Bike Lanes to be Added to Barton Springs

Bike lanes will be added to Barton Springs Road east of Lamar beginning in July.  The project is budgeted at $750,000 and will result in narrower car lanes on the section of Barton Springs Road between South Lamar and South Congress Avenue, Statesman.com reports.

The thoroughfare is a popular one with motorists, who bring about 25,000 cars a day to Barton Springs, and cyclists, who bring about 500 bikes a day to the area.  This despite the absence of bike lanes.  By September, there should be an eastbound bike lane that will be 6.5 feet wide and will have periodic flexible pylons to denote the separation of the bike lane from the car lanes.  The westbound bike lane between Lamar and South First Street will be primarily located on a 10-foot-wide concrete path that will be shared with pedestrians.

The goal is to make the bike lane both feel safe and be safe, so that people will be encouraged to ride their bikes.  The car lanes will be 10 feet, which is "the best practice lane width" also used on South Congress and on Barton Springs in other sections.

The project is one of about 36 projects approved by Austin voters in November 2010 as part of a nearly $100 million bond proposition.  The Barton Springs Road project will also make bike improvements around the eastern part of Zilker Park.  Concrete paths will be added on both sides of Barton Creek, providing eastbound cyclists a better route via the hike-and-bike trail.  Westbound cyclists will be given a dedicated bike lane on the bridge.

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