You are hereNow-identified cyclist struck on Lamar bridge last night
Now-identified cyclist struck on Lamar bridge last night
I received the following notice early this morning about an unidentified female rider who was struck late yesterday evening (technically this morning) after the bars closed:
Just passed the scene of a female rider down on the Lamar car bridge. Looks like she was riding a fixie and her rear wheel was badly mangled with broken spokes everywhere from what I could tell as I passed by. She was curled up in the street and I could see some serious hip abrasions but I don't know the extent of her injuries. Several motorists and cyclists had stopped to render aid and a police car was en route as I continued home, so I know they called for medical. I hope it wasn't a drunk driver incident, as it happened right when all the drunks are headed home, at 2:05am. Several people were calming her, telling her "you will be ok." I hope she comes out ok, and if it was some asshole driver that the cops get the guy.
Shit, I just got this one in my myspace mailbox. It's someone we know:
so i just happened by the lamar ped bridge where i saw a number of police cars pulled to the side with an ambulance. then i looked at the sidewalk and saw pam with her head covered in blood, and a seriously fucked up bike. all i know right now is that around 2:20 am a pickup swerved into her on lamar (the part of the road perpendicular to the ped bridge) and then drove off. if you hear of anyone at all who saw anything at all please let someone know....this is seriously fucked up, she could have easily been killed and this person just drove off. i'll let you know if i get anymore details, but keep an ear to the ground. thanks jason
If anybody knows more about this, please let me know. Hit-and-runs make me sick to my stomach, doubly so when someone I know is involved. Godspeed on your recovery, Pam. I hope a witness steps forward and they find that bastard.
derek i've been run over at least 7 times since 1981...i love cool cars like my 69 camaro..there should be a cdi computer game to determine if someone might run over a bicycle...they should have to complete all levels before they get a drivers licence...jason, design the game, sell it to dps...save lives..fuck! polo time! love
not too good. staple and stiches in head. would have been plural staples but not enough skin to connect. road rash all over. broken toe. poss broken/ fractured rib. sorry ass mother fucker that hit and run... i don't know if there were any witnessess, still waiting to get deets from the police report. please let jason know if you saw anything.
The original bridge plan had it rejoining the Lamar corridor just south of 5th street for this very reason.
The modified asstastic plan ruined by the Seaholm guys brings cyclists down to street level on a glorified sidewalk through the Seaholm development, then through a probably-never-going-to-happen underpass joining up with Bowie Street, with a couple of spots where right-of-way is never the cyclists' for the taking (stop signs, i.e.).
If you can't guess, I fought the revised plan tooth and nail while on the UTC, but lost.
Please update.
Didn't the City of Austin install the Pfluger Bike/ped bridge so that this kind of situation could be avoided?
Once again, I hope she has a quick and full recovery, but riding on that bridge at that time was a foolish choice.
Bikes riding on the roads? No number of bridges is going to stop this. Sure, the bridge provies an alternative to this small stretch of road, but the exact same accident could have happened a block further south.
Also, the Pfluger bridge isn't really so convenient if Lamar goes where you want to be. Ok, suppose you're going North on Lamar. Rather than go over the (car) bridge, you turn off and take the pedestrian bridge. You cross the bridge, then go down and around and down and around, ride on 1st for a bit, then get on that road that goes up (pretty steep climb for a short period) back to Lamar. Then you merge back into traffic on Lamar and continue your journey.
I believe that the extension to the pedestrian bridge will make it more friendly to actual bicycle traffic. But it's not there yet, and until then, if I'm actually passing through and not looking to stop on the pedestrian bridge, I'll just take the car bridge. It's much faster and easier (no hills!) Sure, an accident could happen, but an accident could happen anywhere, and really, I don't think that bridge is really that much more dangerous than anywhere else.
I hope she's OK too, and I don't think riding on that bridge is a foolish choice. The alternative is significantly inferior, and the bridge isn't that bad.
The situation I spoke of is riding on that particular road, on that particular bridge, at that particular time when drunks are driving home on that same road and bridge. I think the time frame at least doubles the risk there.
I don't like the ped-bridge set-up either, for exactly the reasons you gave. I still would not make the choice she did, and I stated my opinion so that other people might weigh the situation for themselves and come to their own conclusions with more information. I was not trying to get peoples feathers in a bunch.
I'm not a newbie rider, or a safety nut, or a "get rid of those stinking bikes" advocate. I do, however, think she made a poor choice at that time. I also think she's lucky to be alive.
Most of all, I want everyone who rides to make it safely to their destinations, every time, no matter how they choose to get there.
Happy trails,
Wheelieman
use your heads people for something other than stopping your fall. riding your bike in the street on lamar is just asking for it. riding late at night on the lamar bridge is really asking for it.
fixed gears are like butt holes, every one has one.
If riding late on the Lamar bridge is asking for it, then riding late *anywhere* is asking for it.
if you cant determine that riding that stretch of road late at nitght is not a good idea then you are an idiot.
fixed gears are like butt holes, every one has one.
The good --
It's a short stretch of road
The speed limit is reasonably low, and cars generally don't exceed it more than they do anywhere else.
It has multiple lanes, so cars can go around you easily enough
It's well lit.
It probably goes where you want to go if you're already on Lamar.
The bad --
The lanes are narrow (so taking the lane is your only option)
The sidewalk is raised up from the road, so it's not easy to jump on to it.
The sidewalk itself is not really usable except in an emergency.
During the day, traffic is heavy (but not after midnight.)
The ugly --
This road somehow has more drunks than other roads in town? (Well, it's somewhat close to downtown, and there's other bars nearby, so perhaps it has somewhat more drunks ...)
...
Yup, guess I'm an idiot!
Personally, on my bike after midnight, I'm generally more concerned about crime than cars hitting me. But hey, either could happen ...
Well yeah. 2am-3am is my ride blackout time. It's a bad idea to ride at night after last call at the bars - the streets are just full of people who shouldn't be driving acting stupid. Not that its right, it sucks! It's reality to have to avoid drunks if you ride at night though.
That was the original intention of the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, yet while the city has completed over a DOZEN overpasses in the time the project was began, they still have not completed connectivity for the bridge. Until they get off their asses and finish it the Lamar Bridge is the best thoroughfare for vehicles (human powered or otherwise) in the area.
Even after the overpass of CC is done, you'd still be better off riding on Lamar if your destination is at 5th street or points north. There will be sidewalk-esque riding and several places where cyclists never get right-of-way on the Pfluger route, even when completed.
Yeah, I don't like it one bit. Even with the pedestrian bridge complete I plan to continue using the vehicle bridge and biking vehicularly, just like the good lord intended. Two flashy lights, my near-OCD habit of looking over my shoulder, and the protecting hand of a divine god will keep me safe in my travels.