Complaints against bicyclists rising

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Complaints against bicyclists ignoring the rules of the road spiked recently. Since August, the Austin Police Department has upped patrols in the downtown areas, and they are focusing on educating bikers. "Bicyclists are governed by the state laws to obey all traffic laws just as if they were a car," said Cpl. Michael Pollard.

Often the reeducation comes through warnings from police. However, the president of the League of Bicycling Voters, Rob D'Amico, said it would be a better safety initiative if APD was focusing on motorists as well. "Most bicycles don't have a problem with an enforcement of traffic violations, but I do take an issue with targeting solely toward bicyclists," said D'Amico.

A University of Texas sponsored forum on Friday brought bicycle enthusiasts together to discuss how Austin can plan safer biking conditions for the road. The city is updating the Bicycle Master Plan. It is part of a program that is recommending specific bicycle lane and pathway requirements to put in place as Austin continues to grow.

"Bicycle and pedestrian mobility is important to our quality of life and is something the City of Austin wants to be known for," said Annick Beaudet, City of Austin Bicycle and Pedestrian Program project manager. "And we want to be known as a city that you don't jaywalk in and that you don't run red lights in when you're on your bike." The City of Austin Bicycle and Pedestrian Program update will wrap up by the end of next summer.