Opinion: Make Austin's Accidental Scooter Lane Permanent

Construction of a new Hilton hotel in Austin has shrunk West 6th Street. The resulting street configuration means slower traffic, faster pedestrian crossings, and space formerly reserved for parking no used by people on scooters.

Dan Keshet argues that the city could inexpensively make the change permanent. If the lane were converted to a bike lane, it could accommodate rising scooter traffic and make the street narrower and safer for pedestrians to cross. "Are we a city that values safe, convenient streets for walking, biking, and scooting, as well as driving, or are we a city that can’t wait the additional two minutes to get on Mopac?" Keshet writes in Austin on Your Feet.