North University-Heritage-Rosedale Neighborhood Bikeways

The  Austin Transportation Department (ATD)  is evaluating streets in North University, Heritage, Rosedale, and West 31st Street Creekside neighborhoods as potential  neighbohorhood bikeway  routes. Neighborhood bikeways are local streets where motor vehicle traffic speeds and volumes are kept low to make it safer and more comfortable to bicycle, walk, and play. 

On the map, the orange line represents the project limits on West 41st Street, Burnet Road, West 40th Street, West Avenue, W 31st Street, Shoal Creek Boulevard, West 30th Street, Rio Grande Street, West Drive, East Drive, Hemphill Park, West 33rd Street, and West 34th Street. 

The project team shared a  preliminary design  for the proposed neighborhood bikeway route at a community open house on January 30, 2020. The project team received over 250 survey responses to the preliminary proposal. Over 75% of survey respondents supported the proposed design.

• Over 80% of survey respondents were supportive of lowering motor vehicle speeds along the bikeway route to as close to 20 mph as possible and no more than 25 mph by installing speed reduction devices such as speed humps or speed cushions. 
• 49% of survey respondents indicated support for connecting the Shoal Creek Trail using a shared use path on the south curb between West 34th Street and North Lamar Boulevard. This may be achieved either through on-street parking restrictions on the north curb (Alternative A) or converting to a one-way westbound general travel lane with generally keeping on-street parking on the north curb (Alternative C).

View  all survey results. 

In response to community feedback, the project team has updated the design. Key changes to the proposal are explained below.

 View a PDF of the West 40th and 41st streets updated design. 

 View a PDF of the West Avenue, Rio Grande, West 29th, 30th, 31st, 33rd, and 34th streets, West and East drives, and Hemphill Park updated design .

 View a PDF of the 34th-Wabash updated design. 

 View a PDF of the Wabash-North Lamar-Option 1 design. 

 View a PDF of the Wabash-North Lamar-Option 2 design. 

The project proposes a new shared use path on the south side of West 31st Street/Shoal Creek Boulevard.

Between West 34th Street and Wabash Avenue, the project proposes to convert the street to one-way westbound traffic for motor vehicles to best accommodate on-street parking needs for residents, businesses, St. Andrew's school, and trail users in this section.

A new all-way stop is proposed at West 34th Street and Shoal Creek Boulevard to improve safety for the Shoal Creek Trail crossing and left turns onto West 34th Street from Shoal Creek Boulevard.

For the block between Wabash Avenue and North Lamar Boulevard, the project is evaluating two options to connect the Shoal Creek Trail using a shared use path on the south side of West 31st Street.

Option 1: Maintain parking on the north side of the street. Convert West 31st Street to one-way westbound only for motor vehicles.

Option 2: Maintain two-way access for motor vehicles. Restrict parking on the north and south sides of the street.

Both options include proposed changes at the West 31st Street/North Lamar Boulevard intersection to improve safety for people walking, bicycling, and driving.

These proposed changes include a new median crossing island for people bicycling and walking across North Lamar Boulevard. A median crossing island allows a person walking or biking across the street to focus on traffic in two segments and provides space to wait for a gap before finishing crossing an intersection. Only northbound left and right-in/right-out turns will be available for motor vehicles.

 Please share input on the project design here  through Sunday, December 20.

If you have questions about the proposal, please email Dylan Johnstone at  dylan.johnstone@austintexas.gov .