2021 ASMP Street Network Amendments - Round 2

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Published Monday, February 28, 2022

The Austin Strategic Mobility Plan is Austin’s comprehensive, multimodal transportation plan. It was first adopted in 2019, and it is now undergoing its first round of amendments. The ASMP Street Network identifies the amount of space needed to build our streets so they support our ASMP mobility goals.

This Storymap Presentation builds on the  first 2021 ASMP Street Network Storymap Presentation released in November 2021,  which asked for feedback on the first draft of the proposed amendments. From November 15, 2021, to January 30, 2022, staff received over 1,700 comments on the proposed amendments to the Street Network. Austin Transportation Department (ATD) staff has reviewed those comments and incorporated some changes into the updated draft of the proposed amendments shown in this Storymap Presentation. ATD staff will present this revised draft to City Boards and Commissions, including the Council Mobility Committee and the ASMP Team will continue to take feedback from the community throughout March. After the presentations, staff will compile feedback from the Boards and Commissions and the community. A final draft of the proposed Street Network amendments will then be presented to City Council.

If you are interested, please follow the links to each specific website to learn more about speaking at the following meetings:

•  Urban Transportation Commission :  Tuesday, March 1, 5 pm
•  Pedestrian Advisory Council : Monday, March 7, 6 pm
•  Planning Commission : Tuesday, March 8, 6 pm
•  Council Mobility Committee : Thursday, March 10, 1 pm
•  Bicycle Advisory Council : [CANCELED]
•  Zoning and Platting Commission : Tuesday, April 5, 6 pm
•  Comprehensive Plan Joint Committee : Thursday, April 28, 12 pm
•  Planning Commission : Tuesday, May 10, 6 pm

This Storymap Presentation will discuss the different proposed changes to the Street Network based on feedback so far. If you would like to view a pdf version of this presentation, please follow this  link to download and print a pdf version .

At the end of the presentation please use our feedback form to share your thoughts on the updated draft of the proposed amendments. The feedback form will be open until March 31. If you have any questions, or if you are having difficulty using the engagement materials provided, please email ASMP@AustinTexas.gov .

The Land Development Code requires right of way (ROW) dedication from new development and commercial redevelopment from properties along the ASMP Street Network. The Street Network shows Austin's vision for improvements over the next 20+ years and the amount of right of way needed to accommodate these future roadway conditions as parts of the city continue to change. The Street Network also reflects all the multimodal systems that make up our roadways, like bicycles and transit. The Street Levels and right of way requirements reflect the general, ideal cross-sections from the Transportation Criteria Manual. In cases where Engineering Plans exist, the ASMP reflects the more specific requirements, which may deviate from the Transportation Criteria Manual.

The Street Network Map in this presentation has been updated to include all of the fields from the adopted map in addition to the updated proposed amendments. The fields in the adopted Street Network include more descriptive text of the future conditions for each street, like the recommended type of bicycle facility. It also includes a ROW Remarks field to further explain how the Required ROW to accommodate those future conditions may be evaluated. In the updated Street Network Map you will see the updated amendments in the Proposed Street Level, Proposed Future Cross Section, and Proposed Required ROW fields. There is also a Proposed ROW Remarks field and a more detailed explanation of the proposed change.

We hope this additional information will help you understand exactly what the proposed changes are and what the future condition of the Street Network intends to be. 

The following section explains the changes made to the proposed Street Network amendments. The updated Street Network reflects comments received during the initial round of public engagement and further evaluation. 

The changes in the first round of engagement were proposed to correct Level 1 and Level 2 street classifications to align the bicycle facility recommendations in the  2014 Bicycle Plan  with updated standards and cross sections from the new  Transportation Criteria Manual (TCM) .  Read more about this in our FAQ section below.

The majority of comments received in round one, from both our feedback map and via emails, indicated concerns about some streets in established neighborhoods being reclassified from a Level 1 Street to a Level 2 Street. 

Many neighborhoods expressed concerns that this Street Level designation meant the City would take private property to widen the street to build a bicycle lane. However, the City of Austin will not acquire right of way in established neighborhoods to build bicycle facilities or add parking. If there are future improvements to roadways in established neighborhoods they would be made within the existing pavement without acquiring additional right of way. Additionally, single-family home properties are not required to dedicate right of way when going through the building permit process. Changes to the right of way would not occur unless new development or commercial redevelopment is approved (commercial redevelopment includes all development that is not single-family home development).

Since right of way within established neighborhoods will not be acquired and single-family home properties not subject to dedication, the updated draft proposes maintaining what was adopted in 2019 for those areas. Since the reclassification to a Level 2 street was based on the recommendation in the 2014 Bicycle Plan, these changes can be put on hold while the City updates the Bicycle Plan through the concurrent  ATX Walk Bike Roll  process. The ATX Walk Bike Roll process will produce a new Bicycle Plan, and it is expected to be complete in 2023. Specific changes to the recommended bicycle facility should be made through the ATX Walk Bike Roll process. For example, if you would prefer a  Neighborhood Bikeway  instead of a bicycle lane, the change must be made through ATX Walk Bike Roll, and the ASMP will reflect this change upon the new Bicycle Plan's adoption.

Most Level 1 Streets that were previously suggested to change to Level 2 are now proposed to remain Level 1. Streets with existing bicycle facilities are still proposed to realign to the appropriate street level. Additionally, streets in areas that may experience new or intensive redevelopment have been identified. The proposed amendments have been carried forward to preserve the ability to acquire right of way through dedication if private land development occurs. These street segments may serve as gateways into and out of the neighborhood. They would require new development to dedicate space and incorporate the street design requirements in the TCM to provide safe travel options to all road users on the street. The City does not have plans to acquire right of way from single-family homes. Right of way dedication is not required from single-family homes, so the right of way shown in the Street Network would only be dedicated if  new development or commercial redevelopment occurs. Read more about this in our FAQ section.

In the Street Network Map below you can turn on and off a layer that shows the Level 1 and Level 2 Streets that were initially proposed to be reclassified, but will now remain at their original street level.

Some roadways were previously proposed to be removed from the Street Network in round one. For various reasons, these roadways were identified to no longer be in the ASMP. They may have been determined as being infeasible, do not have community support, or have other specific considerations for why they are being removed from the ASMP. Based on public comments and additional evaluation of the Street Network, more roadways are under consideration to be removed. In the Street Network Map below you can turn on and off a layer that shows these additional Removed Roadways.

Additional changes have been made to the proposed amendments to the Street Network based on feedback received in round one and continued evaluation of the Street Network. These changes include the Street Level, Future Cross Section, and Required ROW of several streets. In the Street Network Map below, you can turn on and off a layer showing these changes from the suggested amendments offered in the first round to the proposed amendments in this second round.

Explore the updated Street Network Map by zooming into areas of interest and clicking on the street to learn more. You can turn layers on and off by clicking on the layers box (the icon that looks like several boxes on top of one another) on the right side of the map. Click the eye icon to turn a layer on or off.

The adopted Transit Priority Network included Capital Metro's high-frequency service and planned expansions identified in Connections 2025 (aka Cap Remap) and Project Connect. The first round was updated to reflect the adopted Project Connect routes developed since the ASMP's adoption. 

Additional evaluation of the Transit Priority Network was done with Capital Metro to revise which transit service routes were eligible to be included in the Transit Priority Network. The map below consists of the updated draft of the proposed Transit Priority Network and the overall Public Transportation System.

Explore the updated Public Transportation System Map by zooming into areas of interest and clicking on the route to learn more. You can turn layers on and off by clicking on the layers box (the icon that looks like several boxes on top of one another) on the right side of the map. Click the eye icon to turn a layer on or off.

The Street Network reflects inputs from various City documents and planned projects. The Street Levels and Future Cross Sections were first adopted in 2019 using the latest resources at that time. This amendment cycle ensures that the Street Network aligns with the relevant documents and planned projects. For example, Project Connect and several Mobility Bond corridors have completed more detailed engineering plans since the ASMP was adopted. The City's Transportation Criteria Manual (TCM) was also updated in 2021. The proposed amendments reflect these more specific engineering plans and align with the updated requirements in the TCM.   

One of the most common types of Street Level reclassifications in the initial changes proposed to the Street Network released in November 2021 was the reclassification between Level 1 and Level 2 streets. This change was proposed to align the 2014 Bicycle Plan recommendations with the new TCM cross-sections. Streets that were identified to have a separate bicycle lane were classified as Level 2 Streets because that is the lowest level street with a separate bicycle lane. Streets without a separate bicycle lane are considered Level 1 Streets. See the graphic below for more information on these decisions; you can read more about them and see the different street cross-sections in our  first ASMP Storymap Presentation .

After receiving feedback in round one we have removed many proposals to reclassify a Level 1 Street to a Level 2 Street or vice versa. These reclassifications used recommendations from the 2014 Bicycle Plan, but this plan is currently being updated. The ATX Walk Bike Roll process will produce a new Bicycle Plan, expected to be complete in 2023. Corrections for planned bicycle facilities made through the ATX Walk Bike Roll process will be reflected into the ASMP after the Bicycle Plan's adoption. 

The ASMP Street Network is a plan to identify the necessary right of way to accommodate the ideal future conditions of a street. The Street Network includes right of way widths for the ideal future conditions to require dedication of right of way at the time of new, higher-intensity residential development or commercial development. Single-family home properties are not required to dedicate right of way when going through the building permit process. If your property redevelops at a greater use and intensity along a street with a required right of way greater than the right of way that exists today, right of way dedication would be required but is subject to rough proportionality per the Land Development Code. This determination would be made through the land development process, and requirements would be based on the new development's impact on the transportation network. 

Some roadways in the Street Network reflect active Capital Infrastructure Projects, which are large-scale projects, such as corridor redevelopments or Project Connect. The Street Network is  used as a reference  as projects go through the Project Development Process for implementation. Some of these improvements may include expanded right of way. These projects undergo their own public process where property owners would be notified of any potential taking of property. Through this process the project will determine the necessary amount of right of way needed, if any, to implement the project and serve the multimodal needs of the street.

Many streets will never have right of way changes but will still have multimodal improvements implemented in the future. For these operational improvements, the City of Austin will not acquire property from single-family homes to implement the improvements identified in the ASMP, even if the Street Network shows an expanded right of way. There are many established neighborhoods where the ASMP proposes a wider right of way than what exists now, but any improvements on these streets will be designed within the existing right of way. These projects would use flexible design criteria in the updated TCM to "retrofit" the project within the existing pavement. When there is not enough space to allow for a compact design, staff will prioritize the street elements based on context to allow the improvement to fit within the constrained space.

Right of way, abbreviated as ROW, is the public property upon which our public facilities sit. Right of way not only includes the curb to curb street bed, but also includes the space for other public amenities, such as sidewalks, street trees, or utilities. It stretches from one property line to another.

The "project development process" is the planning and engineering process for a specific project; it occurs separately from and after the ASMP. The ASMP is a bird’s-eye view for planning across all of Austin. Every project that moves forward moves through its own "project development process." This is an intensive analysis of all factors that relate to a project (e.g., what is the topography, is there a school nearby and, if so, what ages does it serve, is there property that cannot be acquired within the project boundaries, like a cemetery, etc.). The "project development process" creates specific design options based on context. If, for example, the ASMP identified a street as needing to acquire ROW to build a Level 2 Street, but additional ROW could not be acquired (due to the existence of a house or cemetery, for example), the "project development process" would identify how to design around that obstacle. The TCM helps guide these decisions by identifying ways to prioritize or select certain design elements when a street must be designed in constrained conditions.

The  City of Austin's Transportation Criteria Manual (TCM)  defines the design requirements for transportation infrastructure. The design requirements outlined in the TCM offer standards and criteria for planning, design and coordination of applicable facilities within the Full Purpose Limits of the City of Austin (City) and its Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), if adopted by the applicable jurisdiction, including Travis County and Williamson County. defines the design requirements for transportation infrastructure.  

The criteria presented in the TCM provide a foundation or starting point for engineering design decisions. It is the intent of the TCM to be used by City staff and private sector street design professionals in applying a consistent approach to street design, particularly for new streets and right of way planning. The TCM is also intended to provide guidance for street design in constrained right of way with flexible design criteria to fit existing situations that make the preferred design unobtainable. In the redesign of existing streets, additional engineering design work and public engagement may result in design features outside of the scope of the TCM. Highly constrained scenarios may vary from minimums or maximums presented in the TCM with approval of the applicable director or their designee. In addition, City Capital Improvement Projects, Corridor Construction Program Standards, or Project Connect Design Criteria may supersede the requirements of the TCM to align with highly localized contextual design, subject to final approval by the City Traffic Engineer or applicable Director. Further, engineered design will be required along Project Connect transit corridors as defined in the Project Connect Design Criteria, which may supersede the criteria of the TCM, subject to final approval by the City Traffic Engineer or applicable Director. Within any of these contexts, the TCM applies a consistent and predictable approach to street design.   

The standards contained in the TCM are based largely upon the standards, guidelines, and policies set forth by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials , National Association of City Transportation Officials, and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. The criteria presented in the TCM are intended to meet the long-term goals of advancing transportation mode choice through investment and prioritization of non-automobile modes of travel, implementing measures to limit transportation demand, and increased safety for all users of the transportation network.  

The design criteria established in the TCM affect the review and approval of subdivision plats, zoning change applications, right of way dedications, site plans, preliminary plans, final development plans, and capital improvement plans within the Full Purpose Limits of the City of Austin. To achieve consistency between design practices, the manual applies to all projects that impact the public right of way along all City streets. 

The Street Network is a requirement of the Land Development Code to identify the amount of right of way new development must dedicate if a property is being redeveloped. Not all properties that redevelop are required to dedicate right of way. Only properties that develop into higher-intensity uses (for example, a single-family home turning into an office tower would be a property turning into a higher-intensity use) are required to dedicate right of way. Right of way dedication only applies to properties going through the zoning, subdivision, or site planning process, so someone rebuilding their own home or constructing an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), for example, would not have their property subject to right of way dedication.

The ASMP and Street Network criteria, such as the Street Level reclassification and Transit Priority Network, do not change zoning. All zoning permissions and changes are regulated by the Land Development Code and approved zoning. The suggested changes to a Level 2 Street were identified to account for the recommended bicycle facility in the 2014 Bicycle Plan if new development and commercial redevelopment occurs. The Street Network itself is not a driver for land use changes. Additionally, while the Transit Priority Network is associated with policies in the ASMP document, the addition or removal of streets in the Transit Priority Network does not change current zoning regulations.

The  ATX Walk Bike Roll  process is currently updating the 2014 Bicycle Plan, which is presently our City's official, adopted Bicycle Plan. This process is also updating our Sidewalk and Urban Trail plans, and ATX Walk Bike Roll will produce three separate plans. For the Bicycle Plan, this planning process will identify the type and location of bicycle facilities across our community. Please participate in this process if you are interested in a specific bicycle facility on a particular street.

The generalized classification of a roadway describes the number of lanes, if a segment is divided or undivided, and if a facility is one-way. Special designations are given for highways (-H), rural county roads (-N), one-way streets (O), and future Non-Curbed and Guttered Streets (-S). Possible Entries are: 2U, 3U, 2D, 4U, 5U, 4D, 6D, 7U, 1O, 2O, 3O, 4O where the number represents the number of lanes on the road (any of these designations can include “-OP” for on-street parking).

2U         2 travel lanes, undivided 3U         2 travel lanes with a center turn lane 2D 2 travel lanes, with a raised median 4U         4 travel lanes, undivided 5U         4 travel lanes with a center turn lane 4D         4 travel lanes with a raised median 6U 6 travel lanes, undivided 6D         6 travel lanes with a raised median   1O         1 travel lane, one-way 2O         2 travel lanes, one-way 3O         3 travel lanes, one-way 4O         4 travel lanes, one-way One-way streets (O) can include transit-only lanes in the number of travel lanes, e.g. 4O = 4 travel lanes (3 general purpose lanes + 1 transit-only lane)

For more information on these configurations, please consult the  Transportation Criteria Manual .

Now that you've reviewed our updated Storymap Presentation, please consider providing us feedback via our feedback form below. This form is an opportunity to comment on the updated draft of the proposed amendments and respond to the efforts taken by the ASMP Team to address feedback collected from October 2021 to February 2022. This form will be open thru March 31, 2022.    

If you are viewing this on a mobile device, please tap the form icon below to open the form.

If you have any questions or comments about the ASMP, this amendment process, or if you are having difficulty using the engagement materials provided, please email  ASMP@austintexas.gov .