The University of Texas at Austin is backpedaling on parts of a new bicycle policy after cyclists raised concerns that the proposed restrictions could push riders onto dangerous streets. Last week, UT Austin officials appeared ready to abruptly ban bicycles, scooters and other micromobility devices across the busiest areas of campus, but now the university has implemented a new rule that will require cyclists to dismount and walk their bikes in other “pedestrian-friendly zones.”
UT Austin’s bike changes, which caught many locals by surprise, spurred backlash from advocates and cyclists citing safety concerns over rerouting riders to busier roads with more cars and less bike infrastructure. While the university’s updated bike policy won’t take affect until UT Austin’s first day of school on August 24, some cycling leaders and commuters are still not fully onboard with the new changes.
Austin Bicycle Advisory Council chair Alejandro de la Vega and vice chair Chelsea Burns sent a letter to UT Parking and Transportation Services last week urging the university to reconsider implementing micromobility dismount zones across central campus. As UT faculty members who commute to campus everyday, the pair explained that the proposed dismount zones would force riders off the safest campus routes and onto surrounding streets with high traffic like Guadalupe, Dean Keeton or San Jacinto.
“The primary barrier to pedestrian safety is not micromobility; it is the University’s continued allocation of limited street space to motor vehicles,” the pair wrote in the letter. “This choice pits people walking against people biking and scooting—even though active mobility is the most effective way to move people through a dense campus.”
Other UT faculty members like Ray Allen agreed saying that, “these new dismount zones completely miss the real problem.” He told MySA that he parks in a parking garage that is typically full and in order for him to park closer to his building he must pay to park on the street, where spots also fill up fast.
“Instead of making parking more affordable or giving employees and students more places to park closer to campus, this is what they came up with,” he said. “The reason so many people ride scooters and bikes across campus is simple. We have to park so far away just to find a spot.”
The letter urged UT to consider community input and “remove 24th St, Inner Campus Dr and Speedway Mall from the blanket dismount zone.” In response, UT will allow bikes on Speedway, a popular cycling route that runs through the center of campus, but personal electric vehicles (PEV) riders must dismount and walk their wheels on that road.
PEVs such as electric scooters and e-bikes will not be allowed in “pedestrian friendly zone” including San Jacinto Boulevard to Guadalupe Street and 21st Street up to 24th Street, but traditional bikes and self-powered devices can ride slowly. Upon entering the zone, Lime and Bird electric scooters will also power off. San Jacinto Boulevard, Guadalupe Street and 21st Street will continue to allow all forms of traffic, according to the university.
“I welcome the exclusion of manually powered bicycles from this plan, but I’m still concerned that roads that vehicles can legally drive on (e.g. 24th, Inner Campus Drive) are in the dismount zone,” Austin Bicycle Advisory Council chair Alejandro de la Vega told MySA. “Long term, I would like to see better planning of protected alternative micro mobility routes around this zone (e.g Dean Keeton, San Jacinto), and dedicated routes for electric devices through central areas where appropriate.”