Mopac Mobility Improvements

NadiaB · 2011-10-14 14:51:25

Thanks for the question Tom. We are super excited to have been one of the Proposition 12 projects chosen for funding. The approved funding covers one phase of a three phase project that seeks to improve connectivity and access for bikes/peds within the Loop 360/Mopac interchange, and to provide connectivity over Barton Creek.

Prop. 12 funding is slated for congestion relief. Since the southbound shoulder will be converted to a travel lane (carrying approximately 2,000 cars an hour), a bicycle and pedestrian facility must be built to accommodate non-motorized traffic. We know that (especially on the weekends) hundreds of cyclists use this corridor to travel southbound.

The other two phases includes improving the connection over Loop 360 on the east side of Mopac (Phase I). Phase I is currently still under consideration by the CAMPO Board. The Board hopes to meet at the end of this month and make a decision before next year. Phase III connects bikes and peds on the west side of Mopac over Loop 360.

The bridge over Barton Creek at Mopac is nearing the end of its preliminary design phase. The next phase of design should take about a year to complete. We hope to begin construction in mid-2013 and to be complete by mid-2014.

If you have any additional questions about the project, please feel free to contact me.

Nadia M. Barrera
Bicycle/Pedestrian Project Coordinator
Neighborhood Connectivity Division
Public Works Department
City of Austin
512.974.7142
nadia.barrera \at\ austintexas.gov

Join us for Green City Fest on Sunday, October 23rd. Learn to make a rain garden, take a bike or gowalla tour of green projects in the heart of Austin, win an electric bike, play in the kid's corner, enjoy live music, and more!

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-----Original Message-----

I saw that CAMPO approved $4.9 million to converting the southbound
shoulder of MoPac at Barton Creek into another lane and building a
bike bridge adjacent to it. Does anyone know what the timeline is for
this? http://bit.ly/noTXIi

Tom Linehan
********

dougmc · 2011-10-14 15:41:33

Whoa ... northbound is the (current) scary direction, as the shoulder is a few inches at most for most of the span. But this is somewhat alleviated by being about a 3% down grade so speeds of 35 mph are pretty easy to attain on a bicycle and so it's over in about a minute with minimal effects on traffic.

Are you saying that the plan now is to do away with the remaining shoulder southbound? What is the timing on this? Is it contingent upon the bicycle and pedestrian facility being completed, or will it happen earlier? (it's just a matter of changing some paint, right?)

If it happens sooner ... that's a huge problem. Cyclists don't generally like to use this bridge, but with no alternatives that aren't several miles out of the way we do so anyways. Northbound we have to take the lane, but the hill gets us close to car speeds and it's over quickly. Southbound currently has an adequate shoulder, but without that, it will become impassible -- as rather than going 35 mph and it taking a minute, we'll be going 8 mph uphill and it'll take four minutes.

NadiaB · 2011-10-17 14:35:22

Doug,
Not sure if you know this, but of the 13 or so staff that work for the Neighborhood Connectivity Division, over half of us regularly commute by bicycle, two of us don't own cars, and three of us competitively race bicycles in our free time. That being said, we are intimately familiar with the bridge over Barton Creek at Mopac both as users and because this project has been in the works for over a decade (since the northbound shoulder was converted into a travel lane).

The reason that this project qualified for Prop 12 congestion relief funding is because the southbound shoulder will be converted into a vehicle travel lane once the bicycle and pedestrian bridge has been constructed.

We are thrilled that TXDOT has been so supportive of this non-motorized project. This funding requires no match (unprecedented). TXDOT is aware of the high usage of this bridge by cyclists. TTI conducted a study 5 or so years ago after the northbound shoulder was converted that showed 200 cyclists using the southbound shoulder and only a couple using the northbound travel lane. (Duh! Who wants to ride with 65+mph traffic?)

You are right - this change is just a matter of changing paint, and if it weren't for the work of dedicated cyclists (LOBV and Bike Texas and even the USDOT - LaHood's policy of requiring that all new projects MUST incorporate all modes) we may not have been able to adequately relay the importance of this existing facility and the need to maintain access for bikes/peds.

owlman · 2011-12-16 14:11:35

I read in the city newsletter that CAMPO approved funding for the bike bridge... is this an additional $2mil, or a portion of the $4.9mil set aside specifically for the bike bridge?

Federal grant portions for City of Austin-sponsored projects, passed on Monday, December 12, 2011, are:
$1.2 million for North Lamar sidewalks
$480,000 for N. Braker Lane design and engineering
$2.7 million for Sabine St. pedestrian space
$1.5 million for the Bike Share/Bike safety program
$4 million for Urban Rail engineering studies
$2 million for Phase 1 of the MoPac bicycle & pedestrian bridge

tomwald · 2011-12-16 23:05:42

owlman wrote:

I read in the city newsletter that CAMPO approved funding for the bike bridge... is this an additional $2mil, or a portion of the $4.9mil set aside specifically for the bike bridge?
...
$2 million for Phase 1 of the MoPac bicycle & pedestrian bridge

That $2MM is additional. It is for a bridge and path along MoPac over Loop 360. (This was project BP10.) It will provide connectivity to the north of the MoPac bridge over Barton Creek.

The MoPac bridge over Barton Creek was funded $4.9MM in October 2011 through another funding source, Prop. 12 funding. (This was project P130.)

You can view the CAMPO briefs on these two projects here:
http://www.lobv.org/wp-content/uploads/ … 0-BP10.pdf

owlman · 2011-12-17 10:03:41

Thanks for the clarification. I also noticed that Phase I path/bridge in TxDOT's 360 expansion proposal a few weeks ago. Nice to see it's already funded!

MichaelBluejay · 2012-03-09 11:01:21

Statesman article on new bike bridges linking up SW Austin:

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/bik … 24012.html

savanni · 2012-03-14 11:09:31

MichaelBluejay wrote:

Statesman article on new bike bridges linking up SW Austin:
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/bik … 24012.html

Those three bridges, including the one from Gaines Ranch Road across the greenbelt, are pretty much my holy grail and would cut my daily commute from 11 miles each way to 7 or 8 miles each way. If I want to go north (which I do almost every day), I bike from Mopac and William Cannon all the way over to Manchaca and 290. By way of the neighborhoods. *then* I cross north and I use a reciprocal path to get home again.

So, this project, though it is two or three years from completion and there's no guarantee that my commute won't radically change in that time, thrills me.

owlman · 2012-06-22 15:01:11

Are there any new maps, renderings, pretty pictures, planning documents, websites, schedules, updates, (long enough list? :)) etc for this project?

NadiaB · 2012-06-25 09:27:45

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

savanni · 2012-06-25 10:11:07

Oooo, awesome, Nadia! I'm totally going to attend! I'll also try rounding up some additional people so more know what's going on!

NadiaB · 2012-06-26 10:34:57

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/

savanni · 2013-02-26 10:16:37

NadiaB, can you give an update on this? Is it still on schedule to begin construction this year?

Also, could you remind me what the design for the actual path would be? I seem to remember (from the day of this meeting last year) that it is a greenbelt/offroad trail. Not necessarily suitable for my bike, but if it's only something like a mile and would put me back on the northbound Mopac access road right after the Mopac/360 intersection, then I would happily take the route and just walk my bike every morning and evening.

I'm curious because I'm starting to work on buying land, and this bridge, if it goes in on schedule, could affect where I look.

NadiaB · 2013-03-01 15:07:36

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.

AusTexMurf · 2013-03-03 00:44:12

Considering plans for the entire Mopac corridor ? Excellent.
Thanks for the update, Nadia.

MichaelBluejay · 2015-08-29 14:11:38

Discussion continues here.

Bicycle Austin forum

#1 2011-10-14 14:51:25

Mopac Mobility Improvements

#2 2011-10-14 15:41:33

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#3 2011-10-17 14:35:22

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#4 2011-12-16 14:11:35

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#5 2011-12-16 23:05:42

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#6 2011-12-17 10:03:41

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#7 2012-03-09 11:01:21

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#8 2012-03-14 11:09:31

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#9 2012-06-22 15:01:11

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#10 2012-06-25 09:27:45

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#11 2012-06-25 10:11:07

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#12 2012-06-26 10:34:57

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#13 2013-02-26 10:16:37

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#14 2013-03-01 15:07:36

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#15 2013-03-03 00:44:12

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

#16 2015-08-29 14:11:38

Re: Mopac Mobility Improvements

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