NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – The City of New Braunfels is seeking public input on a Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Plan, a process it anticipates could be completed by next summer.
The plan was born from the city’s comprehensive plan called Envision: New Braunfels, which calls for directives “to create a full inventory of existing sidewalks and resident feedback to improve walkability in the city,” an email from a city spokesperson said.
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Currently, New Braunfels has 452 miles of sidewalks and 50 miles of bike facilities. The city also maintains about 955 lane miles of roadway.
Bike facilities, according to the Global Designing Cities Initiative, are designated street spaces specifically designed for cyclists. These can include cycle lanes, cycle tracks and design elements for these spaces.
Approving the plan
New Braunfels City Council approved the plan in this year’s budget. Consultant work began in June.
Kimley-Horn, an engineering consultant firm, is helping the city with network analysis, outreach support and plan development, the spokesperson said.
The city also partnered with students from Texas State University’s Geographic Information Systems department to begin developing an initial sidewalk inventory, which could explain within the plan.
Earlier this year, New Braunfels was among six new cities named as members to the registry for the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), which supports the development of sustainable transportation systems.
“NACTO as an organization reflects many of the transportation safety goals that are heard from residents: design that accounts for all types of road-users and design that prioritizes safety,” the city said.
NACTO membership also enables New Braunfels to track how other cities have addressed issues related to roadway design and drainage before embarking on their own phases of design.
New Braunfels’ NACTO membership announcement in May came at a pivotal time, said Garry Ford, the city’s director of transportation and capital improvements.
“We are proud to be a member of the NACTO community so we can learn and collaborate with other member-cities in our pursuit of safe, accessible and sustainable transportation,” Ford said.
Playing the feedback loop
The city said current community engagement plans will conclude on Nov. 15, followed by a period for city staff and consultants to analyze areas of interest identified by residents.
Likely beginning early next year, another round of comments on the plan will be gathered. Work on the plan is expected to wrap up next summer, the spokesperson said.
After completing its public feedback phases, the city spokesperson said that community responses would “help staff prioritize not only the areas that are addressed, but also what aspects of the project should be emphasized so residents get the most out of the final product.”
The role of state and regional partners
As is the case with most Texas cities, some of New Braunfels’ thoroughfares intersect or are owned by the Texas Department of Transportation, which means TxDOT would be involved with the design process.
Alongside TxDOT, the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (Alamo AMPO) would hold funding powers involving state and federal transportation funds for local projects.
“As those opportunities arise, New Braunfels will pursue those to maximize the local funds available to implement these projects,” the city spokesperson said.
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