Place in Single Stream Curbside or Drop off at Ecology Action

Chris Riley on Bicycles

Bikes offer solutions to all kinds of urban problems. As a fun, low-impact, aerobic exercise, biking offers significant health benefits. And as a form of transportation, biking offers an affordable, environmentally friendly way to get around. Bikes can ease other pressures too, especially in the central city: everyone on a bike represents one less car on the road, and one more parking space freed up for non-cyclists. For all these reasons, cities around the world are aggressively promoting bicycle use. Here in the U.S., Portland, Chicago, New York, San Diego, and other cities have made great strides in their bicycle infrastructure in recent years.

In Austin, we’ve made some progress, but we have a long way to go. Bikes now account for an estimated 1.73 percent of journeys to work in the urban core – well short of the modest goal in our bicycle plan, which called for bikes to account for 4 percent of trips by 2008. We need to take the bicycle plan seriously, and make our streets are safe for all who use them. As a longtime transportation cyclist, I’ll work to ensure that cycling is a safe, viable option for anyone who wants to be on two wheels. Here are a few of the specific actions I’d take:

  • Update our bicycle plan, and set a realistic timeline for implementation. The current bicycle plan dates from 1996-98, and implementation is only about one-third complete. We need a renewed, workable plan, and we need to make sure our city bicycle-pedestrian program has the resources to complete projects that are already funded.
  • Create signature facilities. We need clearly marked bicycle routes that will provide safe, attractive options for all levels of cyclists. For example, the east-west Lance Armstrong Bikeway needs to be completed, and it needs to be as impressive as its namesake. We also need a bicycle boulevard along Nueces, providing a safe north-south connection from the lake to West Campus and beyond.
  • Update the bike map. The city has an online bicycle map showing existing routes, but it’s only available as a stand-alone document. Just as a driver can use GoogleMaps or MapQuest to chart a route, or a bus rider can use CapMetro’s trip planner, any cyclist should be able to easily find a route that suits their own needs.
  • Follow though on Street Smarts. A year ago, the Council-appointed Street Smarts Task Force made wide-ranging recommendations aimed at improving conditions for cycling in Austin. We need to make sure those recommendations get implemented.
  • Implement shared lane markings. A number of other cities, including Fort Worth, are using new markings, known as sharrows, to indicate where cyclists should be expected. We’ve just started the process for using sharrows here, and we need to speed that process along by adopting sharrows as a tool and implementing them where they make sense.
  • Improve our trails. We have a great network of trails, potentially offering great opportunities for active transportation–but virtually all of them need work. For example, on the south shore of Lady Bird Lake, we need to extend the existing trail along the lake and build a boardwalk where necessary to close the existing 1.2 mile gap in the trail. The Country Club Creek Trail needs to be extended from Guerrero Colorado River Park to Mabel Davis Park, and the Blunn Creek Trail needs a workable connection to the lake. We also need to fix the gap on the Shoal Creek Trail below 5th Street, a vital connection between a major commuter route and the Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail.
  • Rails with Trails. We need to make use of right-of-way along the new commuter rail line for a trail, as promised when the line was approved.
  • More bike racks. We need to promote and install more bike racks, including racks designed by local artists.
  • Safe Routes to Schools. We need to work with community partners, including the Texas Bicycle Coalition, parents, and teachers, to promote safe, healthy options for students and their families.
  • Highlight mobility issues. As a Council Member, I’ll bring attention to problem spots for all kinds of transportation by focusing on “Mobility Issues of the Month.” And I’ll make sure problems get addressed.
  • Coordinate with other jurisdictions. I’ll reach out to state, county, and local officials in the area to foster a regional vision for safe cycling routes.
  • Promote citizen involvement. Cyclists of all types are eager and ready to help make Austin more bike-friendly. We need to maintain a strong Bicycle Advisory Council, as well as strong bicyclist representation on the Urban Transportation Commission, to ensure that cyclists have a voice in decisions that will affect them.