Bicycle and Pedestrian Program

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!

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...

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).

Hey all you AV nerds, RTF students and wannabe filmmakers, want to do something incredibly badass for the city? Read on for a great opportunity to not only use your skills to better the local cycling scene, but to do it with CITY APPROVAL:

Are you a filmmaker interested in making movies about cycling safety? Do you have creative/fun ideas about how to promote safe cycling via film? Please check out the Request for Information regarding the production of a bicycle safety film for Austin here:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/publicworks/downloads/safe_cycling_%20film_rf...

Submit a statement of interest before 5PM February 12th.

Please help me to spread the word to anyone you know who may be interested and let me know if you have any questions.

thanks!
Nadia Barrera

Thanks for the heads-up Nadia! Y'all only have until Friday to submit an RFI so don't procrastinate, fill it out NOW!

I just got in from riding in the rain a short while ago and when I opened my email this one popped out at me:

We now have bike lanes on MLK from I-35 to Rio Grande

The trucks painting the new bike lanes were finishing up today, Friday, 10/02 at 5:30. Some of the bike lanes get a little narrow in places but at least we have them. Check it out.

Thanks for letting us know Brad! I was just raving over breakfast to a couple out-of-towners (Ft. Worth and Portland, respectively) about how great the City of Austin Bicycle Program folks have been with their responsiveness to our needs and the speed at which they were installing bike lanes into heretofore totally unimaginable places, and now I read this. Talk about some affirmation, eh? To Annick, Nadia, Nathan, Jason and all the rest of y'all who were instrumental to the installation of these bike lanes, and for all the shit that you do behind the scenes to accomplish it, THANK YOU!

I've recently bumped into the city folks out at various events around town (BAC meeting, LOBV dinner, even the Thursday Night Social Ride on occasion) and they've been mentioning how much they're yearning for public input on their latest projects. I know that the city programs like the Bicycle/Pedestrian program live and die on public input, so if y'all happen to enjoy some of the new bike facilities around town, and can spare a few kind words for some really kickass folks, please drop them a note letting them know what you think!

The more positive input they get on the projects they complete, the more attention the City is going to pay to some of the larger and more ambitious projects planned for the future. We were able to turn out over 400 people to sign in favor of the Updated Bicycle Plan, if we could get 50 people emailing the city each time they finish a major striping project or facilities installation, imagine what else would get accomplished! You're obviously sitting in front of your computer and bored if you've made it this far, so take a minute and tell Annick, Nadia, or any of the rest of the staff how great a job they're doing. First off I'd appreciate it, and secondly if enough of you start doing this just watch and see what happens at the City level; it'll be pretty fucking cool.

Know of a good place for the City of Austin to install a bike rack? Check out this request just sent to me by the latest member of the CoA Bike/Pedestrian staff, Jason Fialkoff:

Please let me know if you have any bicycle rack requests. We currently have a small construction team at our disposal, and they will have installed nearly all of the BAC's bicycle rack requests by mid-next week. Unfortunately we can not install any new bicycle racks on 6th St or Congress Ave until next fiscal year (we have run out of green bicycle racks, which are required for these locations). Please send requests for bicycle racks to my work email at jason.fialkoff@ci.austin.tx.us.

Also, feel free to give my information to local businesses who need bicycle racks.

The city has been going full steam ahead installing the racks outlined on the "official" downtown bike rack map (.pdf), but they've still got racks and a small bit of manpower to spare. Help them use it by shooting Jason a note and telling them where you think Austin could use another bike rack. Own a business and need a few in front of your shop? Hit them up! Like drinking at an off-6th St. bar and think a few more racks wouldn't hurt? You know who to call.

Update: Jason wanted to let everyone know that they don't have carte blanche to install bike racks ANYWHERE (aka. ignore my enthusiasm), so please take the following points into consideration when requesting a bike rack:

# The City of Austin is not allowed to put racks everywhere. For example, we need permission from the Texas Facilities Commission to install racks on state property (eg-the Capitol building). Some places are too narrow and won't allow us to meet ADA requirements. We have other legal constraints to follow as well.

# We try to install racks as quickly as possible, but we can't meet all demand immediately. Anyone who follows the ATXBS blog or the news should know that the COA is resource constrained.

Thanks for keeping me honest, Jason. Don't want to cause TOO many headaches for the City Bike/Ped program folks, since they're already doing such a great job of fixing some of the City's sticker bike problems. If you see these cats out and about, buy them a beer and say thanks! They deserve it.

Already the city has been getting positive feedback over the racks they've been installing, like the following letter that was also forwarded to the BAC mailing list:

Saw some of the new bike racks in the Red River/7th st area Monday night. This was one of the most under served areas in town, in my opinion, and wanted to give everyone from the Bike Ped organization, and the BAC a big congratulations for getting these in. I didn't have to lock up to a parking meter (which are probably going to be gone pretty soon). Hopefully these racks fill up fast and we will need more soon ;)

Allen

I'm glad to hear people are already making good use of the brand new racks. I look forward to a downtown full of safely locked bikes in Austin's immediate future. Just don't forget that U-Lock.

I know sometimes I'm a bit hard on the city, but over I've really been appreciating their responsiveness to bicycle issues and am glad that they're trying to actively push for progress. Annick Beaudett of the Bike Pedestrian Program just forwarded me an article they wrote for Southwest Cycling News, but she wanted me to post it as well so as to reach another facet of the cycling community. Look at what they're working on these days:

Ahhh summertime. Street resurfacing methods cure better during the summer because the process involves settling of the aggregate in the asphalt. The summer heat helps the aggregate to settle more evenly. That means that your Bicycle Program staff is working like crazy to take advantage of all the new striping possiblilities which are afforded by simply street maintenance.. Look for new bicycle facilities in your area over the coming months.

In the last couple of months we have installed a few of new bicycle facilities. So, get out and ride them, and let us know how they work.

• A climbing lane on Martin Luther King Boulevard headed eastbound from Lamar to Pearl Street. There is also an improved sidewalk for those of you who like to walk your bike up the hill.
  
• Bicycle lanes on Lacrosse Avenue from Natick Lane to Escarpment Boulevard. A concerned citizen submitted this request, and since there was existing bicycle lanes on both sides of the gap, and the roadway was wide enough to simply add a five foot bicycle lane, this gap on Lacrosse Avenue was eliminated.
  
• Bicycle lanes on William Cannon Drive from IH-35 to Pleasant Valley Road. This roadway is constructed of concrete. The Bicycle Program worked with the Signs and Markings Division to pay for a water blasting type lane stripe removal vehicle to remove the existing stripes and add new ones that included bicycle lanes.
  
• Bicycle lanes on Latta Drive from Convict Hill Road to Islander Drive and from Nairn Drive to Davis Lane.
  
• Dedicated bicycle lanes (without parking) on Mary Street from Congress Boulevard to the Union Pacific railroad tracks (near Lamar Boulevard). With the cooperation and feedback from the Bouldin Creek and Zilker Neighborhood Association, and various stakeholders, the Bicycle Program and the Transportation Department were able to work out a parking and bicycle facility solution that met the needs of all users of the roadway. This is a great route to So Co, Stacy and Little Stacy Pool, and soon will facilitate family bicycle traffic to the new Twin Oaks Library.

Besides facilities, we are working kick start a new promotional campaign. We’ve begun to look at how other cities promote cycling and we will be looking to put a campaign that promotes cycling for transportation in place for the next fiscal year. We have begun showing a public service announcement featuring Lance Armstrong on Channel 6 (keep an eye out for it). However, this version is only phase I. We will be improving the current announcement with the production of phase II that will add some really nice Austin bicycling footage. Thanks to Lance for partering with us on that.

Research for innovative facilities is continuing successfully. The Steck Avenue reconfiguration from Shoal Creek Boulevard to Burnet Road after study is underway. Stakeholders are invited to a meeting to discuss the reconfiguration at Pillow Elementary School Cafeteria (3025 Crosscreek Drive, Austin, TX 78757) at 6:30 PM on September 1st. The purpose of this meeting is to receive comments and feedback from all users of the roadway on what they like or don’t like about the new configuration, which went from 4, 10 foot motor vehicle lanes, to 2 10 foot motor vehicle lanes, a 10 foot center turn land and 2, 5 foot bicycle lanes.

Additionally, the “Sharrow”, colored bicycle lane, bicycle box, and bicyclists “use full lane,” research by the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) is going well. The research team is busy watching video of bicycle-motor vehicle interactions at the chosen locations before the devices are put into place. The Bicycle Program hopes to have these devices in place before school starts at which time CTR will conduct its “after” research studying how the devices alter bicycle-motor vehicle interactions.

Stay cool out there, and keep on riding.

Thanks for keeping us informed Annick! It's great that we have a local Bike and Pedestrian program that not only actively pushes for improvement, but lets us know what they're up to AND asks for our input! It's nice, even if it doesn't always go our way. Thanks y'all.