Our Shared Use Path Network

Cooler weather has returned, and it couldn’t have come soon enough. Fall is the year's best time to get outside and for National Pedestrian Safety Month, we invite you to check out the Mobility Authority’s Shared Use Path network.

A Commitment to Safety and Accessibility
It’s our mission to keep Central Texas moving, be it by car, by bus, by bike, or on foot. We’re committed to delivering sustainable, multimodal transportation options that enhance the experience for all who use our facilities. With more than 70 miles of paths in place or planned, we continue to design, construct, and implement pedestrian and cyclist-friendly facilities as part of every project whenever feasible – working to create a comprehensive regional transportation network.

Along all of our open roadways you’ll find miles of adjacent paths designed to enhance safety and accessibility for pedestrians. They also connect to local trails, helping close the gaps in our region’s alternative transportation network. For example, the 183 Trail provides connections to our 290 and 71 trails, the Southern Walnut Creek Trail, the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, and includes pedestrian bridges safely linking residents to key community resources.

Visit our website for more information and maps on our Shared Use Path system.

Enhancing the Experience
You’ll also find educational signage along both our 45SW and 183 Trails that not only provide valuable wayfinding information but offer trail users connections to the history and natural environment around them.

On the 45SW Trail, 14 interpretive signs share the rich history and natural wonders of the Hill Country and Edwards Aquifer. The 183 Trail offers signs at 12 locations along the corridor, including a pocket park at the northwestern corner of US 183 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/FM 969, which highlight historical, cultural, and environmental information about the surrounding east Austin area.

Both trails also include trailheads offering parking and various amenities including exercise equipment and bike pumps.

Augmented Reality
Have you used our mobile trail app? The Trail Explorer by CTRMA is available to download for free in the Apple Store and Google Play Store. Follow the directions in the app and use your phone’s camera to trigger augmented reality experiences from the trail signs. Users can watch local Tejano legend, Johnny Degollado perform a personal concert, witness the majesty of a towering Live Oak Tree as it grows from the ground up, and much more.

The app also offers narrated experiences in English and Spanish, closed captioning, and GPS guidance to help users navigate the trail and alert them to upcoming experiences.

On All Hallow's Eve

Did you know that Halloween is the deadliest holiday for pedestrians? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studied 42 years of data and determined that the risk of a pedestrian fatality was 43% higher on Halloween. That’s a frightening statistic. Stay alert and cautious whether you’re behind the wheel or walking through neighborhoods this Halloween.

Driver Safety Tips

Slow down. The increase in pedestrian traffic means that you should drive slower than the speed limit. Be extremely cautious when pulling onto a street or exiting the driveway.
Reduce Distractions. That text, call, song, or candy bar can wait until you get to your destination.
Use your headlights. Even if it isn’t dark, keeping your headlights on will increase your visibility to pedestrians and trick-or-treaters.

Pedestrian Safety Tips

Increase visibility. Try to trick-or-treat before it gets too dark. Add reflective tape to your costume or carry a flashlight.
Follow safety rules. Use sidewalks and crosswalks whenever they are available. If there are none, walk facing traffic, as far from moving vehicles as possible, and wait for a gap in traffic that allows plenty of time to cross safely.
Obey signs and signals. Pay attention to “Walk” and “Don’t Walk” signs and lights. and continue to cross as quickly as possible if the sign changes when you are already crossing the street.

Customer-Focused

In Texas alone, there are close to 20 entities with tolling authority. They function at the state-, regional-, and county-level. Each employ their own framework to target community needs and meet statutory requirements. They may operate their own electronic tag or rely on partnerships with existing tag service providers. Needless to say, it can be a complicated landscape for drivers to navigate. It’s our goal as an agency to make that process as seamless as possible, and it’s why the Mobility Authority invests in interoperability and innovation. We’re committed to our mission and to our customers.

It’s also the idea behind the Central United States Interoperability Partners (CUSIOP), the nation’s first centralized computer software system that facilitates the transmission and reconciliation of toll transactions. As a member of CUSIOP, the Mobility Authority is able to accept several different electronic tags across our facilities. Ultimately, it allows drivers the convenience of traveling on toll roads across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas without worrying about having to own multiple electronic tags or paying the higher, Pay By Mail rate for driving on a road operated by a different agency.

We’re continuously working to expand this effort and become interoperable with other agencies. Earlier this year, four CUSIOP agencies including the Mobility Authority achieved another first when it became interoperable with the Florida Turnpike Enterprise in the Southeastern Interoperability (SEIOP) hub – the first interoperable connection between two regional hubs. A major milestone for our industry, the Mobility Authority and participating agencies were given an International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA) Toll Excellence award at this year’s annual conference. While we want the behind-the-scenes work to be seamless for our customers, we’re proud that industry leaders recognized this major innovation breakthrough.

In addition, the Mobility Authority and ViaPlus, our toll payment processor, worked closely on the expansion of digital billing services to further improve our customer offerings. This involved a new QR code payment method, personalized secure payment portals, and a text enrollment program. This new simpler payment method, as well as our entire digital billing program, also received an IBTTA Toll Excellence award.

We’re proud of our industry-leading innovation and customer service, and we can’t wait to be a part of what’s next.

Other questions or concerns about your toll bill?
Contact us at 833-762-8655 or visit our website. We're here to help!