Austin working to create bike boulevard

1-mile stretch of Nueces St.

Steve Hawley, Dec 11, 09.

The City of Austin is planning to turn Nueces Street from West 3rd Street to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard into a bicycle boulevard, according to the city’s website.

The bicycle boulevard, which would be slightly more than one mile long, would feature:

* Low traffic volumes
* Quieter, prettier, and healthier than busier motor-vehicle prioritized streets
* Welcoming to bicyclists of all experience levels
* Improved safety conditions for all transportation modes

UC Berkeley’s Tech Transfer newsletter and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center both provide detailed overviews of bicycle boulevards, and at the end of this post is a three-minute video from Streetfilms. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center says:

Bicycle boulevards offer many advantages, such as tangible safety benefits (due to reduced exposure to vehicles and reduced speed differential); their appeal to inexperienced cyclists, families and seniors; and a calmer riding environment. Some critics feel that bicycle boulevards reduce cyclist visibility and/or do not serve major commercial corridors, which are likely to be destinations.

Austin’s League of Bicycling voters states:

The Nueces Bike Boulevard has been a no-brainer for bicycle enthusiasts, downtown boosters and area planners for quite some time. You take a flat street with relatively low auto traffic and scores of existing bike riders looking to get from the UT area to downtown and simply make it a bike-priority street that discourages through auto traffic. Add quicker travel for bicyclists by removing many of the stop signs, some identity with signage and public art, and things get even more exciting. Phase I would go from 3rd Street to MLK Boulevard, with Phase II possibly heading north to Guadalupe.

The city is asking for the public’s help in designing the boulevard. A public meeting was held Wednesday night to solicit input, and another will be held on Wednesday, January 13. A final public meeting will be held Wednesday, January 27 to present the design plans.

All public meetings will be held from 6 to 8 pm at:
Pease Elementary School
1106 Rio Grande Street
Austin, TX 78701 (map)

Presentation on Nueces Street bicycle plan (pdf)