Your Path to Austin | Open House

Capture Short Trips by Bicycle

Walking Bicycling Transit + Walking Transit + Biking Driving

Best for < .5 mile Best for trips along transit routes.

(within 1/2 mile of route)

Best for trips < 3 miles Best for longer trips not served by transit

Best for trips within 2 miles of transit routes.

DRAFT Analysis Shows, Of the 160k passenger vehicle trips that enter the “Ring of CongesAon” each day: • 36% of these trips are less than 3 miles • Conver0ng 15% of trips 0-‐3 to miles and 7% of trips 3-‐9 miles, would reduce trips to the CBD by 7.5%.

Assuming safe walking, bicycling, and quality transit:

2 miles

¼ to ½ mile

By Bicycle

On Foot

Bicycles expand the transit catchment area by 16 *mes, significantly increasing opportuniQes for transit ridership.

Mode Choice by Trip Length Where are the Short Trips located?

Bicycling + Transit = Larger Network, BeWer Mobility

Reduce CongesQon

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

15% of trips 0-‐3 mi.

AusQn’s Bicycle Mode Share Targets

7% of trips 3-‐9 mi.

The Transit Shed

Short Trips are concentrated in the Central City

Trip Length

Mod

e Share

Network Policies and Design

4 Design Principles to Create and All Ages and AbiliQes Network:

DESIGN CYCLIST: • The 8-‐80 rule is used to design bicycle faciliQes for an All Ages and All AbiliQes Network:

An 8 year old traveling with an 80 year old should be able to traverse the city comfortably and safely.

DESIGN SPEED • The network design speed will be accommodate commuter cyclists. • Typical speeds will be 10-‐15 MPH

DESIGN BICYCLE • Designs will accommodate tandems, trail-‐a-‐bikes, trailers and cargo bikes.

NETWORK DENSITY • Space routes every ½ -‐ ¾ mile where short trips are most common (in the central city and near transit staQons) with increased spacing further away from these areas. • Ensure access to residences, businesses, and employment while providing the largest return on infrastructure investment.

1. SAFETY • Unsafe condiQons are the largest barrier prevenQng people from bicycling. • Physical separaQon, speed reducQon, and intersecQon improvements are tools that will be used to improve safety.

Network Design Parameters: Bicycle design should take into account the cyclist’s point of view.

Cycle Tracks Quiet Streets IntersecQon Treatments Urban Trails All Ages and AbiliQes

Network

On-‐Street Off-‐Street Complete Network

3. COHESION • The bicycle network will be cohesive with complete routes that are intuiQve and easily recognizable. • Wayfinding, intersecQon markings, coloring and other treatments will be used to provide guidance to cyclists.

4. COMFORT & ATTRACTIVENESS • Bicycle trips will be pleasant journeys separated from the stress of traffic. • Users will be able to ride side by side and enjoy conversaQon. • The user experience will be comfortable with reduced traffic interacQons, delay, and flow interrupQons. • Design will focus on smoothness and comprehensibility.

2. DIRECTNESS • Direct routes with good access to desQnaQons will be prioriQzed for safe bicycling faciliQes. • Green signal waves Qmed to bicycle speeds and traffic controls that reduce the number of full stops for cyclists will be used to reduce Qme delay.

On-‐Street FaciliQes: Cycle Tracks A Cycle Track is an on-‐street bicycle facility with physical

separaQon from vehicle traffic and pedestrians.

Physical separaQon from motor traffic is created by raised medians, on-‐street

parking, bollards, or planters.

Cycle Tracks offer a higher level of

personal comfort than bike lanes and are aWracQve to a wider spectrum of the

public.

Cycle Tracks may be one-‐way or two-‐way and may be at street level, at sidewalk level, or at an

intermediate level.

Conflict areas are addressed with appropriate tools to provide safe and clear guidance to all users. Tools include visual cues such as changes in surface type, coloring,

or markings.

A smooth asphalt surface is ideal; concrete with

smooth joints is acceptable

On-‐Street Facility SelecQon

City of AusQn Planning Guidance for On-‐Street Bicycle FaciliQes •  Motor vehicle speed and volume are the main factors affecQng cyclist safety and level of comfort.

•  At higher speeds and volumes physical separaQon is necessary for the majority of people to feel comfortable enough to ride.

•  In addiQon to speed and volume criteria, special consideraQon will be given to: •  On-‐street parking pressures •  Delivery acQvity •  Network context

Effect of Speed on Comfort and Safety

Effect of Traffic Volume on Comfort and Safety

•  Motor vehicle speed has a significant effect on the severity of crashes for vulnerable road users.

•  High motor vehicle speeds result in reduced user comfort through increased stress levels and a nosier environment.

•  Physical protec*on is required on higher speed streets to maintain a safe and comfortable environment.

3,000 – 10,000 vehicles per day Oak Springs – 8,000 vpd

Wide Bicycle Lane

Under 3,000 vehicles per day 46th Street – 2000 vpd

Shared Lane

10,000+ vehicles per day Barton Springs, 25,000 vpd

Cycle Track

10,000+ vehicles per day South Lamar, 36,000 vpd Narrow Bicycle Lane

A vehicle every 18 seconds in peak hour

A vehicle every 5 seconds in peak hour

A vehicle every 1 second in peak hour

A vehicle every 1.4 seconds in peak hour

•  The frequency of motor vehicle interacQons increases risk and decreases comfort of cyclists. •  See examples of different street volumes below:

On-‐Street FaciliQes: Cycle Track Types of SeparaQon

Bicycle Lane with Painted Buffer

SeparaQon Via Bollards SeparaQon Via Barrier Humps

SeparaQon Via Concrete Median SeparaQon Via Parked Cars

TradiQonal Bicycle Lane

On-‐Street FaciliQes: Quiet Streets

On-‐Street FaciliQes: IntersecQon Treatments

Target Speed and Volume: •  25 mph or less (20 mph preferred)

•  1,500 vehicles per day preferred; up to 3,000 vehicles per day in limited areas.

Target Loca*ons: •  Residen*al streets where traffic calming is desired.

•  Commercial corridors where heavy motor vehicle traffic is less desired.

Quiet Streets are traffic calmed corridors that provide a comfortable environment for all ages and abiliQes.

Route guidance is provided through pavement markings and signage.

Provide the opportunity for green streets elements such as tree planQngs and rain gardens. Motor vehicle speed and

volumes are managed to achieve safety and comfort for all ages or abiliQes.

INTERSECTION TREATMENTS help users comfortably cross major

streets on key routes.

IntersecQon Treatments Include:

•  Crossing signs and markings

•  Median refuge islands and curb

extensions.

•  Crossing devices including actuated

warning beacons and signals. Widths accommodate trailers and cargo bikes

Median refuges make tricky crossings a simple

two step process

Actuated warning beacons and signals make the toughest

crossings a breeze

Crossing Qmes should account for all ages.

CreaQng a Network: Factors to Consider

•  Availability of corridor (within public ROW, parkland, easements, etc.), •  Improves connec*vity, addresses barriers or gaps in the network, •  Ease of implementaQon / construcQon, •  Minimal to no impact to environmental features (creeks, trees, etc.), •  Cost, •  Ci*zen input and support, and •  Ability to capture short trips (short trips to desQnaQons or transit staQons).

Cost & ImplementaQon

Factors for PrioriQzaQon:

Urban Trails On-‐Street Facili*es The ul*mate protected

environment Providing safe access to local

des*na*ons

Cost $1.5 -‐ $2 million per mile* $50 -‐ $500 thousand per mile*

*For comparison: construcQon of a 6-‐ lane freeway costs approximately $51 million per mile and a 4-‐lane arterial roadway costs approximately

$22 million per mile. (Source: CAMPO 2035 Plan)

Timeline 3-‐8 years per project

6 months -‐ 2 years per project

Implementa*on Considera*ons

New construcQon UQlizes exisQng streets, Widening potenQally required

Property/easement acquisiQon ROW is owned

Environmental assessment required Minor environmental assessment required

Heavy engineering Minor engineering required

Lengthy construcQon Short construcQon duraQon

CreaQng A Network On-‐street bicycle faciliQes and off-‐street Urban Trails work together to complete an all ages and abiliQes acQve transportaQon network which will provide access to local desQnaQons.

Cycle Tracks Quiet Streets IntersecQon Treatments Urban Trails All Ages and AbiliQes

Network

On-‐Street Off-‐Street Complete Network

Long-‐Term RecommendaQons

The on-‐ and off-‐street recommended improvements will be classified as long-‐ and short-‐term recommendaQons.

•  The collecQon of all recommendaQons in this plan form a set of long-‐term

recommendaQons.

•  The expected build-‐out of the long-‐term recommendaQons will likely take many

decades; opportuniQes depend on funding, redevelopment, and other factors.

Short-‐Term RecommendaQons

•  Short-‐term recommendaQons together create an all ages and abiliQes network

that could be built within a target 5-‐year period.

•  Short-‐term recommendaQons provide the highest return on investment by

targeQng the capture of short trips in two opportunity areas:

•  Short trips concentrated in the Central City, and

•  Short trips feeding high capacity transit sta*ons outside of the Central City.

Click to view North enlarged map (pdf)

Click to view South enlarged map (pdf)

PotenQal Short Term Network Central City

Click to view enlarged map (pdf)

PotenQal Short Term Network Transit Focus Areas

Click to view enlarged map (pdf)

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For more informaQon about the Bike and Urban Trails Plan, visit: www.ausQntexas.gov/yourpath

Your Path to Austin | Open House

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