Image Courtesy of Bike Portland.
Tonight, the City of Austin will be holding an open house for feedback on plans for adding a bike lane on West 6th Street between Lamar and Patterson. Rob D’Amico from the League of Bicycling Voters has indicated some of the merchants in the area are trying to block the plan because 8, count ‘em, 8 parking spaces will be removed to accommodate the bike lane. On street parking will be converted to the angled back-in parking similar to that being done on Dean Keaton.
West 6th Street Bike Lane Open House
Monday, September 14
6- 7 PM
One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road, 3rd Floor Conference Room
Your voice is needed in support of this critical piece of infrastructure for the cycling community. If you can’t make it tonight, please email annick.beaudet@ci.austin.tx.us with your words of support or other comments.
Direct questions can also be directed to:
Jason Fialkoff
Jason.Fialkoff@ci.austin.tx.us
Neighborhood Connectivity Engineering Associate
Department of Public Works
City of Austin
512.974.7060
on Sep 14th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
The Old West Austin Neighborhood Association (which includes West 6th Street) was informed today of some new changes to the plan that relate mostly to parking on the street. You can check out the update on our web site at http://www.owana.org/news/2009/09/14/west-sixth-bike-lane
on Sep 15th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Hey look, bike polo lanes… wouldn’t that be something! ha
on Sep 15th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
This is my take from the meeting that I emailed to OWANA listserv:
FYI that I was at the meeting tonight. Businesses that attended included reps from Whit Hanks, Wiggys and Sweetish Hill. LOBV reps and many other cyclists were on hand to view the plans.
The main point of contention from merchants there was that the reverse angle parking would hurt business because:
1) It would create traffic problems and hazardouse situations, and it shouldn’t be piloted on a busy thoroughfare like 6th.
2) People uncomforable with it wouldn’t want to bother trying to park, and therefore wouldn’t shop there.
I think city staff and bicyclists present refuted point #1 and made some headway into explaining that it certainly wouldn’t be more dangerous and likely would be less dangerous to have reverse angle parking. And as we all know, the right lane on 6th is always coming to a screeching halt with people backing out or stopping at Z Tejas to look for spots…so I don’t think cars putting their blinker on and trying to back in will be much different…although it certainly could be a bit hard on unsuspecting motorists at first.
On point #2, the merchants noted that with things so bad economy wise right now, every little bit of lost business it too much.
City staff suggested that since the bike lanes on that segment wouldn’t go in until after construction of the new parallel parking insets and sidewalk, there’s no need to put the reverse angle parking in immediately, and it could wait until the construction starts after the holidays in January. Bicyclists were OK with this, since we can obviously wait a few months to ease any hardship on business there. COA staff noted that perhaps the city could try and educate existing customers at the shops about the forthcoming reverse angle parking…perhaps through some signage, fliers, merchant newsletters, etc.
To be fair too…I don’t think the parking count noted before is accurate. Since the existing angled spaces aren’t wide enough in some instances, the new wider reverse angle spaces would necessitate losing a few spaces for the proper width…so you’d probably lose three or so angled but gain three inset parallel.
I tried to outline a longer term vision of how bike lanes and connectivity between Downtown and West Austin/Lake Austin Boulevard would benefit the West Sixth Street businesses…but it’s hard to see that future when things are so rough right now. I personally don’t think they will lose many customers to reverse angle, though, and hopefully they’ll gain a few on bikes.
A couple of other interesting discussions:
1) COA likely will put a bike turn out/stop area at the end of the bike lane at Patterson to allow them to wait and cross the MoPac entrance ramp…likely a widened inset/sidewalk. Bicyclists will get a gap in cars when the light turns red at Campbell…letting them cross. Even if cars are turning from West Lynn or Campbell to go West, bikes still would have about a dozen seconds or so to make the jump, either to go under MoPac or cross onto the Johnson hike/bike trail entrance.
2) It may actually be feasible to continue the bike lane all the way under MoPac to Lake Austin Blvd. That work, however, likely would have to wait on resurfacing of that segment, and COA thinks that project will be delayed…so could be a year or so.