ATX Walk Bike Roll: Public Inpur Summary Phase 1

ATX Walk Bike Roll Survey Summary

ATX Walk Bike Roll is a project to update Austin's Sidewalks, Urban Trails, and Bicycle Plans. Your feedback helps shape these plans.

Austin Public Works and Austin Transportation Departments

The ATX Walk Bike Roll survey was open from August 11 - September 26, 2021. The project team collected feedback through a variety of ways - this page focuses specifically on feedback received through the survey and poll. This summary was published on May 11, 2022.

Feedback was also collected through our Community Ambassador Program, focus group discussions, and community meetings. All community feedback is being evaluated to help shape the plan updates.

A Public Input Summary from our Community Ambassador Program can be found here.

4,411 people participated in the survey

We received 4,320 responses in English and 94 responses in Spanish. The survey results reflect the experiences and input of those who completed it. For more information about who we heard from, click "Demographics" in the menu bar above.

In an effort to hear from community members representing the diversity of Austin, we focused on engaging groups that have historically been underrepresented in past public engagement processes. Focus populations are respondents who either:

Reported an annual income below $50,000, or
Reported a race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White

27%, or 1,411 survey responses, were from this Focus Population.

The survey asked respondents to share...

How they get around Austin, how often they use different transportation modes, and which travel modes they’d like to use more or less.
What main concerns or frustrations they have with walking, biking and/or rolling.
How comfortable they are using different types of pedestrian and bicycle routes.
What improvements they'd like to see prioritized for walking, biking, or rolling in Austin.
What experience they've had participating in public processes about trails, sidewalks, or bikeways and how public outreach can be improved.

Survey Highlights

The following includes a short summary of some of the survey highlights.

Travel trends in Austin:

Driving is how respondents most often get around in Austin, followed by walking
70% of respondents said they'd like to drive less
68% of respondents said it's difficult or very difficult to get around Austin without a car

Top concerns or frustrations with walking, biking, or rolling:

Both focus and all respondents shared the same top three concerns or frustrations:

Feeling unsafe near fast-moving motor vehicle traffic
Lack of connections in the trails, bikeways, and/or sidewalk routes
Not enough sidewalks, trails and/or bikeways in respondent's neighborhood

However, 10% more of focus population respondents are concerned about the ‘lack of shade, trees, benches, and other amenities along my route’ when compared to all responses.

Top priorities for improving walking, biking and rolling:

Build more urban trails: dedicated paths for walking, biking, and rolling that are completely separated from roadways
Maintain sidewalks, urban trails, and bikeways so they’re free of debris, overgrowth, cracks, and bumps
Build more sidewalks, urban trails, and/or bikeways within respondent’s neighborhood

Notable differences in Focus Population Responses and All Population Responses

Both focus population and all respondents ranked the reasons for wanting safe places to walk, bike, or roll the same; however, a higher percentage of focus population respondents selected ‘to spend less money on transportation’ when compared to all respondents.
Most of the respondents (65%) and focus populations (69%) either strongly or somewhat disagree with the statement “In Austin, people of all races share equal access to safe and comfortable places to walk, bike, or roll.” But 50% of focus populations ‘strongly disagree’, compared to 42% of all respondents.
Nearly 3/10 focus population respondents reported missing an opportunity in the past year due to poor access to transportation options; whereas just over 1/10 of non-focus respondents said they’d missed an opportunity.
Focus populations reported lower participation in public processes about mobility - 28% said they had participated in the past year, as compared to 35% of all respondents. This finding reinforced the need to prioritize outreach within our focus populations for mobility planning processes.

Survey Question Summaries

The following section summarizes each survey question. Continue reading or use the menu bar above to jump to a specific topic.

Why respondents want safe and comfortable places to walk, bike, or roll in their community:

Chart shows list of reasons people want safe and comfortable places to walk, bike or roll with percentages next to reasons. For all respondents: 72% cited health 66% cited to get places 64% said to improve the environment, 53% said to connect with people 42% said to spend less money 4% said other and 3% said not a priority. For focus populations: 83% cited health 79% cited to get places 75% said to improve the environment, 62% said to connect with people 58% said to spend less money 4% said other and 3% said not a priority.

A higher proportion of focus population respondents than all respondents chose each reason. Focus and all respondents rank their reasons the same, however, the reason “to spend less money on transportation” was 16 percentage points higher when looking at focus population responses alone, than when looking at all responses together.

*4% of respondents shared other reasons, which include:

To avoid traffic or reduce congestion
To enjoy nature and explore the city
To spend time with children in a safe area
To decrease reliance on cars

How often respondents use different modes of transportation:

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Transportation modes respondents would like to use more of, less of, or the same amount as they currently do:

Graph showing the percent of all respondents who want to do the following modes of transportation more: walking (71%), biking for utility (69%), biking for fun (75%), use a mobility assistive device (3%), use an electric bicycle (30%), rent a scooter or bike (18%), skateboard or roller skate (17%), drive (5%), use public transit (69%), take paratransit (16%) In comparison, focus population want to: walk more (73%), bike for utility (67%), bike for fun (75%), use a mobility assistive device (5%), use an electric bicycle (31%), rent a scooter or bike (22%), skateboard or roller skate (23%), drive (5%), use public transit (72%), take paratransit (23%) — Percentages indicate number of respondents who said they want to do more or less, of a given transportation mode. Of all modes, most respondents want to walk more and drive less.

Graph showing the percent of all respondents who want to do the following modes of transportation less: walking (2%), biking for utility (3%), biking for fun (2%), use a mobility assistive device (5%), use an electric bicycle (4%), rent a scooter or bike (7%), skateboard or roller skate (4%), drive (72%), use public transit (4%), take paratransit (4%). In comparison, focus population respondents who want to do the following modes of transportation less: walking (3%), biking for utility (3%), biking for fun (2%), use a mobility assistive device (6%), use an electric bicycle (4%), rent a scooter or bike (8%), skateboard or roller skate (4%), drive (73%), use public transit (4%), take paratransit (3%). — Percentages indicate number of respondents who said they want to do more or less, of a given transportation mode. Of all modes, most respondents want to walk more and drive less.

How respondents rate the ease of traveling in Austin without a car:

All Responses: 11% of respondents do not get around Austin without a car, 1% find it very easy to get around Austin without a car, 7% find it easy, and 13% are neutral, 38% find it difficult, and 30% find it very difficult. Focus Population: 10% of respondents do not get around Austin without a car, 1% find it very easy to get around Austin without a car, 6% find it easy, and 11% are neutral, 40% find it difficult, and 31% find it very difficult. — The majority of respondents say it is difficult or very difficult to get around Austin without a car.

Main reasons respondents would walk, bike, or roll if it were easier to get around without a car:

For all respondents: 91% said to exercises or for recreation, 77% said to run errands, 76% to go to local businesses, 68% said to commute, 31% to go to school, and 10% said other. For focus population respondents: 91% said to exercises or for recreation, 77% said to run errands, 74% to go to local businesses, 73% said to commute, 35% to go to school, and 11% said other. — **Other reasons** described specific destinations and motivations for walking, biking and, rolling including: reducing emissions, exploring the city, avoiding traffic, and saving time and money.

For all respondents: 14% will spend 5 – 10 minutes, 43% will spend 10 – 20 minutes, 23% will spend 20 – 40 minutes, 3% will spend 40 – 60 minutes, 1% will spend over an hour, and 16% will not spend any time walking or using mobility assistive device to go to work, school, or a place of business. For focus populations: 14% will spend 5 – 10 minutes, 44% will spend 10 – 20 minutes, 20% will spend 20 – 40 minutes, 4% will spend 40 – 60 minutes, 2% will spend over an hour, and 16% will not spend any time walking or using mobility assistive device to go to work, school, or a place of business.

The average time respondents are willing to walk or use a mobility assistive device to go to work, school, or a place of business:

: All respondents: 4% will go up to one mile, 16% will go 1 – 3 miles, 25% will go 3 – 5 miles, 30% will go 5 – 10 miles, 10% will go 10 – 20 miles, 2% will go 20 – 30 miles, and 1.5% will go over 30 miles and 13% will not bicycle to work, school, or a place of business. Focus population: 5% will go up to one mile, 18% will go 1 – 3 miles, 25% will go 3 – 5 miles, 27% will go 5 – 10 miles, 9% will go 10 – 20 miles, 2% will go 20 – 30 miles, and 1% will go over 30 miles and 14% will not bicycle to work, school, or a place of business.

The average length respondents are willing to bicycle to go to work, school, or a place of business:

Main concerns or frustrations respondents have with walking, biking, and/or rolling:

• 69% of all respondents and 67% of focus population respondents feel unsafe near fast-moving vehicles • 53% of all respondents and 56% of focus population respondents lack of connections in trails, bikeways, and/or sidewalk routes • 42% of all respondents and 48% of focus population respondents state there are not enough sidewalks, trails and/or bikeways in respondent's neighborhood • 32% of all respondents and 36% of focus population respondents state that sidewalks/trails/bikeways are in poor condition • 28% of all respondents and 38% of focus population respondents state there’s a lack of shade, trees, benches, amenities on my route • 33% of all respondents and 36% of focus population respondents state there are not enough places where it feels safe to cross • 21% of all respondents and 25% of focus population respondents state many destinations are not a walkable/bikeable distance in their neighborhood • 19% of all respondents and 23% of focus population respondents state it would take too long • 19% of all respondents and 22% of focus population respondents state there is a lack of safe bike/scooter parking • 15% of all respondents and 22% of focus population respondents state there is not enough lighting • 12% of all respondents and 12% of focus population respondents noted Other* reasons • 9% of all respondents and 11% of focus population respondents fear someone will harm • 9% of all respondents and 11% of focus population respondents fear someone will harass • • 6% of all respondents and 9% of focus population respondents state routes are not accessible for people with disabilities • 6% of all respondents and 7% of focus population respondents don't know how to navigate pedestrian and bicycle routes • 4% of all respondents and 8% of focus population respondents don't feel safe from law enforcement • 4% of all respondents and 5% of focus population respondents stated the routes are too crowded

*12% of all respondents selected 'other' and described:

Austin's hot weather, the lack of showers at destinations, hills, obstructions in bike lanes, people on bicycles behaving unsafely on roads or trails, bike theft, and incomplete networks.

What respondents want the City to do to help them more comfortably walk, bike, or roll:

• 62% of all respondents and 66% of focus population respondents selected Build more urban trails: dedicated paths for walking, biking, and rolling • 53% of all respondents and 59% of focus population respondents selected Maintain sidewalks, urban trails, and bikeways • 49% of all respondents and 46% of focus population respondents selected More sidewalks, urban trails and/or bikeways in my neighborhood • 41% of all respondents and 49% of focus population respondents selected Provide more designated crossings for people walking, biking, or rolling. • 39% of all respondents and 39% of focus population respondents selected Improve bikeways so they are more comfortable to users • 31% of all respondents and 40% of focus population respondents selected Provide more shade for people walking and biking • 29% of all respondents and 25% of focus population respondents selected Improve sidewalks width • 19% of all respondents and 27% of focus population respondents selected Make sidewalks ADA accessible with curb cuts, ramps, smooth surfaces • 19% of all respondents and 23% of focus population respondents selected Improve lighting for people walking and biking • 13% of all respondents and 11% of focus population respondents selected Other* • 12% of all respondents and 14% of focus population respondents selected Improve signage and wayfinding to major destinations • 11% of all respondents and 14% of focus population respondents selected Provide bicycle or scooter parking • 8% of all respondents and 13% of focus population respondents selected Provide signalized crossings for people with audio and visual disabilities

*13% of respondents selected 'other' and described additional priorities, such as:

Provide showers, enforce scooter parking, ticket vehicles parked in bicycle lanes, improve network connectivity, manage encampments, and support mixed-use development.

How comfortable respondents would feel bicycling in different places:

Respondents were given a written description of different places they could bicycle and asked to rate how comfortable they would feel. No images were presented in the survey.

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man bikes on a wide, hard-surfaced path or trail that is separated from a street

Two-lane residential street, 25 - 30 mph, some on street parking, and no bike lane

Residential street with speed humps and other traffic calming devices.

How comfortable respondents would be walking in different places.

Respondents were given a written description of different places they could walk or roll and asked to rate how comfortable they would feel. No images were presented in the survey.

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A multine lane street without a sidewalk.

A multilane street with a sidewalk that is next to the street

Respondents were asked if they have missed out on any opportunities because they could not get where they needed to go.

Percent of all respondents who missed an opportunity because they could not get where they needed to go: 18% answered yes and 82% answered no. For focus populations: 29% answered yes and 71% answered no. — Nearly 3/10 focus population respondents reported missing an opportunity in the past year due to poor access to transportation options; compared to less than 2/10 of all respondents.

Among respondents who answered 'Yes', opportunities missed include:

18% of all respondents and 24% of focus population were unable to see friends or family
10% of all respondents and 19% of focus population were unable to take a job or internship
6% of all respondents and 8% of focus population were unable to get medical care
3% of all respondents and 5% of focus population were unable to get to school
6% of all respondents chose Other*
- *Written responses include the inability to attend extracurricular activities, social events, run errands, or get a COVID test.

All responses: Chart shows percent of people who strongly agree (16%), somewhat agree (9%), somewhat disagreed (23%), strongly disagreed (42%), were unsure or had no opinion (9%) about the statement. For focus population: percent of people who strongly agree (16%), somewhat agree (9%), somewhat disagreed (19%), strongly disagreed (50%), were unsure or had no opinion (6%) about the statement.

Respondent's level of agreement with the statement: "In Austin, people of all races share equal access to safe and comfortable places to walk, bike, or roll":

Most common reasons respondents disagreed with the statement:

Belief that differences exist between pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure within neighborhoods of lower-income communities of color and those of higher incomes and/or between east and west Austin
Refer to a lack of shade, parks, and green spaces in predominately black/brown communities
Belief that facilities to access public transportation are worse within communities of color

Most common reasons respondents agreed with the statement:

Belief that pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is lacking throughout Austin
Refer to facilities being built in all areas of Austin
Belief that inequities are primarily a result of income

Regardless of how participants responded, respondents shared a broad consensus on the following themes:

Concerns about connectivity & safety issues for people walking, biking, or rolling across Austin
Belief that lower-income neighborhoods have fewer safe and/or comfortable places to walk, bike, or roll, and that residents in these neighborhoods are often people of color
Desire for better sidewalk maintenance and repair
Desire for more bikeways, urban trails, and street crossings
Concerns about safety in the right of way due to overgrown vegetation, scooters, parked cars, and trash/debris

Demographics

ATX Walk Bike Roll strives to engage a racially and economically diverse set of people to learn about the challenges and opportunities facing historically underrepresented groups. Demographic data helps show if the public engagement data collected represents a broad array of backgrounds and perspectives. It also helps us refine and improve public engagement and outreach for projects and identify populations that are under-involved in the planning process.

Where we heard from

57 zip codes were represented in the survey responses. The five zip codes with the most respondents were: 78704 (6.7%), 78702 (6%), 78723 (5.7%), 78745 (5%), and 78757 (4.2%).

The map below highlights the top ten ZIP codes. Click on any area below to see the number of participants in the ZIP codes below.

ATX Walk, Bike, Roll Survey Responses

Who We Heard From

The majority of respondents (57%) identified as White, 19% of respondents identified as non-white, 23% preferred not to answer, and 1% self-described*.

_{*Note: the project team recoded some data from respondents whose self-description clearly fit into a given category. For example, "Caucasian" self-descriptions were recoded as 'white.' The "self-described" identity captures respondents whose self-description did not clearly fit into an existing category. Self-descriptions included more than one race/ethnicity, Middle Eastern, European descent, and more.}

The most represented income group were people who earn a yearly household income of over $150,000 (22%) followed by those who earn an income of $100,000 - $149,000 per year (16%). 29% of respondents preferred not to answer this question.

Respondent’s gender: 48% are female, 50% are male, 2% self-described. 2019 Austin Census data sex: 51% male and 49% female. Note that the census only surveys biological sex with males and females as options.

Respondent’s age: 0.2% are under 18; 34% are 18 – 34, 28% are 35 – 44, 19% are 45 – 54, 12% are 55 – 64, 7% are 65+ Census data age for Austin residents are: 20% under 18, 33% ages 18-34, 16% ages 35-44, 12% ages 45 - 54, 10% ages 55 - 64, 10% 65 or older.

Respondent’s racial and/or ethnic identity: Asian (5%), Black or African American (3%), Hispanic/Latinx (13%), Multiracial (3%), Native/Indigenous (1%), Self-Described (1%), White (74%). Census data (2019) Austin’s racial and/or ethnic identity: Asian (9%), Black or African American (7%), Hispanic/Latinx (33%), Multiracial (4%), Native/Indigenous (0.2%), Another race (0.5%), White (47%).

Respondent’s income breakdown: 31% make over $150,000 a year, 23% make $100,000 – $149,000, 14% make $75,000 – $99,999, 15% make $50,000 – $74,999, 11% make $25,000 - $49,999, 6% make $0 - $24,999. Austin’s Census data income breakdown: 11% make over $150,000 a year, 13% make $100,000 – $149,000, 13% make $75,000 – $99,999, 21% make $50,000 – $74,999, 22% make $25,000 - $49,999, 20% make $0 - $24,999.

All respondents: 35% said yes they have, 55% said no they have not, 11% said they are unsure. Focus populations: 28% said yes they have, 61% said no they have not, 11% said they are unsure.

Respondents who have participated in a public process where decisions were made about trails, sidewalks, or bikeways.

Focus populations reported lower participation in public processes about mobility. 28% of focus population respondents said they had participated in the past year, as compared to 35% of all respondents. This finding reinforced the need to prioritize outreach within our focus populations for mobility planning processes.

Top suggestions respondents gave for improving equity in public outreach:

Go to places where people are: schools, bus stops, grocery stores, etc.
Work with partner organizations, community leaders, churches, and clubs
Randomly sample respondents and/or pay respondents
Offer a variety of ways to give input, not just surveys
Market / promote opportunities more broadly

Next Steps

Read the ATX Walk Bike Roll Community Ambassador Phase 1 Report .

Text reads 'ATX Walk Bike Roll Ambassador Report Phase 1: August - December 2021

Our ambassadors have been collecting feedback from community members across Austin. Their outreach efforts have focused on hearing from communities of color, people with lower incomes, people with disabilities, people born in other countries, older and younger residents, and people from other underrepresented groups. The Report summarizes findings from 494 interviews, where residents share what it’s like to walk, bike, or roll in Austin, what concerns they have, and how their experience using Austin’s pedestrian and bicycle routes could be improved.

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