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Wednesday, cycling enthusiasts met with representatives of the Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources department to express their hopes for more bike-friendly roads in unincorporated areas of town.

Some projects are already in progress to help bicyclists. Work is almost done on a pedestrian pathway near U.S. Highway 183 and Loop 360 in Northwest Austin. The project is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is set to be partially completed in June.

Bastrop resident and avid cyclist Chris DuCharme said he has experienced some close calls with cars, but that Austinites have become more receptive to his alternate mode of transportation over the years.

"As safe as you can make it, considering what you are trying to do: mix cars and bikes,” DuCharme said.

DuCharme frequents the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, a bike-only path that stretches from MoPac to near the airport. The project was just an idea on paper in 1999 and is expected to be complete by 2012.

In that time, city officials have already designated markings on downtown streets and dedicated bike lanes along street shoulders. The signage indicates specific lane designations for both cyclists and drivers, but cycling advocates say the work is not finished.

"We are going to see bike lanes on South Congress, now, that go all the way up the hill at the steepest parts,” Tom Wald, the executive director of the League of Bicycling Voters, said. “Those should be done by June or July."

Wald said his group is working with city and county leaders to improve the safety of bicyclists and drivers.

Also generating buzz is a new app for smartphones called CycleTracks. Released within the last week, Wald said it is an incredible resource that has come about because of advances in mobile technology.

"It can tell people that are in planning and transportation exactly where people ride,” Wald said. “It's a resource that, up until now, only could be done through surveys and word of mouth."

Austin is the second city in the country to test CycleTracks, following San Francisco.

Leaders hope that cyclists will use the smartphone app so they can make sure they are spending money in the right places.

Click here for more on what the city is doing to help cyclists.