St. Johns Avenue (North Lamar Boulevard to Berkman Drive)
Whether you drive, roll, or walk, the Austin Transportation Department (ATD) works to improve your transportation options. ATD is building changes to enhance the safety and mobility of everyone who uses St. Johns Avenue from North Lamar Boulevard to Berkman Drive.
Funding for this project is available from the 2016 Mobility Bond’s Bikeways and Safe Routes to School programs, the 2018 Bond Pedestrian Crossing program, and Capital Metro.
July 2021 Update
This summer Austin Transportation and Capital Metro will construct a combination of improvements at the intersection of St. Johns Avenue and Blessing Avenue. These changes will include two new bus stops, new protected bike lanes, reconstructed curb ramps and new crosswalk markings. Future construction will include a new Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon on the west side of the intersection and additional protection to buffered bike lanes along St. Johns Avenue.
After the improvements are complete, Capital Metro will close the existing bus stops on St. Johns Avenue at Grand Canyon Drive and Meador Avenue. The other bus stops along St Johns Avenue will continue to operate as they do today.
July 2020 Update
Over 70 comments were received and reviewed by the design team on the project proposal, including many comments in support of improving multimodal facilities along St. Johns Avenue. View all public comments. After reviewing community feedback, the project team has updated
the design and is moving the project into the implementation phase.
The project design has been updated in response to community feedback.
These changes include:
- Continuous protected bicycle
lanes along the entire project area, eliminating the remaining
sections of painted bicycle lanes
- Colored concrete to provide
visual distinction between the sidewalk and bicycle paths in locations
where the bicycle path is elevated to the sidewalk level
- New bicycle ramps on St. Johns
Avenue at Guadalupe Street
- On-street parking along the
south side of St. Johns Avenue to the east of Grand Canyon Drive in
response to significant parking demand
- Signal timing updates at
Guadalupe Street and IH-35 to improve pedestrian crossings
As a result of
additional coordination with Capital Metro,
the Blessing Avenue bus stops will be constructed in coordination with this
project, with subsequent consolidation of stops at Grand Canyon Drive and
Meador Avenue. The other bus stops along St. Johns Avenue will continue to
operate as they do today. Capital Metro will evaluate constructing new stops
along St. Johns Avenue in the future.
Additionally, following a traffic engineering study, City Council approved a new
ordinance to reduce speed limits on many Austin
streets to improve safety and to enhance livability. As part of this
program, the posted speed limit on St. Johns Avenue will be reduced from 35 mph
to 30 mph.
Construction
is anticipated to begin in late 2020 and will take place in phases.
Project Open House
ATD hosted an open house on February 25, 2020 for the community to learn more about the project. The proposed changes presented were identified from recommendations in the Austin Bicycle Plan, Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Reports, and the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan.
The comment period for this project was open from February 25 through March 29, 2020.
Project Background and Goals
Austin Transportation proposed changes to St. Johns Avenue to:
- Improve predictability and safety for everyone using the street by providing protected space for people bicycling of all ages and abilities.
- Improve safety for people walking and crossing the street to school, transit stops, or other destinations.
- Establish a link in a broader, planned east-west route for people of all ages and bicycling abilities from St. Johns Avenue to Far West Boulevard.
Stay updated!
Contact
For questions about the project, email Eric Virag or call (512) 974-7824.
Favor de enviar sus preguntas por correo electrónico o por teléfono a:
Sophia Benner (512) 974-7853
For media inquiries, email 2016Bond@austintexas.gov or call (512) 974-8000.