Austin seeks ways to improve mobility on North Lamar, Burnet

On Sept. 20 and Sept. 22, the Austin Transportation Department held public workshops to hear from residents about what areas along the two roads, which are considered core transit corridors, need improvements and which projects should be priorities.

“We are looking to make the streets more of a complete street so all users have an equal share instead of them being auto-dominated streets,” said Alan Hughes, transportation engineer for the Austin Transportation Department and the project’s manager.

The workshops were part of a study approved in a $90 million bond package in 2010. In North Austin, the study includes North Lamar Boulevard from US 183 to I-35 and Burnet Road from Koenig Lane to MoPac. In the past two years, there have been more than 700 car-related accidents on North Lamar and more than 400 on Burnet, many of which were due to the corridors’ large numerous and wide driveways, according to the city.

At the workshops, residents identified areas in black marker that could use improvements—a bike lane or sidewalk, clearer signals or better crosswalks—on a long, topographic photograph of Burnet and Lamar.

Notes ranged from “this light takes forever,” to the more positive, such as “new bike lanes and left turn lanes work great!”

The Austin Transportation Department will hold stakeholder meetings Oct. 18 and 21, a business open house Oct. 20 and a final public meeting Jan. 19. The times and locations of the meetings have not been announced.

For more information, contact Hughes at 974-7186 or alan.hughes@ci.austin.tx.us. Information about the study can also be found at www.austinsmp.com/corridors/lamar-burnet.