Next Steps on Mobility and Parking Near Murchison and Doss
[This message provided by Laura Dierenfield from Austin Transportation and Public Works.]
The City of Austin and AISD recently met with NWACA leadership to discuss safety and mobility in and around Doss Elementary School and Murchison Middle School. The City has been implementing a series of projects to create safer routes to school for walking and bicycling as well as to improve visibility, air quality, encourage safer speeds and generally offer more mobility choices for everyone in the neighborhood.
The City, AISD and NWACA are working together to address concerns and questions that have arisen since many of the changes were implemented. The goal is to help everyone stay safe when moving about Northwest Hills, encourage use of the new walking and bicycling facilities and make modifications where necessary to meet the needs of the community.
Among the next steps that NWACA, AISD and the City will pursue are:
Walking School Buses & Bike Trains – Research shows that kids who are active show up to school more ready to learn. The City’s Get There ATX program, in partnership with the Doss and Murchison school communities, will support regular walking and bicycling to school together. Please email [email protected] if you’re interested in getting involved in one of these efforts.
Community Outreach - AISD is reaching out to the organizations that utilize the fields on the weekends, such as Austin Women’s Kickball and i9 Sports, with an aerial map showing where they are legally allowed to park on the Doss and Murchison campuses. They will also be encouraged to bike, walk and car pool to help minimize the demand for parking in the area.
Increased Patrolling - AISD Police will increase its routine monitoring of the Doss and Murchison campuses on the weekends. They will issue parking citations to any vehicles illegally parked in fire lanes on campuses as the safety and security of all community members is paramount and those driveways need to be kept clear in case of an emergency.
Ongoing Monitoring - AISD will explore ways to help with traffic flow at morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up at both campuses. AISD Police, Transportation and Operations Departments have all be engaged and are working together to identify what solutions can be implemented in the near future.
Future Improvements and Modifications - The City will be adjusting the current parking breaks along Far West Boulevard between Northledge Drive and Hart Lane to open up additional parking spots along the street. The City is also evaluating areas for improved crossings along Far West Boulevard between Mesa Drive and MoPac. To stay in touch with these changes, please subscribe for project updates at https://tinyurl.com/NWHillsStreets
