The City of Austin has talked about adding a pedestrian bridge over the greenbelt, but so far that hasn't happened.  There's sidewalks now on the Mopac frotnage road most of the way between Wm Cannon and Barton Springs going north -- not ideal for biking, but acceptable if you don't like taking the lane.  Going South there's fewer sidewalks and more places where you have to take the lane.  It's sort of a chicken-egg problem, as most cyclists are scared off by Mopac over the greenbelt, so there's few cyclists to show the need for this bridge and further bicycle improvements north and south of it, but I do think that if the bridge was added they'd see a lot more traffic, which would help pave the way for other improvements.

Ran into this again, fourteen years later.

* Seven years later, the city built that pedestrian bridge.  Two of them, in fact -- over the greenbelt and 360.  And they are great.
* And in addition to to that, they're more recently improved the VC trail South of here, added sidewalks on 290 out towards the Y, etc.
* Still a lot to do, however.

Jack wrote:

Perhaps we will find a great deal of useful information on what routes riders find comfortable to and from well-off neighborhoods and good job sites and maybe that trickles down to other riders as well.

I agree, just looking at the strava data there is a bias to a higher volume of information on the more affluent areas of the city but that doesn't mean the data for less affluent areas doesn't exist or is not useful.  So even if the guy hauling janitorial supplies doesn't' have an iphone there appears to be enough people who do riding the same route in the same areas to generate useful data.  Smart phone usage is at 72% in the US (source: pewglobal.com) so by default this doesn't include just the affluent part of society no matter if you use mean or median income as a ruler.

D

  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a … via%3Dihub 
On that point about possible bias: Journal of Transportation and Health for Dec. 2019 has an article by
Garber Watkins and Kramer on "Comparing bicyclists who use smartphone apps to record rides with those who do not: Implications for representativeness and selection bias"
noting reasons to think there would be a bias in the data gleaned from apps and suggesting ways to correct for the bias.

Whenever the percentage goes up a tiny amount, various outlets trumpet it as big news, but the percentage is so tiny to begin with, after any increase it's still tiny.  E.g., if we *doubled* Austin's bike commuting rate, we'd be at a piddling 2.4%.  It reminds me of the famous quote by Curly of The Three Stooges:  "Two times nothin' is nothin'!"

Percentage of workers who bike to work

              Austin   U.S.
      ----------------------
      2017     1.2     0.5
      2016     1.5     0.6
      2015     1.3     0.6
      2014     1.3     0.6
      2013     1.4     0.6
      2012     1.6     0.6
      2011     1.9     0.6
      2010     1.0     0.5
      2009     1.0     0.6
      2008     1.3     0.5
      2007     0.9     0.5
      2006     0.9     0.5
      2005     1.3     0.4

You can see the drop from 2012-13 when I stopped biking.

Source: American Community Survey (project of U.S. Census)

Cities doing way better than Austin

Cities with the biggest gains in bike commuting

         
Source: People for Bikes

Once you get to McNeil, head south on CR 172.  It is not the funnest place to ride, but at least it is four lanes.

Option 1: Stay on CR 172 until it crosses over 1325 and turns into Quickhill and then turn left on Grand Avenue.  Go east on Grand Avenue for .28 miles and turn right (south) onto Cadoz Drive.  Turn left on Shoreline Drive to hook back up to Bratton.   From there, follow the instructions I posted before - but in reverse.

Option 2:

Get off CR 172 at 1/2 mile turning east on Hesters Crossing, then Sundance Parkway, then La Frontera.  If you go this way you will want to turn east on the 45 feeder to Parker Drive and then turn right (south).  Don't try and ride on 1325.  From Parker Drive 1/3 mile to Jarret way which turns into Michael Angelo Way.  Next, head south on Bratton for another 1/3 mile.  Keep going straight at the new road "Pearson'.  This will intersect Grand Avenue (new section).  Turn south on Crissom, left (east) on Sauls, and you are back at Bratton without getting killed on the 'deadmans curves'.   Take Bratton South.    From there, follow the instructions I posted before - but in reverse.

If you don't already use it, check out mapmyride.com.  I have found that the satellite images here are more up to date than on google maps. Also it lets you measure routes. 

If you can do it, I recommend leaving before rush hour traffic.  I leave from Parmer / Mopac at 0545 and get to La Frontera / Hesters Crossing in about 30 minutes and probably only cross paths with about 10 cars the whole way.  The worst part is the last mile on CR 172, but even that isn't too bad usually, but stay off 1325.  I have tried riding 1325 and the stress just isn't worth it to me.  The speeds are easily 60+mph and there is no shoulder. The traffic tends to platoon, so even if the front driver changes lanes to pass you the guy behind him wont see you until the last second.

Also, check out Cap Metro route 50 and 52 in Round Rock and Redline train at Howard for multi-mode options.

This may help a bit too, maupertius:  https://austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/web … 9%2C102739 (City of Austin bicycle route map)

Thanks, this is very useful and should help me getting out of town safely!

Jack wrote:

update:  just before the end of the year, the bridge has a temporary fix installed.  Two railroad cars fitted into the gap for a one-lane bridge.  Probably would be slippery with dew on it, but it's a good fix for now.

update to update:  bridge is down again--looks like a new bridge is being built.

Update part III:  the new bridge recently has been completed and that route to San Marcos is clear again.

Sharing a lane with freeway speed traffic should always be the lowest category in my opinion.

Absolutely!

Doesn't it feel awkward when you have to state the obvious?

Not sure how the comfort level of the roads is determined and made standard across the city.   It seems this is pretty subjective.  What I may find uncomfortable you might think is just fine.  Also, the time of day makes a difference.  Does anyone know how all of that gets ironed out?   I don't care that the map matches MY comfort level as much as it is consistent across the city.

When they changed comfort levels in 2013 I got this chart from the city explaining the new levels: http://i.imgur.com/Y8VVXR7.png.  No idea if they're still using the same criteria.

My very first day, going down Speedway, another student yelled at me, "YOU'RE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD!"

And maybe you are alive today because someone taught you what to do.  Don't give up on this fight.

Don

South 5th St seems to be a well traveled route south of the river.  The the popular route seems to be Barton Skyway>Garden Villa>Banister Ln>Redd St>Pack Saddle Pass>Either Westgate or Brodie>Slaughter

Darron