Mueller Development Bicycle and Pedestrian System

1
Mueller DevelopmentBicycle and Pedestrian System

• By Tom Wald
• League of Bicycling Voters
• August 7th, 2008

2
(Introduction/Disclaimer 8/11/08)

• In this presentation where a recommendation is
  given, please note that this is only an initial
  recommendation. It is meant to reflect the
  probable consensus of the bicycling community,
  based on informal discussions.
• Though I have already engaged various communities
  in discussion about the bicycling and pedestrian
  facilities at Mueller, I will schedule meetings
  over the coming weeks and months to engage more
  people from the immediate neighborhoods and local
  bicycling community in this discussion.

3
Bicycle Parking

• City of Austin ordinance
• 25-6-477 BICYCLE PARKING.
• (D) (1) be as convenient to building entrances as
  the motor vehicle parking facility
• (2) not interfere with pedestrian traffic.
• Bike parking at Mueller should, at a minimum,
  comply with existing City of Austin ordinance.

4
Bicycle Parking

• Other considerations
• Bike parking should be clear of obstacles,
  especially fixed obstacles, that would prevent
  the use of the parking.
• Curb cuts should be in obvious, convenient, and
  visible locations so that bicyclists can either
  ride or walk their bicycle to the rack.

5
Bicycle Parking

• Major retail area
• Most, or all, of the existing bicycle parking in
  this area is farther from each building entrance
  than motor vehicle parking.
• Bicycle parking should be available next to the
  entrance of each large retailer.
• Bicycle parking should be available near the
  entrance of each food service location.

6
Bicycle Parking
7
Bicycle Parking
8
Bicycle Parking
9
Bicycle Parking

• Mueller Central office
• Bicycle parking for the Mueller Central office
  should be next to the main entrance, as specified
  in city ordinance.

10
Bicycle Parking
11
Bicycle Parking
12
Bicycle Parking
13
Crosstown / PhilomenaHike-n-Bike Trail

• When ROMA sought input from the local bicycling
  community in 2004, several knowledgeable bicycle
  advocates met with ROMA to discuss the Mueller
  Plan at that time.
• The unanimous opinion of the bicyclists was
  off-street trails should not be built through
  dense areas that require frequent motor vehicle
  crossings.
• The crosstown Philomena hike-n-bike trail was
  strongly turned down by the bicyclists whose
  input was sought by ROMA.

14
Crosstown / PhilomenaHike-n-Bike Trail

• This trail is potentially dangerous for the
  bicyclists who are most likely to use it novice
  users.

15
Crosstown / PhilomenaHike-n-Bike Trail

• Existing example
• Philomena St. (westbound)
• center line / 14 street lane / curb / boulevard
  / 5 cement sidewalk / plantings / 10 decomposed
  granite trail

16
Crosstown / PhilomenaHike-n-Bike Trail
17
Perimeter Hike-n-Bike Trail

• The perimeter hike-n-bike trail should be paved
  if it is to be considered an excellent bicycle
  facility.
• A paved surface requires less maintenance and
  encourages more bicyclists to avoid the
  high-speed, high-traffic perimeter roads than
  does the decomposed granite surface.
• In-line skaters would also be able to use the
  surface.

18
Perimeter Hike-n-Bike Trail

• The ingress and egress paths for the perimeter
  hike-n-bike trail are often inadequate or
  otherwise poorly implemented.
• These need to be built to AASHTO standards in
  order to be adequate for mixed use.

19
Perimeter Hike-n-Bike Trail

• Examples
• Approaching Manor Rd. and Anchor Ln.
• The path is 5 exposed aggregate.
• There are several sharp turns that are
  superfluous.
• Approaching Airport Blvd. just east of the fire
  station
• The path is 6 exposed aggregate.

20
Perimeter Hike-n-Bike Trail

• The interfaces between the perimeter hike-n-bike
  trail and streets should be discussed further to
  ensure convenient and safe transitions.

21
Perimeter Hike-n-Bike Trail
22
Perimeter Hike-n-Bike Trail
23
Perimeter Hike-n-Bike Trail
24
Perimeter Roads,Traveling On Them

• Airport Blvd
• Sidewalks and streets lead down to Airport Blvd.,
  but there are no pedestrian or bicycle facilities
  on Airport Blvd.
• There is nothing in the Mueller Plan about this.
• What is the plan for incorporating the Mueller
  Development section of Airport Blvd. into the
  bicycle and pedestrian system?

25
Perimeter Roads,Traveling On Them

• I-35
• How will the Mueller Development section of I-35
  northbound frontage road be incorporated into the
  bicycle and pedestrian system?
• Currently there is a 6-1/2 exposed aggregate
  sidewalk immediately adjacent to the street from
  the southern boundary to Barbara Jordan Blvd.

26
Perimeter Roads,Traveling On Them

• 51st St
• There is an off-street 10-wide cement path under
  construction on the south side of 51st St between
  I-35 and Mueller Blvd. Where is this facility in
  the Mueller Plan?
• Off-street facilities should have a raised
  surface when crossing driveways and streets to
  highlight the presence of the off-street facility
  to on-street road users.
• Again, motor vehicle crossings should be
  minimized and at the very least, there should not
  be any private driveway crossings of this
  off-street facility.

27
Perimeter Roads,Traveling On Them

• 51st St (cont.)
• There are existing driveway crossings at Home
  Depot.
• Recommendations
• One or more crossings should be limited to
  delivery vehicles.
• Every crossing should have several treatments in
  order to prevent conflicts. These include
• 1) A continuous, raised surface for the
  off-street facility where the surface is shared
  with intersecting motor vehicle traffic.
• 2) Street markings at the shared surface area
  indicating the nature of cross traffic for both
  parties.
• 3) Guidance for motorists exiting the Home Depot
  for where they should stop (before the off-street
  facility, then again after the off-street
  facility before entering 51st St.)
• 4) Guidance for motorists entering the Home Depot
  to yield to the off-street facility traffic

28
Perimeter Roads,Traveling On Them

• 51st St (cont.)
• What pedestrian and bicycle facilities are
  planned for 51st St. east of Mueller Blvd.?

29
Perimeter Roads,Traveling On Them
30
Perimeter Roads,Traveling On Them
31
Perimeter Roads,Traveling On Them

• Manor Rd
• How will the Mueller Development section of Manor
  Rd. be incorporated into the bicycle and
  pedestrian system?

32
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them

• Airport Blvd _at_ Wilshire/Aldrich
• Bicyclists should be permitted to travel straight
  across Airport Blvd. here without using the
  pedestrian facility.

33
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them

• Airport Blvd _at_ Wilshire/Aldrich (cont.)
• Recommendation
• Westbound bicyclist traffic (from Mueller) uses
  the center lane, which is currently not in use,
  and use the same signal timing as the
  left-turning traffic.
• A detector loop will need to be added to the
  center lane.
• A cut will need to be made in the longhorn
  median.
• The median will require a signal button for
  bicyclists.

34
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them

• Airport Blvd _at_ Wilshire/Aldrich (cont.)
• Recommendation
• Eastbound bicyclist traffic (into Mueller) uses a
  new narrower lane with a detector loop when
  approaching Airport Blvd.
• Eastbound bicycle traffic will have a signal
  immediately following the westbound bicyclist
  traffic.
• A cut will need to be made in the longhorn
  median.
• The median will require a signal button for
  bicyclists.

35
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them

• Airport Blvd _at_ Wilshire/Aldrich (cont.)
• Pedestrians should be permitted to cross all four
  ways at this intersection. The Mueller Plan
  diagrams of this intersection indicate this.
• The medians need to have pedestrian signal
  buttons. Otherwise, a pedestrian in the median
  has no way to trigger a signal.
• Pedestrians should get priority in signaling,
  rather than come last.
• The wait time for a pedestrian signal should be
  significantly decreased from its maximum of 2-1/2
  minutes.

36
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them
37
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them

• Airport Blvd _at_ Schieffer / Zach Scott
• How do bicyclists and pedestrians cross Airport
  Blvd. here?
• Bicyclists should be permitted to travel straight
  across Airport Blvd. here without using the
  pedestrian facility.
• Pedestrians should be permitted to cross all four
  ways at this intersection.

38
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them
39
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them
40
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them

• Airport Blvd _at_ Antone / 40th St
• (Note that Antone and 40th St. do not line up
  exactly.)
• How would a bicyclist or pedestrian travel from
  Antone St. and Airport Blvd. to 38-1/2 St.?

41
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them
42
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them

• 51st St _at_ Lancaster
• Pedestrians should be permitted to cross all four
  ways at this intersection.

43
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them
44
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them

• 51st St _at_ Robert Mueller Blvd
• This intersection should facilitate pedestrian
  movement across 51st St.

45
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them
46
Perimeter Roads, Crossing Them

• Manor Rd _at_ Berkman
• This intersection has not yet been striped on the
  Mueller side.
• The striping plan should be made available for
  review. Other intersection configuration
  information should be made available for review
  as well.

47
Yellow Bike Project Space

• Catellus missed an opportunity when it chose not
  to accommodate the Yellow Bike Project at the
  Mueller development.
• This bicycle facility would have provided Mueller
  residents with free bicycle repair within walking
  distance.
• Residents would have benefited from the
  non-profit, volunteer-run, community bicycle shop.

48
Yellow Bike Project Space
49
Yellow Bike Project Space

• A solution is for Catellus to advocate for a
  satellite Yellow Bike Project shop space at
  Mueller.
• Catellus can provide a satellite shop space for
  Yellow Bike Project in the Mueller Town Center,
  and provide seed money to outfit the new shop.

50
Yellow Bike Project Space
51
Bike Lanes, In General

• Most bike lanes at Mueller have been planned
  using the minimum AASHTO standards, yet Mueller
  is a new development.
• AASHTO minimums are just that, minimums and
  should only be used for existing streets where no
  other option is available.

52
Bike Lanes, In General

• Existing example
• Aldrich St. from Airport Blvd. to the roundabout
  (at Mueller Blvd.)
• median / 15-16 inner lane / 15 outer lane / 5
  bike lane.
• Recommendation
• Remove the existing stripes and re-stripe the
  street with an 8-10 bike lane.

53
Bike Lanes, In General
54
Bike Lanes On-Street Parking

• Bike lanes next to parked cars need more space.
• AASHTO minimums are just that, minimums and
  should only be used for existing streets where no
  other option is available.
• Street cross-sections
• A, A2, AA, AA1, B, D, D2

55
Bike Lanes On-Street Parking

• Existing example
• Zach Scott St. (eastbound)
• center line / 10 main lane / 5 bike lane / 8
  parking
• Recommendation
• a) Remove parking from one side of the street and
  widen the bike lanes, or
• b) Remove or cover the bike lane striping from
  both sides.

56
Bike Lanes On-Street Parking
57
Bicycles On-Street Rail

• Street cars track lanes should never be the
  only street travel lane, since bicycles are not
  safe to use them
• Street cross-sections
• A1
• Example U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett broke his leg
  this spring navigating on-street rail via bicycle.

58
Bicycles On-Street Rail

• A mitigation plan must be in place for streets
  with parallel street car tracks, or the tracks
  should be separated from the street
• Street cross-sections
• A2
• Example U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett broke his leg
  this spring navigating on-street rail via bicycle.

59
Four-Laned Streets Bicycle Facilities

• High-traffic streets should have on-street bike
  facilities
• Street cross-sections
• C, C1 (right side only), C2

60
Four-Laned Streets Bicycle Facilities

• Existing example
• Barbara Jordan Blvd. (eastbound)
• median / 12 inner lane / 11 outer lane / curb /
  grass boulevard / 6 cement sidewalk
• Recommendation
• Restrict the right lane to only bicyclists and
  right-turning vehicles. (An example of this
  compromise exists on Far West Blvd. between Loop
  1 / Mopac Expy and Hart Ln.)

61
Four-Laned Streets Bicycle Facilities
62
Linear Park Sidewalks

• Linear parks should have sidewalks wider than
  4-5
• Street cross-sections
• D1, D2, D3

63
Sidewalks in Parks Adjacent to Streets

• Parks should have street-side sidewalks wider
  than 4
• Existing example
• Tom Miller St. between Antone St. and Berkman Dr.

64
Implementation Considerations

• Bicycle and pedestrian access should be
  maintained in the developed areas.
• Network bicycle and pedestrian connectivity
  should be maintained throughout, in developed and
  undeveloped areas.

65
Implementation Considerations
66
Implementation Considerations
67
Implementation Considerations
68
Implementation Considerations
69
Implementation Considerations
70
Implementation Considerations
71
Implementation Considerations
72
Implementation Considerations