After a contentious first public meeting on the conversion of Nueces Street downtown into a bicycle boulevard, the League of Bicycling Voters got together in mid-December to hammer out a cycling community proposal for this project. Much of the objections from property owners stems from uncertainty of the physical and economic impact this traffic calming would have on business and property values. In December, we addressed the economic impact of traffic calming, which has been overwhelmingly positive. It was hoped that by creating a draft design for consideration, the LOBV could help property owners see what this would actually look like and ensure what we get truly operates as a space for pedestrians and cyclists of all skill levels.
This draft is now available online at the LOBV site.
I participated in the December LOBV planning session, and here’s a quick review of the proposed boulevard in parts. The idea behind the bike boulevard is a to convert a street to allow smooth flowing bike traffic and use traffic calming to restrict car traffic to local only (i.e., eliminate cut-through traffic.)
Part 1: 3rd Street to 6th Street
This beginning of the bike boulevard from the south connects with the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, a major east-west bikeway. Because of the need for prison bus access from 4th street to the rear of the new Federal Courthouse, traffic calming in the first section of Nueces is limited to a large roundabout at 4th Street eliminating the current 4-way stop. Note that the roundabout was not in the original tool box of traffic calming proposed by the city staff due to concerns about response time from the Austin Fire Department. After followup from an LOBV member, the AFD conceded that their data on roundabouts and response time was inaccurate leading them to believe this tool could be put back on the table. At 5th and 6th Street, traffic diverters are installed coming south off of 5th and north off of 6th. These diverters prevent car traffic from proceeding onto the bike boulevard while allowing bikes to continue. They allow car traffic to exit the boulevard onto these busy streets. Diverters are recommended coming off of busy streets to prevent cut- through traffic.
Part 2: 6th Street to 11th Street
With the major cut-through traffic on 5th and 6th Streets eliminated, new traffic calming does not occur until 9th Street with a roundabout. Pinch points were discussed but since Travis County Sheriff’s prison buses need to access the rear of the county courthouse on this stretch of Nueces, the roundabout appeared to be the only traffic calming that would be compatible with these vehicles. Note that from here to MLK, all north-south stop signs have been eliminated allowing bicycles to traverse Nueces with limited stopping. Raise crosswalks at grade with the sidewalks are installed across the east-west stops of each intersection further providing traffic calming and giving pedestrians priority.
Part 3: 11th to 15th Street
North of the County Courthouse, we are free to put a pinch point just north of 11th Street acting as traffic calming coming off of the busier 12th Street. Pinch points reduce car traffic to a single lane while allowing bikes to bypass the pinch point on either side. At 12th, no left turn except for bike signs are added in addition to a north bound traffic diverter further reducing cut-through traffic. At 13th Street, a roundabout is added to replace the 4-way stop currently needed due to limited visibility. At 15th Street, the treatment of 12th street is repeated except with a median instead of pinch point on Nueces just north of 14th.
Part 4: 15th Street to MLK
A northbound traffic diverter at 15th Street prevents traffic from entering off the busy 15th Street. Raised sidewalks a the east-west stops resume again. Due to the fire station at MLK and Nueces, a diverter is not allowed coming southbound off of MLK. To calm this traffic, a roundabout at 18th Street is added. To further designate Nueces as a bike priority street, a full or half archway is proposed over Nueces at MLK.
The LOBV encourages all cyclists to get involved by attending the remaining two public meetings on the Nueces Bike Boulevard (Jan 13 and 27 at 6 PM at Pease Elementary, 1106 Rio Grande St) and by contacting the Austin City Council in support of the LOBV draft plan.
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 11:04 am
I thought Nueces ran north/south. Why do all these maps show it going east/west?
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 11:07 am
Looks good. However, in Part 1, the map needs to show Nueces extending south to Cesar Chavez and 2d Street extending west to West Avenue as proposed in the plans for redevelopment of the Green Water Treatment Plant site.
Thanks for taking the initiative on this.
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Well done. I’d like to see more diverters on a true bicycle boulevard, but this is a good start.
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 11:38 am
confused,
Nueces does run north-south, but this was the format LOBV chose to show the plan. I think it is easier to see the specific traffic calming this way than the more conventional north/top of page-south/bottom of page format.
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 11:40 am
M1EK,
Thanks. We all wanted more diverters as well, but AFD has given an effective veto on the southbound ones. We focused on using diverters off the busiest streets and other traffic calming throughout the rest.
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Great Job! I was just riding Nueces on Sunday heading back from REI & Whole Foods. I saw a mother and her young son riding home with groceries as well. Here’s hoping our bike blvd will generate more of that.
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
And another note, we’ll have a full “report” in text version with the map included soon…hopefully today!
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
My guess is that the businesses, and particularly the courthouse and fire department will put a damper on any plans to upgrade Nueces. Did the LOBV also make a similar map for Rio Grande?
While Rio Grande is a tad more difficult to ride, it’s not prohibitively so, and I think the current uses (more residential/small business) make it a slightly better option. That way we could also throw in some more traffic calming measures, because as of now between MLK and 6th, we actually made it easier for cars to travel (at least southbound). Putting the bike boulevard on Rio Grande, you have to go up 20 ft more of hills, but we could truly protect the bikes, and with a little bike bridge into Shoal Creek, you could easily hook up with the Lance Armstrong Bikeway. Plus it’s a prettier ride.
Nueces is nice, but I really think Rio Grande will be the best compromise for all parties…just my 2 cogs.
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Otis,
The courthouse and fire departments have already been involved in this process by providing input on what traffic calming they could live with on the street. LOBV is supporting the decision of the Bicycle Advisory Council to push for Nueces over Rio Grande. It is already used by many cyclists and provides the best terrain for the most novice cyclist, the type of user that this must be built for. That is why it was adopted as part of the Master Bicycle Plan passed this last year.
If Rio Grande is considered, that opens a whole new process including involving those owners and amending the Master Bicycle Plan with a City Council vote. I think its best to move forward and see if Nueces can be made into a fully functioning bike boulevard before resetting a lengthy process my moving to Rio Grande.
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
RT @austinon2wheels: LOBV releases proposal for Nueces Bike Boulevard: http://tinyurl.com/yzgvqak
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
After thinking about this for a while, there’s a bit of a problem here, and again it’s from the Shoal Creek scenario. Basically, LOBV has led here with a compromise (from the ideal, with bollards or diverters affecting both directions of car travel) – which is then likely to be compromised further. Similar idea to how the bike/ped program APPEARED to lead with the 1-side-only parking plan on SCB (we all know this was a compromise ahead of time – but it looked like the opening position to the ‘neighbors’).
I almost think it would have been better to develop this plan but keep it under wraps, and instead lead with the opening position of “here’s what it looks like BEFORE we compromise with the fire department”.
on Jan 6th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Believe me I’m well aware of the problems with entering with a compromise, which is why we also were so upset that COA did the same on Exposition (e.g. time blocks for parking).
That said, I think we all really understood the problems AFD could face without southbound access for a good stretch of Nueces. However, I’m still not convinced that there isn’t a way to do a southbound diversion that still wouldn’t accommodate AFD. Maybe we just haven’t found the creative solution yet. Also, realize that having “any” traffic calming is undesirable to public safety. So our extensive use of it seems to me to be nowhere near entering with a compromise. And I’m not of the mindset to give up anything right now without a good reason, which seem to be in short supply on the opposition’s side right now.
As for leading with a plan…I didn’t hear anyone objecting to that. Shoal Creek? I think it’s different now, as has been noted here before, but then again I’m crazy enough to not mind another brouhaha like Shoal Creek. It certainly would be a yardstick to see where we’re at.
on Jan 6th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I was at the first meeting and it looks like a lot of adjustments/planning went on since then, which is great. My concern is that SO MUCH time in the Dec. meeting was taken over by “property owners/drivers” complaining about this & that, etc. and very little time was available to actually work on the project and get input from bicycle riders such as myself. Hopefully the next meeting won’t be so dominated by those “The sky is falling!”, closed minded bodies inside gas guzzling steel and glass boxes!
on Jan 13th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
This is exciting!
What are the options once you hit MLK if you need to go further North, like say up near the Hancock Center. I dont get up there much, so I’m not sure whats available these days.
on Jan 13th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
M,
This plan is the first part of a potential network of bike boulevards. The 3rd to MLK segment is a first chunk to try and to tweak the concept in Austin. If it’s successful here, it could be extended and repeated elsewhere in the city. Please come out tonight to the open house at 6 PM if you can to learn more and support the Nueces Street Bike Blvd.