City Council adopts improvements to Bicycle Master Plan

By Mariana Munoz

Nov. 12, 2014

Bicycles have become a main source of transportation for many
Austinites.

                                       

AUSTIN, TEXAS—

On any given day in Austin, you are likely to see people getting around from place to place on bikes. In a city known for its efforts to “go green,” however, there is still much public concern for the safety of riders and the improvement of bicycle infrastructure.

The Austin City Council unanimously adopted new changes to the Bicycle Master Plan on Thursday, Nov. 6. The changes to this plan, which was first implemented in 2009, aim to significantly increase bike use and improve bike safety throughout the city.

The council listened to plan supporters discuss benefits of the
expanded bicycle network.

The new plan calls for more protected bike lanes, which include a physical barrier between motor vehicles and bikers as well as pedestrians. Austin was already one of six cities in the U.S. chosen to participate in the Green Lane Project, an effort to encourage the construction of protected bike lanes used in bike-friendly European countries. The program can be seen on places such as Guadalupe Street, South Congress Avenue and Barton Springs Road where lanes are marked with bright green paint.

The Green Lane Project can be seen on Guadalupe Street, among
other popular areas.

The new bike lanes would first be constructed   on main roads with heavy traffic and then  expanded to other roads. The network is set to     be completed within the next 10 years and will cost the city $151 million.

Robert Spillar, city director of transportation, urged the council about Austin’s need for complete bicycle networks.

“Bicycle use will increase if we switch to a protected, connected network,” Spillar said. “The lanes we have right now just start and end.”

UTPD launches new biking unit

By Mariana Munoz

Oct. 15, 2014

AUSTIN, TEXAS—They wear bright blue uniforms and patrol around campus on bikes. Their mission: to make students feel more comfortable and less afraid to approach them.

To improve the way safety is attained, the University of Texas Police Department launched a new officer bike patrol unit on Sept.17.

UTPD Chief David Carter said the bike unit will make it easier for officers to respond quickly to incidents and get to areas where patrol cars have a hard time getting to.

“There are three kinds of street congestions— traffic, pedestrian and bicycle,” Carter said. “We’re looking to focus this unit in areas that are difficult to access with a patrol car, like the West Mall. These guys on bikes will be able to get through quicker,” he said.

Carter said the program also aims to make students feel more comfortable in approaching officers.

“Sometimes, students may notice something suspicious but don’t report it. This is a way to encourage students to let officers know what’s going on,” he said.

The new unit has a fleet of 20 bikes. According to Carter, five full-time officers are patrolling on them.

“We’ll be patrolling a whole lot of areas,” Carter said. “If we see a rising trend in incidents in a certain area, we’ll focus on that area,” he said.

Carter also said officers will patrol on and near campus, especially during times when students are on campus.

Slackliners face new Austin Parks and Recreation regulations

By Mariana Munoz

Sept. 24, 2014

                          The crowd watches in amazement as Tarzen successfully walks the line without a problem.

AUSTIN, TEXAS--The crowd is silent and tension is in the air as Curtis Jackson, better known as Tarzen, concentrates on walking across a nylon rope fastened to opposing sides of the boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake. In theory, the objective of slacklining is simple: you walk across a nylon rope and make it to the other side. In practice, it’s much more complicated—just like the discussion that revolves around it.

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department published a new set of proposed rules on August 25, which makes slacklining a permit-required activity. While some consider slacklining to be a recreational activity, others consider it to be a threat to both human life and nature.

Mike Johnson, an Austin Parks and Recreation officer, says the concern for the activity is largely focused on nature because the tension of the lines on trees damages the bark and exposes it to disease.

“There is a concern for the trees; as human beings, we are responsible for protecting vegetation,” Johnson said.

According to the new set of rules, if a slackliner does acquire a permit, they may not use a tree as an anchor post if the tree is less than one foot in diameter, is a heritage tree, or if it is posted as “not for use” for slacklining.

                           Shane Poe, part of “Keep Austin Slacklining,” concentrates as he walks the final line portion.

From Central America to Austin

By Mariana Munoz
Sep. 5, 2014

Jeana & Juan Carlos Ureña and Guadalupe Urbina collaborate in a song
on stage at the 2014 Centroamericanto Fest.

AUSTIN, TEXAS— The lights are dim and all eyes are on the three figures behind the microphones at the Cactus Café. For one night, the spotlight is on Central American music, which with little music industry to speak of, has long awaited its opportunity to take the stage.

The Centroamericanto Fest exhibits artists from Central America and is in its fourth year in Austin. Mauricio Callejas, singer-songwriter from El Salvador and founder of the fest, aimed to form a virtual community around the concept of Central American music.

“When I moved to Austin 12 years ago, I decided to stay in contact with my musician friends in El Salvador. I started “Centroamericanto.net, an online radio show,” he said.  

What started as an online opportunity for Central American artists to gain exposure eventually evolved into a festival. His first attempt at organizing a festival was in 2005 while he was visiting family in El Salvador.

“Performers exchanged ideas and gave each other advice; it was a very enriching opportunity. We wanted to repeat the experience but this time, in Austin,” Callejas said.

The lack of infrastructure for a music industry in Central America has been a great obstacle for musicians who suffer from the lack of mainstream exposure.