The following is a report by Sara Deshong-Baker, an LOBV Coordinator, on the June 24th Austin City Council briefing on the Nueces/Downtown Bike Blvd.

I apologize for taking so long to get this to y’all. Super busy!

-Tom

On 6/25/2010 11:27 PM, Sara Deshong-Baker wrote:

I took some notes on the questions:

There were some concerns with the legality of possibly taking the speed limit down to 25mph – Annick addressed this by saying they were re-doing speed studies regarding lowering the speed limit.

The council wanted to know if there would be an evaluation of the Rio Grande improvements before embarking on Nueces in 2012. Annick (AB) said there absolutely would be. The evaluation would include looking at ridership and motorized variabilities. UTC [Urban Transportation Commission] may do that evaluation??

Another repeatedly voiced concern from the council was if there was any conflict with the current bike plan and any need to amend the current bike plan. AB says they do want to make a formal amendment to include Rio Grande and to incorporate it into route 31, so that it may appear on formal literature and city distributed bike maps. They would like to amend it in conjunction with the AMATP [Austin Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan].

AB let the council know that there is currently an analysis being done regarding the removal of stop signs and the speed control associated with that. Expected results of the study are due Aug 15th.

Riley wanted to know of any plans north of MLK. AB says she is currently working with stakeholders in west campus to 29th st to possibly develop more “innovative” infrastructure. She also noted that she is trying to work with the Rail plans in the north venture. What a smart sexy woman.

Spelman wanted to point out that all the council recognized the difficulty this project has endured and thanked AB for all her work. He had concerns on parking removal. AB assured him that the removal would be minimal and pointed to the angled parking. She also noted that in the studies, at no time during the day or evening was every single parking space taken on the proposed routes. Also to note, they plan to paint the bike lanes burnt orange, which is pretty smart in gathering more support, although the color is putrid

At the end of the other members questions, Leffingwell wanted to reiterate that this plan would not cut into motorized vehicle capacity on those streets.

So that’s it for the council concerns part. Vince and I had to wait till f*ng 4 pm to hear them. I hope this helps.

Sara Deshong-Baker

RALLY for Austin bicycling at City Hall!

It begins with a ride from Caffe Medici on the Drag, i.e. Guadalupe St. Meet there at 10am, and depart at 10:15am SHARP. The ride will go down the beloved (if not “boulevard”) street of Nueces. We expect the ride to arrive at City Hall with time to spare.

The Nueces/Downtown Bicycle Boulevard briefing item is on the City Council agenda on Thursday, June 24th, at 10:30am or later: Item # 104

It is scheduled to be the second of three items between 10:30am-12noon. The best estimate is that it will start just after 11am. Keep in touch via Twitter: http://twitter.com/lobvaustin

Since this is planned to be only a briefing and not a council vote, there will be no public input (at the microphone) at this meeting. However, we still need to show our support for bicycling in Austin at the City Council Chambers. We can give public input with our presence. By showing the dedication and numbers of bicyclists at City Hall, we will remind City Council that more and better bicycling facilities must continue to come to Austin. Bring your bike pin, bike shirt, and/or other bike paraphernalia, and let’s fill the room.

AFTER the City Council briefing, we’ll head over to Halcyon Coffee Bar Lounge a few blocks away at 4th & Lavaca Sts. Halcyon is offering a special happy hour for us. Just make sure you pick up a League of Bicycling Voters sticker to identify yourself for your happy hour discounts. (Look for Vince.) No, you don’t have to drink (alcohol), but it will be an opportunity to plot, plan, share, and socialize with your fellow interested cyclists.

I would have liked to have been there, but I’m currently in Copenhagen at the Velo-City Global 2010 (bicycle conference). Indeed, here there are many bike boulevards and cycletracks, and indeed, people on bikes, as well. So too in Austin, with dedication from all of us, we will create the Austin of our dreams, the Austin of our future: an Austin full of bikes and public people.

From the City of Austin Bike Program:

Subject: Downtown Bicycle Boulevard Date Change
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2010 16:08:25 -0500
From: Barrera, Nadia

The City Council has requested that the Downtown Bicycle Boulevard Briefing be moved from this week to the June 24 Council meeting at 10:30 AM at City Hall.
Please contact Annick Beaudet (512) 974-6505 with any questions.

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

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

I attended the city’s Downtown Austin Plan Town Hall last night at the Waller Creek Center. Most of the usual Bike Blvd. opponents were there. However, nary a word was said against keeping both Rio Grande St. and Nueces St. as bike priority streets in the Downtown Austin Plan (DAP) for the Northwest District (of downtown). Perhaps the audience was too winded after finding so many other components of the plan so objectionable.

The only questioning about the bike boulevard or the bike priority streets was when one gentleman inquired about the diameter of the traffic circles planned for Rio Grande St. (as specified in City staff’s recommendation). The city’s response was that the DAP does not cover such details. The opposition has repeatedly brought up their concern that traffic circles may be so wide that they will calm traffic, which, of course, is the intent of the traffic circles when four-way stop-signs are taken out. At Nueces Bike Blvd. Steering Committee meetings, City bike program staff has made it clear that the diameter of the traffic circles will be mostly dependent on engineering concerns, not political concerns (from any side).

The Austin City Council will be voting on the Downtown Austin Plan later this month, likely on June 24th (the same date as the briefing on the Downtown Bicycle Boulevard).

Goal of maintaining auto capacity and Nueces as a car thoroughfare nixes
vision for moving new bicyclists downtown by pedal power

The League of Bicycling Voters (LOBV) said Monday that it will continue to pursue a bike boulevard on Nueces Street, despite a City of Austin staff recommendation instead calling for new traffic calming on Rio Grande and a watered down mix of bike lanes and sharrows on Nueces.

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