Austin Bike Route Safety Map

Austin has built a bike network that revolves around its rivers and its creeks — the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake, the Shoal Creek and Walnut Creek trails flowing into it, the Veloway's 3.1-mile bikes-and-skaters-only loop south of town, the Longhorn Dam crossing on the east side, and a downtown protected-lane grid that has grown substantially since the 2020 and 2024 mobility bonds. But Austin is also I-35, the frontage roads, and a sprawl of high-speed arterials that concentrate a disproportionate share of cyclist injuries on the High-Injury Network. The safety of any given Austin ride depends almost entirely on whether your route uses the trail spine or the arterial grid. Brakeaway scores every route across Austin from 0 to 100 based on protected infrastructure, intersection risk, traffic volume, heat exposure, and surface quality. Paste a Google Maps link, upload a GPX, or connect Strava. The score appears in about 10 seconds.

How Brakeaway scores an Austin route

Every route you submit is analyzed across five factors. The factor weights are calibrated to Austin's specific conditions — a strong off-street Urban Trails network along Lady Bird Lake and the major creeks, a downtown grid where protected-lane density is rising fast, a set of genuinely hostile highway-frontage corridors that concentrate crashes, and a summer climate that makes shade coverage a real safety variable.

1. Protected infrastructure. What share of your route is on a separated multi-use trail (Butler, Shoal Creek, Walnut Creek, Southern Walnut Creek, the Veloway), a concrete-protected bike lane (the Third Street, Rio Grande, Nueces, and Guadalupe upgrades), or a buffered bike lane? Protected miles score near the top of this factor; conventional bike lanes score in the middle; unmarked streets on the High-Injury Network score at the bottom.
2. Intersection risk. Austin's arterial crossings — especially the I-35 frontage-road interchanges, Lamar, Burnet, Airport, Manor, and the big 38th, 45th, and MLK crossings — are where most serious cyclist crashes happen. Brakeaway penalizes unprotected arterial crossings and flags right-hook risk segments where bike lanes merge with turning traffic near highway on-ramps.
3. Traffic volume and speed. Austin's neighborhood streets typically carry under 2,000 vehicles per day at 25–30 mph, which scores well. Major arterials run 20,000–50,000 per day at 35–45 mph posted but frequently higher on frontage roads. ATD/TPW publishes counts that Brakeaway uses where available.
4. Heat and shade coverage. Unique to Austin's score model among our cities. Summer highs consistently exceed 100°F, and routes without tree cover or building shade become meaningfully more hazardous due to heat exhaustion risk. Brakeaway flags routes with low shade coverage through known high-exposure corridors (much of the downtown grid, the Shoal Creek Blvd middle section, most frontage roads).
5. Surface quality. Austin's pavement varies — newer neighborhoods have smooth surfaces; older east-side and central streets have a mix of recent repaving and deferred-maintenance sections. Brakeaway scores surface quality segment-by-segment and flags known rough spots, especially around the creek crossings and older industrial corridors.

Best-scored Austin bike routes

These are the routes that consistently score highest across Brakeaway's five factors. Each one is a good first ride, a good repeat ride, or both.

Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail (Lady Bird Lake loop, 10.1 miles)

The flagship Austin bike route — a fully paved, fully separated multi-use trail that loops Lady Bird Lake with downtown skyline views from the south bank and Zilker Park on the west end. The 2014 Boardwalk segment closed the final gap over the water near the Holly Power Plant. Scores 95–100 end-to-end. Connecting bridges (Pfluger, MoPac Pedestrian, Lamar, Congress, South 1st, I-35, Longhorn Dam) create natural out-and-back options or loop variations. A canonical first Austin ride and the busiest bike corridor in the city.

Veloway (south Austin, 3.1 miles)

The Veloway is the only public trail in Texas reserved for bikes and non-motorized wheel sports — no pedestrians, no runners, no dogs. Fully paved, fully separated, a closed 3.1-mile loop near Slaughter Lane and MoPac. Scores 98–100. Perfect for beginners, interval training, kids learning to ride, and anyone wanting traffic-free miles without sharing with walkers.

Lance Armstrong Bikeway (east–west through downtown)

Austin's downtown east–west spine connects the Seaholm district and west downtown to the east side via a combination of separated path, protected bike lane, and quiet street segments. Passes under I-35 at its safer crossing point. Scores in the 80s on the protected segments, with the I-35 underpass scoring near 100 because of the physical separation. A central piece of any downtown-commuter route.

Shoal Creek Trail (Lady Bird Lake to Hancock Drive)

A paved, mostly-separated trail along Shoal Creek from the Butler Trail north through Pease Park, past 38th Street, and up to Hancock Drive. A few short on-street detours where the trail briefly exits to the adjacent residential streets. Scores 85–100 on the trail segments, lower on the detour blocks. One of Austin's best north–south central-city bike routes that avoids Lamar entirely.

Southern Walnut Creek Trail (east Austin, 7+ miles)

A fully separated paved trail through east Austin from Govalle Park northeast toward Manor and the Walter E. Long Park area. Scores in the 90s. The east-side equivalent of the Butler Trail for longer rides and commuters heading to the Mueller, Manor, and Pflugerville directions.

Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park trail network

Walnut Creek Park's internal trail system (separated from the Southern Walnut Creek Trail) plus the connections toward Lamar Boulevard and the Yager Lane segments create a north-Austin off-street network. Scores in the 85–95 range. Less used than Lady Bird Lake but meaningfully safer than the parallel arterial grid.

Nueces Street bike boulevard + Third/Fourth Street protected corridor

Downtown Austin's emerging bike grid. Nueces Street has been treated as a bike boulevard (low-speed, bike-priority) through the downtown residential west-side. Third and Fourth Streets have protected bike lanes that extend the grid east–west. Scores in the 80s on the protected segments. The Guadalupe Street upgrades (north of the UT campus) and Rio Grande Street improvements extend this protected grid north into West Campus.

Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge + MoPac Pedestrian Bridge

The two fully separated bike/ped bridges over Lady Bird Lake. Pfluger runs adjacent to the South 1st Street auto bridge and connects Auditorium Shores to West Downtown; MoPac crosses the Colorado further west connecting the 360 Highway and West Austin neighborhoods to Zilker Park. Both score near 100. The Longhorn Dam crossing on the east end provides a third fully-separated option that closes the Butler loop.

Austin quadrants — what to expect

Safety scores vary widely by quadrant. Here's what routes typically score where.

Downtown, Rainey, East Sixth, and the Capitol Complex

Downtown's protected-lane density is rising fast. Third Street, Fourth Street, Nueces, Rio Grande, Guadalupe, and parts of Lavaca have protected or buffered bike lanes. The Lance Armstrong Bikeway runs through. Weak points: the core 6th Street entertainment district is cyclist-hostile during nightlife hours, the I-35 frontage roads remain dangerous, and East Sixth's crossings at Red River and San Jacinto have poor cyclist accommodation. Scores on protected segments run in the 80s; unprotected downtown streets in the 50s–70s.

East Austin (Holly, East Cesar Chavez, Govalle, MLK East)

East Austin's internal street grid is quiet and increasingly cyclist-friendly as protected-lane projects have been built out. The Southern Walnut Creek Trail provides the east-side spine. Manor Road, East Cesar Chavez, and parts of East MLK have bike infrastructure, though the quality varies by block. Weak points: Airport Boulevard, MLK east of I-35 during peak hours, and the Pleasant Valley Road corridor. Scores on residential streets and the trail run in the 80s–90s; arterials drop.

South Austin (South Lamar, South 1st, South Congress, Travis Heights)

South Austin is served by the Butler Trail on the north edge and the Veloway on the south end. Bouldin Creek and Travis Heights have quiet internal streets. South Lamar's bike lanes have been upgraded in segments. Weak points: South Congress south of Oltorf, William Cannon, Ben White Boulevard / US-290, and most of South Lamar during peak hours. Scores on side streets and the Butler run in the 80s–90s; arterials drop.

UT Campus and North Campus / West Campus

The UT Austin campus itself is bike-accessible with shared-use paths through parts of the Forty Acres. Guadalupe Street's Drag segment has improving bike infrastructure. Speedway is the internal pedestrian-and-bike spine. Weak points: 24th Street, 26th/27th, and MLK east of the campus during peak hours, plus the severe crossings of I-35. Scores around the campus run in the 70s–80s on protected segments.

Central Austin (Hyde Park, Hancock, Triangle, Allandale)

Central Austin's residential grid is flat and generally quiet. The Shoal Creek Trail runs through the west edge. Neighborhood greenways are limited compared to Portland, but streets like 45th, Duval, and Red River function as informal bike routes. Weak points: Lamar Boulevard, Burnet Road, 38th Street at Lamar, Koenig Lane, and 45th Street at peak hours. Scores on side streets in the 80s; arterials drop significantly.

North and Northwest Austin (Crestview, Brentwood, Great Hills, Arboretum)

Progressively less bike infrastructure as you move north. The Walnut Creek Trail network is the main off-street asset. Side streets in Crestview and Brentwood are quiet. Weak points: Anderson Lane, Burnet north of 183, Research Boulevard (US-183), Parmer, MoPac frontage, and most of the Great Hills/Arboretum access streets. Scores in the 30s–50s on most arterials; the trail network is the practical safe-route answer.

West Austin, Tarrytown, Clarksville

West Austin is hilly and arterial-dominated. The MoPac Pedestrian Bridge is the main protected connector to Zilker. 15th Street and Exposition Boulevard have bike lanes. Weak points: Mopac frontage, Bee Caves Road, Lake Austin Boulevard during peak hours, and the climbs on Enfield and 35th. Scores vary widely — 80s on the protected connector, 40s–60s on arterials.

Mueller, Windsor Park, and northeast Austin

The Mueller development has been built with bike infrastructure as a priority — Aldrich, Berkman, and Mueller Blvd all have protected bike lanes or cycle tracks. The Southern Walnut Creek Trail runs through the area. Weak points: Manor Road east of Airport, Ed Bluestein Boulevard, and the I-35 frontage crossings. Scores on Mueller's internal streets run in the 80s–90s.

Austin's Mobility Bonds, Project Connect, and Vision Zero

Austin voters have approved a series of mobility bonds that fund bike and pedestrian infrastructure — the 2016, 2020, and 2024 bond packages together fund hundreds of miles of protected bike lanes, urban trail segments, and Vision Zero corridor treatments. Project Connect (the light-rail and bus rapid transit expansion approved in 2020) includes substantial bike and pedestrian infrastructure along its corridors, with segments scheduled to open through the late 2020s. Austin also adopted Vision Zero in 2016 with a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities on city streets; the High-Injury Network analysis identifies roughly 8% of Austin's streets where more than 70% of severe crashes occur, heavily concentrated on I-35 and the major arterials.

Ongoing 2026 projects that will change scores include the Red Line Parkway build-out along the MetroRail corridor, additional downtown protected-lane extensions, Project Connect bike and pedestrian infrastructure along planned light-rail stations, the Barton Springs Road upgrades, and continued Urban Trails network expansion per the 2023 Urban Trails Plan.

First-time Austin cyclist — the things nobody tells you

The Butler Trail is the entire city. Austin's bike network effectively radiates from the Lady Bird Lake loop. Most cross-town trips that feel bikeable touch the Butler Trail at some point; most that feel hostile do not. For first-time riders, planning routes that use the Butler Trail even briefly is the single biggest score upgrade you can make.

I-35 is the safety story. The I-35 frontage road corridor from Round Rock through downtown and south past Ben White concentrates more Austin cyclist crashes than any other single corridor. Brakeaway penalizes routes that force you onto any I-35 frontage, and the safer crossings (Lance Armstrong underpass, 12th, 15th/16th, Riverside) should be memorized early.

Summer heat is a real safety variable. Austin's June–September heat regularly exceeds 100°F, and peak ridership shifts to early morning and late evening during those months. Route shade coverage matters — the Butler Trail has segments with meaningful canopy, most downtown protected lanes have almost none. Hydration, sun protection, and choosing shade when possible are the real summer safety moves.

MetroBike is the practical starter option. MetroBike's docked stations cover downtown, UT campus, east Austin, and increasingly south and north. Day passes are cheap; annual membership pays for itself in two to three months for any regular commuter. E-bikes in the MetroBike fleet make more of Austin practical — especially given the climbs out of downtown toward the north and west.

The Veloway is underrated. A purpose-built 3.1-mile paved loop reserved for bikes and non-motorized wheel sports — no runners, no walkers, no dogs. Austin is the only major US city with this kind of exclusive-use facility. Great for new riders, kids learning, and anyone wanting traffic-free laps.

CapMetro is bike-friendly. All CapMetro buses have front-mounted bike racks. MetroRail's Red Line allows bikes on-board. For Austin's sprawl, combining a 3–6 mile pedal with a bus or train ride is often the practical answer to a commute that looks impossible on a map.

Resources

• Austin Transportation and Public Works — biking
• Vision Zero Austin
• Austin Urban Trails Program
• MetroBike — Austin bike share
• BikeTexas — statewide advocacy

Frequently asked questions

Is Brakeaway free to use for Austin routes?

Yes. Scoring routes — in Austin or any other city Brakeaway covers — is free. You can upload a GPX file, paste a Google Maps directions link, or connect Strava to import existing rides.

I'm new to Austin cycling. Where should I start?

The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake is the default first ride — about 10.1 miles of fully paved, car-free loop with downtown skyline views. The 2014 Boardwalk segment over the lake near the Holly Power Plant completed the full loop. Pick the north bank from Auditorium Shores to the MoPac Bridge and back, or ride the full loop. After that, the Lance Armstrong Bikeway through downtown and the Shoal Creek Trail north are natural follow-ups.

Which Austin corridors score highest?

The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake, the Veloway in south Austin (3.1-mile car-free loop reserved for bikes and skaters only), the Lance Armstrong Bikeway through downtown, the Shoal Creek Trail, the Southern Walnut Creek Trail, the Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park trails, the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, the Longhorn Dam crossing, and the growing Nueces Street bike boulevard all score in the 85–100 range.

Which Austin streets should I avoid on a bike?

Brakeaway consistently scores the following corridors very low: I-35 frontage roads, US-183 / Research Boulevard, Parmer Lane, Anderson Lane, South Congress south of Oltorf, Burnet Road during peak hours, and most of MoPac's frontage. All carry high traffic volumes at highway speeds with minimal bike infrastructure. The Red Line Trail, the MoPac pedestrian bridge, and the MetroBike network help route around them.

How does Brakeaway handle Austin's summer heat?

Heat is a real Austin safety factor — summer highs commonly exceed 100°F and bike ridership drops sharply from June through September. Brakeaway's score doesn't change by temperature, but the route breakdown flags shade coverage where known (the Butler Trail has meaningful canopy in segments; many protected-lane corridors downtown have almost none). For serious Austin summer riders, early morning (before 8 a.m.) and evening (after 8 p.m.) are the practical windows, plus hydration, sun protection, and route planning around shade.

How does Brakeaway treat MetroBike?

MetroBike (Austin's docked bike-share, operated through CapMetro and the Austin Transportation Department with Lyft as the system operator) has stations across downtown, UT campus, east Austin, and increasingly in south and north Austin. The fleet is a mix of classic pedal bikes and Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes. Brakeaway scores MetroBike routes identically to routes on your own bike — the assist doesn't change infrastructure risk. Export a ride history from the MetroBike or Lyft app and upload it as GPX.

Can I bike across I-35 and the Colorado River?

Across I-35, the safer options are the Lance Armstrong Bikeway's underpass segments, MLK Boulevard, 12th Street, and 15th/16th Street in central Austin. Across the Colorado River (Lady Bird Lake), the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge (next to the South 1st Street bridge) is fully separated and scores near 100. The Lamar Boulevard Bridge and Congress Avenue Bridge both have bike lanes or sidewalks but score lower due to traffic. Longhorn Dam provides an east-side crossing. The MoPac Pedestrian Bridge on the west side is fully separated and scores high.

How often is Austin route data updated?

Infrastructure data is refreshed monthly from Austin Transportation and Public Works open datasets, OpenStreetMap, and Vision Zero Austin project updates. Major new protected-lane openings — including the 2020 and 2024 mobility-bond-funded bike projects, Project Connect bike and pedestrian upgrades tied to light rail, and ongoing Urban Trails network expansion — are reflected in scores within 30 days.

Last updated: April 20, 2026.