AUSTIN — A tight squeeze for bikers and runners may be on the brink of a major overhaul at one of Austin's most congested spots.
There are two sidewalks on each side of Pleasant Valley Road -- which is located atop Longhorn Dam -- that have been a topic of discussion for many years now. The city is holding a meeting Tuesday night to talk about a new proposal to build a pedestrian and bicycle bridge across Lady Bird Lake near the Longhorn Dam.
These sidewalks on each side of the road are only 4 feet wide, and they are shared by pedestrians, bicycles, scooters and strollers. This issue actually dates back to 2013, when the city's public works department sent out a memo describing the crossing as having "poor bicycle and pedestrian safety." Back at this time, the city tried to fix the issue by proposing to reduce the road from four lanes to two and install bike lanes. However, there was too much public opposition to move forward.
In order to get feedback on the new idea, the city is hosting a public meeting Tuesday, Nov. 13 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Fiesta Gardens near Martin Park in Downtown Austin. The staff is hoping to introduce the outline for the new project and get a better idea of what people in Austin believe the new crossing should accomplish. They also will be asking what potential interim improvements could be made to the dam as well.
This will be the first of three meetings about the project, with the final design of the bridge coming at the second meeting and a final recommendation at the third. The study is estimated to cost about $500,000 and is being sponsored by The Public Works Department and Austin Transportation. The study is expected to last about one year, and the actual building of the bridge is expected to be complete in the fall of 2019.