Austin gets look at '3D' map of bike boulevard
Posted: Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:27 PM - 11,691 Readers
By: Nick Schwartz
Austin received a 3D look at the proposed bike boulevard, Tuesday. The
City of Austin Web site released a video that shows how the downtown
bicycle boulevard will look upon completion.
The flythrough video features the changes on Rio Grande Street from
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to 4th Street, with medians, speed
bumps, student drop off areas, roundabouts, sidewalk enhancements and a
bridge to Lake Austin Boulevard and Shoal Creek Trail. It also shows
Nueces Street from 5th Street to MLK Boulevard, with new bike lanes,
single-side street parking and shared-lane markings.
Last year, the Austin City Council voted 6-0 to adopt a Master Bike Plan
for the city. The original plan was a way to make Nueces Street and Rio
Grande Street safer for cyclists. While some liked the plan, others,
including business owners, opposed it. They worry about the loss of
parking spots available to their customers.
The project is expected to
cost up to $670,000 according to the City. It will be funded through
bond-specific funding.
The Rio Grande Street construction could
begin late this year. The Nueces Street construction won't begin until
2012.
