The city stresses that spending of the $90 million bond package may include, but is not limited to, the projects detailed below. (Note: Great Streets refers to widened, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks as laid out in city design guidelines.)
$19.5 million: General street reconstruction
$14.4 million: Build boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake from Congress Avenue Bridge to Lakeshore Park.
$10 million: Americans With Disabilities Act compliance (design and implement ADA sidewalks on N. Lamar and Burnet Rd)
$8 million: Bridge gap in Lance Armstrong Bikeway and build Great Streets along Third Street from San Antonio to Trinity.
$4.4 million: Sidewalk program and additional neighborhood matching funds
$4.2 million: Anticipated signal and Traffic Management Center improvements
$4 million: Design and implement, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, traffic management improvements to the Y at Oak Hill (Highway 290/Highway 71).
$4 million, leveraged against $19.4 million in county investment, should 2011 county bond pass: Travis County partnership program (Austin-to-Manor trail, extension of Slaughter Lane, construction of “Wild Horse Connector” arterial east of Manor)
$2.7 million: Anticipated traffic calming, quiet zones near Capital Metro rail routes, and matching of neighborhood funds
$2.7 million: Design and engineer Waller Creek improvements (a trail and promenade along Sabine Street), plus Great Streets improvements to Sixth Street.
$2.3 million: Engineering, design, and potential construction, in partnership with TxDOT, of traffic improvements at
I-35/Cameron Road/51st Street
$2 million: Engineering and potential relocation of utilities in preparation for Great Streets redesign and rapid bus service along Lavaca and Guadalupe
$1.4 million: Design and build an extension of West Rundberg from existing endpoint near the Union Pacific rail line to Burnet Road.
$1 million: Real estate funds to purchase/protect transit corridors
$1 million: Engineering studies in anticipation of partnership with TxDOT for traffic management along I-35
$860,000: Engineer, preserve right-of-way to extend East Rundberg Lane from Cameron Road to Ferguson Lane
$750,000: Design and build bike lanes/trail to complete gap in bike route on Barton Springs Road, near Robert E. Lee Road.
$725,000: Build street, pedestrian, and bike improvements along Manor Road between Airport Boulevard and East 51st Street.
$700,000: Build multiuse trail on Kramer Lane near MetroRail station.
$650,000: Create bike lanes along Guadalupe from 24th Street to 45th Street.
$600,000: Engineering for sidewalk, bike, and pedestrian facilities along East Riverside Drive
$500,000: Design and build sidewalks on west side of Brodie Lane between Slaughter and FM 1626.
$465,000: Building bike crossing at Jollyville & U.S. 183.
$465,000: Engineer and build signal and intersection infrastructure on Pleasant Valley between Fifth and Seventh streets.
$450,000: Engineering roadway, pedestrian, and bike facilities along FM 969/East MLK between U.S. 183 and Webberville.
$430,000: Engineering for roadway, sidewalks, and bike lanes along Airport Boulevard from U.S. 183 to North Lamar Boulevard
$400,000: Engineer, in anticipation of TxDOT partnership, intersection improvements at RM 620 & RM 2222.
$300,000: Engineer, in anticipation of TxDOT partnership, widening of South Congress Avenue from two to four lanes between Eberhart Lane and Foremost Drive.
$250,000: Engineering studies, in anticipation of partnership with TxDOT and Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, for improvements along U.S. 183, between highways 290 and 71/Ben White
$250,000: Engineering and possible construction to convert Seventh and Eighth streets for two-way traffic
$200,000: Create better bike/pedestrian connectivity along Fourth Street under I-35.
$150,000: Create bike lanes on Dessau/Cameron Road between Braker Lane and East 51st Street.
$100,000: Engineering for partnership with TxDOT, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, for improvements along MoPac
$100,000: Build Johnston Terrace neighborhood sidewalks leading to Allan Elementary School.
$100,000: Engineering for sidewalk and bike facilities for Manchaca Road between William Cannon and South Lamar.
In addition to the listed projects, the city has publicized a list of potential neighborhood road and sidewalk improvements. Many are in Northeast Austin neighborhoods, east of 51st, between Manor Road and Springdale; another cluster is grouped east of I-35, roughly around Woodland Avenue. Other notable projects include improvements to Fifth Street between I-35 and Pedernales and along Stassney Lane from Teri Road to Burleson. For more information, see www.cityofaustin.org/news/bond_projects.htm.
This article appears in October 22 • 2010.