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Austin Mobility News: May 2, 2022

Your weekly news update from the City of Austin Transportation Department
Red, yellow and blue icons of people traveling by different modes (car, bus, motorcycle, scooters, walking, wheelchair, bicycling and using mobility assistive devices) in front of icons depicting iconic Austin buildings (Frost Tower, the Capitol, etc).
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In this week's edition:
Para obtener más información en español, vea este correo electrónico en su navegador y haga clic en la esquina superior derecha para la traducción al español.

Exposition Boulevard completes transformation to a safer street

New improvements on Exposition Boulevard have created a safer route for students to walk or bike to nearby Casis Elementary School and O. Henry Middle School as well as safer access for everyone to neighborhood daycare centers, libraries, churches, stores and parks.

The work, completed in April by the Austin Public Works and Austin Transportation departments, extends from Bonnie Road to West 35th Street, completing a fully ADA-accessible route on either side of Exposition Boulevard from Lake Austin Boulevard to West 35th Street.

The project included:

  • More than 15,000 linear feet (3 miles) of new or rehabilitated sidewalks
  • Nine pedestrian crossing improvements along Exposition Boulevard, Westover Road, and Hillview Road, including the installation of seven new pedestrian crossing islands
  • Over 40 curb ramps repaired or installed
  • More than 1,000 feet of new curb and gutter
  • An intersection reconfiguration at Bridle Path and Exposition Boulevard to close a slip lane and replaced pavement with vegetation, enabling slower, safer turns and a shorter crossing
  • An 8-foot-wide shared-use path on the west side of Exposition Boulevard from Gilbert Street to Bonnie Road

The project, which began construction in June 2021, cost approximately $2 million and was jointly funded by voter-approved 2016 and 2018 Mobility Bonds. Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter also dedicated District 10 Quarter Cent funding for safety and mobility improvements for students walking and biking in the area.

You can find photos and videos of the Exposition Boulevard project here.

CapMetro presents two Blue Line Bridge options over Lady Bird Lake

The Blue Line Bridge over Lady Bird Lake is designed to take light rail passengers from South Austin to downtown, crossing Lady Bird Lake near Riverside Drive as part of the proposed 8.2-mile Blue Line that will span from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to Republic Square. 

One question that emerged from community feedback on the bridge was whether it would carry buses in addition to light rail cars, pedestrians and bicyclists. Project Connect staff held a virtual design workshop April 26 to show community members images of what each option could look like and discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of each option. You can watch the video of that meeting here. 
 

Upcoming meetings:

Orange Line – North Lamar Transit Center to Tech Ridge Transit Center: Monday, May 2, 5:30 pm, virtual meeting

The Orange Line project is a 20-mile light rail transit corridor that would travel along Lamar Boulevard and Congress Avenue from the Tech Ridge Park & Ride at Howard Lane south to Slaughter Lane. This workshop will focus on the area that includes the Tech Ridge Transit Center and North Lamar Transit Center. Register for the virtual meeting, which will be held via Zoom.


Combined Maintenance Facility: Tuesday, May 10, 5:30 p.m., virtual meeting

The Combined Maintenance Facility will be needed to service electric trains on Project Connect's proposed Blue and Orange Lines, which make up a 28.2-mile light rail transit plan that would operate throughout Austin. While the location of the facility is still to be determined, this meeting will focus on the facility's function. 

For more information on future meetings, please visit Project Connect's Get Involved section.

Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative to kick off design phase

Congress Avenue is the Main Street of Texas, a cultural, historic and commercial spine of Downtown Austin where people gather, celebrate and create a bright future. The City of Austin and the Downtown Austin Alliance have partnered on a transformative urban design to reimagine Congress Avenue from Riverside Drive to the Texas Capitol.
 
After the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative went through a community feedback and visioning phase from 2017 to 2019, voters approved funding to advance the project into design and implementation as part of $102 million dedicated to major capital improvements in the 2020 Austin Mobility Bond.
 
This summer, the project is moving forward from the visioning phase into design. The project team will brief some of Austin’s Boards and Commissions on the final Vision Plan and next steps this summer. Initial concept designs are expected to be ready for community feedback in early 2023.
 
Learn more at AustinTexas.gov/CongressAvenue

Mobility Authority sets speed limits on toll roads 

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority Board of Directors voted Monday to set speed limits of 75 miles per hour on the 183 Toll and 70 mph on the 45SW toll.

Both highways opened recently—SH 45SW in 2019 and the 183 Toll in 2021. The Mobility Authority conducted a speed study on both streets that concluded in March 2022 to determine the 85th percentile speed, or the speed at which 85% of drivers will travel at or below. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the 85th percentile speed is determined by performing speed checks on average weekdays during off-peak hours to ensure the free-flowing speed of traffic. 

According to the Mobility Authority, the 85th percentile speed for the 183 Toll was 72 mph northbound and 75 mph southbound, and for 45SW, the 85h percentile speed was 70 mph northbound and 68 mph southbound. Prior to the Mobility Authority setting speed limits, the highways operated under the default set by the Texas Transportation Code, which is 70 mph.

Construction begins on East Yager Lane improvement project 

Crews started working in April on a project to reshape East Yager Lane a more walkable street while improving safety for all users. 

The project, led by Austin Public Works' Sidewalk program, will improve East Yager Lane between Natures Bend and Jourdan Crossing Boulevard.

The upgrades include:

  • A new 8-10 foot shared-use path on the south side of East Yager Lane
  • Crossing improvements–including ADA ramps, curb extensions, and crossing islands–at five intersections
  • New sidewalk connections between existing sidewalk gaps along the project limits
  • A new protected bike lane on the north side of East Yager Lane
The $2.8 million project is funded by the 2016 and 2020 Austin Mobility Bonds as well as sidewalk fee-in-lieu funding. 

For more information, including a map of the project area, see the news release here.

Calendar Corner: May 3 – 9, 2022

Urban Transportation Commission

The Urban Transportation Commission makes recommendations to City Council on transportation-related matters, including energy-efficient transportation, transit service, active transportation options, taxicab franchises and provisions to best serve those with mobility impairments.


Bike & Roll to School Day

The 11th annual National Bike & Roll to School Day is this Wednesday, May 4, 2022. More than 24 Austin area schools have events planned. The event encourages children to be more active and can be a great way to experience recent improvements to create safer routes to school.


CAMPO Transportation Policy Board

The 22-member Transportation Policy Board is the governing body for the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) and is made up of 20 elected officials and a representative from TxDOT and one from Capital Metro. The Board makes decisions on CAMPO policy and decides how CAMPO funding is allocated.



 

About Austin Transportation

The City of Austin Transportation Department works to provide a safe, efficient, innovative, cost-effective and sustainable transportation system that connects roadways, bikeways, walkways and transit systems in order to bring improved access and mobility to our community. We are taking proactive steps to engage and educate the community, which is why you received this news update. Visit AustinTexas.gov/Transportation.
Austin Transportation and Public Works Department
P.O. Box 1088
Austin, Texas 78767

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