This week's topic is an issue that I actually care a lot about and will probably make me show up for my first Austin City Council meeting in all my time in Austin come August. For the record, let me state that I am firmly opposed the the proposed plan to expand the Austin Helmet Ordinance as proposed by former Mayor Bruce Todd. There are reasons beyond those included here which I will touch on later on, but to the couple of council members that read BOR, I hope to convince you that this is a bad idea for Austin and there are better solutions to the 'problems' the city has with cycling and transportation.
Coming soon to a city council near you: The Return of the Austin Helmet Ordinance, starring former Mayor Bruce Todd in a battle against area bikers over the right to ride with the city's hands off of citizens' heads. Catch a sneak preview of this epic clash Aug. 24 when the gates open for public commentary at a city council meeting. This film's rating is NA for Not Again.
For those who prefer to move themselves around the city on four wheels, two feet or any other assortment of motorized transport, it's not likely that the proposed mandatory helmet law for all Austin bicyclists, regardless of age, has captured much attention. Nor is it likely that many realize that this coming attraction is a remake of an ill-fated production that graced the public stage exactly 10 years ago, so a quick review may be in order.
In 1996, then-Mayor Bruce Todd pushed for council approval of Austin's first mandatory helmet ordinance for city cyclists of all ages (ignoring motorcyclists entirely). The following year, just after Todd left office, the council scaled down the measure to a more agreeable version applying only to those 17 years old and under. It has remained in place ever since, with little fuss or enforcement.
But a decade later, with a council that has no institutional memory of that decision, Todd is back thanks to a recent biking accident of his own, pressing for full-fledged regulation once more.
And again, Austin cyclists, those who believe in vibrant downtown development and anyone who cares about alleviating this city's transportation problems should recognize that it is in our best interest to defeat this effort.
Most cyclists agree that there is nothing wrong with helmets and encourage their use. The Austin Cycling Association, which has collected close to $2,000 to purchase helmets for riders in honor of the former mayor's accident last fall, opposes the proposed expansion of the existing ordinance.
Similar to last year's battle over a public smoking ban, there are many locals that place preserving dwindling personal freedoms and liberties over mandatory regulatory safety measures. While adult cyclists should wear helmets, we shouldn't need to make it city law, especially one that already has a history of limited enforcement, considering only a few dozen youngsters have been cited over the existing ordinance's lifetime.
An unfortunate side effect of a mandatory, all-ages helmet law (which exists only in Dallas among Texas' major cities) is that such legislation has been proven to lead to decreased bicycle usage. The city of Austin, already behind its stated goals for percentage of daily trips taken by bicyclists and other non-traditional vehicular transportation, would not be well served by taking steps that exasperate the problem.
Current Mayor Will Wynn's vision of a denser, pedestrian- and biker-friendly downtown with tens of thousands more residents living and working close to each other is a forward-thinking idea that incorporates traffic solutions. If the council believes in Wynn's vision, it should shy away from enacting "feel-good" political proposals like the expanded biking ordinance, whose real-world effects contradict the current mayor's progressive vision.
If the council is interested in improving transportation safety for those on the streets, there are solutions that work. Education programs for cyclists and auto drivers which inform both groups of their roadway responsibilities and the rights of the others would go a long way to reducing the few auto-cyclist impacts, injuries or deaths that occur in Austin each year. Enacting transportation policies, road designs and programs that increase the number of cyclists on the road increases the "safety in numbers" effect for all parties and helps alleviate traffic congestion.
And though not talked about or proposed, a mandatory motorcycle helmet law would have a much greater impact on public safety by reducing high-speed impact injuries or deaths that occur at a rate 40 times greater nationally than those associated with cyclists.
Todd is not wrongheaded in his desire for more people on the road to take safety seriously - we all should. It's just that this rerun of the 1996, all-ages flop ignores history and real solutions for Austin in favor of emotional, anecdotal politics.
