VIA is blocking Bike Facilities

Working 12 to 14 hour a day don't help when I need to write this blog post so I do miss a lot of things that I should be writing about, but I cannot pass this up.  It has come to my attention that the city of San Antonio isn't interested in providing the protected bikeway south of Josephine that virtually all people who ride a bicycle in San Antonio wants.  From the grapevine, I hearing that VIA is standing in the way of a Protected Bikeway because they would like to see future rapid transit go down Broadway.  I am also going to tie in a public announcement going around asking you to stop at red lights. 

I discovered that this public announcement on the Chain Reaction San Antonio Facebook Page and other friends timelines asking cyclist to stop at red lights so they don't hate us so much. I'm here to inform you stopping at all the red lights while riding your bicycle will not make motorist stop hating you. 

There's a reason why people who ride are happy and that's simply because when you exercise, your body produces endorphins. When you are in operation of a motor vehicle, you are more likely to get angry because you are sitting down, not moving and stuck inside a cage, literally. Having to stop your car constantly creates stress so when you happen to see someone run the red light on two wheels, well you're pissed off.  It's not just having to stop and go, stop and go and not hit the idiot in front of you, but you're worried about your finances because you barely make ends meat, you don't have money to pay for the deferred maintenance on the car your driving let alone gas and you need a car to get by. And now, a fucking cyclist who can't keep up with your car is slowing you down. Unless that driver is aware of the law, he or she will be thinking that damn cyclist should be on that non existing sidewalk that the driver cannot see because they're sitting so low to the ground. Let's not forget that angry driver will be unaware of the law, City of San Antonio (Code 1959, § 38-52) Sec. 19-286. - Driving or parking on sidewalks prohibited.  (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to drive or propel or park or stand any vehicle upon any sidewalk.

So I have a question to ask anyone, how is having people stopping at red lights and stop signs going to make that motorist happy? I run red lights all the time and I know that's it's against the law. But I found that in many cases, it's safer to run that red light then it is for the motorist violates the 3ft rule passing me as I ride through an intersection after the light has turned green. What makes motorist the most happy in my experience is when you're waiting at a red light, (yes I don't run them all) that you get out of their way and allow them to make that right turn. Another thing is when your in the left lane waiting for the light to turn green, is to go strait across the intersection and then go left By doing this you allow the car behind that were waiting behind you to speed away and pass you at the same time.

My rules for running a red light is located at the end of this blog post.

A thing that the city could do to encourage people on bicycles to stop at red lights is to build the necessary Protected Bikeways for they encourage people to stop at red lights and in my travels to other cities that I rode, I see people stopping at red lights more often when they're in a protected bikeway but not always in a bike lane.  Now this brings me to Broadway for I have heard that VIA is now the biggest opposition to a protected bikeway.  You've probably have seen my post on FB and Instagram asking people to email richard.grochowski@sanantonio.gov of the engineer in charge of the project.  Well we need to contact VIA by clicking here. When on the page, click on "Submit Online Comments Here". In the first box, choose ". Let them know that you want them to put a Protected bicycle lane instead of Rapid Transit.  Also sending tweets and posting on their Facebook page will also help. 

If you want me to explain what a "Stroad" is, please watch this video.  

Here's the dilemma.  Do we as a city want cars to go fast, or are we serious about Vision Zero?  For if we want motor vehicles to go fast, well we really should rethink the entire project and turn Broadway and N Alamo into one way stroads.  To make these one way stroads into compliance with Vision Zero, then we are going to need a protected bikeway both down N Alamo and Broadway due to the fast moving motor vehicles.

Now if we want to encourage development along Broadway, we're going to have to slow down the motor vehicles including VIA's buses, reduce the travel lanes from 4 to 2. The decision has to be made on what the final goal for this project should look like.  VIA should be advocating for one way stroads if they want faster buses along with protected bicycle lanes to keep the slow moving bicycles out of buses way.

Now if you remember the last city election in 2017 I had a voters guide and in that guide, I had a question that asked, Will you make sure Broadway has a protected bicycle lane from Houston to Hildebrand?  Well I'll be holding the Mayor Nirenberg and Councilman Trevino to account for this if it's not in the final plans come march, then well, these two people will not be recommended by me or this blog.  So please let the mayor, the councilman Trevino know when you email them.

To Contact the Mayor, please click here...
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To Contact Trevino, Please click here....
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Rules for Running a Red Light on your bicycle.

Always remember that it is illegal in 49 states to run a red light on your bicycle.  The exception is the Idaho Law.

Always treat a red light as a stop sign and COME TO A COMPLETE STOP.  Look left and look right.  when the intersection is clear and you know you have time to make it safely acroos, proceed.

When approaching a red light with cars waiting DO NOT GO AROUND THE CARS.  Wait behind the car until the light turns green and the car proceed.

When riding in  bicycle lane and you're approaching a red light, look for the cars with their right blinkers on and wait behind them.  Treat the person behind the wheel of the car with their right blinker as if they aren't paying attention.  Stay behind the vehicle until they make their turn then proceed.  Make eye contact with the person behind the car with the blinker and stare at them for a few seconds.

Always remember if you get hit by a car running a red light, it is your fault.

And those are the rules that I follow when I decide to run a red light.