Stop-lighting the way for cyclists

The Austin Transportation Department announced on Monday that it is on the verge of activating a large batch of brand-new stoplights designed just for bicycles. The first new set of lights to go live can be found at the brand-new Rio Grande Street cycle track extension at West 24th Street. The Austin Monitor saw with our very own eyes city technicians turning the signals on early Monday afternoon. The lights feature bicycle-shaped beacons indicating when two-wheeled travelers can safely cross the intersection. Other new lights across the urban core “will be operational in the following weeks,” ATD announced. Those can be found along Third Street in downtown, on Airport Boulevard near Mueller, on the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, at Fourth Street at Red River Street, and at North Lamar Boulevard and Morrow Street. The signals are part of a research study between the city and the University of Texas’ Center for Transportation Research. According to ATD’s press release, “The study will be measuring user compliance and safety on the road. Additionally, public perception and knowledge regarding bicycle signals will be included in the study.” That study should be delivered “in a few months” following the activation of the new stoplights.