MAP: Safe mobility upgrades made to these Austin campuses ahead of school year
The 2024-25 school year is just around the corner in Central Texas, and the City of Austin's Safe Routes to School program has plenty of sidewalk, crosswalk and cycling infrastructures upgrades done to help students safely walk, bike and roll to school this year.
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The 2024-25 school year is just around the corner in Central Texas, and the City of Austin's Safe Routes to School program has plenty of sidewalk, crosswalk and cycling infrastructure upgrades done to help students safely walk, bike and roll to school this year.
The city's Safe Routes to School program recently completed improvements at 14 school campuses in the City of Austin's full purpose jurisdiction, with active work underway on 13 campuses. Six campuses are on deck for additional improvements down the road.
Recently completed projects, active construction work and planned improvements target campuses in Austin Independent School District (ISD), Round Rock ISD, Del Valle ISD and Pflugerville ISD.
The Safe Routes to School program utilizes funding from the City of Austin's 2016 and 2020 mobility bonds to help improve transit access for students heading to school. Combined, the two bond programs allocated $47.5 million for projects citywide.
Common projects included curb ramps and curb extensions, new sidewalks and pedestrian crossing islands, signal improvements and speed cushions. Those projects are outlined in full in the attached map.
While not mapped above, a city spokesperson added work underway along Rundberg Lane is adding a shared-use path and additional enhancements that'll impact Barrington, Graham, Guerrero-Thompson, Hart, Padrón and Wooldridge Elementary Schools, along with Burnet and Dobie Middle Schools. Those complete upgrades include:
- Shared-use path on north, south sides of Rundberg Lane from Mearns Meadow Boulevard to Cameron Road and Dessau Road
- Bike ramps connecting northbound Georgia Drive bikeway and North Plaza two-way bike lane to Rundberg Lane's shared-use path
- Curb ramp improvements
- New pedestrian crossing, hybrid beacon to be installed at Slayton Drive
- Intersection safety upgrades at North Creek Drive will include enhanced signal head visibility, a leading pedestrian interval, a raised crossing and a new westbound left-turn lane will be added
- Intersection safety enhancements at Georgian Drive to feature improved signal head visibility with new reflective back plates
- Multiple bus stops to be relocated along Rundberg Lane to enhance transit operations
More details on the program are available online.