Overview
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A word from Tommy Eden, Director of the Steering Committee:
Welcome to the website of the Bicycle Advocacy
Council. The Bicycle Advocacy Council is a group of concerned citizens
interested in improving bicycle facilities and establishing policies
which encourage bicycle transportation in the Austin area.
On this site, we invite you to offer your suggestions
and to get involved in making improvements. Check this site from
time to time to find opportunities to communicate with political
decision-making bodies such as the City Council, CAMPO, the County
Commissioners Court, and TxDOT.
Sometimes it takes only one person to create
major improvements in a very short time. At other times, improvements
are achieved only after many years of efforts from large numbers
of people keeping steady pressure on elected officials and bureaucrats.
Over time, we can work together to get results. You can participate
in this movement. Together we can design the roads of the future
and watch our dreams come to fruition.
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What are your interests?
- Attending public meetings to speak out for changes - join our
Public Action Team and assert an
effective voice for bicyclists with our decision makes. We show you
the ropes on how to get on in public meetings and how to make an positive
presence when meeting personally with your elected officials. If you
want to see the inner working of things, then the Public Action Team
is for you.
- Getting traffic lights to work better for bikes - join our
Explorer Team and track down all
kinds of annoying problems that bikers run into and get them fixed.
Traffic light sensors, signal clearance times, brush and debris in bike
lanes, and more can all be knocked out through organized action. If
you are on a bike in Austin a lot, then the Explorer Team is for you.
- Cataloging and prioritizing facility needs - join our Planning
Team to pore over priority lists
- Helping us to know what the public wants - Join our Public
Outreach Team to serve as a channel through which your friends
and collegues can stay abreast of bike politics and to have their interests
recognized and developed.
- Organizing and promoting Austin bike events - Join our Events
Team to organize and participate in public events that celebrate
bicycling in Austin. This is a great way to bring more people into the
organization.
Public Action Team
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Get involved:
Come and hone your political skills. We will keep up a presence with
our elected officials and their staff. Shmooze with the politicos and
get thing done! The Public Action teams needs a core group of committed
cyclists in order to function. Contact us at action@urbancyling.com.
First step:
You should know about CAMPO, Austin's Capital Metropolitan Planning
Organization, which is a commission of state and local representatives
from around the Austin area who decide how state and federal transportation
money should be spent. If you want money for bikeways and the like, it
is CAMPO who will be allocating the bulk of it.
Click the link below to address an email to all the members of CAMPO,
and write a short letter introducing yourself and telling them about the
bike facilities that you want. Be nice, and be to the point. Your letter
will drop into our mailbox as well, so we will probably get in touch with
you to get you involved.
Email CAMPO members
from the BicycleAustin.info website.
Explorer Team
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Disfunctional traffic signal project starting now!
The BAC is compiling a list of traffic signals where bicyclists have
discovered that the signal sensors do not detect bicycles. If you have
had difficulty with any traffic signal sensor, please email us with the
following information:
- Your name
- The street on which you were riding, and the direction you were going
- The lane you were in, if applicable
- The street which you were crossing or turning onto
- The day of the week and the approximate time
- The approximate time you had to wait
Let's put an end to disrespectful traffic lights. Send your information
to the Explorer Team leader at explorer@urbancycling.com.
We will keep records of our progress here.
Get involved:
If you have other concerns that you would like to see the Explorer
Team solve, get involved by contacting us at
explorer@urbancycling.com. The Explorer Teams needs a committed core
group to manage these projects, and we would like you join!
Planning Team
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Help us to determine which projects to take the initiative on.
The BAC wants to focus on 3 issues on which we all agree. They should
be issues on which other groups and individuals would want to work together
with us to achieve. What issues do you consider to be the highest
priorities right now?
Email the Planning Team leader at planning@urbancycling.com
with your choices for the THREE most important bike projects for Austin.
We will begin compiling the BAC priorities list and keep it posted here
for your review. Having this list will help us spend our time and effort
wisely.
Get involved:
The Planning team needs a few core members to maintain and update
this list, and to coordinate other BAC teams to knock out the key problems.
If you are of the right sort of meticulous frame of mind, we need your
help. Contact the Planning Team leader at planning@urbancycling.com.
Public Outreach Team
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One thing we have learned from our experiences in bike advocacy is that
not everyone who is interested actually brings themselves to get actively
involved. Those who do get involved are great people, but we need a means
of keeping the widest possible field of cyclists and cycling supporters
aware of the BAC and its activities. We want to get feedback from everyone,
to help the BAC become everybody's local Austin bike advocacy group.
Active Members:
The Public Outreach Team maintains a network of contacts in the community.
Become an active member of the team by represented the interests
of 5 local citizens who have an interest in local bike politics.
These five people do not have to do anything but contact you if they want
us to know about something. You will be responsible for contacting them
to let them know about the BAC's activities so that they stay informed.
Talk to your neighbors, your co-workers, or family, or whoever it is easy
and convenient for you to talk with. This way we spread awareness of and
interest in the BAC, and we can become aware of other people's interests
and concerns.
The Public Outreach Team leader and core members are responsible
for periodically spreading BAC news to the active members and for collecting
input that has filtered upward through the team to other teams in the
BAC. This team also maintains this website.
Get involved:
Contact Mike Librik, the Public Outreach Team leader at 453-0438
or at outreach@urbancycling.com.
Events Team
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Bike culture events bring cyclists together, which helps us to swell
our ranks and organize our community for action. If you want to develop
your skills in organizing events and coordinating volunteers, this is
the team for you.
Upcoming events that we need help with
- Bike Week 2005: This yearly event is just around the corner.
Hook up with the Events Team to find out about volunteer opportunities
during this coming April.
- Bike Week 2006: The BAC is looking at establishing a special
route for bicyclists with special events during Bike Week 2006. If you
have ideas about CycloVia 2006, send them to us. Think in terms of a
route, a theme, special events, and prizes.
- Another Austin Bike Summit: Interested in working on a Bike
Summit for Austin? The BAC will help to provide volunteers for thecommittee
which is planning this event.
Get involved: If you want to participate in the planning for these events,
contact interrim team leader at events@urbancycling.com
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