Austin’s Bike Route 59 got new lane markings in the 0.6-mile section at the south end of Parker Lane on Thursday.

New stripes mark the boundaries of two bicycle lanes, one parallel-parking lane on the west side of the road, and two lanes for cars, plus a turn lane near Woodward Street.

Parallel parking is not allowed in the bike lanes. New no-parking signs have been installed where parallel parking is prohibited: On the east side of Parker from Woodward Street to Royal Hill, and on the west side of Parker for 400 feet north of Woodward.

The new lanes at the south end of Parker Lane include one lane for parallel parking, plus two bike lanes and two lanes for cars. To the left is the 50-acre Mabel Davis Park. (Click to enlarge)

The striping is part of a city mobility project to address traffic congestion and air quality issues, and was announced here in a Jan. 22 blog post. Parker Lane and Burleson Road are frequently used by bicycle commuters and recreational cyclists as routes to downtown Austin, St. Edward’s University, Mabel Davis Park, the Lady Bird Lake hike-and-bike trail and other sites. The area is also a short ride from McKinney Falls State Park via Burleson’s bike lanes.

Parker Lane’s new stripes end at Royal Hill Drive, only two duplex lots away from Carlson Drive, which has become an important east-west route for cylists, pedestrians, drivers, transit users, school buses and emergency vehicles in the area. See a Feb. 10 blog post about how Edgewick condominium developers and homeowners are requesting city permission to block public access to Carlson. Cyclists have been notified about the development’s plans in the e-newsletter of the Austin Cycling Association, and the League of Bicycling Voters has said that it opposes closing Carlson.