The Austin Cycling Association lobbies for car-free bike lanes
back to Shoal Creek Blvd. issue home
Here
at BicycleAustin we've been critical of the
ACA
for having its rep initially lobby against car-free
bike lanes on Shoal Creek Blvd. But, credit where do,
after that mistake, the ACA has reversed its position and
has actually been quite diligent in holding the City's feet
to the fire on getting cars out of the bike lanes. Below are
emails about the ACA's advocacy on this issue.
On Feb 25, 2006, at 9:31 PM, Scott Korcz wrote:
ACTION ALERT: Shoal Creek Boulevard Last Chance!The Thursday, March 2 [2006] Austin City Council meeting will be the cycling community's last chance to inform City Council about our position regarding the re-striping of Shoal Creek Boulevard. At this meeting, City Council will decide what to do about Shoal Creek Boulevard.
Action Requested:
Contact Mayor Will Wynn and all of the Austin City Council members to let them know that you support the Austin Cycling Association's Executive Committee's recommendation for car-free bike lanes on both sides and parking on the east side of Shoal Creek Boulevard. More info on this recommendation is on the ACA website at:
http://www.austincycling.org/issues.htmlMost importantly, we need cyclists in the Allandale and Rosedale neighborhoods to contact Mayor Will Wynn and all of the Austin City Council members.
Please contact Mayor Will Wynn and all of the Austin City Council members by 5:00pm on Wednesday, March 1.
How to contact Mayor Will Wynn and all of the Austin City Council members:
1. Send an email to the following addresses:
brewster.mccracken(at)ci.austin.tx.us
will.wynn(at)ci.austin.tx.us
danny.thomas(at)ci.austin.tx.us
jennifer.kim(at)ci.austin.tx.us
betty.dunkerley(at)ci.austin.tx.us
raul.alvarez(at)ci.austin.tx.us
lee.leffingwell(at)ci.austin.tx.us2. Call Mayor Will Wynn and all of the Austin City Council members:
Mayor Will Wynn - (512) 974-2250
Mayor Pro Tem Danny Thomas - (512) 974-2266
Council Member Raul Alvarez - (512) 974-2264
Council Member Betty Dunkerley - (512) 974-2258
Council Member Jennifer Kim - (512) 974-2255
Council Member Lee Leffingwell - (512) 974-2260
Council Member Brewster McCracken &endash; (512) 974-22563. Attend the Thursday, March 2 Austin City Council meeting at the following time and location:
10:00 AM ON THURSDAY, MARCH 02, 2006, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF CITY HALL, 301 WEST 2ND STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS.
Background info:
On Feb. 13, 2006, the Land Use & Transportation Subcommittee of City Council voted to recommend that the curb islands be removed from Shoal Creek Boulevard and that no other re-stripting actions be taken. This means that Councilmembers Betty Dunkerley, Lee Leffingwell, and Brewster McCracken did NOT recommend car-free bike lanes on Shoal Creek Boulevard.
On Oct. 24, 2005, the City of Austin sent ballots to stakeholders to vote on options for re-striping Shoal Creek Boulevard. The purpose of the ballot was to communicate stakeholder preferences to City Council. Stakeholders are identified as property owners, renters and businesses of the Allandale and Rosedale neighborhoods as well as members of the Austin Cycling Association Austin Ridge Riders. More info on the ballot and the voting results at:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/publicworks/shoalcreek/On Oct. 15, 2005, Public Works hosted a meeting at Murchison Middle School designed to identify stakeholder interests and re-striping options for the boulevard. Stakeholders of the Allandale and Rosedale neighborhoods and the cycling community were invited.
On Sept. 29, 2005, after voting unanimously to remove the curb islands on Shoal Creek Boulevard, the Austin City Council directed staff to gather stakeholder input about how to re-stripe the roadway.
March 2 Austin City Council meeting agenda info:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/agenda/2006/council_030206.htmThe Shoal Creek Boulevard Agenda item is #21 and is noted below:
21. Approve a striping plan for Shoal Creek Boulevard between 38th Street and Foster Lane. (Funding in the amount of $72,000 is available in the Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Approved Operating Budget of the Public Works Department for the installation of the appropriate warning signs and to remove the curb islands.) (July 5, 2000 - Urban Transportation Commission; September 18, 2000 - Urban Transportation Commission; August 19, 2002 - Urban Transportation Commission; July 18, 2005 - Urban Transportation Commission; February 13, 2006 - Land Use and Transportation Subcommittee.)
On March 7, 2006, at 9:31 PM, Scott Korcz wrote:
Honorable Mayor Wynn and Councilmembers,On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Austin Cycling Association, I'm writing to let you know that we are very disappointed in Council's 5 to 2 vote to remove the Shoal Creek Boulevard curb islands without changing the striping on the roadway.
We appreciate the leadership of Mayor Wynn and the support of Councilmember Alvarez. However, we will inform and remind the ACA's 1500 members and the larger cycling community that we view the decision by the remaining Councilmembers to delay re-striping as a mistake that is not in the best interests of cyclists nor other stakeholders.
We don't understand why the majority of Council voted against the objective and professional recommendation of City Staff, against national bicycle safety standards, and against the opinion of the cycling community. We feel that testing alternatives on other streets is a decision that puts cyclists at increased risk on Shoal Creek Boulevard.
If Council is determined to test alternative striping on other streets, the ACA can assist in this process. In order to further inform the cycling community, we respectfully ask Council to respond to the following questions:
- Who will manage the testing project?- By what timeline will the testing will take place?
- What criteria will be used to identify the test locations?
- What measurement and evaluation process will be used to determine the success or failure of a test?
- Who will determine if a successful test result can be applied to Shoal Creek Boulevard?
- Will there be additional public input on test results to be apIn addition, we request that Council keep the cycling community informed of the progress with the testing so that we are reassured that Council will in fact address the issues for all stakeholders.
Sincerely,
Scott Korcz
President, Austin Cycling Association
www.austincycling.org
From: Strong, Julie
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 1:28 PM
To:Scott Korcz
Cc: Leffingwell, Lee; Dunkerley, Betty; McCracken,
Brewster
Subject: Status of Shoal Creek Boulevard test pilots, on
behalf of LUTS via Sondra Creighton
Dear Mr. Korcz:Thank you for your interest and questions about the proposed Northwest Austin road pilots. I am responding on behalf of the Land Use and Transportation Subcommittee.
The Public Works Department has identified two suitable streets, with cross-sections, from a list suggested by the Land Use and Transportation Subcommittee as appropriate for the pilots. We are now preparing an implementation plan for three pilots (two on one street) to present to the next Land Use and Transportation Subcommittee, currently scheduled for Monday, May 8, 2006.
Your questions, and the answers:
· Who will manage the testing project?
The project will be managed by the Transportation Division of the Public Works Department.
· By what timeline will the testing will take place?
Staff will suggest a 90-day test period for each pilot during the fall 2006, if a majority (60%) of ballots received from a prior neighborhood vote favors implementation.
· What criteria will be used to identify the test locations?
The streets to be considered for the test locations were selected by the Land Use and Transportation Subcommittee.
· What measurement and evaluation process will be used to determine the success or failure of a test?
In addition to speed and volume data to be collected before and after the testing period, staff also will monitor interactions between motor vehicles and parked vehicles/pedestrians/bicyclists during the pilots to evaluate safety.
· Who will determine if a successful test result can be applied to Shoal Creek Boulevard?
The Land Use and Transportation Subcommittee and City Council will make the decision on whether or not a successful pilot layout can be applied to Shoal Creek Boulevard.
· Will there be additional public input on test results to be applied to Shoal Creek Boulevard?
No decision has been made at this time regarding public input for implementing any test results on Shoal Creek Boulevard.
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please call me (974-7175) or Peter Marsh, an engineer with the Transportation Division at (974-7021), or email peter.marsh(at)ci.austin.tx.us.
Sondra Creighton, P.E., Director
Public Works Department
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