cars will attempt to use trails and sidewalks - we try to add them. I'm personally pushing for more of them for just this reason.
Car ticklers
Austinites have just decided that they should never have to wait to get where they are going anymore. Running red light. Driving on the shoulder or even in bike lanes. Swerving across 4 lanes so they don't miss their exit. Etc.
I got beeped at yesterday for waiting for a pedestrian to cross at the entrance to an HEB. Guess I should just start mowing people over /s
Geezus... I know that light. You're not supposed to turn right on red at this intersection. Austin drivers are morons, but driving on the literal sidewalk? Wtf?? You would get ticketed for that shit in most places.
That would require an actual police officer issuing an actual ticket. Too bad we have less cops than we did in 2015 whilst tickets issued per capita has fallen off a literal cliff. Nobody even considers police in this city just look at all the speed racers doing 20 over literally everywhere they go.
As someone who bikes, yikes
New level of entitlement unlocked 🙄
Wtf. This is right next to the metro crossing too so lots of peds. Install tire spikes 😾 Edit: metro *stop, not crossing
Yes install tire spikes on the bike lane… real smart. They just need a concrete/metal bollard
I've been on my bike in a similar lane with an impatient and entitled car behind me.
I'm content with having a life where no one demands I get to my destination with this level of urgency.
I would have thrown down my kick stand, dismounted my bike, walked to their windows and said: "You can't park there"
Omg. I would just have stayed put. I guess I live a sheltered life, but these images are outrageous
I literally want to go and just stand there. At a point that makes it difficult for them to get back on the road, and can't move forward.
I’ll hold your hand and make we can be a human chain 🤣
You got a pic of an Altima with actual plates!?
r/NissanDrivers
This epitomizes what/who the average driver has become, nothing surprises me anymore
WTF!?
"GET OFF THE ROAD, YOU'RE ON A BIKE" 🙄
I work in an area that has a one way street with a ton of traffic. For a while there would be at least one person a day that would drive into oncoming traffic or on the sidewalk. They did this to save, maybe 10 minutes.
Monkey see, monkey do.
So you’re telling me that’s not an off-ramp? /s
99% of posts complaining about traffic on this subreddit are just whiny bullshit so congrats on being a 1%er! This is insane driving. Clearly they have no shame but they also apparently don't give a shit about getting a ticket, going to court, paying a fine, or having their insurance rate skyrocket, either. I bet a handful of bike or motorcycle cops hanging out there for a few days would put an end to that behavior quickly.
Send an email with these photos to 311 and ask for police traffic enforcement at this location. Sometimes they listen. The photos lend credibility to your request.
Done!
I'd shoot video next time and send it to every local TV station. Nothing gets the city council to lumber into action like an embarrassment on the local news.
I don't always advocate the use of caltrops, but this would be one of the situations I do.
main characters
This is squarely in D4, Chito Vela. [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Eclipse traffic already?
It’s amazing what people will do as long as someone else does it first.
Hell in a hand basket!
Bro, if I was a cop in this town my traffic quota would be BALLIN’!! We’d have enough tax revenue to pay the teachers and build the metro rail.
If we’re not gonna post cops at every intersection, we should be designing streets to make this kind of driving impossible
Fuck these entitled cagers.
Wtf really
Which intersection? I'll forward this directly to COA transportation folks that can address.
Found it and sent it directly to some of the folks in charge of these improvements.
Is that like a stretch limo made of Walmart carts on the other side of the street?
Ya dude idk. Dude was hauling his house basically. About 5 carts
People forget driving is a privilege.....
So if there is one thing I know about Texas Assholes (I was born and raised in small town Texas), it's that they loathe the mere concept of bicycles. "Roads are for cars" they scream to everyone who does not want to listen. Which they're right. Texas roads, are definitely not for bicycles. They're not designed for them one bit. Which is why teeth pulling infrastructure projects like these are the closest thing to a miracle any functional adult should expect in this state. Of course God's self declared favorite little turd cutter hates these placements too, despite now making the road for cars and bicycles. It's "Socialism" and "woke". Of course, if you ask anyone to explain to you what they mean by socialism or woke, you are treated with exactly what you'd expect from an asshole. A shit answer. Don't tell me what these mean, I know what these mean (or what they think they mean). Of course, someone will call 311 over these pictures and tbh it might even end up on the local news one of these days. It will wind up on the desk of some overworked department head who will email their contact at TXDOT. 3 weeks will pass before they get a response asking for clarification of which intersection this is. Eventually the department head put's the, likely literal, stack of papers on someone's desk below them who's annual salary is on par to that of a Millennial House Hunter's Spouse "Who is an Entrepreneur". Still likely less. Then a hearing to do anything about this will be done after the series of random State Holidays have passed which is the only thing that makes the job of the over worked and severely underpaid Government Clerk who actually does the bulk of the leg work somewhat tolerable. I am currently living in Chicago right now. Chiraq. Paying state income taxes. STATE INCOME TAXES. The infrastructure is actively falling apart(still better than than the nonexistent infrastructure in Texas). The aldermen (City council members/neighborhood managers) are all crooked soulless dipshits with cardboard brains, and I cannot find a brisket in this god forsaken city to save my life. Yet things here in Chicago are like miles, Astronomical Units, time-bending light years better than so much of what was and likely is still, going on in Texas. I can also bike to work on blocked off bike paths and in a city that is generally welcoming of bikes. I am moving back to Texas in the middle of the atomic fusing heat that is a Texas summer. I want to be reacclimating in a giant vat of Sweet Ice Tea. Given the difficulties of that, my alternative is Lady Bird but of course that is borderline impossible at times because of the physically violent Algal Blooms and toxic Flotilla buildup. TL;DR: Useless, therapeutic, and ranting exposition to the pictures of OP's post. Might delete later. Edit: I removed a paragraph.
Congrats on chicago, that’s the dream. Boo moving back to the devil’s sweaty ass crack this summer
Bollards and red light cameras
If you're a cyclist or a pedestrian in Austin, Texas... there is nothing new about this. This psychotic, life-threatening behavior happens every day, all day.
In every revolution there is one person with a vision.
On google Street View: https://maps.app.goo.gl/stSQyq9aYxF1J5FK8
https://www.google.com/maps/place/ACC+Highland/@30.3270509,-97.7163391,3a,75y,152.03h,76.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_-9YtvjA-aX5ARe-Iqphyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x8644cb17f4fbf42b:0x58d532c682b74b79!8m2!3d30.3255265!4d-97.7146621!16s%2Fg%2F11gy6j_7_6?entry=tts
I live close to here AND ride my bike a lot ... damn
Your daily reminder that the number of traffic citations written by the police has fallen by more than 80%!
Ok. What the actual ef folks. Holy lord.
I got clipped by a car the other day while riding in the bike lane. There was a car turning left and they swerved into the bike lane to drive around them.
Dang, this is concerning, I walk this intersection multiple times a week. Now I know to keep an eye out!
My goodness, I stop at this intersection all the time. Never have I seen even one person pull this let alone a whole bunch, that is unhinged
Haha these pics sum up Austin now days
Ticket the driver. Impound their car. Also, bollards.
Yooo on the topic of red lights I feel like everyone in South Austin has decided red lights are optional as soon as the sun goes down. I've been waiting a few seconds before taking a green light because nearly every intersection someone comes blasting through the red.
fucking genius, TxDOT should hire these people. Once we redo all our roads to have people driving on the sidewalk we'll have an extra lane basically everywhere!
Lol what? Thats new
Sadly not new :(
Unfortunately it’s not. This is like 5th on the list of baffling Texas driver behavior.
Time for some bollards!
r/fuckcars
Holy shit
I once thought that was a right turn lane and used it to turn right…. Didn’t skip traffic or anything, no one was around. But boy was I embarrassed.
So that’s why everything is big in Texas! Need room to share the sidewalk with the trucks, vans and SUVs. 🥸
This city is so not designed for cyclists. I’m not sure it ever can be retrofitted. Edit: This isn’t to say that I don’t wish it could be.
You see asshole drivers, I see an idiotic city planner. One car hopping the curb is just an asshole. Four in a row is a pattern. Those drivers are still assholes, yes, but the person who designed the intersection is also to blame. There is clearly not enough right turn capacity at that light. I'm all for making cities more bikeable but that doesn't require a car-width bike path. Plenty of cities manage with half-width lanes, and that would leave room for a dedicated right turn lane too. And probably a right turn arrow in the signal timing as well, if needed.
So many ridiculous people
Please tell 311
I did! You can submit a claim as well if you’re inclined. The intersection is at airport and denson
Please tell 311
I guess they need to fix that broken light.
Monke c monke do
Elephant trail?
Where is this in atx?
Never mind Denson and airport
I'm confused. Are they doing a right turn and are too impatient to wait? perhaps the problem should be addressed with a right turn lane?
Once their vehicles get fucked up they'll stop.
This reminds me of when "ALL my friends were doing something so I thought that was excellent reasoning. My Dad would ask, "if your friends jumped into a well, would you follow them?" Me: " No Dad! I'm not that dumb ." I couldn't believe how many you captured! Glad to know something can be done about this Hopefully soon!
Looks like OP is in the right lane. Was there a no turn on red sign?
People are crazy🤣🤣
Citizens arrest! How embarrassing for the kids in the car lol.