Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Lamar Blvd. & Burnet Rd. to get bike lanes?!

It's in the planning stages.

https://communityimpact.com/austin/nort … net-lamar/

RedFalcon

Member

Registered: 2013-10-10

Posts: 233

Re: Lamar Blvd. & Burnet Rd. to get bike lanes?!

There were two public meetings a few weeks ago about this, one for North Lamar, and the other for Burnett.  Ironically, I missed the Lamar meeting because I had to replace the alternator on my girlfriends car.  I emailed the program manager Annie Van Zant to ask about giving input and she was very helpful.   She said that at the meetings they had people put blue dots along the routes where improvements were most needed.  Each person was limited to five dots. This way the most serious spots could be identified. 

I emailed in my list of 5 blue dot locations for each road, but honestly, there aren't enough blue dots in the world to cover what is wrong with North Lamar.  Years ago, when they had parent taught driver's ed, I taught my kids to drive.   I used North Lamar as the Final Exam.  After months of practice they had to safely navigate that awful road, during rush hour, from Parmer to 183.  If they could do that, they could go get their licences. 

When I emailed the planners with my virtual blue dots I also included some general points.  Here are some about cycling in particular:

• Do not fall into the trap of inducing demand by just making it easier to drive this route!

• Increasing traffic flow speeds and helping pedestrians/cyclists are mutually exclusive goals.  We really have to move away from single occupancy vehicles as our primary mode of transport.  This will be hard to sell to lazy Americans, but it is time to grow up as a city and change how we get around.

• Lower the speed limit along Burnet and Lamar

• Bike lane plans need to be reviewed by actual transportation cyclists, not just COA staff who don’t even ride, much less rely on bike lanes.

• Bike lanes need to include sharrow markings at intersections and not just become so separated that cyclists are put in more danger at
intersections because they have to yield to car traffic.   This is a problem on the LAB (really just a sidewalk on steroids).

One thing I read is that there is now funding from various sources and that careful planning needs to happen to make the most of all of it.  It would be a waste to lay down a sidewalk one day paying for it from one source, and then tear it up to move it to satisfy another plan.

I'm just thrilled that anyone remembers that Austin extends north of US 183!