Rolling Along

Austin bike routes peddled as best in U.S. for 2017

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Two new Austin bike projects have been named best in the U.S.

Photo by Leah Moss

Gear up for some good news, pedal pushers: Two Austin bikeways have been named best in the U.S. On December 19, People for Bikes, an organization that lobbies for government funding and infrastructure for cyclists, release their picks for the top 10 bikeways in the country.

Coming in at No. 2 are theMoPac Mobility Bridges, a two-mile long system of bike and pedestrian pathways. Opened in June 2017, the $14.5 million project located in South Austin includes:

A new bicycle/pedestrian bridge over Barton Creek at MoPac.
Restriping of the southbound lanes of MoPac at the bridge over Barton Creek to improve motor vehicle congestion.
Improved bicycle and pedestrian connections to Southwest Parkway, Loop 360, and other planned trails in the area (the Violet Crown Trail and the Oak Hills Neighborhood Trail System).
A bicycle/pedestrian bridge over Loop 360 at MoPac.
A trail for both cyclists and pedestrians on the west side of MoPac running from Loop 360 to Tamarron Boulevard.

The No. 4 spot was given to the 3rd Street Cycle Track, a system of protected bike lanes on Third Street that runs the length of downtown from the Seaholm District to Trinity Street. Ideal for crosstown commuters, this bike lane is not only protected, but has special red lights to help cyclists navigate cross traffic.

Both of these projects were completed following a 2014 resolution adopted by Austin City Council known as "Complete Streets." As Austin continues to attract more residents — and more cars — the project aims to improve infrastructure that supports alternative forms of transportation.

Now that MoPac Mobility Bridges and 3rd Street Cycle Track have been completed, the City of Austin currently has 12 additional urban trail projects in the works, including the Eastlink Trail which will eventually connect Bartholomew Park to Lady Bird Lake, and the Shoal Creek Trail, which will link the on-street bicycle and sidewalk network from Fifth to 15th streets.

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Keeping The Lights On?

ERCOT meteorologist predicts higher chance of extreme cold this winter

Photo courtesy of KVUE

ERCOT says it has improved its reliability, but other Texans aren't sure it's enough.

The lead meteorologist for the state’s power grid operator, ERCOT, is predicting both a warmer winter and a higher chance of extreme cold.

During a Tuesday board meeting, Chris Coleman said current climate patterns are very similar to those in 2021 when a winter storm knocked out power for millions of Texans for several days.

“Now, that doesn’t mean we’re going to have [Winter Storm] Uri, but it does again say that we’re in a pattern that supports something like a Uri this winter,” said Coleman, ERCOT's supervisor of operational forecasting.

Coleman compared his winter forecast to a tornado watch: The conditions are there, but the storm may or may not happen.

ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas told KVUE on November 25 that he doesn’t expect calls for conservation or rolling blackouts.

“We're ready for those kinds of conditions at ERCOT,” said Vegas.

During Tuesday’s board meeting, Vegas touted nearly 3,000 weatherization inspections since 2021 and more than 10,000 megawatts of new generation added to the grid since March, mostly solar and battery storage. ERCOT estimates 1 megawatt can power 250 homes on average during peak winter demand.

However, Texas energy consultant Doug Lewin questions that math.

“[We are] better off than we were in February 2021 but not out of the woods,” said Lewin, who authors the Texas Energy and Power Hour newsletter and hosts the Energy Capital podcast. “We don’t have a system that’s resilient enough to deal with a Winter Storm Uri.”

Lewin points to two main reasons: a natural gas supply system he says is not adequately winterized, along with inefficient homes and buildings that push demand beyond supply.

“We have to bring that demand down and do that by increasing the programs we have for energy efficiency to replace inefficient heat with much more efficient forms of heat, like heat pumps.”

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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