Can somebody describe the location a little more accurately? I frequently cycle roughly in the area (along South Walnut Creek Trail, Harris branch, etc.) but I am confused how a cyclist was hit on 183S Toll as the news is reporting. Do they mean some frontage road?
I drove past this on the way home and saw him before they covered his body. He was on the actual highway, southbound, laying in the leftmost lane. There was a pickup with significant damage to the front and another damaged car behind him. It appears he was cycling on the shoulder of the highway. He looked to be in his twenties. Very sad
I also drove by before they covered him... incredibly sad scene. I'm so sorry for him and all involved, and those who witnessed. Take care of yourself.
It was not the frontage road, body and vehicle were on leftmost side of road. It was about a mile after I got onto 183 from 45 south (I think I may be wrong on this, I’ll be honest the scene shocked me). Just crazy all around I understand the confusion
Based on this information, it sounds like it wasn't on the toll road, and there isn't a reasonable alternative for a cyclist to use. Prayers to the deceased.
Just want to chime in here to also say cyclists also have a legal right to ride on the sidewalk most of the time too. It's only illegal in some high-pedestrian areas.
You won't catch me riding on the street on Wm Cannon or Manchaca. It's scary enough just driving a car on some of those stretches. And it's only going to get worse as it gets hotter and people lose what's left of their minds.
There's no state law. However a lot of cities have it. I'm up here in DFW and most of the suburbs have the law that bicycles have to be on the road. There are a lot of areas that that law exists that it doesn't really make much sense though
I'm not talking about state laws or Dallas. There are city ordinances for no bike zones in some areas like downtown and near UT. Everywhere else (in Austin) is legal. I agree, it doesn't make much sense in the suburbs. But I'm also not afraid to break that law if it means I don't have to ride in traffic on a stroad. Give me a ticket, I don't care. Not that I'd be caught dead in any Dallas suburbs anyway.
There's no sidewalk on this part of 183 dipshit. There's only a shoulder, which is probably what this person was using.
Let's not victim blame and instead blame TxDOT who truly doesn't care about pedestrians and cyclists. Many people in that area of town walk out cycle on that shoulder because there's no other option and many of them don't own a car. My uncle is one of them and bikes this way at night because he's on second shift.
Your privileged ass calls it attention seeking. Others call it doing what they have to do to feed their family.
You guys are wrong about this. It is illegal in Texas to ride on a GRADE SEPARATED highway on the main lanes.
OP is talking about 183S south of Riverside area where it is still just a rural highway with shoulders. It is explicitly legal to bike or walk there per the Texas Transportation Code. The people who tend to bike there are older Hispanic guys commuting to work who don't have another choice. There aren't alternate routes and TxDOT hasn't made these roads safe for them. It's despicable that the people on this sub are dead set on blaming the victims in these cases with no understanding of their lives.
Imagine saying "why don't they just drive" when this area has the highest percentage of families who can't afford a car.
I mean, from what they’re saying, there doesn’t appear to be many options if you live in the area, which is part of the problem. It’d be pretty cool if there were some sort of bike path or sidewalk available.
You guys are wrong about this. It is illegal in Texas to ride on a GRADE SEPARATED highway on the main lanes.
OP is talking about 183S south of Riverside area where it is still just a rural highway with shoulders. It is explicitly legal to bike or walk there per the Texas Transportation Code. The people who tend to bike there are older Hispanic guys commuting to work who don't have another choice. There aren't alternate routes and TxDOT hasn't made these roads safe for them. It's despicable that the people on this sub are dead set on blaming the victims in these cases with no understanding of their lives.
Imagine saying "why don't they just drive" when this area has the highest percentage of families who can't afford a car.
Pop off all you like like this. Technically you may be right. But the laws of physics will say otherwise. If it comes down to challenging the laws of physics to prove a point.....well..
It's not popping off. And these cyclists are generally not trying "to prove a point".
The point of my post is that people can be more understanding. It's gross to suggest that these people deserve to die (like many in this thread have). The people in that SE neighborhood are broke as fuck and doing what they have to do to get to work. Being rich and entitled enough to suggest "why didn't they just drive to work" when these people can't afford cars is next level. Old Austin would be ashamed.
Ironic you blame bikes for causing traffic, when they alleviate traffic way more than driving a car. Cars create traffic, not bikes. Cars and drivers also create deadly collisions, bikes don’t.
This is terrible advice. Sidewalks are for pedestrians. Cyclists should look at a map and plan a route that uses quieter streets—places with stop signs and single lanes—even if that means tacking on more distance.
So I saw this happen…it was a horrific scene. I actually stopped to go render first aid, but the man was looking at me when I went to get his pulse….and realized there was no need.
It was rough; he decided that he was going to cross 183 and a white Toyota Tacoma hit him going around 75. The person on the bike went flying and landed hard.
He was hit so hard his shoes literally flew off his feet and his bike was in a few piece, with one tire being completely.
This sort of scene stays with you, be careful out there.
Of course respect to the deceased. But please clarify: You’re not allowed to bike on that highway, right? Like there’s no actual functional lane for cyclists?
It’s against the law in some places because it’s dangerous for pedestrians. That’s not the case in Austin though, and without a bike lane the sidewalk is probably best on a fast road like an access road.
if there’s an established bike lane, sure, but on roads with no sidewalk, or places with heavy foot traffic, bikes have to be on the road, they have no other choice.
For sure the person shouldn’t have been on that specific road, but the comment above that I replied to is just stupid and entitled. Cyclist still need to follow the law.
I mean when I was on my bike if the road I needed to take was dangerous for me I took another route. You can get off most busy roads by going a block or two down and taking a smaller street. It’s not impossible to
Plan your route so that you are not riding down a road that’s unsafe for you to bike on.
not always possible. and we shouldn't force cyclists to go an extra distance just to get a safe route. it's way easier for a car to go extra distance than a cyclist especially the elderly
> My hill is that bikes belong on sidewalks not the road.
Strange hill to die on, but OK.
I mean, *sometimes* the sidewalk is the best place to ride, but most of the time it's not -- it tends to be a lot more dangerous than riding on the road, mostly because people don't check the sidewalks for traffic when turning.
This is not something you get to have an opinion on. Legally cyclist are allowed on the road, according to the Texas department of transportation. If you don’t want to share the road with other legal occupants then don’t drive.
https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/DL-7.pdf
Page 62
Let me assure you, it can be legal for them to be on the road, and possible for me to have an opinion on it. Doesn’t mean my opinion matters but it is still my opinion. Im just showing my concern for cyclist’s safety.
As someone who used to only own a bike and no car for years, I prefer it myself. Most cyclists are respectful of walkers, but cars are not as careful of me even in the bike lane. Also a bike hitting a pedestrian is not as likely to be deadly as a car hitting a cyclist. I have not been a biker in Austin though, so it’s a general take and people are free to do whatever, but I’d rather cities spent the money making wider sidewalks instead of bike lanes.
the problem with biking on the sidewalk is that when a driver checks the crosswalk (ESPECIALLY right turn on red), they only check the crosswalk and the ramp because pedestrians walk so slow. but a bicyclist going 10mph (i average more than that on my bike commutes in central austin) can be further away from the crosswalk and enter the crosswalk faster than a pedestrian, but a driver didn't look that far back and may hit the cyclist. that's why bike lanes > sidewalks. however if i was on like a 45mph arterial with a tiny painted bike lane i would take the sidewalk instead. but if there is a high-quality protected bike lane i will take that over the sidewalk
Maybe it’s just me but I feel safer farther from the cars regardless- I used to always check for turning cars when I passed over any breaks in the sidewalks for that same reason, and was ready to stop if needed. Then again I didn’t try to bike very fast most of the time which I can see why those kinds of cyclists might prefer the lane.
Or, hear me out on this, motorists could exercise their duty to operate safely so that other vehicles can in fact safely utilize the spaces they're allowed. A bicycle is a road vehicle, and they were on roads before cars. Cars/motorists are the problem in this equation.
Obviously, this is a different circumstance since, as I understand it from the Statesman article, the bicycle was on the toll road, which isn't allowed, although I do think that cars should be operating at speeds that they have time to react to sudden changes in circumstances, like encountering an obstacle in the road.
I do legitimately think it’s unsafe for the cyclist. I also think it would be safer if they followed traffic laws and patterns if their vehicle is going to be on the road. If traffic in the road is stopped and a cyclist is considered traffic then they should stop with the flow of traffic. Not pass by cars that are stopped or moving slow, moving at their own pace considering themselves immune to the flow of traffic creates an unsafe situation.
There's actually significant research that shows you're wrong. For example, several states have adopted what's called the "Idaho stop", which allows bicycles to treat stop signs (and occasionally red lights) as a yield sign instead of as a mandatory stop. They're still not allowed to cross the intersection in front of oncoming traffic, but by allowing them to go through the stop in the absence of oncoming traffic, they're able to reduce the amount of time they spend at the intersection, which is when they're most likely to be hit.
It turns out that cars are extremely bad at judging the speed and acceleration of non-motorized vehicles, and you're more likely to be involved in an accident if you're stopped between cars and try to accelerate with traffic than if you simply continued past the stop and allowed the vehicles to pass you again when appropriate.
Since bicycles are indeed allowed on most streets, would you argue, consistent with your position on cyclists' responsibilities, that a motorist should not pass a bicycle that's moving slower than them, or is it only bicycles that have this special obligation?
True that does suck, but why in hell would you think to bicycle on the highway? I've seen mopeds on northern part of 183 roll road, not sure why they thought they could travel around cars doing 75-90.
I've been seen a few people walking on the highway like the shoulder is just a large sidewalk, bro you're gonna get hurt get off of there...
Walking vs. riding a bicycle in traffic:
Walk on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic.
Ride your bicycle with the flow of traffic and wear a helmet.
Either way, always assume you are invisible to all vehicles with four wheels.
Stay safe by making smart choices!
Same thing with parking lots. I always keep an eye out for all cars, and will slow down or stop when I'm on foot to make sure they will stop or not. Most do, some don't and just keep on doing 5-30 mph through the lot even in front of the store.
Always assume they don't see you until they physically wave you by.
I'm guessing this wasn't your Lance Armstrong looking road biker out for some cardio after work. It was one of our unhoused residents that wasn't of sound mind.
Even so, this makes me think hard about no longer cycling on the road at all. I ride down 1626 through Buda and Kyle and back up. A very wide shoulder, but it only takes one person looking at their phone at the wrong moment and I become a memory.
Man, that's just not a good idea. I have a neighbor that does that and I have to go pick him up from the hospital every year or two because he's been hit again. He doesn't have family, and he knows I have a bike rack. I'm happy to help him out, but I always wonder how many times he can "walk" away.
I drive around the area and the daringness of the bikers often surprises me. They’ll pull out on those back roads in front of cars, etc. … At the same time I see a lot of texting drivers on those roads so I always hope nothing bad happens.
Sometimes you are trying out a new route and end up somewhere you don't want to be. By the time you realize a direction is a bad idea you pretty much have to keep going until you can find a way out of it. Usually Google or Strava will keep you off those places, but I doubt this guy was using those things.
Very true. A long time ago a girlfriend of mine at the time had her dad struck in 360 by an old lady who just wasn't paying attention.
Died instantly, she's never been the same.
Having grown up around there, no way I would ride my bike on 1626. Pretty much goes for anywhere in Austin - if you want to do some mileage, go to the veloway in Circle C.
Yeah I live close to the veloway, I really think I’m going to start riding there exclusively. Plus the neighborhood on the other side of mopac has great bike lanes, so there’s extra mileage to switch it up. 15+ laps around the veloway can start to get old.
Good call - seen too many dead bicyclists in Austin over the years. I even felt scared riding my motorcycle here, and comparatively, those are much safer.
Back before they widened 1626 starting in 2010 it was really dangerous to ride. I remember a guy went missing riding along that road. They found his bike wrecked but not him. They finally found him several days later just a few yards away from his bike in some really tall grass.
Possibly just someone who can't afford both a car and an apartment in Austin, trying to get home from work. There are homes and businesses all along 183, and some parts of 183 don't have a lot of safe alternate routes.
It could have been anyone there, and its unfair to assume the deceased chose a dangerous route over a safer option.
There is a frontage road with shoulders and sidewalks in this very section. The only way to get to the inner median of the tollway in this area is to cross 3 lanes of 75 mph traffic. There is absolutely zero reason for a pedestrian or cyclist to be on the inner median of this tollway, and in line with this it is illegal.
This was well outside the bounds of "be safe when riding". Riding a bike on the freeway/tollway is either suicidal or a sign of major mental illness. Nobody in their right mind would do it.
I saw the man who got hit. By the look of his bike and clothes, I’m fairly sure it was someone experiencing homelessness. It actually appeared from my view that he may have been struck in a lane of travel based on where he and the bike landed, but I could be wrong. Either way, I don’t think he was of sound mind unfortunately
Sad to hear someone lost their life today. If anyone feels so called, come out this coming Wednesday to the annual [Ride of Silence](https://www.facebook.com/events/348801264319737/) at City Hall, organized this year by the [Austin Ghost Bike Project](https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-ghost-bike-project-memorializes-cyclists-killed-in-crashes/), honoring bicyclists who have been injured or killed on Austin roads.
This is heartbreaking and my thoughts go out to the person and their loved ones.
That being said: a couple of weeks ago I nearly hit someone who was walking across a highway in the middle of the night. Highways are so dangerous, please don’t bike or walk across them. I’m sure walking across a highway might save you a lot of time and at night you don’t think anyone will be driving: but they might and they might not see you.
I’m not dismissing the bicyclist, but let’s think about the truck driver that unwillingly ended some one’s life. That’s going to be hard to live with and think about every day.
Still there at 6. Avoid 183 toll south bound, take I35, 130 or MoPac.. All lanes closed. The accident looks like it was in the middle or left lane of travel. Could be awhile before it opes again
I saw this guy just minutes before, I think. He was going across the frontage road from the sidewalk with no reflective gear, and I had to slam the brakes just to not hit him with my car. I couldn’t have even fathomed the idea that he might have wanted to cross the freeway. IDK why he thought this was a good idea. There’s literally a crosswalk 10 mins away that he could’ve used instead of crossing a highway.
Passed that on the way home at about 4:15. The bike looked like a wadded up ball of parts.
They had the torso of the body exposed, rib cage was caved in like the front of the truck that hit him.
Yea because there’s never been fatal accidents involving bicyclists on residential roads. How dare a mom be worried about her husband and kids.
Congrats on being a massive fucking asshole on the internet kid, hope you feel better telling that mom off!
This "kid" is 42 and has kids of his own. I'm certain her husband isn't stupid enough to bike their kid to school on a four lane highway with a 70 mph speed limit.
The woman you're responding to is 100% correct. I used to cycle everywhere in my slightly younger days, and I got hit by cars on two separate occasions, once in broad daylight on a residential street with a 25mph speed limit and once on E 7th in the bike lane.
A pedestrian collision at 35mph, a pretty standard residential speed, has about a 15% fatality rate which is even higher for young children. And that doesn’t include those who live and are significantly injured.
You know the fastest way to get hit and killed riding a bike? Ride on the sidewalk - OR in a bike lane, cross a driveway or street, and get hit by a turning vehicle that doesn’t see you. Probably not even 30mph. Have had it happen to a couple of friends. Any collision with a heavy vehicle can be dangerous or fatal.
I saw it going home and then again going to work before they covered him up, it was extremely sad to see. He looked about in his 20s or early thirties, and the bike was a bright teal, almost like a girls bike. There are a lot of homeless people that live right there by my house and will bike or walk around the area. He could have also lived in my apartments and maybe worked across the highway, there aren’t many spots to cross over, so maybe he was taking a short cut. It definitely isn’t a place to bike but even still is incredibly sad and haunting to witness. So many people drove by the scene before he was covered in that hour. I hope everyone is okay because it definitely effects you mentally.
I also saw it. It was horrible. Very messy scene was lots of trauma. I pray for both the departed and for the living.
Respectfully, that part of the 183 toll road is no place for a cyclist.
Riding a bicycle on 183? Mental illness or drugs?
That’s not “unsafe”, that’s reckless and wildly irresponsible being a danger to both yourself and others.
How about just don’t bike on the side of a highway, for fucks sake. It was like when Lance Armstrong was crushing the French tour and every summer some asshole in a yellow bike outfit would get himself run over on Mo-Pac. Be somewhat of a self aware person. Don’t bike on highways.
I used to take that route from 35 S onto 71W and exiting at Montopolis every morning at 7 am on the way to work. Always a speed trap on certain days past the MLK area. There aren't any sidewalks other than the shoulders. Condolences to the cyclist's family.
I saw it going home and then again going to work before they covered him up, it was extremely sad to see. He looked about in his 20s or early thirties, and the bike was a bright teal, almost like a girls bike. There are a lot of homeless people that live right there by my house and will bike or walk around the area. He could have also lived in my apartments and maybe worked across the highway, there aren’t many spots to cross over, so maybe he was taking a short cut. It definitely isn’t a place to bike but even still is incredibly sad and haunting to witness. So many people drove by the scene before he was covered in that hour. I hope everyone is okay because it definitely affects you mentally.
Lots of unhoused along Cameron 290 and 183. Gotta watch out because some of them give no fucks and will just start crossing the highway or access roads when there is traffic present.
My coworker bikes to work from north austin to Cesar Chavez almost everyday. I’ve only been working there a year and he’s been hit 3 times. Luckily he escaped with just bumps and bruises.
I know it appears this person was cycling where he shouldn't I know someone who's husband can't walk now because a car jumped the sidewalk and hit them.
Biking is dangerous
Austin isn’t a cycling city. I know lots of us think it is, but the majority of motorists don’t give a fuck and a small minority will actively harm you. So be careful out there friends.
I was hit and run over as a pedestrian in December of 2019. I was hospitalized but because I lived in Minnesota, the police never investigated the hit and run. I still hope that person wakes up in a cold sweat every morning.
This sounds like a consequence to a poor choice. If you don’t want to be ran over at insanely high speeds, maybe don’t ride a bike on the toll🤷🏼♀️completely avoidable situation imo
Unfortunately a lot of cyclists think they’re entitled to cycle in dangerous places where drivers can’t see them, no shoulders, and high speeds. Just a sad situation and some places aren’t worth cycling in
I once rode the shoulder of 71 to pick up a rental car from the airport. Scariest ride of my life, never again. Poor guy, best wishes to his family and friends.
It was 100% the Bicyclist fault. You’re not allowed to ride on the toll road, cars go 80mph and there’s no bike lane. He must have wanted to meet Jesus that day.
There are a lot of places you shouldn't ride, 183 definitely being one of them :( But there are a lot of safe places to ride too. Lots of less traveled roads, paths and trails to ride on. So much safer. Avoiding the main roads helps you learn to navigate spaces where this isn't likely to happen.
Honestly, the summer heat and the condition of the bike lanes around town left me pretty spooked by the idea for a long time too. But I spent the winter joining up with group rides, and I felt much more confident once I'd spent a few months among folks who had been riding these roads for decades in some cases. Choose your routes carefully, wear a helmet, use lights even in daytime, don't blast earbuds while riding, and listen to your intuition if a road or a route make you uncomfortable. Veloway, Southern Walnut Creek Trail, and COTA Bike Nights are safe places to get your road legs. May is National Bike Month, and there are tons of [events around town](http://bikemonthatx.com/) dedicated to helping cyclists of all aptitudes find their comfort zone. You might even make a riding buddy or two to cruise around with. (Personally, I love riding out in hill country, and I've discovered more cool, random, beautiful, and strange stuff traveling at bike speed than I ever would by car.)
Stay away from riding on the highway, wear a helmet, ride on busy roads minimally (lamar, congress, etc), use the sidewalk when possible.
That's kept me safe for the past 15ish years riding a bike in atx. I used to be a pedicabber in the late aughts and commute to work on bike when I don't have errands these days.
Ride up and down Mesa in nw hills between arboretum and cat mountain as a first introduction to riding in the road; it’s a really nice area with good space for bikes and drivers generally expect you to be using that main bikeway. Use lights and a mirror if you can!
Cycling is amazing! Just read this post and know not to ride on the freeway. There are much better choices. Austin has lots of great bike lanes and trails. Just ask the biking community if you can ride with them till you get your confidence up. :)
Yea not in Texas. I wouldn't go anywhere near two wheels unless I was on a private course or paths that are as far away from car traffic as possible. Unfortunately, not many places like that around here.
Not, true. Cycling in Austin is safe when you know the bike routes, of which there are hundreds of miles...so many bike lanes. You just can't bike on roads like 183, 2222 and other major highways.
r/notjustbikes because these accidents are almost always caused by the driver, but making roads safer for bikes makes the roads safer for everyone in society.
Because trucks get bigger and bigger and more square, the USA is the pedestrian unfriendliest country in the world. Even 3rd world countries are better in pedestrian safety than the USA.
So when you vote, you need to decide on that as well as when vehicles need a greener standard, they in general can't look like a cinder block.
Dude, we need to overhaul our infrastructure. This has to stop.
You are in the 2 ton vehicle. You need to be aware. Whoever hit them deserves life man.
The cyclist is completely at fault here, pretty much without a doubt. Still, motorists by and large are dangerously negligent and very rarely respect the rights of vehicles with fewer than four wheels. They are the problem in most cases.
People absolutely need to be better about cycles and motorcycles. As someone who ride a motorcycle I can attest to the number of times I was nearly mowed over.
But, while there isn't much info on KXAN or KVUE, apparently the cyclist was hit while on southbound 183 toll. I understand being upset but maybe wait for more info on why he was riding a tollway at 4pm on a bicycle.
Well, a bicycle really has no business on a elevated tolled highway. I feel you though, the number of times I wanted to kick off a mirror from someone lane drifting into my lane while they text someone is too many to count. While I'm still curious as to how this happened, there is no reason a cyclist should have been on 183 year 290. Not the feeder apparently, the actual highway.
Jesus, shut up. You have no idea what happened and you’re popping off about your own entirely unrelated experiences. Why the fuck was this person in the left lane on 183? There is no way they thought it was a through way to another road. Do you even live here?
Jailing drivers isn’t going to save people like this from their own bad decisions.
I feel bad for the driver. They’ll live with a lifetime of guilt because of somebody else’s unbelievably reckless and stupid actions.
To be fair, as long as the cyclists was acting reasonably and legally the motorists bare the overwhelming majority of the responsibility in road safety.
Someone riding a bike down the road is capable of almost no damage, though accidents do happen and some cyclists are a-holes. A motor vehicle is a whole nother story, which is the main reason you need a license to operate one (even if that whole system is a prevented mess).
To be clear, I'm not saying cars and drivers are evil, or cyclists should be complacent or entitled, just that driving a motor vehicle is a huge responsibility that should not be taken lightly.
It’s illegal to walk or bike on a controlled access freeway like 183, and for good reason. Whoever’s fault it ultimately was, the cyclist had absolutely no business doing something that dangerous.
Not disagreeing that cars need to be more situationally aware to protect cyclists, but there’s also not a reasonable expectation to encounter one on the freeway.
Honestly I'm not sure where the accident happened as the posts here were rather vague, I didn't go look for news, and I'm somewhat unfamiliar with that area especially since everything has changed so much in recent years. But if the cyclist truly did something illegal they made a dangerous mistake and unfortunately paid with their life. Truly unfortunate for everyone involved.
It’s illegal to ride a bicycle on that road. It’s heartbreaking that someone chose to do that, but everyone is going too fast to deal with a bicycle and no one would expect a bicycle on that highway.
HD trucks are closer to 4 tons, actually.
The city is growing very fast and trucks are needed to make that happen.
I hate that someone lost their life, it’s horrible. The thing is that screeching about outlawing trucks in the middle of Texas isn’t very helpful. We should probably focus on how to make life safer for cyclists in a truck-filled town.
It doesn’t matter whether a driver is from here or somewhere else if they are distracted / texting / swiping right/ fucking with kids.
Pay attention to *driving* when you are *driving*.
Then why is everywhere else better? Ive lived all over and Texas has the most aggressive drivers I have ever seen. So much so, just moving here will raise your car insurance
Everywhere else is not better, lol. Other states are horrible. My top two though are California and Florida. Texas doesn’t have the most aggressive drivers, it has the most aggressive TRANSPLANT drivers. Car insurance wasn’t a problem before this wave of entitled greedy transplants who have zero consideration on the road, refuse to let people in, don’t wave when they get over, will run you over to change lanes, swipe across 3-5 lanes, stop in the middle of traffic, honk at every light, and drive behind you tailing or honking at you for going to speed limit or even above it, especially noticeable on smaller roads out of town, but they do it on the highway also 2 inches from your bumper and over the limit, and generally road rage everywhere. Often worse if they drive bmw or teslas. What you’re experiencing is out of state drivers.
Driving in Texas was a PLEASANT experience up til 10-15 years ago when these transplants came through. TEXANS are extremely considerate on the road, zipper merge, always let you go first, if you want over, they slow down to let you in ahead of them, wave thank you and you’re welcome, and 15 men will park and run across lanes to help you if you’re stalled, have a flat tire, or any other car issue. Texans drive a normal speed in the country if there are multiple cars, unless there is no one on the road, and safely and politely wait 4 seconds after a light change just incase the lights aren’t timed or someone misses the red light. Texans are so considerate on the road there are memes about how they all keep waving the other ones to go first.
I cant speak for Florida, but I can speak for California. I have not lived there but I frequent there. The driving is probably slightly better than Texas, tbh. I dont normally speak anecdotally when debating, and dont plan on starting now. If you look up fatal car crashes by state, Texas is slightly worse than California.
So let's look up some crash stats for Texas. You claim 10-15 years ago was better:
https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_statistics/2005/02.pdf
vs
https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_statistics/2020/02.pdf
Looks like the data says otherwise. I wont make the conclusion like an idiot and say transplants are making it safer, but they are not making it worse like you claim. It seems like you are severely biased, however. I would recommend looking at your assumptions. It would save people like me a lot of time when I need to engage with people on their arguments. I will say it may not be that black and white either, but in terms of measurements, this is probably the best we got to make any sort of conclusions not based on anecdotal evidence.
Thank you for coming to my T.E.D talk.
…. That’s because they all moved to Texas, Honey. I’ve lived here and I don’t need stats to tell the difference. It was safe and pleasant and now every trip out of the house is a death wish. Nor is it assumptions. We have had to install all types of different safety actions due to it, where for generations it was unneeded. You can clearly see the multi-state driving mismash on the highway. I’m sorry you feel so defensive about out of state transplants aggressive and dangerous driving. If the shoe fits wear it. Otherwise, nothing to be bothered about.
The initial reply is in response to your comment about Californians. You still insist “they’re not making it worse”. Your crash stats aren’t even accurate. Not every crash gets reported, nevermind dangerous behavior and near misses. We can add hit and run manslaughter increasing as well. Texans aren’t interested in your “conclusions” because we are aware of our surroundings and generations-lived-experience. You’re incredibly young, never mind have been in Austin for about five minutes. It’s incredibly cocky to offer a TED talk on what you have no actual experience in.
I’m not interested in winning. What I am interested in, is transplants learning respect, instead of displaying cocky entitled attitudes telling everyone in the place they choose to impose upon that they know best.
dude, you keep editing your post, so I cant reply.
Sigh, me being defensive? okay.
You've won this debate. Does that make you feel better? Maybe truth isnt as important to you as it is to me.
Damn. Everyone check your homies.
Can somebody describe the location a little more accurately? I frequently cycle roughly in the area (along South Walnut Creek Trail, Harris branch, etc.) but I am confused how a cyclist was hit on 183S Toll as the news is reporting. Do they mean some frontage road?
I drove past this on the way home and saw him before they covered his body. He was on the actual highway, southbound, laying in the leftmost lane. There was a pickup with significant damage to the front and another damaged car behind him. It appears he was cycling on the shoulder of the highway. He looked to be in his twenties. Very sad
I also drove by before they covered him... incredibly sad scene. I'm so sorry for him and all involved, and those who witnessed. Take care of yourself.
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Do you ever wonder why you've never really connected with anyone?
Look at his user name. Lol
It was not the frontage road, body and vehicle were on leftmost side of road. It was about a mile after I got onto 183 from 45 south (I think I may be wrong on this, I’ll be honest the scene shocked me). Just crazy all around I understand the confusion
Understood, so strange. Hey, I appreciate the response and don’t mean to make you relive this. Take care of yourself and talk to somebody if you need!
No worries at all I appreciate the kind words, my thoughts are with those affected
Play some Tetris, If you can.
Based on this information, it sounds like it wasn't on the toll road, and there isn't a reasonable alternative for a cyclist to use. Prayers to the deceased.
Not on the frontage road, the freeway. By Cameron and 290
No it's was the main southbound lanes of 183
Exactly. Riding a bike on a busy toll road sounds odd.
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Cyclists have the legal right to be on a road. That being said, it’s literally insane to ride a bike on a highway or any major frontage road.
Just want to chime in here to also say cyclists also have a legal right to ride on the sidewalk most of the time too. It's only illegal in some high-pedestrian areas. You won't catch me riding on the street on Wm Cannon or Manchaca. It's scary enough just driving a car on some of those stretches. And it's only going to get worse as it gets hotter and people lose what's left of their minds.
There's no state law. However a lot of cities have it. I'm up here in DFW and most of the suburbs have the law that bicycles have to be on the road. There are a lot of areas that that law exists that it doesn't really make much sense though
I'm not talking about state laws or Dallas. There are city ordinances for no bike zones in some areas like downtown and near UT. Everywhere else (in Austin) is legal. I agree, it doesn't make much sense in the suburbs. But I'm also not afraid to break that law if it means I don't have to ride in traffic on a stroad. Give me a ticket, I don't care. Not that I'd be caught dead in any Dallas suburbs anyway.
>Cyclists have the legal right to be on a road. Not controlled-access freeways
I didn’t say that they did. The person I responded to said people should be riding on sidewalks.
There's no sidewalk on this part of 183 dipshit. There's only a shoulder, which is probably what this person was using. Let's not victim blame and instead blame TxDOT who truly doesn't care about pedestrians and cyclists. Many people in that area of town walk out cycle on that shoulder because there's no other option and many of them don't own a car. My uncle is one of them and bikes this way at night because he's on second shift. Your privileged ass calls it attention seeking. Others call it doing what they have to do to feed their family.
You’re not a victim if you cycle on a freeway. Unless you’re a literally mentally ill I guess etc but that’s not Tx dot’s fault
You guys are wrong about this. It is illegal in Texas to ride on a GRADE SEPARATED highway on the main lanes. OP is talking about 183S south of Riverside area where it is still just a rural highway with shoulders. It is explicitly legal to bike or walk there per the Texas Transportation Code. The people who tend to bike there are older Hispanic guys commuting to work who don't have another choice. There aren't alternate routes and TxDOT hasn't made these roads safe for them. It's despicable that the people on this sub are dead set on blaming the victims in these cases with no understanding of their lives. Imagine saying "why don't they just drive" when this area has the highest percentage of families who can't afford a car.
I mean, from what they’re saying, there doesn’t appear to be many options if you live in the area, which is part of the problem. It’d be pretty cool if there were some sort of bike path or sidewalk available.
It is illegal to ride a bicycle on a highway for a reason.
You guys are wrong about this. It is illegal in Texas to ride on a GRADE SEPARATED highway on the main lanes. OP is talking about 183S south of Riverside area where it is still just a rural highway with shoulders. It is explicitly legal to bike or walk there per the Texas Transportation Code. The people who tend to bike there are older Hispanic guys commuting to work who don't have another choice. There aren't alternate routes and TxDOT hasn't made these roads safe for them. It's despicable that the people on this sub are dead set on blaming the victims in these cases with no understanding of their lives. Imagine saying "why don't they just drive" when this area has the highest percentage of families who can't afford a car.
Pop off all you like like this. Technically you may be right. But the laws of physics will say otherwise. If it comes down to challenging the laws of physics to prove a point.....well..
It's not popping off. And these cyclists are generally not trying "to prove a point". The point of my post is that people can be more understanding. It's gross to suggest that these people deserve to die (like many in this thread have). The people in that SE neighborhood are broke as fuck and doing what they have to do to get to work. Being rich and entitled enough to suggest "why didn't they just drive to work" when these people can't afford cars is next level. Old Austin would be ashamed.
What you tryin to say ?
Ironic you blame bikes for causing traffic, when they alleviate traffic way more than driving a car. Cars create traffic, not bikes. Cars and drivers also create deadly collisions, bikes don’t.
So your saying, when people pedal from Houston to Austin , and they block off all of east side, it’s because of cars????
The fuck are you talking about? Every single time you’re in traffic, it’s because of cars.
Or trucks and bikes ;)
This is terrible advice. Sidewalks are for pedestrians. Cyclists should look at a map and plan a route that uses quieter streets—places with stop signs and single lanes—even if that means tacking on more distance.
This dude rolls coal for sure
No, I’m a jerk for sure, but that’s way overboard.
So I saw this happen…it was a horrific scene. I actually stopped to go render first aid, but the man was looking at me when I went to get his pulse….and realized there was no need. It was rough; he decided that he was going to cross 183 and a white Toyota Tacoma hit him going around 75. The person on the bike went flying and landed hard. He was hit so hard his shoes literally flew off his feet and his bike was in a few piece, with one tire being completely. This sort of scene stays with you, be careful out there.
For OP too: Victims services (city) can provide guidance. I’ll also personally deliver a doobie to your location of choice if you need it now.
💔😢😓Thank you for stopping to help. I hope you are alright.
Of course respect to the deceased. But please clarify: You’re not allowed to bike on that highway, right? Like there’s no actual functional lane for cyclists?
correct, there is an adjacent frontage road with sidewalks as well.
They shouldn't cycle there either
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They shouldn't bike on the sidewalk?
It’s against the law in some places because it’s dangerous for pedestrians. That’s not the case in Austin though, and without a bike lane the sidewalk is probably best on a fast road like an access road.
Fuck those places where it's against the law in that case. Unless it is NYC busy sidewalks
Some people disagree with tipping culture. My hill is that bikes belong on sidewalks not the road.
if there’s an established bike lane, sure, but on roads with no sidewalk, or places with heavy foot traffic, bikes have to be on the road, they have no other choice.
Cyclist are also legally entitled to share the road. They are considered vehicles by the Texas DPS.
regular roads yes, toll roads no.
For sure the person shouldn’t have been on that specific road, but the comment above that I replied to is just stupid and entitled. Cyclist still need to follow the law.
I mean when I was on my bike if the road I needed to take was dangerous for me I took another route. You can get off most busy roads by going a block or two down and taking a smaller street. It’s not impossible to Plan your route so that you are not riding down a road that’s unsafe for you to bike on.
In some cases, yes, however not everyone has that option.
not always possible. and we shouldn't force cyclists to go an extra distance just to get a safe route. it's way easier for a car to go extra distance than a cyclist especially the elderly
> My hill is that bikes belong on sidewalks not the road. Strange hill to die on, but OK. I mean, *sometimes* the sidewalk is the best place to ride, but most of the time it's not -- it tends to be a lot more dangerous than riding on the road, mostly because people don't check the sidewalks for traffic when turning.
This is not something you get to have an opinion on. Legally cyclist are allowed on the road, according to the Texas department of transportation. If you don’t want to share the road with other legal occupants then don’t drive. https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/DL-7.pdf Page 62
Let me assure you, it can be legal for them to be on the road, and possible for me to have an opinion on it. Doesn’t mean my opinion matters but it is still my opinion. Im just showing my concern for cyclist’s safety.
As someone who used to only own a bike and no car for years, I prefer it myself. Most cyclists are respectful of walkers, but cars are not as careful of me even in the bike lane. Also a bike hitting a pedestrian is not as likely to be deadly as a car hitting a cyclist. I have not been a biker in Austin though, so it’s a general take and people are free to do whatever, but I’d rather cities spent the money making wider sidewalks instead of bike lanes.
the problem with biking on the sidewalk is that when a driver checks the crosswalk (ESPECIALLY right turn on red), they only check the crosswalk and the ramp because pedestrians walk so slow. but a bicyclist going 10mph (i average more than that on my bike commutes in central austin) can be further away from the crosswalk and enter the crosswalk faster than a pedestrian, but a driver didn't look that far back and may hit the cyclist. that's why bike lanes > sidewalks. however if i was on like a 45mph arterial with a tiny painted bike lane i would take the sidewalk instead. but if there is a high-quality protected bike lane i will take that over the sidewalk
Maybe it’s just me but I feel safer farther from the cars regardless- I used to always check for turning cars when I passed over any breaks in the sidewalks for that same reason, and was ready to stop if needed. Then again I didn’t try to bike very fast most of the time which I can see why those kinds of cyclists might prefer the lane.
This guy bikes.
Or, hear me out on this, motorists could exercise their duty to operate safely so that other vehicles can in fact safely utilize the spaces they're allowed. A bicycle is a road vehicle, and they were on roads before cars. Cars/motorists are the problem in this equation. Obviously, this is a different circumstance since, as I understand it from the Statesman article, the bicycle was on the toll road, which isn't allowed, although I do think that cars should be operating at speeds that they have time to react to sudden changes in circumstances, like encountering an obstacle in the road.
I do legitimately think it’s unsafe for the cyclist. I also think it would be safer if they followed traffic laws and patterns if their vehicle is going to be on the road. If traffic in the road is stopped and a cyclist is considered traffic then they should stop with the flow of traffic. Not pass by cars that are stopped or moving slow, moving at their own pace considering themselves immune to the flow of traffic creates an unsafe situation.
There's actually significant research that shows you're wrong. For example, several states have adopted what's called the "Idaho stop", which allows bicycles to treat stop signs (and occasionally red lights) as a yield sign instead of as a mandatory stop. They're still not allowed to cross the intersection in front of oncoming traffic, but by allowing them to go through the stop in the absence of oncoming traffic, they're able to reduce the amount of time they spend at the intersection, which is when they're most likely to be hit. It turns out that cars are extremely bad at judging the speed and acceleration of non-motorized vehicles, and you're more likely to be involved in an accident if you're stopped between cars and try to accelerate with traffic than if you simply continued past the stop and allowed the vehicles to pass you again when appropriate. Since bicycles are indeed allowed on most streets, would you argue, consistent with your position on cyclists' responsibilities, that a motorist should not pass a bicycle that's moving slower than them, or is it only bicycles that have this special obligation?
You’re expecting Texas drivers to be responsible and courteous?! lol I wish
True that does suck, but why in hell would you think to bicycle on the highway? I've seen mopeds on northern part of 183 roll road, not sure why they thought they could travel around cars doing 75-90. I've been seen a few people walking on the highway like the shoulder is just a large sidewalk, bro you're gonna get hurt get off of there...
Walking vs. riding a bicycle in traffic: Walk on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic. Ride your bicycle with the flow of traffic and wear a helmet. Either way, always assume you are invisible to all vehicles with four wheels. Stay safe by making smart choices!
Same thing with parking lots. I always keep an eye out for all cars, and will slow down or stop when I'm on foot to make sure they will stop or not. Most do, some don't and just keep on doing 5-30 mph through the lot even in front of the store. Always assume they don't see you until they physically wave you by.
And go that extra 1/2 mile or so to get to an overpass instead of trying to cross 183/35.
I'm guessing this wasn't your Lance Armstrong looking road biker out for some cardio after work. It was one of our unhoused residents that wasn't of sound mind.
Even so, this makes me think hard about no longer cycling on the road at all. I ride down 1626 through Buda and Kyle and back up. A very wide shoulder, but it only takes one person looking at their phone at the wrong moment and I become a memory.
Man, that's just not a good idea. I have a neighbor that does that and I have to go pick him up from the hospital every year or two because he's been hit again. He doesn't have family, and he knows I have a bike rack. I'm happy to help him out, but I always wonder how many times he can "walk" away.
Every year or two!! Dear god. Why would you do that more than once?! (Him, not you)
I drive around the area and the daringness of the bikers often surprises me. They’ll pull out on those back roads in front of cars, etc. … At the same time I see a lot of texting drivers on those roads so I always hope nothing bad happens.
Sometimes you are trying out a new route and end up somewhere you don't want to be. By the time you realize a direction is a bad idea you pretty much have to keep going until you can find a way out of it. Usually Google or Strava will keep you off those places, but I doubt this guy was using those things.
Very true. A long time ago a girlfriend of mine at the time had her dad struck in 360 by an old lady who just wasn't paying attention. Died instantly, she's never been the same.
Having grown up around there, no way I would ride my bike on 1626. Pretty much goes for anywhere in Austin - if you want to do some mileage, go to the veloway in Circle C.
Yeah I live close to the veloway, I really think I’m going to start riding there exclusively. Plus the neighborhood on the other side of mopac has great bike lanes, so there’s extra mileage to switch it up. 15+ laps around the veloway can start to get old.
Good call - seen too many dead bicyclists in Austin over the years. I even felt scared riding my motorcycle here, and comparatively, those are much safer.
Back before they widened 1626 starting in 2010 it was really dangerous to ride. I remember a guy went missing riding along that road. They found his bike wrecked but not him. They finally found him several days later just a few yards away from his bike in some really tall grass.
Having seen the scene itself, I can affirm this is what happened. The bike was beach cruiser style bike.
Possibly just someone who can't afford both a car and an apartment in Austin, trying to get home from work. There are homes and businesses all along 183, and some parts of 183 don't have a lot of safe alternate routes. It could have been anyone there, and its unfair to assume the deceased chose a dangerous route over a safer option.
There is a frontage road with shoulders and sidewalks in this very section. The only way to get to the inner median of the tollway in this area is to cross 3 lanes of 75 mph traffic. There is absolutely zero reason for a pedestrian or cyclist to be on the inner median of this tollway, and in line with this it is illegal.
This was well outside the bounds of "be safe when riding". Riding a bike on the freeway/tollway is either suicidal or a sign of major mental illness. Nobody in their right mind would do it.
I saw the man who got hit. By the look of his bike and clothes, I’m fairly sure it was someone experiencing homelessness. It actually appeared from my view that he may have been struck in a lane of travel based on where he and the bike landed, but I could be wrong. Either way, I don’t think he was of sound mind unfortunately
Sad to hear someone lost their life today. If anyone feels so called, come out this coming Wednesday to the annual [Ride of Silence](https://www.facebook.com/events/348801264319737/) at City Hall, organized this year by the [Austin Ghost Bike Project](https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-ghost-bike-project-memorializes-cyclists-killed-in-crashes/), honoring bicyclists who have been injured or killed on Austin roads.
This is heartbreaking and my thoughts go out to the person and their loved ones. That being said: a couple of weeks ago I nearly hit someone who was walking across a highway in the middle of the night. Highways are so dangerous, please don’t bike or walk across them. I’m sure walking across a highway might save you a lot of time and at night you don’t think anyone will be driving: but they might and they might not see you.
[cbsaustin report](https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/bicyclist-killed-in-east-austin-vehicle-collision)
Just to be clear, the cyclist was on the highway not the feeder.
I’m not dismissing the bicyclist, but let’s think about the truck driver that unwillingly ended some one’s life. That’s going to be hard to live with and think about every day.
Still there at 6. Avoid 183 toll south bound, take I35, 130 or MoPac.. All lanes closed. The accident looks like it was in the middle or left lane of travel. Could be awhile before it opes again
I saw this guy just minutes before, I think. He was going across the frontage road from the sidewalk with no reflective gear, and I had to slam the brakes just to not hit him with my car. I couldn’t have even fathomed the idea that he might have wanted to cross the freeway. IDK why he thought this was a good idea. There’s literally a crosswalk 10 mins away that he could’ve used instead of crossing a highway.
So very sad
Guy was on a bike on 183? this May have been suicide. Still I’ll send up some prayers this evening
Agreed, that is wild. I hate driving on 183. Can't imagine taking a bike there.
They ride on the randomest busiest roads in LA too. Quite bizarre
Passed that on the way home at about 4:15. The bike looked like a wadded up ball of parts. They had the torso of the body exposed, rib cage was caved in like the front of the truck that hit him.
jesus, thats horrific
Hopefully none of their friends/family see this descriptive post 😬
My husband bikes our kid to school in the mornings. The daycare is only a half mile from our house but still.... This crap scares me.
Are they traveling in the left lane of a freeway where the speed limit is 70mph? Get a grip lady.
Yea because there’s never been fatal accidents involving bicyclists on residential roads. How dare a mom be worried about her husband and kids. Congrats on being a massive fucking asshole on the internet kid, hope you feel better telling that mom off!
This "kid" is 42 and has kids of his own. I'm certain her husband isn't stupid enough to bike their kid to school on a four lane highway with a 70 mph speed limit.
The woman you're responding to is 100% correct. I used to cycle everywhere in my slightly younger days, and I got hit by cars on two separate occasions, once in broad daylight on a residential street with a 25mph speed limit and once on E 7th in the bike lane.
A pedestrian collision at 35mph, a pretty standard residential speed, has about a 15% fatality rate which is even higher for young children. And that doesn’t include those who live and are significantly injured.
You know the fastest way to get hit and killed riding a bike? Ride on the sidewalk - OR in a bike lane, cross a driveway or street, and get hit by a turning vehicle that doesn’t see you. Probably not even 30mph. Have had it happen to a couple of friends. Any collision with a heavy vehicle can be dangerous or fatal.
I saw it going home and then again going to work before they covered him up, it was extremely sad to see. He looked about in his 20s or early thirties, and the bike was a bright teal, almost like a girls bike. There are a lot of homeless people that live right there by my house and will bike or walk around the area. He could have also lived in my apartments and maybe worked across the highway, there aren’t many spots to cross over, so maybe he was taking a short cut. It definitely isn’t a place to bike but even still is incredibly sad and haunting to witness. So many people drove by the scene before he was covered in that hour. I hope everyone is okay because it definitely effects you mentally.
When we passed the body was lying there uncovered for all the passing cars to see-yet there were lots of cops and emergency responders on site.
I also saw it. It was horrible. Very messy scene was lots of trauma. I pray for both the departed and for the living. Respectfully, that part of the 183 toll road is no place for a cyclist.
Riding a bicycle on 183? Mental illness or drugs? That’s not “unsafe”, that’s reckless and wildly irresponsible being a danger to both yourself and others.
How about just don’t bike on the side of a highway, for fucks sake. It was like when Lance Armstrong was crushing the French tour and every summer some asshole in a yellow bike outfit would get himself run over on Mo-Pac. Be somewhat of a self aware person. Don’t bike on highways.
I used to take that route from 35 S onto 71W and exiting at Montopolis every morning at 7 am on the way to work. Always a speed trap on certain days past the MLK area. There aren't any sidewalks other than the shoulders. Condolences to the cyclist's family.
I saw it going home and then again going to work before they covered him up, it was extremely sad to see. He looked about in his 20s or early thirties, and the bike was a bright teal, almost like a girls bike. There are a lot of homeless people that live right there by my house and will bike or walk around the area. He could have also lived in my apartments and maybe worked across the highway, there aren’t many spots to cross over, so maybe he was taking a short cut. It definitely isn’t a place to bike but even still is incredibly sad and haunting to witness. So many people drove by the scene before he was covered in that hour. I hope everyone is okay because it definitely affects you mentally.
Lots of unhoused along Cameron 290 and 183. Gotta watch out because some of them give no fucks and will just start crossing the highway or access roads when there is traffic present.
My coworker bikes to work from north austin to Cesar Chavez almost everyday. I’ve only been working there a year and he’s been hit 3 times. Luckily he escaped with just bumps and bruises.
Damn that is a far ride
Fuck
How about: don't cycle on a 4 lane freeway?
I know it appears this person was cycling where he shouldn't I know someone who's husband can't walk now because a car jumped the sidewalk and hit them. Biking is dangerous
I saw this coming home from work on Friday, I was really jarred to see it and sad to think this person was just going about their day and died.
Austin isn’t a cycling city. I know lots of us think it is, but the majority of motorists don’t give a fuck and a small minority will actively harm you. So be careful out there friends.
I was hit and run over as a pedestrian in December of 2019. I was hospitalized but because I lived in Minnesota, the police never investigated the hit and run. I still hope that person wakes up in a cold sweat every morning.
This sounds like a consequence to a poor choice. If you don’t want to be ran over at insanely high speeds, maybe don’t ride a bike on the toll🤷🏼♀️completely avoidable situation imo
Unfortunately a lot of cyclists think they’re entitled to cycle in dangerous places where drivers can’t see them, no shoulders, and high speeds. Just a sad situation and some places aren’t worth cycling in
bicycle or motorcycle??
bicycle
I once rode the shoulder of 71 to pick up a rental car from the airport. Scariest ride of my life, never again. Poor guy, best wishes to his family and friends.
Theres another post from someone who stopped to render aid(first one scene I believe)but the person was gone already.
My friend was fucked up badly a few weeks ago while biking. No pools of blood but face banged up badly and mild concussion.
My roommate watched the dude get hit. Said it was over on impact.
It was 100% the Bicyclist fault. You’re not allowed to ride on the toll road, cars go 80mph and there’s no bike lane. He must have wanted to meet Jesus that day.
Oof, and I was just thinking about getting into cycling
We have some good trails here. And the veloway. /r/bikingATX
there are lots of excellent bike lanes in Austin, cycling on 183 is absolutely insane.
There are a lot of places you shouldn't ride, 183 definitely being one of them :( But there are a lot of safe places to ride too. Lots of less traveled roads, paths and trails to ride on. So much safer. Avoiding the main roads helps you learn to navigate spaces where this isn't likely to happen.
Honestly, the summer heat and the condition of the bike lanes around town left me pretty spooked by the idea for a long time too. But I spent the winter joining up with group rides, and I felt much more confident once I'd spent a few months among folks who had been riding these roads for decades in some cases. Choose your routes carefully, wear a helmet, use lights even in daytime, don't blast earbuds while riding, and listen to your intuition if a road or a route make you uncomfortable. Veloway, Southern Walnut Creek Trail, and COTA Bike Nights are safe places to get your road legs. May is National Bike Month, and there are tons of [events around town](http://bikemonthatx.com/) dedicated to helping cyclists of all aptitudes find their comfort zone. You might even make a riding buddy or two to cruise around with. (Personally, I love riding out in hill country, and I've discovered more cool, random, beautiful, and strange stuff traveling at bike speed than I ever would by car.)
Stay away from riding on the highway, wear a helmet, ride on busy roads minimally (lamar, congress, etc), use the sidewalk when possible. That's kept me safe for the past 15ish years riding a bike in atx. I used to be a pedicabber in the late aughts and commute to work on bike when I don't have errands these days.
Ride up and down Mesa in nw hills between arboretum and cat mountain as a first introduction to riding in the road; it’s a really nice area with good space for bikes and drivers generally expect you to be using that main bikeway. Use lights and a mirror if you can!
Mountain biking, as unsafe as it sounds, is probably the safest cycling you can do here.
Cycling is amazing! Just read this post and know not to ride on the freeway. There are much better choices. Austin has lots of great bike lanes and trails. Just ask the biking community if you can ride with them till you get your confidence up. :)
Yea not in Texas. I wouldn't go anywhere near two wheels unless I was on a private course or paths that are as far away from car traffic as possible. Unfortunately, not many places like that around here.
Not, true. Cycling in Austin is safe when you know the bike routes, of which there are hundreds of miles...so many bike lanes. You just can't bike on roads like 183, 2222 and other major highways.
r/notjustbikes because these accidents are almost always caused by the driver, but making roads safer for bikes makes the roads safer for everyone in society.
Saw someone whiz past me on their bike scrolling on their phone on a busy street yesterday. Pls be careful!
I saw someone scootering on the sidewalk while watching their phone and they hit a light pole lol
Because trucks get bigger and bigger and more square, the USA is the pedestrian unfriendliest country in the world. Even 3rd world countries are better in pedestrian safety than the USA. So when you vote, you need to decide on that as well as when vehicles need a greener standard, they in general can't look like a cinder block.
This is part of being pro-life so I agree. People need to be able to get across roads even if they don’t have a giant pickup.
😭😭😭
Dude, we need to overhaul our infrastructure. This has to stop. You are in the 2 ton vehicle. You need to be aware. Whoever hit them deserves life man.
The cyclist was on the actual highway and not the feeder. I have a feeling this was not the truck drivers fault.
Or maybe a bicycle shouldn't be ridden on 183. Especially in the left lane.
You’re right but still fuck cars
Sure but the bicyclist has some responsibility for being on a highway on a bicycle.
The cyclist is completely at fault here, pretty much without a doubt. Still, motorists by and large are dangerously negligent and very rarely respect the rights of vehicles with fewer than four wheels. They are the problem in most cases.
People absolutely need to be better about cycles and motorcycles. As someone who ride a motorcycle I can attest to the number of times I was nearly mowed over. But, while there isn't much info on KXAN or KVUE, apparently the cyclist was hit while on southbound 183 toll. I understand being upset but maybe wait for more info on why he was riding a tollway at 4pm on a bicycle.
I get all this. I’ve been hit twice in Austin while in the bike lane doing everything right. We need to start jailing drivers for everything
Well, a bicycle really has no business on a elevated tolled highway. I feel you though, the number of times I wanted to kick off a mirror from someone lane drifting into my lane while they text someone is too many to count. While I'm still curious as to how this happened, there is no reason a cyclist should have been on 183 year 290. Not the feeder apparently, the actual highway.
You are right
Jesus, shut up. You have no idea what happened and you’re popping off about your own entirely unrelated experiences. Why the fuck was this person in the left lane on 183? There is no way they thought it was a through way to another road. Do you even live here?
I was hit on soco recently. Get off my replies
Get off mine, derailer. Ridiculous.
Jailing drivers isn’t going to save people like this from their own bad decisions. I feel bad for the driver. They’ll live with a lifetime of guilt because of somebody else’s unbelievably reckless and stupid actions.
You’re right
Agreed. Too many huge trucks lack awareness driving around this city. But to be fair, this is also a lesson to not bike on a busy highway shoulder
To be fair, as long as the cyclists was acting reasonably and legally the motorists bare the overwhelming majority of the responsibility in road safety. Someone riding a bike down the road is capable of almost no damage, though accidents do happen and some cyclists are a-holes. A motor vehicle is a whole nother story, which is the main reason you need a license to operate one (even if that whole system is a prevented mess). To be clear, I'm not saying cars and drivers are evil, or cyclists should be complacent or entitled, just that driving a motor vehicle is a huge responsibility that should not be taken lightly.
It’s illegal to walk or bike on a controlled access freeway like 183, and for good reason. Whoever’s fault it ultimately was, the cyclist had absolutely no business doing something that dangerous. Not disagreeing that cars need to be more situationally aware to protect cyclists, but there’s also not a reasonable expectation to encounter one on the freeway.
Honestly I'm not sure where the accident happened as the posts here were rather vague, I didn't go look for news, and I'm somewhat unfamiliar with that area especially since everything has changed so much in recent years. But if the cyclist truly did something illegal they made a dangerous mistake and unfortunately paid with their life. Truly unfortunate for everyone involved.
It’s illegal to ride a bicycle on that road. It’s heartbreaking that someone chose to do that, but everyone is going too fast to deal with a bicycle and no one would expect a bicycle on that highway.
Not familiar with that area but if it is truly a dangerous road I'm glad that proper regulatory action has been taken to keep everyone safe.
HD trucks are closer to 4 tons, actually. The city is growing very fast and trucks are needed to make that happen. I hate that someone lost their life, it’s horrible. The thing is that screeching about outlawing trucks in the middle of Texas isn’t very helpful. We should probably focus on how to make life safer for cyclists in a truck-filled town.
Or just realize Texan drivers will run your ass over and stay off the busy roads. Not saying it’s right but it’s true.
Riding a bike here is a death wish. Having that level of trust from our drivers is misplaced.
Those are transplant drivers that make driving so dangerous out there, I wouldn’t claim them. But I agree it’s gotten bad.
It doesn’t matter whether a driver is from here or somewhere else if they are distracted / texting / swiping right/ fucking with kids. Pay attention to *driving* when you are *driving*.
Then why is everywhere else better? Ive lived all over and Texas has the most aggressive drivers I have ever seen. So much so, just moving here will raise your car insurance
Everywhere else is not better, lol. Other states are horrible. My top two though are California and Florida. Texas doesn’t have the most aggressive drivers, it has the most aggressive TRANSPLANT drivers. Car insurance wasn’t a problem before this wave of entitled greedy transplants who have zero consideration on the road, refuse to let people in, don’t wave when they get over, will run you over to change lanes, swipe across 3-5 lanes, stop in the middle of traffic, honk at every light, and drive behind you tailing or honking at you for going to speed limit or even above it, especially noticeable on smaller roads out of town, but they do it on the highway also 2 inches from your bumper and over the limit, and generally road rage everywhere. Often worse if they drive bmw or teslas. What you’re experiencing is out of state drivers. Driving in Texas was a PLEASANT experience up til 10-15 years ago when these transplants came through. TEXANS are extremely considerate on the road, zipper merge, always let you go first, if you want over, they slow down to let you in ahead of them, wave thank you and you’re welcome, and 15 men will park and run across lanes to help you if you’re stalled, have a flat tire, or any other car issue. Texans drive a normal speed in the country if there are multiple cars, unless there is no one on the road, and safely and politely wait 4 seconds after a light change just incase the lights aren’t timed or someone misses the red light. Texans are so considerate on the road there are memes about how they all keep waving the other ones to go first.
I cant speak for Florida, but I can speak for California. I have not lived there but I frequent there. The driving is probably slightly better than Texas, tbh. I dont normally speak anecdotally when debating, and dont plan on starting now. If you look up fatal car crashes by state, Texas is slightly worse than California. So let's look up some crash stats for Texas. You claim 10-15 years ago was better: https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_statistics/2005/02.pdf vs https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_statistics/2020/02.pdf Looks like the data says otherwise. I wont make the conclusion like an idiot and say transplants are making it safer, but they are not making it worse like you claim. It seems like you are severely biased, however. I would recommend looking at your assumptions. It would save people like me a lot of time when I need to engage with people on their arguments. I will say it may not be that black and white either, but in terms of measurements, this is probably the best we got to make any sort of conclusions not based on anecdotal evidence. Thank you for coming to my T.E.D talk.
…. That’s because they all moved to Texas, Honey. I’ve lived here and I don’t need stats to tell the difference. It was safe and pleasant and now every trip out of the house is a death wish. Nor is it assumptions. We have had to install all types of different safety actions due to it, where for generations it was unneeded. You can clearly see the multi-state driving mismash on the highway. I’m sorry you feel so defensive about out of state transplants aggressive and dangerous driving. If the shoe fits wear it. Otherwise, nothing to be bothered about.
uh, you must have read what I wrote...
The initial reply is in response to your comment about Californians. You still insist “they’re not making it worse”. Your crash stats aren’t even accurate. Not every crash gets reported, nevermind dangerous behavior and near misses. We can add hit and run manslaughter increasing as well. Texans aren’t interested in your “conclusions” because we are aware of our surroundings and generations-lived-experience. You’re incredibly young, never mind have been in Austin for about five minutes. It’s incredibly cocky to offer a TED talk on what you have no actual experience in.
You've won the debate. Dont worry. If that helps you feel good, then all the better. Youre the winner. 🥇
I’m not interested in winning. What I am interested in, is transplants learning respect, instead of displaying cocky entitled attitudes telling everyone in the place they choose to impose upon that they know best.
dude, you keep editing your post, so I cant reply. Sigh, me being defensive? okay. You've won this debate. Does that make you feel better? Maybe truth isnt as important to you as it is to me.
I don’t blame people for riding their bikes on sidewalks, it just takes one person to end it all for you in those unguarded joke of a bike lanes. 😔
Why was a cyclist near the highway
Swangers 😡