City of Austin, I call on you to create temporary Protected Bicycle Lanes on Congress Avenue NOW from Riverside ALL THE WAY to the State Capitol to enable safe bicycling during the pandemic and beyond.

Mayor Adler, Austin City Council Members, City Manager Cronk, Assistant City Manager Fiandaca, Austin Transportation Director Spillar

** Please sign this petition by June 11th, when Austin City Council will make its decision. **

We need temporary Protected Bike Lanes on Congress Avenue NOW to make it easy and safe to get to and around downtown safely during the pandemic and beyond. These lanes must NOT stop at 3rd Street; they must go ALL THE WAY to the State Capitol.

Bicycling has never been more important and more in demand in Austin than in recent months. And as the city enters its recovery phase, it'll be crucial that people can get to and across downtown safely by bicycle to support local businesses, run errands, and get exercise.

Austin City Council is considering temporary Protected Bike Lanes on Congress Avenue north of Riverside and in the future may vote to keep the bike lanes long term. This would be a historic leap forward for bicycling in Austin. However, it's possible that the bike lanes will stop at 3rd Street, keeping much of Congress in its current unsafe state. We call for the bike lanes to go all the way to the State Capitol.

Sign this petition by June 11th and tell Austin City Council: "I want Protected Bike Lanes on Congress from Riverside to the State Capitol!"

Sponsored by

To: Mayor Adler, Austin City Council Members, City Manager Cronk, Assistant City Manager Fiandaca, Austin Transportation Director Spillar
From: [Your Name]

Thank you for considering temporary protected bicycle lanes on Congress Avenue north of Riverside Drive. This crucial improvement will make it much safer to get to and through downtown by bicycle and will help local businesses recover from the past few difficult months.

Since the pandemic began, bicycling's popularity in Austin has sharply risen. In these hard times, people of all ages and abilities are using bicycles for essential trips, errands, and for socially-distanced exercise. This has shown bicycling's importance in helping people to get through the pandemic into the likely lengthy period of ongoing social distancing.

However, because downtown lacks safe north-south protected bicycle lanes, most people on bikes have been unable to come to and through downtown, preventing them from satisfying their needs by bicycling and holding back local downtown businesses from attracting vital customers.

Protected bicycle lanes on Congress Avenue north of Riverside will address these pressing needs. However, ending these lanes at 3rd Street will significantly reduce their benefits. It's vital that the lanes go all the way between Riverside and the State Capitol. Please ensure that this vital connection is made.

Thank you for your leadership on this important matter. I look forward to enjoying protected bicycle lanes on Congress Avenue in the near future and hope you will consider keeping the lanes long term after the pandemic.