Bike Boxes, coming to an Austin intersection near you!
I just got off the phone with Rob D’Amico at the League Of Bicycling Voters, and he let me know that the agenda items to request over $5 million in federal stimulus bill funding for bicycle projects passed the City Council on unanimous consent yesterday. Thank you to everyone who responded to Rob’s call to action in support of this vote.
Rob has posted a response from Annick Beaudet, the City of Austin Bicycle Coordinator, that goes into more detail on the projects that will be funded.
Bicycle Infrastructure Improvements 2.6 million:
Specific Examples of ready to go projects which implement the City Bicycle Plan:
Route 29 Barrier Removal (at Hartford and Windsor intersection improvements)
Bannister Lane Bicycle Lanes
Lakeshore Drive Bicycle lanes
Montopolis Drive Shared Use Path (connection from Lance Armstrong Bikeway into Conley-Guerrero Park)
Barton Springs Road Barrier Removal (at Mopac Corridor Shared Use path intersection, west of Stratford)
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Barrier Removal serving the TOD (Bicycle improvements at Airport and Manor and Airport and MLK)Bicycle, Shared Use Paths, Connected Trails, and Sidewalk Projects 2.5 million:
Specific Examples of ready to go projects which implement the City Bicycle Plan, City Trails Initiative, and Sidewalk Plan: Locations are being coordinated to coincide with other work (larger projects) and which implement the above plans and initiatives.
In addition to these items, the Council also approved a pilot test of bicycle sharrows and bike boxes in the coming year. This is a major step in making it clear that bikes belong in traffic and will serve as a visual cue to drivers to make room for cyclists. Last night, Rebecca Taylor with KEYE 42 covered this story with video below. Needless to say, this is a much better than the recent coverage of cyclists by Fox 7.
on Jan 16th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Given how many trucks and cars I see pull into crosswalks, even at intersections with a lot of pedestrians, I wonder how useful bike boxes will be without effective bike box and crosswalk enforcement.
on Jan 16th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
McChris.
The painted sections like the ones successfully implemented in Portland send a strong visual cue to drivers. Will it stop everyone? No, but you’d be surprised how many people will respond to these simple psychological barriers. Plus, if there is enforcement, it becomes painfully obvious if someone is in the lane.