Courtesy of Dale Glover

A section of the Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail in the vicinity of Red River and Rainey Street will be closed from April 19 to 29 while an asbestos coating is removed from a pedestrian bridge over Waller Creek. The abatement process is expected to last no more than two weeks, during which time the bridge will be closed to the public during normal business hours (8 a.m.-5p.m.). When work crews are present, the hike and bike trail will be detoured along an alternate route. Both the trail and bridge will be reopened at the end of each work day and on the weekend to minimize disruption.

In fall of 2010, the bridge will be renovated as part of the Waller Creek tunnel project.  In preparation for this work, the City tested materials on the bridge to comply with state, local, and federal asbestos regulations. Test results showed that asbestos was present in a coating on the bottom of the bridge. To follow state and federal air quality regulations, the coating must be removed before it is disturbed during the renovation project.

The abatement team will follow stringent safety measures, including EPA-mandated plastic work barriers, to protect the public and the environment.  For more information, please call 974-7139.

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April 14, 2010

The Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (DANA) supports city staff’s recommendation to enhance bicycle mobility on the Rio Grande and Nueces corridors.  We recognize the challenges of balancing the passionate views of stakeholders on all sides of the issue and applaud the efforts of the Original Austin Neighborhood Association (OANA) leadership and city staff to find a compromise that will benefit downtown and the rest of Austin.

DANA recognizes the negative effects that reliance on motor vehicles has on our built environment, air quality, health, convenience, and sustainable economic prosperity.  Accordingly, we support infrastructure that encourages other mobility options, including bicycles.

To make bicycle use a viable transportation mode, it must be safe, inviting, and pleasant for people of all ages.  The staff proposal makes significant strides in this direction.

We believe the staff recommendation will improve bicycle mobility downtown by:

1.  Reducing the number of stop signs along Rio Grande and Nueces, thereby reducing the amount of time and effort cyclists must expend to bike on the corridors.

2.  Discouraging motor vehicle through-traffic by using traffic circles, speed cushions, and slower speed limits to increase motor vehicle travel times.

3.  Placing dedicated (and some shared) bike lanes on portions of Nueces.

It is unclear what the net impact of the reduction of stop signs and the new traffic calming mechanisms will be on motor vehicle through-traffic.  The removal of stop signs will tend to encourage through-traffic, but the new traffic calming mechanisms may more than offset this tendency.  Going forward, we urge staff to monitor the through-traffic in the area and augment traffic calming if needed to discourage motor vehicle through-traffic.  We also support any further enhancements to make Rio Grande and Nueces safe and inviting bike corridors.

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Contact: Leah Fillion, Austin Transportation Department 512-974-7923

Capital 10K race to close some downtown Austin streets Sunday morning

The 33nd running of the annual Statesman Capital 10K road race will trigger some street closures in downtown Austin Sunday morning. The 10K is expected to draw 20,000 runners for the race and scores more onlookers. In addition, a one-mile Junior ‘Dillo Kids Run is scheduled for Saturday, April 10 at Auditorium Shores.

Traffic mobility on Sunday for the downtown area and 6.2 mile race course is being carefully synchronized to allow downtown residents and visitors to places of worship access to their facilities. Fifth and Sixth streets should be reopened from Mopac to Interstate 35 by approximately 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

Fifteen St. will be closed from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. Access along 15th Street at Lavaca, Guadalupe and Rio Grande Streets will be closed only between 8:45 a.m. and 10 a.m. West Cesar Chavez will be partially closed between 8 a.m. and noon, with westbound lanes between Guadalupe and Mopac remaining open. Congress Ave., starting at Barton Springs and toward the Capital, will be closed beginning at 4 a.m. will be re-opened progressively as the race crowd passes, approximately 10:30 a.m.

The 10K race course starts at 8:30 a.m. on the South Congress Bridge, just north of Barton Springs for wheel chair participants, followed by elite runners and a fun run at 8:45 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. respectively.

The 10K course runs north up Congress Ave. to the Capital, west on 15 St., south on Winstead Lane (alongside Mopac), turns east up Cesar Chavez, then south across the 1st St. Bridge and north to the finish on W. Riverside Dr. at Auditorium Shores.

The Texas Department of Transportation parking lots off of Riverside Dr. (118, 150 & 200 E. Riverside Drive) have limited free parking. Also the One Texas Center parking garage on S. 1st St. and Barton Springs and the Palmer Events Center parking garage are available on race morning. The fee is $7 to park. For information related to Capital Metro routes visit www.capmetro.org/planner or call (512) 474-1200 or (800) 474-1201.

Saturday’s Junior Dillo kid run is a one mile course for kids aged 15 & younger. The course is a loop on Auditorium Shores and W. Riverside Dr. The race is conducted by age groups in waves between 7:30 and 9:10 a.m. Riverside Drive is expected to reopen after 2 p.m.

For the entire street closure schedule, please visit:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/specialevents/downloads/cap10k_closures_041110.pdf

To see a map of street closures, click here:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/specialevents/downloads/cap10k_map_041110.pdf

For more information on race details, car and bicycle parking, visit:
www.cap10k.com

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Somebody may be watching you…..The city plans to install security video monitoring cameras at high rate crime areas downtown with the help of the Downtown Austin Alliance.
 
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/downtown-alliance-moves-to-buy-security-cameras-480631.html

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Courtesy of Mitchell McGovern

Spring Donates $50,000 for Park Improvements

The developers of Spring gave the Austin Parks Foundation a donation of $500 for each new resident, for a total of $50,000. The money will go towards improvements to the lower Shoal Creek trail. When all units at Spring are sold, the developers’ total contribution to the parks foundation could top $100,000. As many of you are probably aware, there is a significant gap in the Shoal creek hike and bike trail from 5th Street to West Ave. Apparently there are city budget dollars available to complete this gap. Survey crews have recently been spotted in the area and new survey markers can be seen. We can only hope that this is a very positive sign of soon to be constructed improvements on lower Shoal Creek.

See link for complete article:
 
http://www.statesman.com/business/spring-condominiums-donate-50-000spring-condominiums-donate-50-000-for-trail-improvements-318861.html?cxtype=ynews_rss
 
Spring also had the official dedication ceremony last week. In attendance was Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Councilman Chris Riley, contractors, developers, residents and local designers and artisans that all contributed to one of downtown’s most recent residential buildings. A plaque was unveiled to honor Robert Barnstone who recently passed away. Robert was a key driver for residential development downtown over the past several decades and was one of the partner developers of Spring and the Nakonah to name a few. He was a man that has helped to shape our city as it is today and the plaque will honor his legacy for years to come. (more…)