Vandals caught on camera stealing signs

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The city of Austin plans on revealing the new bicycle boulevard route on their website Tuesday afternoon. Businesses who have been fighting it have been dealing with vandalism and catching it on camera.

Signs stuck in the ground by Keep Austin Moving members have been disappearing. Damaged signs are piling up on the front porch of Monica Thomason's office along Nueces.

"Up and down the street they've been torn down," said Thomason. "They're either ripped to shreds or run over."

Car and bicycle tire marks cover the message of opposition to the city's proposed bike boulevard.

Surveillance video from eLaw Systems shows someone swiping a sign near the sidewalk on the same day the city had their final public meeting on the issue in February.

A bike rider was caught on another business owner's camera along Nueces. The person cased the corner, making a big circle in front of the sign, pulled it out of the ground and took off in broad daylight.

Police said they have no leads, but the group is not giving up their fight with the city.

"If this area were to ever re-develop and you said there's no traffic here, how would that affect property values?" asked Thomason.

Annick Beaudet, the city's bike boulevard project manager remains tight-lipped about the recommendation, but said city staff has catered to both sides.

"We've come up with a treatment that respects the motor vehicle pressures, but also preserves and enhances the bicycle mobility," said Beaudet.

What was once called the Nueces Bicycle Boulevard has been changed to the Downtown Bicycle Boulevard. It  incorporates both Nueces and Rio Grande from 3rd Street to Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

That is good news for Thomas Smith who does not own a car.

"I ride both streets already, and they're right next to each other so it's not that big of a jump over," said Smith.

Those opposed to the original plan will wait until the new one comes out to make their next move.

"There are some people that may be happy with certain parts of it," said Thomason. "So we'll just have to see what that is. If it's something that the group as a whole can't deal with, we'll see what our recourse is."

The new plan is expected to hit the city website after 3 p.m. Tuesday. Public input is still encouraged as the plan goes through various city commissions. The final plan is set to be presented to the city council in May, but does not need final approval from the council.