City of Austin

Oh fuck yes. According to an Austin Chronicle article published last week, they're going to be breaking ground for the new facilities in JULY! Here's an excerpt from the article talking about what we can expect to see sometime early next year:

The new 27,000-square-foot park, designed by Canadian firm New Line Skateparks, will combine a 7,000-square-foot bowl with a 20,000-square-foot street-style plaza. There will be spectator seating, trees for shade, and, as part of the city's Art in Public Places initiative, a skateable 12-foot metallic wave designed by local sculptor/skater Chris Levack, which House Park advocate and Tekgnar skate store owner Laurie Pevey called "a metaphor for the motion of skateboarding." With the addition of trellises inspired by fossil trilobites found in the area, Pevey said the park will "really relate to Shoal Creek."

They even gave a nod to a couple other sports we all hold near and dear:

If the long-awaited third park is built, Austin has other action-sports communities – street hockey, wheelchair rugby, and hardcourt bike polo – that could benefit from building a truly mixed-use facility.

DOPE! Man, I'm freaking pumped about this shit. With these tough economic times I'm blown away that the city is going to build this park anyway. Way to go CoA!

Update: Got the following from the Bicycle Program folks:

The City Council has requested that the Downtown Bicycle Boulevard Briefing be moved from this week to the June 24, 2010 City Council meeting at 10:30 AM at City Hall.

Please contact Annick Beaudet (512) 974-6505 with any questions. More info here: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/publicworks/bicycle.htm .

Guess we're back on for the 24th. Keep emailing and calling, folks! City Council NEEDS our input.

Yesterday the City of Austin folks informed us that the City Council meeting briefing (as in closed to public input) on the Nueces Downtown Bicycle Boulevard, which was originally scheduled for June 10th and then re-scheduled for June 24th, has now been re-re-scheduled for the 10th of June once again. The briefing happens at 10:30am, and here are the details from their "Public Input" website, a somewhat ironic name since there's not going to be any public input at the briefing whatsoever:

UPDATE 6-7-2010

DATE CHANGE FOR COUNCIL BRIEFING

The Austin City Council will receive a briefing on the final staff recommendation for the Downtown Bicycle Boulevard on June 10, 2010 at 10:30 a.m.

Over the last 6 months City staff and Austin residents have engaged in a public process to enhance and preserve bicycle mobility in the Northwest District of the Downtown. Through that process the City of Austin Neighborhood Connectivity Division produced and released a staff recommendation for a Downtown Bicycle Boulevard in April 2010.

Information and visuals related to the staff recommendation can be found below. The staff recommendation has been recommended unanimously by the following City of Austin Commissions:

Downtown Commission
Design Commission
Planning Commission
Urban Transportation Commission
Other various schools, organizations, and neighborhood associations.

For more information regarding the project or the City Council briefing to be held on June 10, please contact Annick Beaudet by phone at 512-974-6505 or by e-mail at annick.beaudet@ci.austin.tx.us

Annick Beaudet listed her contact information above, but there are a couple other people worth emailing about the bike boulevard if you want to make your opinion known at this eleventh hour. Here are the resources for contacting the mayor and the rest of city council:

Via email (sends to everyone below): http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/groupemail.htm

Via telephone:

Mayor Lee Leffingwell- (512) 974-2250

Place 1 Councilmember Chris Riley- (512) 974-2260

Place 2 Councilmember Mike Martinez- (512) 974-2264

Place 3 Councilmember Randi Shade- (512) 974-2255

Place 4 Councilmember Laura Morrison- (512) 974-2258

Place 5 Councilmember Bill Spelman- (512) 974-2256

Place 6 Councilmember Sheryl Cole- (512) 974-2266

Our input on this project is of utmost importance. The paradoxically named Austinites for Downtown Mobility movement (Automotive gridlock != "mobility") has been doing their part to persuade the city to neuter their plans and remove many of the improvements that would have increased cyclist safety through the corridor and actually turn the street into a world-class bicycle facility. Lets not let their short-sightedness and financial muscle keep us from making this facility something that we ALL can be proud of. Elliott over at A2W has been much more eloquent on the subject, and the comment section of his writeup is full of goodness from all sorts of folk. Read it and be informed, then write your city council members, the bicycle program staff, and anyone else in city government that you can think of. Lets have some more public input before the current neutered proposal is signed into law!

This Friday is the OFFICIAL Bike to Work Day, which means that if you can you should ride your bike to work. Crazy, eh? Since we Americans do nothing selfless without an incentive, the powers that be will be providing food for us on our travel, as long as we can swing by from 7-9am (and 4-6pm for the afternoon stations).

Here's a list of the breakfast stations, which will be in operation from 7-9am tomorrow morning:

AJ’s Cyclery, 10019 W. Parmer Lane.
Banister Lane at Casey Street. (sponsored by LOBV)
Bicycle Sport Shop, 517 S. Lamar Blvd.
BikeTexas, 1902 E. Sixth St.
Bouldin Creek Cafe, 1501 S. 1st St.
Capital MetroRail, Plaza Saltillo Station, 2910 East Fifth St.
City Hall Plaza, 301 W. Second St.
One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road.
Flipnotics, 1601 Barton Springs Road.
Freewheeling Bicycles, 24th and San Gabriel streets.
Mellow Johnny’s, Fourth at Nueces streets.
The Peddler, 5015 Duval
Shoal Creek Boulevard at Far West right of way. (sponsored by LOBV)
Thunderbird Coffee, 2200 Manor Road.
Wheatsville Coop, 3101 Guadalupe St.
Whole Foods, Sixth Street at Lamar Boulevard.
Whole Foods Gateway, 9607 Research Blvd.
Yellow Bike Project, 1200 Webberville Road.

The CoA has provided a handy dandy map in PDF format pointing out the multitude of stops, including about half a dozen afternoon stops for people returning home (or really odd shift workers going in). Please note that you don't actually have to have a JOB to benefit from this, just ride a bike and pretend to be going somewhere.

The City of Austin Bike/Ped staff just sent out notice that their city council briefing on the Nueces Downtown Bicycle Boulevard is going to be delayed one month, to June 10th. Here's the email I received:

Good Afternoon:

This is an update on the City of Austin Downtown Bicycle Boulevard Project. Please note that the City Council Briefing on the Downtown Bicycle Boulevard Staff Recommendation will be on June 10th, 2010, and NOT MAY 13, 2010 as originally planned. Also, please note that the City Council does not allow speakers on Briefings.

The last Boards and Commissions briefing will be May 11th, 2010, at the Urban Transportation Commission (UTC), 6 pm at City Hall. It is likely that the UTC will take action on the item at this meeting; they will allow speakers on this item at this meeting.

To date the Downtown Commission, Planning Commission, Design Commission, and the Downtown Austin Alliance Mobility and Streetscapes Subcommittee have unanimously supported the Downtown Bicycle Boulevard Staff Recommendation.

The Downtown Bicycle Boulevard staff recommendation, 3-D rendering of the recommendation and other information can be found here:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/publicworks/bicycle-public-input.htm

Sincerely,

Annick C. Beaudet, AICP
Program Consultant - Planning
Neighborhood Connectivity Division
Department of Public Works
City of Austin
505 Barton Springs Road, Suite 900
Austin, Texas 78704
office 512-974-6505
cell 512-784-3085

Thanks for the heads-up Annick. Sounds like the City boards and committees are liking the CoA staff's recommendation, so if all goes like it's been going we'll probably see minor redevelopments and markings on two streets, rather than the originally intended solid modifications to one. There's one more meeting happening on May 11th if you want to show up and make your voice heard. Otherwise you can email city council or the Bicycle Program staff themselves if you want to let them know your opinion on the bike boulevard. The time for public input is nearly over so don't fuck around.

Tomorrow is the City of Austin's big BIKE MONTH kick-off ceremony. Here are the details on that event, which happens at City Hall around 11:30am tomorrow. Damn, during business hours. As always.

They also have a website with calendars, videos, bike maps and all sorts of other goodness to help you celebrate bike month in style. On the other hand, Jackelope is giving us dollar Lone Stars all month. You're gonna have to step it up, CoA. ;)

The friendly, fearless, fighters for bicyclists' rights of the LOBV recently sent out notification of a meeting this evening that can affect the Bike Boulevard process. Here are the details:

Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: City Hall – Council Chambers
Street: 301 W. 2nd Street, Austin, TX

The Planning Commission will hear an update and take possible action on the bike boulevard. Show up and speak out and let commissioners know that you support the original vision for a bike boulevard on Nueces.

Details at http://www.lobv.org/nueces

Please try to curtail any anger and vitriol over this process if you choose to address the commissioners. 6pm at City Hall is the spot. Leave any contraband outside, as they may search you and your bags upon entry.

The City of Austin Bike Program folks just gave us a quick run-down of events for Bike Month this May. Read on for the short version of the events:

* Bike Month, Bike to School Day, and Bike to Work Day Proclamation, Thu, April 29, 6pm – 7pm, City Hall Chambers, 301 W. 2nd Street

* Bike Month Kick Off Event, Fri, April 30, 11:30am – 1:30pm, City Hall Plaza, 301 W. 2nd Street

* Bike in Book Swap, Yellow Bike will be on-hand to teach a pannier making workshop. There will be snacks, music, a flat clinic, bike maps, and more. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/news/nr20100317a.htm, Sat, May 1, 11am – 3pm, Terrazas Branch Library, 1105 E. Cesar Chavez St. Austin, TX 78702

* Yellow Bike Celebration: ride with the Austin Bike Zoo from Terrazas Branch Library to the new Yellow Bike Headquarters, for a family friendly celebration of the new shop. Featuring shop tours, $1 BBQ sandwiches, and performances, Saturday, May 1: 3-8PM, 12th and Webberville, http://www.austinyellowbike.org/home.shtml

* Bike2ACC Day, Pick up an, “I biked to ACC” sticker and get a free breakfast, Mon, May 3, Rio Grande Campus, email dmottola@austincc.edu for more info

* Bike2UT Day, Free breakfast for cyclists at all guard kiosk entrances to UT from 7:30-9:30 AM and a party in Gregory Plaza with prizes and a raffle, Tuesday, May 4th, UT Campus, email cortez@austin.utexas.edu for more info

* Austin Bike Poster Show, http://www.atxbikepostershow.com/, Thu, May 6 – Sat, June 5, Frame Corner, 5601 Adams Avenue

* Free bike mechanic from Sun & Ski Sports at the One Texas Center: get your bike looked at and ready for bike to work day, May 14th: 11:30-1:30 PM, 505 Barton Springs Road

* Political Pedal, May 14th, 5:30 PM, City Hall Plaza, www.biketexas.org

* Bike2School Day, May 19th , contact Kristi.stillwell@ci.austin.tx.us for more information

* Bike2Work Week, May 17-21st @ Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, 221 S. Lamar, daily bike workshops, for more info: kriort@coffeebeantexas.com

* Bike2Work Day, May 21st, 18 Breakfast Stations and 6 Afternoon Stations, (see attached map), contact monicaleo@gmail.com for more info

* Lance Armstrong Bikeway Inaugural Ride, highlights newly installed art in public places and showcases the City’s east-west bikeway and the first cycletrack in the city, May 22, starts at Veterans and Lake Austin Blvd, 9AM; meghan.turner@ci.austin.tx.us

* Bike Month Closing Ceremonies, June 5th, Rock Island, Zilker Park; al@bekindtocyclists.com

Not as nice as last year's Bike Guide, but not too shabby either. Keep your eyes peeled for more official AND unofficial events as May approaches...

Due to school schedules and assumedly the whole madness that is SXSW, last week's Bicycle Advisory Council meeting was bumped a week, which lands it squarely on TODAY. If you want to get in on the action you should show up at One Texas Center (505 Barton Springs) at 6:30pm and be a part of the political process. The topics being discussed tonight are as follows:

* CAMPO Policies and Maps– Tom Wald
* Urban Rail –Austin Transportation Department, Scott Gross
* Code Amendments – Annick Beaudet
* Downtown Bicycle Boulevard Update – Annick Beaudet
* 6th Street Update – Jason Fialkoff

I'm really excited to hear Annick's update on the NUECES Bike Boulevard project, and from the sound of things a local political advocacy group is going to be pushing for a BAC resolution on the matter. Stay tuned for more riveting information on this oh-so-exciting citizen input process.

The city sent the following press release regarding the ongoing construction y'all may have noticed near the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge. Read on for details on what the City is going to be doing with the yet-unfinished extension of the bridge throughout the year:

Pfluger Bridge Extension begins construction

Austin’s popular Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge will get a new extension this year. The northwest arm of the bridge will be an overpass for pedestrians and bicyclists to easily cross over Cesar Chavez Street from above street level.

Work began this week on the construction, which is expected to last until December 2010.

The bridge follows alongside Sandra Muraida Way, and ends just before the Gables development. The project will also include an earthen, landscaped mound where the bridge extension meets the land on the north side of Cesar Chavez Street. At the ramp’s conclusion there will be a bicycle round-about with connections to hike-and-bike trail and Lance Armstrong Bikeway.

The existing Pfluger Bridge and Cesar Chavez Street will be closed for a short portion of the project in late summer to set the large bridge beams above the roadway. There is no traffic impact expected before then, but pedestrians and cyclists should exercise caution around the construction site.

More available at: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/publicworks/pflugerbridge_design.htm

FINALLY! Glad to hear things are underway. Wonder what this project is going to cost when all is said and done, and why the folks from Nueces who are so concerned with the financial impact of cycling infrastructure on the city's tax revenues aren't in an uproar over the dollars being pulled from such forward looking projects like widening streets and building overpasses to finish this bridge. At an ESTIMATED cost of $2,000,000 for the bridge vs. $350,000 for Nueces, this project makes the bike boulevard looks like a drop in the bucket. Interesting to see the opposition's true colors when the project isn't in their back yard (or front porches, in this case).

I remember hearing about this event a while back, but just got the official information last night. Here's the dirt on the 3rd Annual Be Kind to Cyclists ride:

Come out and celebrate with us our Third Annual, Please BE KIND to Cyclists Day, proclaimed by Mayor Will Winn in 2007. Let us all send a message of awareness to be kind to cyclists; that we can all co-exist and share the same roads. Let’s make 2010 a year where no cyclists will die on the roads of Texas.
There will be live music, breakfast tacos, coffee and drinks for everyone, Please BE KIND to Cyclists t-shirts, plus lots of give a ways and One year Pure Austin membership. Check out our website for more details and best of all, it’s all FREE. Donations accepted.

The ride starts at the oh-so-unfriendly hour of 8am. There's a 20 mile, 40 mile, AND a family (or just hungover) route, so you can take this one at whatever speed you desire. The event is 100% FO' FREE, so bring all your friends if they happen to be up that early and enjoy biking, breakfast tacos, free shirts, and more goodness from the folks behind those fancy bumper stickers. There's even a website with even more information about this program if you're one of those intensely curious types. I'll be sleeping, but y'all have fun!