City of Austin News Release

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704

For Immediate Release

August 6, 2010

Contact: Sara Hartley, Communications Manager, (desk) 974-1444, (cell) 560-4267

Annick Beaudet, Program Consultant, (desk) 974-6505

City of Austin receives almost $1 million in pedestrian and bicycle safety

education and infrastructure funding
AUSTIN, TX – The City of Austin has been selected by the Texas Department of Transportation
(TXDOT) to receive funding to enhance its bicycle and pedestrian programs and infrastructure.

The projects were selected on a competitive basis through TXDOT, as part of the SAFETEA-LU
Act (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users). The
SAFETEA-LU Act helps fund transportation enhancements across the country.

The City of Austin projects that were selected included a pedestrian and bicycle public education
campaign and additional infrastructure enhancements. These programs will continue to increase
the City’s commitment to build safe, multi-modal transportation options for Austin residents.

“The State received about 200 applications for funding of programs, so we are proud to have our
applications selected,” says Acting Assistant Manager Howard Lazarus. “The federal and state
governments are recognizing the need for these types of multi-modal transportation enhancement
programs, and our City’s progressive Bicycle Master Plan is a perfect match for those goals.”

The “Safe Bicycling and Walking Campaign” will be funded $369,584, with a local 50% match and
will utilize multiple media channels to promote safe bicycling and walking. The campaign will
include circulating a public service announcement featuring Lance Armstrong that encourages
Austin residents to bicycle to work, multiple education programs for pedestrian and bicycle safety,
including child safety projects. The campaign will be coupled with infrastructure enhancements to
allow those that choose to walk or bike to have safe and appropriate places to do so.   
 
The “Citywide Bicycle Infrastructure Improvements Program” is also funded at $569,509, along
with a 50% local match. This program will implement bicycle transportation enhancements as
defined in the City of Austin Bicycle Plan and will accelerate bicycle infrastructure installation over
the next three years. The City’s match is leveraged through the Complete Streets Program and the
existing partnership with the Bicycle Program and the Street and Bridge Division of Public Works.
These partnerships allows the programs to work efficiently by striping bicycle lanes when roadways
are up for routine maintenance.

City of Austin – Public Works Bicycle Program: www.ci.austin.tx.us/publicworks/bicycle

SAFETEA-LU programs: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/
TX-DOT: www.txdot.gov

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