AUSTIN, Texas – A Texas Department of Transportation commission approved nearly $285 million worth of bicycle and pedestrian-centered infrastructure projects across the state this week.
The commission’s funding allocation to 73 projects comes the same week a TxDOT report suggesting the state agency in charge of building massive highways and overpasses provide a boost to public transportation in rural and smaller urban areas.
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The revelation, described by The Texas Tribune as “a stunning acknowledgment in car-dominant Texas,” comes from a first-of-its-kind plan released in October.
All of the projects — including at least 10 across the San Antonio metropolitan area — plan to tackle transit and pedestrian-related issues.
Where does the funding come from?
The projects sought funds from the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program, which is specifically designed to support local bicycle and pedestrian-focused projects across Texas, according to TxDOT.
The transit agency separates the projects by service district, which is why some of the projects — ranging from exploring a hike and bike connectivity plan in Castle Hills to sidewalk infrastructure in Uvalde and Hondo — are presented across the region. Due to this distinction, 12 counties comprise the San Antonio district.
All of the projects seeking TA funding are broken down into the following categories:
- Community-based – Sidewalks, bike lanes, shared-use paths
- Large scale – Bike/pedestrian bridges, regional trails, multimodal hubs
- Network enhancing – Upgrade crossing, upgrade bike lane, bike share
- Non-infrastructure – Safe Routes to School plans, safety action plans
TxDOT’s Thursday afternoon news release announcing the funding does not explicitly state which projects had their funding approved.
However, a grant to help fund a Safe Routes to School program in San Antonio missed out on funding in this cycle, said Joe Conger, a spokesperson for the city’s Transportation Department.
‘We continue to move forward’
Conger said the department would continue exploring future grant opportunities for the growing program.
“We know that walking or biking to school leads to less vehicular traffic congestion at drop-off and pick-up times and provides a healthier alternative for the students who participate,” he said in a Friday email to KSAT.
The pilot stage of the program will continue, as the department explores bringing additional schools on board.
“We are continuing our work to create materials and lesson plans that we can share with schools on how to walk and bike safely. We will continue our work hosting safety education assemblies and other activities at schools.”
The pilot envisions an eventual city-wide program implementation; however, for now, it identifies three area schools to garner feedback and expand safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.
Those schools are:
- Loma Park Elementary School
- Mark Twain Dual Language Academy
- Coker Elementary School
So far this year, the Transportation Department has hosted two Bike to School events at Loma Park Elementary School.
Meanwhile, parents in Beacon Hill host a monthly “bike bus” to Mark Twain Dual Language Academy, according to Emily Hutcheson, a parent and resident of Beacon Hill.
“Crosswalks, bike lanes, we don’t have any of that,” Hutcheson told KSAT in August. “I’m really hopeful they can bring in an engineering firm to help make the area around the campus better.”
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