SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio’s Planning Commission approved a resolution Wednesday to update the city’s Bike Network Plan (BNP), advancing continued transportation policy measures in the Alamo City.
Residents of Beacon Hill — a neighborhood on the North Side bordered by Hildebrand Avenue and part of Fredricksburg Road — echoed their support for the resolution as it moves forward.
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Elizabeth Eichhorn, president of the Beacon Hill Area Neighborhood Association, pinned her name on a letter from the group’s board to the Planning Commission, broadly supporting the BNP.
“As our neighborhood works with the city’s Planning Department to develop the Near North Community Area Plan, mobility improvement is a top priority for us. We have been fortunate to attract young professionals and families because of our dense urban environment and the ability for our residents to live, eat, commune and play in a hyperlocal way. However, much work needs to be done to make walking and biking in our neighborhoods safer and more accessible to all.
Elizabeth Eichhorn, president of the Beacon Hill Area Neighborhood Association
“We hope the 2025 Bike Network Plan will be an important tool to that end. We ask that you recommend approval.”
Mobility efforts move forward
The 2011 plan “did not address policy issues that created a barrier to cyclists,” according to a city memo.
San Antonio’s Transportation Department, which has led efforts to update the policy, hosted public engagement opportunities from May 2023 to July 2024.
The proposed new plan “will define a network of safe and comfortable bike facilities to connect us to the places we want to go and people we want to see,” according to the BNP’s website.
The plan is expected to influence how the city designs trails, bike lanes and crossings, including identifying what portions of the city need the infrastructure the most.
Emily Hutcheson, a Beacon Hill resident, issued her support for the approval in an emailed statement to KSAT.
“The BNP updates are a step in the right direction to make bicycling in San Antonio safer, easier, and more accessible,” Hutcheson said.
Hutcheson cited the neighborhood’s availability of relevant cycling and pedestrian infrastructure for commuting purposes.
“I’m a mom and a bike commuter, and my kids love riding their bikes to get places, too,” Hutcheson said. “We chose to live in Beacon Hill because of its proximity to places we want to go, which allows us to choose biking when we can.”
However, continued work at bettering existing and future infrastructure is critical.
“But we still need better infrastructure to protect cyclists of all ages, and the new plan updates allow for future implementation of facilities that will make the roads safer for everyone,” Hutcheson said.
In late September, San Antonio City Council approved an update to its Complete Streets policy, a framework for street design that considers all users. A Vision Zero update was also passed; both are expected to further influence goals set by the BNP.
Two other separate bike-related measures are inked on Thursday’s A session council agenda, including a funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for a bike lane project along Market Street downtown.
Approval at the Planning Commission was necessary for the measure to be considered on a future city council agenda, which is expected to come in late January, according to Harley Hubbard, assistant to the director of the Transportation Department.
The Bike Network Plan will next be presented as a briefing before the city’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Dec. 17.
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