Posted: Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:27 PM - 11,380 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.

• Download the video

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.