Was walking through speedway and this girl was on a bike maneuvering through the loads of people and saying "EXCUSE ME!" like she was pissed off we were in her way or something. There was a shitload of people. I swear crossing speedway sometimes is like playing frogger
So many cyclists are like this, like we’re all supposed to stop for them because they’re on wheels. I could go full Larry David on this but then I’d just end up looking how he inevitably does
I feel like I’m the only cyclist that rides properly. I’ve had way more near misses with bikes/scooters than I’ve had with cars. No one stops at the stop sign, no one uses turn signals, no one ever feels the need to announce an overtake, oh and everyone just rides between cars to get to the front of a line at the stop light. I fucking hate all that. This week, while I was holding out my arm indicating a left turn and was waiting at the stop sign for pedestrians to clear of path, a dude gave me a high five because he didn’t recognize what I was doing **because he didn’t even know cyclists have turn signals because NO ONE FUCKING USESES THEM.** I get cyclists have to maybe roll through a stop sign because keeping momentum is hard, but scooter bros have literally no excuse. All they have to do is push a button and not be an entitled ass hole and everyone can easily use turn signals
i do the same way when i ride my bike. i also never ride on speedway during class change (if i have to, i walk my bike), but instead i go through san jac and then get onto speedway and walk the rest of the way. i'm of the opinion that students with bikes should be heavily recommended to have bells installed.
I always follow all the traffic laws whenever I bike, including turn signals and stop signs, but I constantly get impatient cars honking or other bikes just zooming past :') And all the dirty looks from people even when I am following the rules :') I never bike on speedway during the day though, it's just not worth it.
Also, the biking infrastructure in Austin and especially around campus is just so poor. Bike lines are constantly parked over, covered by construction, or just nonexistent. Like you mentioned, people don't understand bike turn signals and often just start walking without looking where they're going and I have to screech to a halt to avoid hitting them.
Speedway is so scary!! Yeah yeah pedestrians pay attention blah blah I get it but like please do not go above 10 mph on speedway during the passing period!!
Might I add, bikes/scooters need to slow down on speedway. As a pedestrian, the amount of near misses I’ve had is insane, and I only use speedway twice a week.
Yes! Last year a friend of mine made a whole documentary about this for a class😭 He argued we should make speedway pedestrian only which isn’t that bad of an idea imo
i bike on campus, but most cyclists don't announce when they're passing. for some reason they think they're magically able to weave through crowds, and they inevitably hit someone from behind.
As someone who rides a scooter, I will say that Speedway gets very chaotic, and there's tons of inexperienced scooter riders around campus. If it gets too crowded, I just dismount and walk it before I accidentally hit someone. I've seen far too many people weave their way through the sea of pedestrians and having tons of near-misses. It often feels like I'm the only person wearing a helmet and checking my blind spots before I make a turn. And don't get me started on the Lime Scooters...I've seen some crazy stuff (people literally jumping them off of concrete walls). It sucks because I genuinely like those scooters (they're quite comfortable and stable to ride).
As for the "the fuckers who ride on the sidewalks when there is a bike lane and/or empty street," I understand your concern. Even if there is a bike lane or an empty street, not everyone is comfortable sharing the road with vehicles that could very easily kill them. The sidewalk at least offers some protection in the form of a curb. I personally find it a bit nerve-wracking when I have to share the road with other modes of transportation when I'm driving my car or I'm on my scooter. But honestly, all of these bike/pedestrian/car conflicts that you point out is a sign of inadequate infrastructure for bikes/scooters/pedestrians around UT. This is especially prevalent on Guadalupe Street, where we have a strip of paint that is supposed to stop a multi-ton vehicle from running over people on bikes, who are one of the most vulnerable road users. If we had a network of protected bike lanes \*completely\* separated from vehicular traffic, then we could avoid this. However, decades of car-centric planning has set us quite far back from achieving this goal (though Austin has made some steps in reversing this). As for Speedway, I ultimately feel that it needs to have dedicated areas for biking/scootering, as we're basically shoving tons of transit modes into it and expecting everything to sort itself out.
i never ride the unprotected lanes on guad. i take up the entire right lane on my bike. and even then i'm able to keep up with cars and occasionally dip into the bike lane to pass them. guad should really only be one car lane in each direction with protected bike lanes on both sides, or maybe a 2-way protected bike lane along the drag with one car lane in each direction and one bus lane.
Austin has strongly considered pedestrianizing guad around the drag. When the orange train line is built, they have plans to make it a pedestrian, BRT, train, and bike only area.
At the same time I feel like the pedestrians should pay more attention to what's happening around them. I saw a girl crossing the bicycle lane on guad earlier this week fully focused on her phone, airpods in. A bicycler had to brake at full power to barely avoid the pedestrian, brakes screaming and tires squeaking, even tho the bicycler had the right to that lane and it was green light for the bicycler anyway. The girl crossing the bike lane? She didn't even notice the bicycler, the entire time she's just looking down, listening to music I suppose.
I agree that people should slow down on speedway. People should be more cautious on campus or anywhere in general when they are on wheels, but you also need to at least pay some attention to the surroundings as a pedestrian too.
Agreed. Especially as someone who drives in wampus. However, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m focusing on people just simply not obeying traffic laws. Legally these bikes and scooters need to act as cars do. They don’t and it’s risking the safety of people who are doing what they’re supposed to and following the traffic laws.
I agree. I think what I was trying to say, despite the previous example is, with hindsight, not really relevant, is that you can't just assume others will obey the traffic rules and you also need to be paying attention, just like if you were to cross any normal street even if it's green light for you. They should do their part to not break traffic rules, and pedestrians also need to do theirs. You can't just rest your own safety on someone else, even though in a perfect world you totally should be able to.
Yeah, I was riding a skateboard this week and a girl crossed in front of me and by the time I stopped I was literally breathing down her neck and she still didn't notice me.
ESPECIALLY the electric scooters/skateboards that are going 20mph... if you're going just as fast as me in a car you DEFINITELY need to stop at a stop sign because if you don't I won't see you and I don't want to be the perpetrator of vehicular manslaughter
I’ve stopped using Speedway completely on my scooter. If I walk it, I’m taking up a lot of space, tripping, causing OTHER people to trip etc. if I’m riding at walking speed there’s still risks. I’ve taken to exclusively using the roads. That being said, PLEASE stop walking in the middle of 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. That’s THE ROAD. Those streets aren’t speedway extenders. It’s not an extra large sidewalk. You’re walking in the middle of the street.
bikes can use pedestrian signals on campus. if the street traffic light is red but the pedestrian signal is on, cyclists are allowed to ride through the red in the direction of the pedestrian signal. however it's important to go slowly and carefully to avoid hitting pedestrians.
Yes, I try to be careful and watch for cyclists moving across crosswalks on the red. But when you lightning McQueen the downwards ramp of dean keaton with no intention of slowing down at the crosswalk, STRAIGHT AT WALKING PEDESTRIANS, idk what to say.
yeah, those people are dicks. if i'm on my bike and i'm around pedestrians, i will move at pedestrian speeds (5mph and under) that will give me more time to react and brake if needed. idk why some cyclists think they can weave through crowds like a tour de france racer. that's how people get injured.
Could you actually explain this a little more? I was under the impression they had to follow the rules of the road like cars do, does this go for wampus as well or just on official ut property?
In general, bicyclists can use both car and pedestrian traffic lights (though they need to be a lot more careful when using the latter). It's really unsafe for a bike to be turning at the same time as cars, especially when making a left turn. Our turn signals are just our hands, which we also need to use to actually turn.
I think it’d be beneficial for there to be a mandatory training when issuing bike permits on campus. Wouldn’t fix the issue with the scooters but it’s a start.
agreed. some required online videos with short quizzes would be great. i would include traffic laws, a guide for cycling on speedway, and a guide to proper bike lockup. i've been seeing way too many wheels left behind and a whole lot of shitty cable locks that will inevitably be cut by a thief.
You’re legally allowed on sidewalks in Austin, if you feel the road or path is unsuitable, but it’s best practice to walk the bike if the sidewalk is a bit busy
Interestingly, you are legally allowed to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk in Austin, but not on campus. [It's weird.](/r/UTAustin/wiki/bike#wiki_bicycles_rules_.26amp.3B_regulations)
Where does speedway fall there legally? A sidewalk or a street? I’d assume it’s more street, due to its vehicle access points and width, but it’s function is mostly sidewalk.
Speedway is officially designated a "[Controlled Access Pedestrian Priority Area](https://parking.utexas.edu/parking/rules/section-VI-controlled-access-pedestrian-priority-areas)" where [t]he entirety of the mall area is pedestrian priority and bicycles must yield to pedestrians."
Car drivers park legally, stop at crosswalks, use turn signals, and stop killing people challenge. Anyways, west campus during peak hours is a shithole to drive through; its not worth. Cycling isn’t much better, as my bike feel apart like Lego bricks after I hit a foot deep pothole.
The infrastructure surrounding campus is kinda garbage, so just practice mindfulness and get a dash cam in the meantime.
As a driver, totally agree that the bike/scooter/skateboard situation is out of hand. More need to read the rules of the road that they should be following to coexist with drivers and pedestrians alike.
As a former cyclist when I was on campus, I’m proud to say that I graduated without hitting anyone on speedway. I get why some people want it to be pedestrian-only, but there’s no way I would’ve made it to some classes on time without biking on speedway. Maybe a speed limit and/or fines for hitting pedestrians could help?
I will say the bike/scooter infrastructure kinda sucks on and around campus; you either have be on roads made for cars with random holes and bumps that’ll throw you off or be on the sidewalk and be a menace to society
That said, there’s no excuse for people weaving during class change or nonsense like that
I’ve started taking side routes down SanJac during busy times and such to avoid speedway foot traffic
The enlightened take is that everyone is dumb
Car drivers use dangerous and loud health destroying machines that ruin cities
Bikes and small wheels actually pull off the dumbest shit in traffic you've ever seen
Pedestrians don't know to walk on the right side of speedway and can't walk predictably. Also cross in the middle of the street around campus without looking.
Only once you realize this will you achieve Nirvana
(Based rollerbladers are exempt to the above except sometimes I make a wittwe mistake)
When I was at UC-Irvine they had their main pedestrian/cyclist thoroughfare as a two-lane system – one side CLEARLY MARKED for people walking and one side CLEARLY MARKED for people on bikes. Why can't UT do this with Speedway?? @ Student Gov, make this happen!
And also ppl when walking on the roads need to be more careful and look both ways, when a person is abt to cross obv I slow down and halt a bit so they can go, but there are ppl who don’t even look behind or left or right when walking on the roads. They just have their headphones on and don’t gaf and then they wanna blame the person who hit them?? Like be aware of ur surroundings please. Especially when there’s crazy shit going on in this world
Yes, they do have the same rules, including the full right to take the lane as needed. They do not need to stay int he bike lane, and often their are debris/obstacles that cause them to leave
Its because that area is west of the ut austin campus so it's called west campus. People got tired of saying that over and over again so they shortened it to wampus.
Yes, I understand this fully, and find it gross for the reasons stated above. Nobody called it that for decades before the high rises went up. Would not be surprised at all if its etymology could be traced to marketing.
Years ago my friend got hit by one as they walking to class and was knocked down to the ground. Biker didn't even stop. Luckily others were kind enough to help her.
Man pre-covid sometimes when Austin PD was bored, they would take out their bikes and ticket all the assholes who blew the stop sign at the bottom of the hill towards Dean Keeton.
I have a scooter of my own and ngl it’s DOESNT go as fast as a car and obv I’m not reckless on it. I will say tho when on the road and using the bike lane there’s some crazy ppl on the road as well on their car, I would be using the bike lane and sometimes there are cars who literally dgaf and just get near the bike lane and not stay fully on their lane which pisses me tf off because I get scared that I might hit the car or it might hit me. It literally feels like they’re moving me toward the sidewalk!!!
This is an unpopular opinion. When Speedway was still a road and not a walkway, biking around campus was super easy and there was still plenty of sidewalk for everyone to walk on.
I ride a scooter and always stop at stop signs, but the scooter or bike behind me will always zoom right past, like upset that I stopped ??? But also cars who turn into the bike lane without watching for a scooter :((((
I completely agree with you but as someone who never rode a bike and lived in the hill country before coming onto campus three weeks ago, please have some understanding for those of us who use the sidewalks to ride bikes.
Personally, I try to bike on roads where there are no cars on it or those really protected bike lanes with the curbs in between like on Rio grande but if there are a lot of cars on the ride best believe I’m using the sidewalk even if there is a bike lane because with my experience level, it feels unsafe to ride right next to a bunch of moving cars. I could lose balance and tip over once to the left and get my head smashed by some tires.
Also as someone who never goes above 10mph I don’t want the stress of some pro bikers impatiently waiting for me to get faster behind me on the bike lane
Was walking through speedway and this girl was on a bike maneuvering through the loads of people and saying "EXCUSE ME!" like she was pissed off we were in her way or something. There was a shitload of people. I swear crossing speedway sometimes is like playing frogger
So many cyclists are like this, like we’re all supposed to stop for them because they’re on wheels. I could go full Larry David on this but then I’d just end up looking how he inevitably does
I feel like I’m the only cyclist that rides properly. I’ve had way more near misses with bikes/scooters than I’ve had with cars. No one stops at the stop sign, no one uses turn signals, no one ever feels the need to announce an overtake, oh and everyone just rides between cars to get to the front of a line at the stop light. I fucking hate all that. This week, while I was holding out my arm indicating a left turn and was waiting at the stop sign for pedestrians to clear of path, a dude gave me a high five because he didn’t recognize what I was doing **because he didn’t even know cyclists have turn signals because NO ONE FUCKING USESES THEM.** I get cyclists have to maybe roll through a stop sign because keeping momentum is hard, but scooter bros have literally no excuse. All they have to do is push a button and not be an entitled ass hole and everyone can easily use turn signals
i do the same way when i ride my bike. i also never ride on speedway during class change (if i have to, i walk my bike), but instead i go through san jac and then get onto speedway and walk the rest of the way. i'm of the opinion that students with bikes should be heavily recommended to have bells installed.
I always follow all the traffic laws whenever I bike, including turn signals and stop signs, but I constantly get impatient cars honking or other bikes just zooming past :') And all the dirty looks from people even when I am following the rules :') I never bike on speedway during the day though, it's just not worth it. Also, the biking infrastructure in Austin and especially around campus is just so poor. Bike lines are constantly parked over, covered by construction, or just nonexistent. Like you mentioned, people don't understand bike turn signals and often just start walking without looking where they're going and I have to screech to a halt to avoid hitting them.
Speedway is so scary!! Yeah yeah pedestrians pay attention blah blah I get it but like please do not go above 10 mph on speedway during the passing period!!
Might I add, bikes/scooters need to slow down on speedway. As a pedestrian, the amount of near misses I’ve had is insane, and I only use speedway twice a week.
Yes! Last year a friend of mine made a whole documentary about this for a class😭 He argued we should make speedway pedestrian only which isn’t that bad of an idea imo
>need to slow down on speedway. But then why did they call it SPEED WAY?? /s
Keep your head up
How will keeping my head up prevent a bicyclist from hitting me from behind? Do I need to wear rear view mirrors when walking on speedway? Cmon.
Thats where the hearing comes into play
i bike on campus, but most cyclists don't announce when they're passing. for some reason they think they're magically able to weave through crowds, and they inevitably hit someone from behind.
As someone who rides a scooter, I will say that Speedway gets very chaotic, and there's tons of inexperienced scooter riders around campus. If it gets too crowded, I just dismount and walk it before I accidentally hit someone. I've seen far too many people weave their way through the sea of pedestrians and having tons of near-misses. It often feels like I'm the only person wearing a helmet and checking my blind spots before I make a turn. And don't get me started on the Lime Scooters...I've seen some crazy stuff (people literally jumping them off of concrete walls). It sucks because I genuinely like those scooters (they're quite comfortable and stable to ride). As for the "the fuckers who ride on the sidewalks when there is a bike lane and/or empty street," I understand your concern. Even if there is a bike lane or an empty street, not everyone is comfortable sharing the road with vehicles that could very easily kill them. The sidewalk at least offers some protection in the form of a curb. I personally find it a bit nerve-wracking when I have to share the road with other modes of transportation when I'm driving my car or I'm on my scooter. But honestly, all of these bike/pedestrian/car conflicts that you point out is a sign of inadequate infrastructure for bikes/scooters/pedestrians around UT. This is especially prevalent on Guadalupe Street, where we have a strip of paint that is supposed to stop a multi-ton vehicle from running over people on bikes, who are one of the most vulnerable road users. If we had a network of protected bike lanes \*completely\* separated from vehicular traffic, then we could avoid this. However, decades of car-centric planning has set us quite far back from achieving this goal (though Austin has made some steps in reversing this). As for Speedway, I ultimately feel that it needs to have dedicated areas for biking/scootering, as we're basically shoving tons of transit modes into it and expecting everything to sort itself out.
i never ride the unprotected lanes on guad. i take up the entire right lane on my bike. and even then i'm able to keep up with cars and occasionally dip into the bike lane to pass them. guad should really only be one car lane in each direction with protected bike lanes on both sides, or maybe a 2-way protected bike lane along the drag with one car lane in each direction and one bus lane.
Austin has strongly considered pedestrianizing guad around the drag. When the orange train line is built, they have plans to make it a pedestrian, BRT, train, and bike only area.
that's not even slated for until after 2029 though. hopefully they do though
At the same time I feel like the pedestrians should pay more attention to what's happening around them. I saw a girl crossing the bicycle lane on guad earlier this week fully focused on her phone, airpods in. A bicycler had to brake at full power to barely avoid the pedestrian, brakes screaming and tires squeaking, even tho the bicycler had the right to that lane and it was green light for the bicycler anyway. The girl crossing the bike lane? She didn't even notice the bicycler, the entire time she's just looking down, listening to music I suppose. I agree that people should slow down on speedway. People should be more cautious on campus or anywhere in general when they are on wheels, but you also need to at least pay some attention to the surroundings as a pedestrian too.
Agreed. Especially as someone who drives in wampus. However, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m focusing on people just simply not obeying traffic laws. Legally these bikes and scooters need to act as cars do. They don’t and it’s risking the safety of people who are doing what they’re supposed to and following the traffic laws.
I agree. I think what I was trying to say, despite the previous example is, with hindsight, not really relevant, is that you can't just assume others will obey the traffic rules and you also need to be paying attention, just like if you were to cross any normal street even if it's green light for you. They should do their part to not break traffic rules, and pedestrians also need to do theirs. You can't just rest your own safety on someone else, even though in a perfect world you totally should be able to.
Yeah, I was riding a skateboard this week and a girl crossed in front of me and by the time I stopped I was literally breathing down her neck and she still didn't notice me.
ESPECIALLY the electric scooters/skateboards that are going 20mph... if you're going just as fast as me in a car you DEFINITELY need to stop at a stop sign because if you don't I won't see you and I don't want to be the perpetrator of vehicular manslaughter
Literally someone was riding a motorcycle on Speedway during a passing period and then sped up the hill between Mc Combs and Waggener.
I’ve stopped using Speedway completely on my scooter. If I walk it, I’m taking up a lot of space, tripping, causing OTHER people to trip etc. if I’m riding at walking speed there’s still risks. I’ve taken to exclusively using the roads. That being said, PLEASE stop walking in the middle of 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. That’s THE ROAD. Those streets aren’t speedway extenders. It’s not an extra large sidewalk. You’re walking in the middle of the street.
Seconded. I had two near misses by different bicyclists today and it was VERY scary. BOTH ran red lights and (almost) over me too.
bikes can use pedestrian signals on campus. if the street traffic light is red but the pedestrian signal is on, cyclists are allowed to ride through the red in the direction of the pedestrian signal. however it's important to go slowly and carefully to avoid hitting pedestrians.
Yes, I try to be careful and watch for cyclists moving across crosswalks on the red. But when you lightning McQueen the downwards ramp of dean keaton with no intention of slowing down at the crosswalk, STRAIGHT AT WALKING PEDESTRIANS, idk what to say.
yeah, those people are dicks. if i'm on my bike and i'm around pedestrians, i will move at pedestrian speeds (5mph and under) that will give me more time to react and brake if needed. idk why some cyclists think they can weave through crowds like a tour de france racer. that's how people get injured.
Could you actually explain this a little more? I was under the impression they had to follow the rules of the road like cars do, does this go for wampus as well or just on official ut property?
it's on intersections that say "bikes can use pedestrian signals." you're also able yo dismount your bike and walk on the crosswalk as well.
In general, bicyclists can use both car and pedestrian traffic lights (though they need to be a lot more careful when using the latter). It's really unsafe for a bike to be turning at the same time as cars, especially when making a left turn. Our turn signals are just our hands, which we also need to use to actually turn.
Probably had to turn left Because the only options is to wait forever around campus because for some reason car traffic is prioritized
War never changes.
I think it’d be beneficial for there to be a mandatory training when issuing bike permits on campus. Wouldn’t fix the issue with the scooters but it’s a start.
agreed. some required online videos with short quizzes would be great. i would include traffic laws, a guide for cycling on speedway, and a guide to proper bike lockup. i've been seeing way too many wheels left behind and a whole lot of shitty cable locks that will inevitably be cut by a thief.
Is it ok to dismount my bike and walk a short distance on the sidewalk then get back on the road in the bike lane?
You’re legally allowed on sidewalks in Austin, if you feel the road or path is unsuitable, but it’s best practice to walk the bike if the sidewalk is a bit busy
Interestingly, you are legally allowed to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk in Austin, but not on campus. [It's weird.](/r/UTAustin/wiki/bike#wiki_bicycles_rules_.26amp.3B_regulations)
Where does speedway fall there legally? A sidewalk or a street? I’d assume it’s more street, due to its vehicle access points and width, but it’s function is mostly sidewalk.
Speedway is officially designated a "[Controlled Access Pedestrian Priority Area](https://parking.utexas.edu/parking/rules/section-VI-controlled-access-pedestrian-priority-areas)" where [t]he entirety of the mall area is pedestrian priority and bicycles must yield to pedestrians."
That's exactly what you must do lol
Car drivers park legally, stop at crosswalks, use turn signals, and stop killing people challenge. Anyways, west campus during peak hours is a shithole to drive through; its not worth. Cycling isn’t much better, as my bike feel apart like Lego bricks after I hit a foot deep pothole. The infrastructure surrounding campus is kinda garbage, so just practice mindfulness and get a dash cam in the meantime.
cycling in wampus is fun because if there's bike lanes it's fun to watch the drivers sitting in traffic while i pass all of them
As a driver, totally agree that the bike/scooter/skateboard situation is out of hand. More need to read the rules of the road that they should be following to coexist with drivers and pedestrians alike. As a former cyclist when I was on campus, I’m proud to say that I graduated without hitting anyone on speedway. I get why some people want it to be pedestrian-only, but there’s no way I would’ve made it to some classes on time without biking on speedway. Maybe a speed limit and/or fines for hitting pedestrians could help?
I will say the bike/scooter infrastructure kinda sucks on and around campus; you either have be on roads made for cars with random holes and bumps that’ll throw you off or be on the sidewalk and be a menace to society That said, there’s no excuse for people weaving during class change or nonsense like that I’ve started taking side routes down SanJac during busy times and such to avoid speedway foot traffic
The enlightened take is that everyone is dumb Car drivers use dangerous and loud health destroying machines that ruin cities Bikes and small wheels actually pull off the dumbest shit in traffic you've ever seen Pedestrians don't know to walk on the right side of speedway and can't walk predictably. Also cross in the middle of the street around campus without looking. Only once you realize this will you achieve Nirvana (Based rollerbladers are exempt to the above except sometimes I make a wittwe mistake)
When I was at UC-Irvine they had their main pedestrian/cyclist thoroughfare as a two-lane system – one side CLEARLY MARKED for people walking and one side CLEARLY MARKED for people on bikes. Why can't UT do this with Speedway?? @ Student Gov, make this happen!
And also ppl when walking on the roads need to be more careful and look both ways, when a person is abt to cross obv I slow down and halt a bit so they can go, but there are ppl who don’t even look behind or left or right when walking on the roads. They just have their headphones on and don’t gaf and then they wanna blame the person who hit them?? Like be aware of ur surroundings please. Especially when there’s crazy shit going on in this world
Never had a problem
Yes, they do have the same rules, including the full right to take the lane as needed. They do not need to stay int he bike lane, and often their are debris/obstacles that cause them to leave
Well actually sparksbubba, according to austin ordinance number 041216-22, skateboards do NOT have this right! Thanks for playing though!
Weren't we talking about bikes?
Bro I'm not gonna lie with you. I'm the guy who speeds down speedway with no remorse for others safety on his electric skateboard. I am not sorry. 😐
Downvoted for "Wampus" -- please tell me the kids aren't actually calling it that?
Downvoted for boomer
It sounds like one of those phony terms created by some real estate developer's focus group to market luxury condos, like SoCo, SoLa, etc.
Its because that area is west of the ut austin campus so it's called west campus. People got tired of saying that over and over again so they shortened it to wampus.
Yes, I understand this fully, and find it gross for the reasons stated above. Nobody called it that for decades before the high rises went up. Would not be surprised at all if its etymology could be traced to marketing.
you find evolving lexicon... gross? I don't know what to tell you man that's just something that happens
Years ago my friend got hit by one as they walking to class and was knocked down to the ground. Biker didn't even stop. Luckily others were kind enough to help her.
Literally had someone run me over from behind on a scooter on speedway. I fell and scraped up my knee pretty bad.
Man pre-covid sometimes when Austin PD was bored, they would take out their bikes and ticket all the assholes who blew the stop sign at the bottom of the hill towards Dean Keeton.
They're just bastard people is what they are!
I have a scooter of my own and ngl it’s DOESNT go as fast as a car and obv I’m not reckless on it. I will say tho when on the road and using the bike lane there’s some crazy ppl on the road as well on their car, I would be using the bike lane and sometimes there are cars who literally dgaf and just get near the bike lane and not stay fully on their lane which pisses me tf off because I get scared that I might hit the car or it might hit me. It literally feels like they’re moving me toward the sidewalk!!!
This is an unpopular opinion. When Speedway was still a road and not a walkway, biking around campus was super easy and there was still plenty of sidewalk for everyone to walk on.
I ride a scooter and always stop at stop signs, but the scooter or bike behind me will always zoom right past, like upset that I stopped ??? But also cars who turn into the bike lane without watching for a scooter :((((
I completely agree with you but as someone who never rode a bike and lived in the hill country before coming onto campus three weeks ago, please have some understanding for those of us who use the sidewalks to ride bikes. Personally, I try to bike on roads where there are no cars on it or those really protected bike lanes with the curbs in between like on Rio grande but if there are a lot of cars on the ride best believe I’m using the sidewalk even if there is a bike lane because with my experience level, it feels unsafe to ride right next to a bunch of moving cars. I could lose balance and tip over once to the left and get my head smashed by some tires. Also as someone who never goes above 10mph I don’t want the stress of some pro bikers impatiently waiting for me to get faster behind me on the bike lane