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La Loma Trail at the East Boggy Creek Greenbelt
August 15th – (Small Number of Volunteers)
TIME: 8:30am to 12:00pm, September 26th, 2015
MEET: Southern Walnut Creek Trail and Jain Lain, near Go Valle Park
DESCRIPTION: Community work day organized by Nadia Barrera and JJ Fleury from the Urban Trails program. We’ll will have K.A.B. tools, community members and help from the TX Blazer leadership.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: 10 - 25
September 26th, 2015 National Public Lands Day of Service (Large Number of Volunteers)
TIME: 8:30am to 12:00pm, September 26th, 2015
MEET: Southern Walnut Creek Trail and Jain Lain, near Go Valle Park
NAME: La Loma Trail at the East Boggy Creek Greenbelt
DESCRIPTION: Come help maintain an important social trail used to connect East Side Memorial High School, across Boggy Creek, and to the surrounding neighborhoods. We will be clearing brush, maintaining trail damaged areas and taking care of important vegetation that lines the trail.
Check out a documentary to learn about this dynamic trail: https://vimeo.com/123127559
If possible through donations, we would also like to place some new decomposed granite on the path and revegetate some areas with native plants, shrubs and trees.
WHO: In coordination with the Urban Trails Program of the City and the Texas Blazers.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: 50
Losojos,
That sucks. I'm sorry that happened to you. It seems as we are all so engaged in our own personal issues and forget to be human sometimes. Thanks for posting this and reminding us about human decency. I usually try and stop when I see someone on the side of the road with their bike to ask if they need help- it's just common courtesy. I hope you have a speedy recovery.
The City of Atlanta is seeking candidates to lead our bicycle planning, design, and implementation efforts as well as coordination with our bike share vendor. Apply or direct interested candidates here:
http://chc.tbe.taleo.net/chc03/ats/care … 1&rid=1815
Apply by June 12, 2015.
Darron,
Great question. The Hill Country Conservancy is working on creating a connection from the Mopac Bicycle Bridge Project to Brodie Lane.
You can find out more about the HCC's plans for the Violet Crown Trail on their website: <<hillcountryconservancy.org/land-projects/violetcrowntrail/>>
Eventually you will be able to connect to YBC Trail ("Y" to Barton Creek Trail):
http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=215632 -
Build out will probably be 5 - 7 years.
Also - the Oak Hill Parkway will have a multi-use path (wide sidewalk) that will get you to William Cannon bike lanes and/or connect to the Violet Crown Trail and eventually up and over Barton Creek when the Mopac and Loop 360 bicycle/pedestrian bridges are complete.
If you like the idea of Urban Trails (i.e. those that support recreation and transportation and accommodate those of all ages and abilities) and support more Urban Trail infrastructure, let your City Council members know.
The Urban Trail Master Plan was postponed at Council last Thurs/Friday and will go back for adoption on Sept. 25th. Save the Date!
The City’s Safe Routes to School Program is considering pursuing League of American Bicyclists, League Cycling Instructor (LCI) certification for some of their trainers.
At this time, we have 5 interested participants, but we need 8 to make the class.
Is anyone out there interested in becoming an LCI?
If so, please see additional details below and contact me directly if you have other questions. You can also read more about becoming an LCI on the League's website: http://bikeleague.org/content/become-instructor
• The course is $300 and includes 20 hours of instruction, materials for teaching, access to the LCI listserv, and access to on-line League materials.
• There is a 90 day lead time to set up the course. So, if the course makes, we will likely hold it in Nov/Dec of this year in Austin.
• LCIs are certified to lead and create group rides. LCIs who post group rides on the League’s website prior to the ride, receive the League’s individual liability insurance.
• Generally the course is held over the weekend. However, if there is interest, it could be tailored to the participants needs and occur during work hours.
Speaking from experience, the course is an intensive, 3-day event that teaches you unique ways to teach, provides great opportunities to practice teaching, and is comprehensive in helping you to understand and present the material. The materials are based on John Forrester’s philosophy of effective cycling (i.e. cyclists are safer when they act and are treated as vehicles). While today we know that most people are more comfortable riding in a separated space from other vehicles, the course teaches invaluable avoidance techniques and other skills for safely riding with traffic.
As an LCI I’ve taught over 200 people the basic Traffic Skills 101 course. It has been an overwhelming joy to watch people gain confidence and discover the joy of cycling as they safely navigate changing lanes and riding in challenging situations.
Please let me know if you are interested.
Thanks!
Nadia M. Barrera, PMP
Urban Trails Program Manager
City of Austin Public Works | Community Services Division
512.974.7142
Good morning!
The City's Safe Routes to School Program is kicking off an amazing and exciting new pilot program for Hart Elementary. Every 3rd, 4th, and 5th grader who wants to participate will win a free bicycle, helmet, and lock if they ride to school for the month of September. Help them fulfill this goal by volunteering to lead the bike train across the new North Acres Bridge to Hart Elementary.
Volunteer cyclists are needed to ride with students to or from school each day from Aug. 25—Sept. 19.
Morning rides 6:45-7:20 AM
Afternoon rides 2:45-3:20 PM
Volunteers must provide their own bicycle and attend a brief training at Hart Elementary
(8301 Furness Dr. Austin, TX 78753) on Tuesday, August 19 or Thursday, August 21 at 6:15 pm.
To sign up, call (512) 974-9319 or email chelsea.donahue /at/ austintexas.gov.
Please share widely with your cycling friends who may be interested/able to volunteer.
Thank you!!!
Nadia
Dear neighbors,
Over the next three weeks, the City’s contractor will be mowing and working on and along trail segments north of the YMCA and from Govalle Park to Jain Lane. Please note these areas are not yet open to the public and caution should be used as heavy equipment and work crews may be present. The City will notify the public when the entire Southern Walnut Creek trail is open the public.
If you know someone who would like to be added to our distribution list to receive future updates, please have them contact us. Thank you for your continued patience and please contact us with any questions or concerns.
Project contacts are:
City of Austin Project Manager
Richard Duane
(512) 974-7730
Richard.Duane /at/ austintexas.gov
Public Information
Carolyn Perez
(512) 974-7139
Carolyn.Perez /at/ austintexas.gov
Hey Scott,
So if you're on the Boardwalk and riding eastbound, or if you're on the north side of the lake that's fine too. You can cross under Pleasant Valley in the creepy little tunnel (located south of the lake) or at Lakeshore Blvd and ride up the side of Pleasant Valley until you get to Krieg Fields. Then go east into the field area. There is a trail there, just north of the parking lot. It winds around and provides access to the "secret beach." Keep going east along the trail (part gravel, part concrete). You will eventually come to this random playground and a "fire lane." Take the fire lane east keep going until you hit US 183. Go north over the Montopolis Bridge on the sidewalk and it will spit you out at the final phase of the Lance Armstrong Bikeway; which crosses over Cesar Chavez. Once you get over Cesar Chavez, you can ride along 5th Street and go right on Shady. Cross 7th Street and Airport and take Shady up to Bolm. You can either take Bolm and turn into Govalle Park and use the little trail through the park, or you can stay on Shady until it turns into Jain and take a left at the bridge.
Hope that helps.
The City of Austin Urban Trails Program, who is currently analyzing the feasibility of a portion of the Violet Crown Trail though Sunset Valley/Eastern Oak Hill Area, would like your feedback on the proposed alignment of the trail. Together with the Hill Country Conservancy and the Oak Hills Trails Association, the Urban Trails Program staff hope to receive input from cyclists, pedestrians, trail users, property and business owners and local residents to plan, design, and build a beautiful trail that will accommodate neighbors, families, and friends for many years to come.
Please attend the open house (come-and-go) on Wednesday, July 30th at the Will Hampton Library (5125 Convict Hill Road) from 5:30-8:00 PM to discuss your preferred alignment for the trail.
Find out more here: https://austintexas.gov/article/open-ho … gn-project
If there are any ladies out there that are curious about trying out criterium racing, there is a wonderful opportunity to do so NEXT week, Thursday, July 3rd, at the Driveway. The Driveway is located at 8400 Delwau Ln, Austin, TX 78725.
You can access it by using the Southern Walnut Creek Trail. The great thing about this event is that ladies can try out the course for free from 4-5. So, if you ever wanted to just try riding on a race course, this is a great opportunity to do so (no strings attached and very low risk). They are also offering discounted rates for female racers if you’d like to give racing a try. The beginner race starts at 5pm. You can learn more here: <<www.drivewayseries.com/>>
Below is the blurb about the event.
This year the ladies have been showing up in force to race the Driveway and we want to take this opportunity to recognize the sport of women's cycling and celebrate what Holland Racing has done to promote women on bikes.
So ladies, we want to see you! Come race more races than you ever have before, come race for the first time, come to cheer on your friends, or just come to show that women cyclists cannot be ignored!
We will have more primes for the ladies, champagne for First place, and a crowd prime. We're also offering ladies track time for non-racers from 4-5 and booths with experts in women's specific cycling issues and products.
AND of course there will be the usual beer, food, and music plus the added bonus of Boneshaker family night for the kids.
Thanks to SKINourishment, ladies will race for half off. Preregister on BikeReg.com with the discount code: skinourishment14.
Hope to see you there!
Beginning on July 7, 2014, North Lamar Boulevard will be reduced to one lane in each direction between 24th and 28th Streets as part of the Shoal Creek Restoration Project. The closure is expected to last four to six weeks.
The lane reduction is needed for the construction of new wastewater lines in the southbound outside lane of Lamar Boulevard. This will allow removal of old sewer pipes currently in the bed of Shoal Creek. All traffic will be diverted to the northbound lanes and there will be a single lane of travel in each direction. A 24 hour per day closure will reduce the duration of the closure, ensure safe travel during construction and protect construction workers. See this map for details. <<austintexas.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f296756e68ccdf622589570b8&id=5fb7f59f80&e=569bd5a905>>
Expect to see preliminary work in preparation for the 24 hour closure early this week.
Pedestrian and bicycle traffic will also be routed to the granite trail west of Shoal Creek during this period.
See this map for trail detours. <<austintexas.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f296756e68ccdf622589570b8&id=752237ef75&e=569bd5a905>>
Project Information:
www.austintexas.gov/ShoalCreekRestoration
ShoalCreek /at/ austintexas.gov
Christina Calvery, Public Works Project Manager, 512-974-7094
Morgan Byars, Watershed Protection Project Sponsor, 512-974-9790
Beginning Friday, August 23rd, construction will begin on a detour to the Lance Armstrong Bikeway (LAB) due to construction of the Central Library Project and the 2nd Street Bridge. The portion of the Shoal Creek Trail that connects the LAB from Cesar Chavez to 3rd Street will be closed. Bicyclists are asked to use the detour on Cesar Chavez Street and bicycle lanes on San Antonio Street while the detour is in effect.
Construction of the detour will be completed by Wednesday, August 27th and will be in place for the duration of construction of the Central Library and the 2nd Street Bridge Projects. The Central Library is scheduled to be complete in 2016.
More information here:
http://austintexas.gov/article/lance-ar … ng-detours
The Bicycle Advisory Council will meet tomorrow evening (August 20th) beginning at 6PM at City Hall in the Staff Bull Pen. The BAC is open to the public. We know better projects are built with more input. The BAC meets monthly and is a great opportunity to hear directly from the bicycle community and to work towards the creation of a better bicycling network for Austin. We hope you can attend, and/or consider following the discussion via live tweet (@COABikeProgram, #atxbac). The agenda is posted on their website: <<austintexas.gov/department/bicycle-advisory-council>>
For your convenience below are the items on the agenda and the staff person/BAC representative responsible for presenting:
Items from Staff – 6:10-7:00
• Briefing – Seal Coat Season – David Magana.
• Briefing and Possible Action - City Council Action Regarding Pedestrian Advisory Council and BAC – Leah Bojo
• Briefing and Possible Action - Enhancements Proposals – Traffic Signals for bicycles – Nathan Wilkes
• Briefing and Possible Action - Transit Priority Lanes – Alan Hughes
Items from BAC – 7:00-7:50
• Briefing and Possible Action – Guadalupe Cycletracks + MetroRapid Schedule – Nathan Wilkes + Representative from CapMetro
• Briefing and Possible Action - Zach Scott Cycletracks (Mueller) – Nathan Wilkes
• Briefing and Possible Action - South Lamar as an all-ages Facility – Eileen Nehme
• Briefing and Possible Action - Reconnecting Austin, Letter of Support – Allison Kaplan
Hope to see you there. Some of us are planning on having beers at Gourmonds after if any of you are interested.
You can also thank your Bicycle Program Designers, Neil Kopper, Nathan Wilkes, and Aleksiina Chapman. I'll be forwarding your regards to them today.
Thank you for sharing. It is always nice to hear someone appreciate the work we do.
And of course, thank you for riding your bicycle!
Nadia
Thanks for posting these Larry. I hope you don't mind, but I used one of them as the Bicycle Quote of the Day for our Facebook page ;)
...facebook.com/CityOfAustinBicycleProgram
Please see the memo below from the Directors of the Public Works and Transportation Departments:
M E M O R A N D U M
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Howard S. Lazarus, Director, Public Works Department
Robert Spillar, Director, Austin Transportation Department
DATE: February 21, 2013
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 20120426-075 – Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) MoPac Managed Lane Project (MMLP) & Possible Multi-Use Bicycle & Pedestrian Trail
CC: Marc A. Ott, Robert D. Goode, Keri Juarez, Mike Curtis, Annick Beaudet, Chad Crager
Purpose:
This memorandum provides recommendations in response to Resolution No. 20120426-075 regarding the provision of bicycle and pedestrian connectivity along the entire MoPac corridor.
Background:
MoPac is one of Austin's most important arteries, serving as a key route to downtown and points beyond. As traffic congestion has increased on MoPac, adjacent neighborhoods have become increasingly affected by cut-through traffic and noise. At the urging of local and state leaders, the CTRMA, Texas Department of Transportation, City of Austin and Capital Metro have partnered to develop proposed solutions to the mobility problem that account for the needs and concerns of drivers, transit riders and surrounding neighbors.
As part of the analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the MoPac Improvement Project, a full range of options and alternatives were studied over the course of two years.
During this time, the community was invited to review various alternatives and provide input. The public expressed a desire for improvements to accommodate bicycle transportation within the corridor. Stakeholders requested a continuous multi-use trail as well as east-west connections across MoPac. The currently proposed improvements include east-west bicycle and pedestrian improvements, as well as some north-south multi-use trail improvements. The project received its FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact) and was cleared to proceed in August 2012.
While a continuous multi-use trail is not included with the project, CTRMA and TXDOT have agreed to develop the project so as not to preclude a multi-use trail should it be pursued as a separate project in the future. As such, the Austin City Council has asked, per this resolution, that City Staff work with the Mobility Authority, TXDOT, and CAMPO to improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity along the entire corridor and to explore funding options to assure a workable north/south route along the corridor that is consistent with the City of Austin Bicycle Plan Route 434.
CTRMA has selected a design/build team to construct the CTRMA MoPac Managed Lane Project (MMLP). Design of the MMLP will take approximately 12 months. The MMLP design process will provide more detailed information and better inform alignment selection for a multiuse trail.
Next Steps:
1. The City of Austin, TXDOT, and CTRMA will develop and reach consensus on a definition of “schematic design”, and develop a cost estimate by November 30, 2013.
2. Once the schematic design costs are estimated, the three organizations will analyze options for possible appropriate shared funding agreements, which may require further action by Council in the future.
3. The selected design/build team for the MMLP should determine the feasibility of a future multi-use trail in the corridor and reasonable accommodations should be made to the design of the MMLP to not preclude a feasible multi-use trail. Said design should be reviewed by the City to determine the feasibility of a multi-use trail in the corridor. The requirement for these recommendations should be tied to any funding provided by the City of the CTRMA MMLP.
Yeah - I learned a long time ago not to read the opinions and comments on the City's projects. It just tends to get me down. I'm pretty excited about the Safe Bike/Safe Walk one though. It isn't the millions of dollars that car companies get to show their new machines, but it's a step in the right direction. One day I'd like to shoot a commercial of beautiful people on beautiful bicycles headed to a park or an event with cool music that looks just like a car commercial. Bicycle Propaganda! Anyway, the goal of this project is not only to encourage safe bicycling and walking, but to shift social norms and our culture to encourage people to bike, walk, take transit and drive safely. Ideally we would be able to come up with a message/tag line along the lines of "Don't Mess with Texas" or "Turn Around Don't Drown" that is short, easy to remember and encourages safe bicycling/walking. We are almost done with the first phase of the project, which involves two rounds of focus groups and an on-line survey. The next phase will involve us hiring a marketing group that will develop a campaign for us that will meet our goals. They will also develop a 10-year plan for getting that message out there. So, there is still a lot of work to do. Look for the campaign to launch August 2014.
Exactly! I mainly wanted to say that it is our policy to systematically restrict parking in bicycle lanes because it impedes the ability of a person on a bicycle to travel safely and comfortably.
Per the 2009 Bicycle Master Plan (action item 1.1), the goal is to remove all permitted parking in bicycle lanes by 2020. The Plan also established that the City does not build new bicycle lanes with parking permitted. There are some rare cases where parking is restricted during certain times of the day (usually commuting times), dependent upon the context of the lane. This is determined in a case-by-case analysis called the "Parking Modification Guidelines" (PMG). The PMG is a tool that includes parking surveys during multiple times a day (weekend/weekday/morning/evening/afternoon), an analysis of the traffic on the roadway, and multiple opportunities to collaborate with stakeholders. Many of you may remember the process we went through with the Cherrywood bicycle facilities - in which we worked closely with the neighborhood and the cycling community to find a solution that worked for everyone. In 2009, 53 miles of the 141 miles of bicycle lanes permitted parking. Since 2009, we have installed approximately 30 miles of bicycle lanes per year. We have also implemented our Parking Modification Guidelines for each of those lanes. Our target benchmark is to remove 5.5 miles of permitted parking in bicycle lanes per year, and thus far we are on track (or better), actually removing 6.6 miles of permitted parking in bicycle lanes per year.
I'm personally very frustrated, and have contacted walkscore. I'm not sure where they got their "bike lane" data but it is missing the majority of our bike lanes - Shoal Creek, 11th & 12th Streets, Cherrywood/Chestnut/Pleasant Valley. I mean, the east side is one of the greatest places to ride a bike because of the topography, slow traffic, and bicycle facilities - and they have it being a glaring red. Anyway, I just think their methodology is a bit off. Let's see if we can't pull up that ranking a little bit :)
I don't think that there will be an organized ride back. However, it does seem like the schedule kind of lends itself to leaving at certain times. The bicycle valet does close at 7pm.
Awesome! Thanks Savanni. We were hoping that folks could organize a ride to end there, or start from there, get their free smoothies and share their thoughts in the process. Here is the facebook event link if anyone is interested in that kind of thing...http://www.facebook.com/events/376982235694147/
Please stay tuned to the "Recent News" portion of our website: austintexas.gov/bicycle for more information on the Mopac Mobility Improvement Project. ALSO - we will be holding an Open House for the public to participate and give feedback on this project from 8am-noon on Saturday, July 14th at the northern entrance to the Roberta Crenshaw Bridge here: http://goo.gl/maps/Yl2b on the Roy and Ann Butler Trail (formerly the Town Lake Trail). There will be free smoothies for participants between 11 and noon. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly: 512.974.7142 or nadia.barrera \at\ austintexas.gov
Have you reported this to 3-1-1 yet? Please do so immediately. This is the best way to get this problem addressed.
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