Austin Ranks #10 in Healthiest Places to live. Do you agree with the American Fitness Index?

From: Blisstree on 5/28/10
By: Briana Rognlin

The 10 Healthiest Places To Live: How Fit is Your City?

Have you ever noticed how some cities seem full of hot, fit people, while other cities just seem a little less toned? Well, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, where you live is a significant factor determining your health. ACSM’s 2010 American Fitness Index was just released – a ranking of the 50 biggest cities in the U.S. according to their levels of health care access, community support of public recreation areas, public policy determining fitness standards in schools, and the overall income of a city can actually have a big impact on the health of its residents.

So what makes for a healthy city? The American Fitness Index ranking isn’t just about which cities have the most residents who hit the gym. The country’s healthiest cities generally have higher median incomes, a lower percentage of unemployed inhabitants, and fewer households below the poverty line, but they also do specific things to get their populations active. Advantages include a high number of primary health care providers per capita and high numbers of parks, dog parks, tennis courts, swimming pools, farmers markets. Most also have a high number of inhabitants who walk, bike or use public transportation to get to work or school. Living in these cities is likely to be a big health boost.
So which cities are the best?

Check out the 10 healthiest places to live, according to the American Fitness Index:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Boston, MA
3. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
4. Seattle, WA
5. Portland, OR
6. Denver, CO
7. Sacramento, CA
8. San Francisco, CA
9. Hartford, CN
10. Austin, TX

For the entire list and further information about each city, visit americanfitnessindex.org.

This week's topic: Sustainable Growth. How important do you think it is in making transportation decisions?

Austin Strategic Mobility Criteria: Sustainable Growth

Resource use that aims to meet the needs of current residents while conserving the natural, financial, and social environment so that future generations can be their needs.

How does this apply to the Strategic Mobility Plan?

When people and jobs are too spread out (sprawl type development) providing a transportation system is costly and inefficient. It requires a lot of roads and they get clogged every time cars need to be funneled into/out of compact places such as freeways, malls, town centers, etc. Yet, there are too few people anywhere near each other and the places they want to go for affordable and effective public transit, much less walking.

So in the Strategic Mobility future, transportation projects score better if they add mobility for:

(a) Areas with more people and jobs closer together;

(b) CAMPO designated “activity centers,” places targeted for urban-type of growth tightly woven places to live, work and play; or

(c) Economically challenged areas or area specifically targeting redevelopment.

What do you think? 
SNAPP has picked a few articles that we will be discussing throughout the week to help you understand and comment on the issue. View them all here: http://snappatx.org/learn.html

What have you done for Bike to Work Month? Tell us your stories! Here is one experience:

An Old Guy on Two Wheels Blog 
By Tim Starry on 5/26/10

#BikeMonth – day 26 – why do I own a car?

Just returned from picking up my car from the shop. I took it in for an oil change and state inspection. I had to leave it for numerous critical repairs. Three of the issues would have eventually led to engine failure and a huge bill.

The bad news: I spent some significant coin getting these issues fixed. The only thing under warranty was the air bag. For that much money I could have purchased a new set of carbon wheels for my bike or a new Powertap hub that all the bicycling magazines keep saying I need.

The good news: the cost was only the equivalent of a couple of monthly payments for a new car. The service manager says that there is no reason why this car can’t go another 100,000 miles or more (it’s nearing 100k now). So essentially I have a new car for not much money. Now let’s be honest, it is not a new car. But there is no compelling reason to replace it and sign up for yet more debt. It is basic reliable transportation and if I keep up the oil changes and tire maintenance I’ll have it for quite some time. Now that I’m using my bike more, especially for short trips around town, it is not being stressed very much.

That’s nice and all but on the way home I couldn’t help but think of my sad performance in the Austin Commuter Challenge. I also couldn’t help but think about all the freaking money I’ve spent on this and all my other cars. I won’t bore you with the numbers–just be aware it is significant. Sit down some day and add up all the money you put into your automobile.


Why do I need a car?

There are a lot of reasons I tell myself. But lately these “reasons” are starting to sound like rationalizations...

Read More

Private company proposes tearing down and rebuilding part of I-35W. Do u wish this was a headline for ATX?

From Star-Telegram on 5/20/10
By Gordon Dickinson

Private company proposes tearing down and rebuilding part of I-35

A toll road developer has offered to tear down and rebuild 10 miles of Interstate 35W from downtown to far north Fort Worth to relieve one of Tarrant County's biggest bottlenecks with a combination of toll and nontoll lanes.

The proposal by NTE Mobility Partners, submitted this week to the Texas Department of Transportation, would allow motorists to pay their way out of congestion on toll lanes that would extend from Interstate 30 near downtown to North Tarrant Parkway, south of Alliance Airport.

For motorists who can't or don't want to pay tolls, the project would include reconstruction of existing nontoll lanes, continuous frontage roads, improvements to access ramps and an end to those pesky left-lane exits at the I-35W/Loop 820 interchange. Federal and state law generally requires existing nontoll interstate lanes to remain free, although toll lanes can be added.

Months of negotiations are likely needed before it becomes clear whether state officials will approve the project. But the developer has said that, if its offer is accepted, the $2.7 billion project could be open to traffic by June 30, 2017.

"With the new proposed configuration, the project will result in over 1.5 million hours saved annually by moving drivers from congested roads to free-flowing lanes," according to an executive summary of the report released Thursday afternoon.

Obstacles

But while the I-35W plan may be the best and perhaps only chance of fixing the interstate for at least the next 10 years -- state officials and lawmakers say they'll run out of gasoline-tax-supported funds to build any roads by 2012 -- the proposal promises to be controversial on many levels:

• Tarrant County residents may be growing intolerant of toll roads as a solution to seemingly every mobility problem in the western Metroplex. Toll projects are already under way on Texas 114/121 in Grapevine, Airport Freeway and Loop 820 in Northeast Tarrant County, and Southwest Parkway in Fort Worth.

• The I-35W developer is overseeing the Airport Freeway/Loop 820 project, known as North Tarrant Express.

• The I-35W project does not have environmental clearance and, although the federal government is expected to sign off on it by early next year, there's always a chance it could be delayed by an unforeseen environmental problem. In any case, dirt won't turn on I-35W until that paperwork is filed.

NTE Mobility Partners, which is led by the U.S. arm of Spain-based Cintra, says that while it will bring outside money to the table to pay for most of the construction and maintenance, it will need some public funds.

The executive summary calls for the Transportation Department to inject $287.5 million in public funds, although later it explains that a scaled-back version of the plan could be done for $173.8 million in public funds.

Read More

CAMPO is looking at changes on MOPAC. What do you think about managed lanes/toll roads on this corridor?

Video from KXAN Austin News on 5/20/10
2 min 47 sec

The Best Walking Partner: Man vs. Dog. Surprising results?

From The New York Times on 12/4/09
By Tara Parker-Pope

The Best Walking Partner: Man vs. Dog

Is it better to walk a human or to walk a dog?

New research from the University of Missouri has found that people who walk dogs are more consistent about regular exercise and show more improvement in fitness than people who walk with a human companion. In a 12-week study of 54 older adults at an assisted living home, 35 people were assigned to a walking program for five days a week, while the remaining 19 served as a control group. Among the walkers, 23 selected a friend or spouse to serve as a regular walking partner along a trail laid out near the home. Another 12 participants took a bus daily to a local animal shelter where they were assigned a dog to walk.

To the surprise of the researchers, the dog walkers showed a big improvement in fitness, while the human walkers began making excuses to skip the workout. Walking speed among the dog walkers increased by 28 percent, compared with just a 4 percent increase among the human walkers.

“What happened was nothing short of remarkable,” said Rebecca A. Johnson, a nursing professor and director of the Research Center for Human Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “The improvement in walking speed means their confidence in their walking ability had increased and their balance had increased. To have a 28 percent improvement in walking speed is mind boggling.”

Read More 

A commentary on the car that beat the red line. What do you think?

From Fare Enough
On 5/19/10

Race to the finish

The Statesman has an interesting story this week, though one that other outlets have also done, where a car races the new commuter rail line from Leander to downtown Austin.  I’d seen the train beat the car in another story, but the Statesman’s driver beat the Statesman’s rail rider by 38 minutes.
The reporters do a decent job of putting the race in context–light traffic, low UT commuting, difference in overall costs, etc.  What makes the article helpful is that it shines a bright light on the case that transit agencies must still make to the average consumer–that transit is cheaper, more efficient, easier, safer, less annoying, etc.  To a transit “purist” like me, if I were facing a Leander-downtown Austin commute, that extra 38 minutes wouldn’t really bother me, but that’s a tall order for most “choice riders.”

What’s missing from the article is a more holistic look at transit vs. single-rider driving.  Yes, efficiency and cost are two important considerations for transportation, but what about public health?  Sustainability?  Productivity? (if you consider that someone can do more while riding transit than while driving a car) Those criteria defy easy quantification, but they are certainly important considerations, particularly in Austin, and it would be nice to understand more about them in this context.

The Statesman also reported on the Capital Metro CEO candidates’ public appearance; it’s interesting that so much of the conversation focused on the needs of disabled riders, which I think points to the need for other groups to step into the fray and advocate for an improved system for all.  That should include environmental groups, business groups, and others interested in improvements to the area’s quality of life.

Read the Statesman Article: Great race from Leander: Car beats train, by Ben Wear

Car2go launched publically on Friday. When would you use Car2Go the most?

From KVUE News

By Jessica Vess on 5/20/10

Car2go goes public Friday

The public launch of the car2go program is less than 24 hours away.  The small white and blue Smart cars are already rolling through Austin.

Car2go says it will wrap up its pilot program in Austin on Thursday and open service for everyone on Friday.

***

During the pilot phase the cars were rented out more 20,500 times.

"It's no secret Austin is one of those cities that continues to grow. You see more and more condos going up downtown, so they're concerned about growth, congestion and of course the environmental sustainability with emissions," said Nicholas Cole, president & CEO of car2go North America.
The cars have designated parking spots scattered across town -- 80 in all. If a car is there, members can pick it up and rent for however long they need. All they have to do afterward is park it back in a designated spot.

Austin is the first city in North America to host this program. The company actually began in Germany. Then started looking at where it could expand. With the success in Austin the company is looking at further expansions.

"This has been truly a learning pilot with the city of Austin which is great. I think you'll see a full roll out going into new cities," said Cole.

The cars are rented on a minute basis – 35 cents for every minute. The cost covers fuel, insurance, parking, maintenance and mileage. There are special rates for hourly and daily rentals.

The program is being recognized for its positive environmental impact.

Thursday morning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded both car2go and the City of Austin with its 2010 Clean Air Excellence Award for Transportation Efficiency Innovations.

Visit the official Car2go website

So cute! Little Sam takes a walking journey along Anderson Ln to find a playground

A tragicomedy about the journey of a little girl along Anderson Ln, in search of a playground.  Sam's quest is for all the people who already live on Anderson, and who will in the future.  



(via Sustainable Neighborhoods of North Central Austin and the "Room to Live" Initiative)

Access the Imagine Austin Neighborhood Inventory of housing and neighborhood conditions

Imagine Austin Neighborhood Inventory

The Community Inventory is a large data-book about Austin. It will include a broad range of data, with chapters devoted to the following topics:

• Demographics & household trends
• Natural environment
• Land use and zoning
• Economic development and employment trends
• Housing and neighborhood conditions
• Transportation
• Public utilities
• Parks and recreation
• Community facilities
• Historic Austin
• Urban design and urban form

The Community Inventory will be the data foundation for creating the Plan Framework, starting with the second Community Forum Series.

What we have been focusing on this week (Neighborhood Coordination and Connectivity):

Housing Conditions  

Through its continued commitment to progressive housing policy, the Austin City Council has prioritized affordable housing to promote a vibrant urban fabric in support of the city’s vision to be the most livable city in the country.   

 

Austin citizens have also consistently supported creating and maintaining affordable housing.  A 2008 poll by HousingWorks, a local advocacy group focused on issues relating to affordable housing, showed that 63% of respondents are concerned that they or someone they care about will be unable to afford a home in Austin; that 70% would like the City of Austin to have a diversity of home types within its neighborhoods to accommodate people with a range of income levels; and that 65% of Austinites would like to see government involvement in making home ownership more accessible (HousingWorks Austin, 2009).

* * *

In order to maintain a robust economy and diverse community, Austin residents need housing that accommodates all types of living situations. A thriving community includes a variety of housing types—single-family homes, apartments (from small duplexes to large complexes), and condominiums—that serve a variety of people—single adults, couples, families, elderly people, and people with disabilities—at a variety of income levels.

Neighborhood Conditions 

Where neighborhoods are located in the region shape (and are shaped by) the city’s commute patterns and traffic. What a neighborhood is made of and how its different parts fit together—where the shopping is, where the schools are, and how and whether residences connect to those pieces—shape the lives of Austin residents outside of work. And how houses are arranged shape our connections to one another, both in the way they open us to our neighbors and the way they expose us to crime.  

 

The City has a straightforward interest in housing (affordability and ensuring a minimal quality and upkeep). It has a clear interest in neighborhoods also, though that interest is more varied. Because they fundamentally shape transportation, they also shape access to schools and parks as well as to police and emergency services. They can encourage or discourage walking and other healthy activities, including being a member of the community.

Access the whole Housing Document and see what considerations the city has for the future.

Want change? Be heard: Speak out about AISD school facilities tonight (5/20) at Travis High School. 6-8 PM

From the AISD events page.

Facility Master Plan Community Dialogue #1

Date: May 20, 2010 - May 20, 2010

Times: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Description:
Discuss issues that directly impact our public school facilities with educators, parents, students, civic and business leaders, and other engaged community members.

Your insights and opinions will help shape the future of public education in Austin. Please attend, listen, and speak up. Bring your neighbors and friends. Refreshments and Childcare Provided.

The Power of Your Voice Will Help Guide the Emerging Facility Master Plan for Austin Schools

Thursday, May 20 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Travis High School Cafeteria 1211 E. Oltorf St.

For more information, call AISD Facilities Management, 414-2667, or check the website, www.austinisd.org

Explore Austin's Most Walkable Neighborhoods

The top ranked neighborhood in Austin is a Walkers' Paradise. 18% of Austin residents have a Walk Score of 70 or above.

Austin's most walkable neighborhoods are Downtown, University Of Texas, and West University. Austin's least walkable neighborhoods are McKinney, Pecan Springs Springdale, and Southeast.

51% have a Walk Score of at least 50—and 49% live in Car-Dependent neighborhoods.

Austin Neighborhoods' Walkscores

Sustainable Neighborhoods’ Room to Live Initiative

Sam We Can
video 

4:06 minutes

Watch SN's tragicomedy about the journey of a little girl along Anderson Ln, in search of a playground.  Sam's quest is for all the people who already live on Anderson, and who will in the future.  

Community Survey for the City of Austin 2010

Level of Strength of Various Aspects of Life in the City of Austin

Character of neighborhoods ranked 15^th of 24

Major Strength - 19%

Strength - 39%

Weakness - 29%

Major Weakness - 10%

Well below things like:

Unique local identity

Major Strength – 39% & Strength – 35%

Family Friendly Community

Major Strength – 31% & Strength – 40%

Aspects That Households Feel Are Most Important to be Major Strengths for the City of Austin

Character of neighborhoods ranked even lower at 18^th of 24, with only 10% of respondents ranking it as 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th a Major Strength, even though those things most people wanted to live near – schools, groceries, fire station, parks, sidewalks and bike lanes - are (or at least used to be) neighborhood-oriented things. What do you think about that?

Imagine Austin Survey

The city is identifying gaps in the mobility network. Get your neighborhood connected. Submit gaps for review!

Get Involved! Be heard! Four steps you can take to make an impact:

1. See the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan Project Prioritization Process to learn more about how transportation gaps or projects will be evaluated and prioritized by the City of Austin. 

2. View The most current Gap List PDF

3. E-mail to submit a transportation gap for consideration: transportation@ci.austin.tx.us

4. Make your choice heard throughout the community: Post your gap choice and why on SNAPPatx's Facebook Wall and/or as a Tweet with the hashtag #snappatx. It is a way to express your feelings behind your submission, and to start a conversation about your choice.

From the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan Website:

After five months of data collection and community input, the City of Austin has published a  list of more than 2,000 identified gaps in and potential projects for the local mobility network. These gaps include roadway, bicycle, pedestrian, traffic management and other issues located throughout Austin.

As part of the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan, this information has been gathered from City of Austin departments, partner transportation agencies (including Travis County, CAMPO, Capital Metro and the Texas Dept. of Transportation), and directly from Austinites at community forums and events and via the Internet.

This gap list provides a starting point for the ASMP to develop, evaluate and prioritize solutions to the transportation challenges Austinites face. As part of the ASMP Project Prioritization Process, each gap and potential project will be considered on a variety of criteria that help implement important community objectives such as regional coordination, transportation choice, economic development and sustainable growth.

The work of the ASMP will inform decisions by the City of Austin regarding future mobility investments, including ongoing work on a potential 2010 transportation bond package.

Cap Metro CEO Finalists Q&A was yesterday. Board meets next Mon. No date set for when CEO will be revealed.

From Community Impact News on 5/17/10

By Eric Pulsifer

The two finalists in consideration to be Capital Metro's next CEO fielded questions ranging from how they would improve the public transit agency's tarnished image to how they would better serve the disabled community at a candidate forum Monday afternoon at IBC Bank, 2817 E. Cesar Chavez St.

Deborah Wathen Finn and Linda Watson answered questions from the crowd and others posted online.

Watson, who currently serves as the CEO of Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, went first and spoke about prioritizing accessibility for persons with disabilities, including a proposed audit of the accessibility of all bus stops in the system.

East Austin native and city and county meeting regular Gus Peña asked Watson how she would work to regain public trust in Capital Metro after years of poor management.

"How can we trust any of you?" Peña said. "I want to know how you’re going to manage our tax money."

"It is your money we are spending and I have never taken that responsibility lightly," Watson said.

As for improving trust, Watson said she would like to use social media and other online resources—including an online dashboard that would allow the public to keep track of how the agency is doing by showing performance measures.

"One of the things I would work very hard on doing would be making sure there is strong communication, be it external or internal… and transparency," she said.

Watson said the tough state review of Capital Metro offers some good direction for where the agency needs to go.

"One of the good things about all this is that a thorough review has recently been completed and there is a blueprint of what needs to be done," Watson said.

Based off conversations with Capital Metro staff, Watson said she believes most people at the agency are committed to making the difficult decisions necessary to turn the things around.

"I learned a lot and mostly it was about the problems," Watson said. "This is a very talented organization in place. There may not be the focus needed to show that talent, but I think with a lot of work and a good plan we can make some changes."

While she said she does use bus service in her neighborhood, Watson said she owns a car and does not use mass transit "as much as [she] should."

Deborah Wathen Finn currently works in the private sector as a transportation consultant but got her start as part of the team that helped develop New Jersey’s public transit system. When asked what she would do to get Texans out of their cars, Wathen Finn drew a parallel to her experience in New Jersey.

"New Jerseyans have a love for the car almost as much as Texans," she said.
Wathen Finn said to get Central Texas sold on mass transit, Capital Metro must first get numbers up for its youngest and oldest riders, who are both growing increasingly reliant on public transportation.

"I’m struck by the fact that in this particular area you have a relatively young population and what we’re finding around the country is that young people can't imagine spending all that money on a car, especially in this economy," she said.

Read more Q & A

Wednesday 5/19 is Bike to School Day in ATX

 

 Bike-to-School-Day

As part of Bike Month Austin in May, all students are encouraged to bike to school on May 19th which is Bike-to-School Day. Biking to school is a great way to start the day, get good exercise, spend time with family and friends and arrive to school alert and ready to learn.

Bike-to-School-Day is being promoted in local schools by Austin Safe Routes to School, a project to increase the number and safety of kids walking and biking to school.  A few decades ago, over half of all kids walked or biked to school; today, it’s closer to 10%.  In many Austin schools, less than 1% of kids bike to school, despite Austin’s reputation as a “bike city.” 
 
At Harris Elementary School, kids and adults are taking to the streets to improve their health through biking and foster friendships.  The school began a new after school bike club on April 9th of this year, and will hold their “graduation ride” to school on Bike to School Day, May 19th. The graduation ride begins at 6:45 a.m. from the parking lot of Short Stop at 6603 Berkman Drive and continues to Harris Elementary. Students will be accompanied by adult riders from the Austin Cycling Association, Austin Safe Routes to School, and Harris Elementary teaching staff.

As part of their Bike Club activities, these students learn bicycle safety practices, such as always wearing a helmet when riding a bike, as well as bike maintenance skills, such as fixing a flat tire. They also practice safe riding in a group in the neighborhood around the school, and determine the safest route to bike from their home to school each day.  21st Century After School Programs sponsors the club, which call themselves the Harris Bulldog Bike Club.

Safe Routes to School is a grant-funded project through the Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services Department and the Texas Department of Transportation.  For more information, visit www.saferoutesaustin.org. 

From the City of Austin Health and Human Services Department

Exploring the science behind traffic lights w/ a traffic engineer. Which Austin stoplights do you feel least safe?

From the Boston Globe on 5/9/10
By Peter DeMarco

Most modern traffic signals don’t operate blindly; they actually respond to the number of cars entering the intersection from various directions. There are several ways traffic lights can “see’’ cars: radio waves or microwaves can be bounced to detect moving objects; cameras can perceive changes; cars can pass over pressure-sensitive plates. But often, traffic lights know how many cars are in an intersection thanks to sensors placed strategically under the pavement.

It works this way: Picture the first car in line at a red light. About an inch underneath the pavement where the car’s idling, an electrically charged wire has been spread in a 6-by-6-foot loop to form a magnetic field. Whenever a car passes over the loop, it disrupts the field.

A record of every disruption is sent to a control box, a metal cabinet about 4 feet tall positioned nearby. You may have never noticed the boxes, but Gillon assured me they exist at just about every signaled intersection around here. A tiny computer inside the control box analyzes the disruptions. If they keep happening, it means that cars are still entering the intersection from that direction, so the light should stay green. If the disruptions stop, it means there are no more cars and the light should switch to red.


A traffic light can’t stay green forever, so there’s usually a maximum number of seconds allowed before the computer switches the light to red. On a main street, it might be 30 or 40 seconds, Gillon said. But with no vehicles coming, the light might switch to red in half that time.

Read More

85% of people die when struck by a motorist going 40 mph. How do you think ATX can make streets safer for pedestrians?

From Next American City
By Justin Glick on 2/19/2010


Lower Speeds Mean Safer Streets


Hard to think of a more obvious headline, right? Well, somehow this nugget of common sense has yet to catch on in American cities nationwide, where speed limits inside dense areas remain dangerously high at an average of 28 m.p.h. And astonishingly, speed limits New York, America’s most densely populated city, are a lofty 30 m.p.h. This is, in all honesty, fairly crazy, and I would argue that it led directly to the 256 traffic deaths suffered by New York City in 2009 (sadly, the lowest number since 1910). It’s important to remember that the chance of death by automobile increases exponentially with the vehicle’s speed:

  *  5 percent of people die when struck by a motorist going 20 mph
  * 45 percent of people die when struck by a motorist going 30 mph
  * 85 percent of people die when struck by a motorist going 40 mph
  * When cars exceed 20 mph, the comfort level of cyclists and pedestrians drops significantly
  * Eye contact between drivers, and between drivers and pedestrians, drops rapidly at speeds greater than 20 mph
  * Driving 20 mph requires a stopping distance of 150 feet, driving 30 mph requires a stopping distance of 200 feet, driving 35 mph requires a stopping distance of 250 feet.

Those stats can’t be repeated enough. Considering the incidence rates of car-pedestrian collisions in urban environments like New York, it’s almost unconscionable that speed limits remain high enough to allow for a 45% chance of fatality.

Read More

Blog: Commuting By Bike in ATX- Some Resources to Help You Get Started. Have any tips? We'll add them! #safety

We attended the Bike Commuting Basics class at REI yesterday. Daniel, our instructor, showed us some good resources and safety tips. SnappATX would like to expand on and share a few these basic resources with those planning on making the shift to Bike commuting to work.

 

Tips from the community

reply on Facebook and Twitter under this topic, and use #safety #snappatx at the end of your thought to categorize your comment.

Doug Ballew: I'm teaching the Traffic Skills 101 course
this Friday and Saturday. Become a more confident, competent
cyclist. We'll cover everything from flat tire repair to lane
positioning to handling skills and much more. See the following
website for more info. and registration: http://www.austincycling.org/classes

@BikeATX One tip I can give about commuting on bike in work clothes: No need to speed to work, take your time, no need to break a sweat.  

@austinon2wheels: we're opening a Dutch bike shop soon & can help you get set up. I also build custom Dutch bike here in ATX via @violetcrownbike

Getting Started:

Austin On Two Wheels: Biking for Transportation- Getting Started

How to choose your bike, wear safety gear, secure your bike, and even includes a traffic safety video.

Choosing a Route:

AustinBikeRoutes.com

Description: Provides information on biking in the Austin, Texas area based on comments from cyclists in the area. We keep information about roads you like (or hate), the best way to get from place to place on your bicycle, good road and mountain bike routes, and bicycle commuting information. Browse through the information that's already here and add your $0.02.

City of Austin Bicycle Route Map PDF December 2009 You can also buy this map at many local bike shops.

Google Maps: 

Recently added a 'Biking' option when finding directions. You can also couple it with transit.

Combining Transit:

Capital Metro Bike Loading Info:

How to load and unload your bike on the bus

Connecting with the Community:

City of Austin Bike Month Event Page:

Bike Route Info, Event Calendar, and Resources

Video:

Share the Road - Buses and Bicycles from Chicago Bicycle Program on Vimeo.

On Your Mark Cycling Club - How to change a flat on a bicycle from Links on Vimeo.

Have any more helpful resources to share? 'Snapp' about it! We'll add your tips to the post this evening.

To 'snapp' about this post and be heard, reply on Facebook and Twitter under this topic, and use #safety #snappatx at the end of your thought to categorize your comment.

TxDOT Long Range Plan public meeting: Thurs 5/13, 4 - 7 pm, TxDot Headquarters

From Community Impact Event Page

The Texas Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, will host a series of public meetings for the development of the Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan 2035. The plan will establish a framework for addressing the challenges of the state's aging infrastructure, urban densification and growing population through 2035. The plan will also address the need for improvements to all modes of transportation, including roadways, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, transit, freight rail, passenger rail, airports, water ports, pipelines and Intelligent Transportation Systems.

The purpose of the first series of meetings is to present an overview of the project and to solicit comments and input to aid in the development of the plan. Information will be available for viewing at the meetings, including exhibits and videos about the planning process. Representatives from TxDOT will attend to discuss the development of the plan and answer questions. Forms will also be provided for submitting written comments.

The Austin area meeting will be May 13 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at TxDOT Austin District Headquarters, 7901 N. IH  35.

For information regarding additional meeting locations, visit www.txdot.gov or call the project’s toll-free number at 1-888-589-7526. For those unable to attend, written comments will be accepted on the project’s website at www.txdot.gov,  by e-mail at TPP_txtranplan@dot.state.tx.us This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

or by mail at Peggy Thurin, P.E., Project Manager, Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan 2035, 4544 Post Oak Place, Ste. 224, Houston, TX 77027.

Persons with special communication or accommodation needs may call Ed Collins at 832-7000. 

Requests should be made no later than three days prior to the meeting. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate needs. 

Location: TxDOT Austin District Headquarters, 7901 N. IH 35
Contact: www.txdot.gov or 1-888-589-7526

Austin’s top 20 dangerous intersections in '09: What are your thoughts? Any more you would add? #safety

From Community Impact News
By Kelsey Wilkenson on 3/12/10

Austin’s most dangerous intersections in 2009

AUSTIN — Based on crash data collected from the Texas Department of Transportation, reporters at Community Impact Newspaper compiled a list of the 20 most dangerous intersections in Austin. The list is based on the number of collisions recorded at each intersection between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2009. Collision numbers may vary as some collision locations were reported as unknown.

Rank	Region	Intersection	# Collisions	Click for larger image
	Northwest	Lakeline Mall Drive and Research Boulevard	46
	South	Stassney Lane and IH 35	38
	North	North Lamar Boulevard and Anderson Lane	34
	Northwest	Parmer Lane and MoPac	33
	Central	Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and IH 35	32
	North	Rundberg Lane and IH 35	31
	Central	11th Street and IH 35	29
	North	Parmer Lane and IH 35	28
	East	Cameron Road and Ed Bluestein Boulevard	27
	Central	15th Street and IH 35	26

For 1-20, Click here 

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Most 'snapped' about this morning: "Do Austin, Houston transit messes affect North Texas?"

From Dallas Transportation Blog

By Rodger Jones on 5/6/10

Do Austin, Houston transit messes affect North Texas?

Of course.

The PR nightmare out of the urban transit agencies will give state lawmakers an extra reason to reject new proposals for developing rail.

Austin's Capital Metro started long-anticipated commuter rail service in March, but ridership looks anemic -- about 1,000 a day. It's a weird brand of rail service, with rush-hour-only schedules during the week and nothing on weekends. I don't know how you build ridership with that.

A bigger deal for Capital Metro is fallout from a scathing report to the Legislature last week and a reputation of being a free-spending agency that welshes on deals.

In Houston, meanwhile, the transit agency Metro is facing potential loss of huge federal money because of the suspicion of misleading information involved in grant applications. And Metro's chief may be out the door this week.

So why do these meltdowns matter to North Texas? State politics.

Read More 

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City Council approve funding & start for the I-35 Makeover Project. What do you think?

From the Austin Chronicle on 5/6/10

By Katherine Gregor 

Three Steps Forward, One Step Back

Makeover: I-35

City Council has finally approved funding and a June start for the I-35 Makeover Project, a symbolic reconnection of East Austin to Down­town. The improvements under the highway, between East Sixth and Eighth, are intended to enhance the area's safety, comfort, and attractiveness. The city plans to fund the seven-month project with revenues from the city-managed parking lots under I-35 and from certificates of obligation (worth $1.5 million) issued by the city. "The interstate has divided our city for too long," said Council Member Sheryl Cole. "I am proud to see this effort finally under construction." The grassroots effort was started in 2004 by a diverse community coalition. Larry Warshaw, chair of the I-35 Makeover Coalition, gave credit to a sustained group effort that has included the Texas Department of Transportation as well as the city. Keep Austin Beautiful provided a $250,000 grant to help fund the landscape portion. New lighting, funded through the city's Art in Public Places program, will create a computer-generated light show added for both safety and appeal.

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Sabine Street Walk-and-talk is ON today!

We do have a group gathering for this, so please join us!  Everyone is welcome.  We'll gather, look at the plan, then walk the stretch of Sabine Street and discuss implementation of the rec's in Waller Creek District Master Plan.  Meetup at 6 pm:

Texas Picnic Company, outdoor patio
604 Sabine Street.

We'll leave to walk the area by about 6:20 

In case you missed it: Fast facts about the Austin-SA Passenger Rail Initiative

From the official LSTAR website

When LSTAR service begins, where will it go? How fast will I be able to get there? What’s happening now? Here’s the basic information you need about Lone Star Rail District and the LSTAR.

• 90-minute express service from downtown Austin to downtown San Antonio, with stops in San Marcos and New Braunfels.

• Local service from Georgetown to the South Side of San Antonio with stops at all stations in between.

• The LSTAR service will cover close to 120 miles, traveling in the existing Union Pacific right-of-way.

• Up to 12 trains a day, including midday and evening service, seven days a week in each direction for commuters, students and other regional travelers.

• Up to sixteen new stations in convenient locations with ample secure parking, comfortable waiting areas and connections to local transit.

• Modern, safe, clean and comfortable passenger cars; amenities including wireless Internet access.

• Service nearby to college and university campuses in Georgetown, Round Rock, Austin, San Marcos and San Antonio; employment centers such as the Domain and Port San Antonio; and the region’s top tourist and lifestyle destinations.

• Lone Star Rail District is currently conducting engineering, environmental and station area studies; developing financing plans; and pursuing alternatives for freight rail relocation.  Once these tasks are completed, we’ll be ready to begin design and construction.

• Lone Star Rail District is an independent public agency based in San Marcos. Its Board includes members from cities, counties, transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations and business and community leaders.

Video: Oldie but goodie- Portland Lloyd District Director and DAA talk about Transportation Solutions

From KXAN Austin News
On 5/19/09 by Matt Flener

Portland offers Austin traffic help



Read the accompanying article here

Lunch Time Blog: Resident from Pittsburgh Opines about their Comp Plan. What do you think of his 12 intervention plan?

From: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on 5/2/10
By Bob Firth

The Next Page: A Life in Pittsburgh ... With a Lot Less Car in It - The 12 Step Program

The city of Pittsburgh is kicking off a huge new comprehensive plan called "PlanPGH." It incorporates the Move PGH task force, announced in January, to look at improving transit and walking and biking options dramatically. With Earth Day fresh in mind, I'm considering just how hard it will be to get more Pittsburghers out walking and biking.

Could car use be an addiction?

Well, here are my 12 steps for a Pittsburgh "intervention." Decide for yourself.

The 12 Step Plan

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Re-Cap: Saturday Service for the Red Line

From Fox 7 Austin News

On 5/1/10

Capital Metro Rail Saturday Service

On Saturday, for one time only, Capitol Metro ran service.

It was to give those of you a chance to try it out if you haven't been able to during the week.
 

At the Lakeline Station in North Austin, the Metro Rail was packed with passengers; those waiting to get inside were frustrated.

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Many obstacles to overcome for the Round Rock rail vision

From The Austin American Statesman

By Ben Wear on 5/2/10

'Fatal flaw' study puts Round Rock rail on life support

$175,000 "fatal flaw" study of the commuter rail proposal, commissioned by Round Rock and mostly paid for by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, has reached roughly the same conclusion, according to an executive summary. The study finds a number of flaws in the idea that, if they are not fatal, at least put the rail concept in intensive care.

And, according to Round Rock's chief of public works, Tom Word, it may stay there for a quite awhile.

Unless the Legislature comes up with way for locals to generate more transportation money, Word said, "this is likely not to happen for a long, long time."

"This" would be an 18.3-mile line running from Georgetown to downtown Round Rock, then to the Texas 45 North tollway near Interstate 35. The double-tracked railway would run west down the toll road median before going up and over the road west of Loop 1 and connecting to Capital Metro's Red Line north of Howard Lane. Round Rock trains would then use the Red Line to get to downtown Austin, sharing track time and space with MetroRail trains.

There would also be a spur going east to Pflugerville, near the Texas 130 tollway. Round Rock, Georgetown and Pflugerville, in theory, would share in the $340 million cost. They would hope to get about half of the money in transit grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, an optimistic assumption that this proposal has in common with every other Central Texas rail plan.

Even coming up with the local $170 million, the report says, would be problematic because it would consume too much bonding capacity, leaving the cities unable to build other things they want.

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Green Pass program will continue into the summer for ACC students

From Accent Online

On 5/1/2010

The Green Pass program at Austin Community College will be continuing its pilot run through the summer semester. The passes are good for all Capital Metro services, including the month-old MetroRail.
 

All enrolled students, faculty and non-hourly staff are eligible to pick up a new pass from any campus cashier office starting on May 17 and they will be valid through August 22. However, students that drop all of their classes will have thier issued passes deactivated as the passes are linked to the student’s ID number.
 

“That’s really good. I use it every day,” said Rio Grande student Noor Nahas.
The program started in January as part of ongoing sustainability efforts to address parking and transportation issues and encourage more people to use Capital Metro services.
 

“We actually ran out of passes this semester. So far the pilot has been a great success,” stated Brette Lea, Executive Director of Public Information and College Marketing.
The program is being funded with the increase of parking fees that started in August 2009 and the sustainability fund.
 

“I understand trying to be green, but I don’t like paying for other people to ride the bus. They should fund it some other way than through the parking fees. The bus doesn’t even come to my campus,” commented Josh Killmon, student at the Cypress Creek campus.

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Noise Issues: Leander residents seek relief from MetroRail horns, freight train whistles.

From the Austin American Statesman 

By Ben Wear on 4/30/2010

Rail a rude awakening for some

Nina Warwick has a new alarm clock, 140 feet of shiny red-and-silver metal that sounds without warning two hours before she, her husband, David, and their children would otherwise awaken. Several times. And there's no snooze button.

Sometime before 5:25 a.m. each weekday, Capital Metro's commuter train horns begin blowing a quarter mile from their windows. The Warwicks, who have lived in their Leander home for about 20 years , are among 17 sleep-deprived neighbors who earlier this month petitioned the Leander City Council to create a "quiet zone" at RM 2243.

Federal railroad rules allow cities to seek such a status, which bars train engineers from blowing the horn at a crossing unless a specific safety threat crops up, as long as the road intersection has four-armed gates or other added measures to keep cars off the tracks. The RM 2243 rail crossing has had a "quad" gate in place since early 2009, more than a year before MetroRail began service last month. It's one of the few stretches of the 32-mile commuter rail line from Leander to downtown Austin that isn't in a quiet zone.

Leander leaders in 2005 created a quiet zone along Capital Metro's railroad at Crystal Falls Parkway , in the south part of the city, but apparently overlooked the crossing nearest the line's terminus on the north side of the city.

"Maybe I did a little ball-dropping on that," said Leander Mayor John Cowman, who has served on the Capital Metro board since 2004, when MetroRail development began. Cowman lives in a home just off Crystal Falls Parkway, about 1.3 miles west of the Capital Metro tracks.

Cowman promised Warwick the city would create an RM 2243 quiet zone when she appeared at the council meeting to present her petition. Capital Metro, which helps cities with the technical aspects of the application in such cases, should have relevant information to Leander sometime next week, agency spokesman Adam Shaivitz said.

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Round Rock Rail study outlines challenges in planning new commuter line

From Community Impact News

By Rob Heidrick Wednesday, 28 April 2010

ROUND ROCK — A study presented to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority board of directors April 28 identifies key challenges—but no insurmountable barriers—in preliminary plans to build a commuter rail line from Austin through Round Rock, Pflugerville and Georgetown.

Trains on the new line would run to the Capital Metro Red Line station at Howard Lane and MoPac, allowing passengers to continue into downtown Austin and destinations along the way.

The feasibility study—funded with $150,000 from CTRMA and $25,000 from the City of Round Rock—outlines several issues that must be addressed before the Round Rock Rail can move into the next planning stages. The analysis is an early step that precedes further studies required for applying for federal funding.

The capacity of the existing Red Line track between Austin and Leander will need to be evaluated, as that line was planned without anticipating additional riders entering the system from Williamson County. The feasibility study estimates that as many as 2,900 passengers could ride the Round Rock line per day by 2030.

Transit consultant Barry Goodman said options for resolving the capacity issue could include adding higher-capacity rail cars, running more cars per train and adding a double track in portions of the Red Line that currently have just one.

Funding will be another key consideration going forward. Goodman said capital costs for the Round Rock Rail could be about $340 million, with an additional $10 million annually in operating expenses.

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