Nadia Barrera from the City of Austin Bicycle/Pedestrian Program has alerted us to some upcoming open houses on designing a proposed bike boulevard on Nueces Street. If you are not familiar with the concept, bike boulevards are on-street bike routes that either prohibit car traffic or limit it to slow, local only traffic with the use of traffic calming devices like bollards, medians, one way only car traffic, and roundabouts. The goal is to create a bike way that is welcoming to bicyclists of all experience levels.

Portland Bike Boulevard. Video courtesy of StreetsFilms.

Nueces Street was identified as the best initial location for the first bike boulevard in both the Master Bicycle Plan and draft Downtown Plan. It is important that this one is designed right as its success will allow more such facilities to be installed throughout Austin.

The City of Austin wants your input on the bike boulevard design at the following open houses:

Wednesday, December 9, 6-8 PM:  Project Discussion and Public Design Exercise
Wednesday, January 13, 6-8 PM:  Project Discussion and Public Design Exercise
Wednesday, January 27, 6-8 PM:  Design Presentation and Final Commenting

All of the open houses will be at Pease Elementary School, 1106 Rio Grande St., and the first open house on December 9th is the most important as that will be where the design is created with the followup meetings refining the design.

Berkley Bike Boulevard. Video courtesy of StreetsFilms.

More on bike boulevards here and here.

Related posts:

1. Tonight the last in a series of open houses on the Nueces St Bicycle Boulevard ...
2. First bike boulevard open house highlights tensions between cyclists and Nueces Street property owners ...
3. Massive turnout by cycling community at Third Nueces Street Bike Boulevard Open House ...
4. LOBV launches petition in support of Nueces St Bike Boulevard proposal ...
5. Second Nueces Bike Boulevard scheduled for tonight at 6 PM ...