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Nov. 2011: Welcome to the campaign page of our new website. Much of this content was initially developed in summer 2011, so some items may be several months out of date. (For those who remember our old website, this is an improvement.) We plan to have content up to date by the beginning of January 2012.
- MoPac Improvement Project
- Nueces Bike Boulevard
- Streets Smarts Task Force
- 1996 and 2006 All-Ages Mandatory Helmet Laws
- Mueller Redevelopment
- Pedicab Ordinance
Bike Transportation and Destination Facilities Support:
- South Congress Bike Lane
- West Campus Bikeway
- 2009 City of Austin Bike Plan
- Downtown Austin Plan
- LOBV Bike Parking Initiative
- Trails and Microconnectivity (more to come in 2012)
Public Elections Support:
- 2010 Austin Transportation Bond Election
- 2011 Travis County Bond Election
- 2011 Austin City Council Candidates Forum
Community Engagement:
- Austin Bike Summit (with other local organizations)
- Austin Bicycle Advisory Council
- Bike to Work Breakfast Stations and Happy Hour (with ACA)
- Defensive Cycling (supporting ACA)
Campaigns
MoPac Improvement Project
Project Overview
The MoPac Improvement Project is a collaboration between the City of Austin, the Texas Department of Transportation, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, and Capital Area Metro to improve the congestion on MoPac (also known as Loop 1) from Parmer Lane to Cesar Chavez.
LOBV wants to ensure that the needs of cyclists and pedestrians are taken into account as the project develops. LOBV hopes the MoPac Improvement project will incorporate the following aspects in its designs: (1) a separated bikeway along the corridor, (2) improved crossings of MoPac for cyclists, and (3) connectivity with the Lance Armstrong Bikeway (LAB) and Johnson Creek Trail. Ensuring that bicycle considerations are applied not just to neighborhood streets but to state highways will open the door for future improvements throughout the state on traditionally overlooked opportunities for bicycle infrastructure projects.
What stage is the project in?
As of May 2011, the project is still in the planning stages. There will be a public meeting in the late summer or early fall to discuss potential bicycle improvements along the corridor. We will post more details when a definitive date is set and hope to have a large turnout!
News Articles and Information
Please go here for the most updated list of MoPac Improvement Project news and articles.
Nueces Bike Boulevard
Project Overview
As part of the City’s Bicycle Plan, Nueces is listed as the site for a bike boulevard. In its Bicycle Plan, the City defines a bicycle boulevard as “a street on which bicycles have preference over cars and are designed in a way to effectively divert motorized traffic. Design elements may include, but are not limited to, diverters, reconfiguration of stop signs to favor the bike boulevard, traffic calming and shared lane markings, and crossing improvements at high traffic crossings.”
Nueces is an ideal location for this innovative bicycle project due to its relatively gentle incline, its importance as a connection between the University of Texas and downtown, and its current use by cyclists. In late 2009, the City began community-wide discussions about creating a bike boulevard on Nueces. After several business and property owners along Nueces expressed their concerns, the project focus and scope was reconsidered and many of the infrastructure elements were moved to Rio Grande St.
The LOBV gathered support from the bicycling community for a bicycle boulevard on Nueces St as designated in the Austin Bike Plan (over 2000 individuals signed a petition in support of the Nueces Bike Boulevard). The LOBV created a plan that satisfies the requirements of the Austin Bike Plan, meets all other constraints described publicly by Austin Public Works and Transportation, and is within the parameters established by key government stakeholders, such as Fire, EMS, and Travis County. The LOBV plan was endorsed by the Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC) in March 2010. However, due to political considerations, the City developed an alternative proposal (which was subsequently approved by the BAC in April 2010). While the revised plan for Nueces St. is a step forward that recognizes that street as a key route for Austin bicycling, it is not expected to function as a bike boulevard. The City’s plan does include roundabouts, sharrows, and a new bridge over Shoal Creek on Rio Grande St., so bicycling mobility will improved on that street (one block over) despite the steeper grades.
The LOBV maintains the vision for a Nueces Bike Boulevard, and will continue to engage in the discussion as the City reevaluates the Nueces plan in 2012 and the coming decade. Important considerations in that discussion will include the quantitative results and public perception of the Rio Grande St. project (3rd St. to MLK Blvd.) and interest from bicycling stakeholders on Nueces St. itself.
A note on the LOBV’s approach: The LOBV is a grassroots coalition of voices representing a broad range of bicycling interests and approaches to advance Austin bicycling. There have been and will continue to be strongly conflicting opinions and approaches within the organization (and bicycling community). While the LOBV’s approach as exemplified in the public media in Spring 2010 could have been characterized as confrontational, nevertheless our work at the time with the City, other bicycling community leaders, and even the project opposition would have been best described as considerate, patient, and eager to find common ground, albeit principled. As the LOBV continues its work on this project, we will certainly maintain our position that bicyclists of all ages and abilities be served well in this corridor, but we will build support for meeting these needs by engaging neighborhood stakeholders and educating skeptics.
What stage is the project in?
Implementation of the Rio Grande St. components have begun, and construction will continue into 2013. A timeline for Nueces. construction will be established later (perhaps in 2012), probably when the design is finalized.
News Articles and Information
Please go here for the most updated list of Nueces Bike Boulevard news and articles.
Streets Smarts Task Force (SSTF)
Project Overview
The Streets Smarts Task Force formed in 2007 in an effort to make Austin’s streets safer for cyclists. Over the course of a year, the task force met regularly to discuss current safety issues and recommendations to address them. The task force included diverse members of the cycling community to sure that a variety of voices were heard and considered.
What stage is the project in?
The SSTF has completed its recommendations to the City in 2008, which can be read here. Many of the SSTF’s recommendations were ultimately incorporated into the 2009 Austin Bike Plan.
Mandatory Helmet Laws of 1996 and 2006
Project Overview
In 1996, Austin City Council passed an all-ages mandatory helmet law, which would make it an offense for anyone to ride without a helmet. After the Austin City Council passed the law, the LOBV lobbied for its removal. As a result of pressure from the LOBV and the bicycling community, the law was changed in 1997 to require helmets only for riders under the age of 18. In 2006, another all-ages mandatory helmet law was discussed at the city level. The LOBV once again rallied the bicycling community to oppose the law. On August 24, 2006, hundreds of people attended a City Council meeting to show their opposition at a public hearing on the issue. It was the second most attended City Council meeting in Austin’s history. After seeing the bicycling community united in opposition to the proposal, the council took no further action.
Regardless of whether or not you wear a helmet as an individual cyclist, mandatory helmet laws have shown to reduce the number of cyclists on the road when implemented. Requiring the use of a helmet creates another barrier to cycling, which keeps people getting into their cars instead of onto their bikes. The more cyclists on the road, the safer it is for everyone. You can read LOBV’s position statement on the helmet law here.
What stage is the project in?
The mandatory helmet law is in effect for individuals under the age of 18, but not for adults. The 18 and over portion of the law did not pass after major opposition from bicyclists in the community. Read more about it in A Look at Our History.
News Articles and Information
News Archives on Helmet Law
15 Reasons to Oppose the Helmet Law
No Helmet Law LOBV Press Releases
Statistics Surrounding the Helmet Law
Bicycle Helmet Laws in Austin (A Personal Take by Mike Librik)
Mueller Redevelopment
As construction continues in the Mueller community, the LOBV is working to ensure all-ability bicycling access.
Pedicab Ordinance
We are working to ensure that this ordinance ensures that human-powered operators have the same access to our streets as their motorized peers.
Bike Transportation and Destination Facilities Support
South Congress
In the summer of 2011 a continuous, southbound, uphill bike lane will be striped from Riverside to Oltorf. Headed northbound there will be a combination of sharrows and bike lanes.
West Campus Bikeway
This project will feature a two-way separated bike facility in a dense urban environment from MLK to 29th St.
Austin Bike Plan
The LOBV works to establish the community, neighborhood, and business support to implement the 2009 City of Austin Bike Plan.
Downtown Austin Plan
The LOBV is working to ensure bike access for ages 8 to 80 into and within downtown.
LOBV Bike Parking Initiative
This initiative works to establish adequate bike parking at every destination in Austin. You can read more about the aims and results of this project on our Bike Parking page.
Public Elections Support
2010 Austin Transportation Bond Election
This bond provides over $40 million to improve biking and walking facilities in Austin.
2011 Travis County Bond Election
The LOBV is working to ensure that this bond funds the highest priority bike projects in Travis County.
Austin City Council Candidates Forum
This forum, held in early April 2011, ensured that bicycling was a leading local issue in the most recent City Council election (May 2011).
Community Engagement
Austin Bike Summit (with other local organizations)
For the second year in a row, the LOBV took the lead in organizing the Austin Bike Summit. This annual event reconnects the local bicycling movement and develops the advocate leaders of tomorrow. We had support from other local organizations to produce the event: Austin Cycling Association, Austin’s Yellow Bike Project, and BikeTexas
Austin Bicycle Advisory Council
The LOBV continues to be engaged with the Austin Bicycle Advisory Council to ensure that the body is kept abreast of important local issues. We also act upon their decisions in other relevant forums. Much of our technical guidance comes from the BAC, as a citizens’/community forum that advises City of Austin staff and other local agencies on bicycling issues.
Bike to Work Day Breakfast Stations and Happy Hour (with ACA)
In 2011, the LOBV sponsored six Bike to Work Day breakfast stations and hosted a happy hour event. The Austin Cycling Association has a long tradition of hosting breakfast stations all across Austin and we are grateful for the opportunity to participate.
Defensive Cycling Classes (supporting ACA)
The LOBV worked with the Austin Municipal Court and the Austin Cycling Association to establish the Defensive Cycling class option for cyclists. This option allows cyclists to attend a bike safety course instead of paying for a traffic ticket (like Defensive Driving, but for cyclists).