Comment to Bikes and Cars Coexisting

I decided to comment on Matthew's blog on bikes and cars in Austin.

It's a shame bikes and cars seem to be at odds in Austin, a city that's supposed to be known for its outdoor opportunities that include biking. Unfortunately, Austin seems to have a problem with aggressive driving, and adding in the boom we've had, extra congestion is making for a very poor setting for anybody who utilizes a bike. About a month ago I actually saw a driver who hit a guy on his bike around the Burnet/Anderson Ln. area. He was okay, but both of the parties involved were not following the rules of the road. A lot of people seem to complain about how the bikers disregard traffic rules, but drivers are just as bad and it makes for potentially deadly outcomes.

So what's the solution? While many will say people should be held more accountable (and I certainly don't agree with pulling out airguns to solve this problem), I think Austin should make some improvements to the roads and infrastructure in the higher density areas, which are where many people bike more for transportation and not for leisure. School is a great idea, but at this point, it would only be an attempt to break people of the habits they already have while biking or driving. The stretch of Guadalupe at UT has attempted to improve on this, but it was a quick paintjob in the right lane letting bikes know that's the lane they can use (anyone who rides a bike knows this already so it was pretty useless). I would say an individual lane dedicated to bikers would go a long way in ensuring everyone's safety, and giving many drivers a lot more patience so everyone can enjoy their preferred method of transportation.