Upgraded Bike Lanes on Congress Avenue
On November 18th 2020, Austin Transportation Department completed the installation of protected bicycle lanes on Congress Avenue, running 1.1 miles between E Riverside Drive and the Texas State Capitol on 11th Street. The installation uses durable white plastic posts to provide a safe, comfortable bicycling facility for people of all ages and abilities. Coming soon after the historic passage of Proposition B, which will provide $460m for walking, bicycling, and safe streets, these improvements on Congress Avenue signal a bold path forward for safe, equitable mobility in Austin.
The protected bike lanes (technically an interim treatment, pending permanent facilities installed as part of the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative) replace a temporary version using traffic cones that had been installed after Bike Austin gathered support from a coalition of over 30 organizations and over 3,000 members of the public for temporary bike lanes to address increased vehicle speeds and reduced bicycle and pedestrian safety since the start of the pandemic and to help more people get to downtown safely to support local businesses during difficult economic conditions. Observing the success of the temporary bike lanes and a positive reception from local businesses, Bike Austin pushed for the lanes to be upgraded to a more durable configuration.
“This is a historic step forward for safe mobility in Austin,” says Bike Austin board member Adam Greenfield. “The temporary protected bike lanes on Congress proved to be a great success for people getting to and around downtown safely and we’re thrilled to see the lanes receive this upgrade. We applaud Austin Transportation Department Director Rob Spillar and staff for implementing what is set to be one of Texas’s most iconic bicycle facilities.”
Greenfield notes multiple significant benefits of the protected lanes beyond increased safety for people on bicycles. Vehicles are visibly traveling at safer speeds, people walking are further from traffic, pedestrian crossing distances have been reduced, and bat-watching on the Ann Richards Bridge is now safer and more pleasant, demonstrating how improvements for bicycling are also improvements for all other transportation modes. And celebrating the benefits of the new protected bicycle lanes to local businesses, Royal Blue Grocery owner Craig Staley says "This is an instant game-changer for downtown businesses. Congress Avenue feels like a different place now."
