San Antonio city officials said they have begun a second phase of development of a citywide bike network plan, a document meant to help better meet the needs of local bicyclists.
The background
Cycling enthusiasts gathered Nov. 30 for a public discussion, The Future of Biking in San Antonio, hosted by the grassroots group Strong Towns San Antonio at the Dakota East Side Ice House.
There, city transportation department representatives briefed event attendees on the progress they said they are making toward revamping the city’s 2011 bike plan.
According to David Bemporad, a transportation planning consultant, and Harley Hubbard, assistant to the transportation department director, the city is embarking on a listening tour to gather input mainly from San Antonio’s cycling community.
The idea, Bemporad and Hubbard said, is remake the bike plan to enhance the overall experience for local bicyclists in terms to adding protections and facilities, among other cycling-related assets.
The city’s ongoing efforts to improve bicycling conditions include an overhaul of the SABikeNetwork resource website.
Additionally, the city recently was awarded a $15.8 million state grant to build a downtown cycle track along Market and Commerce streets, and held a Dec. 5 ceremony to mark the completion of downtown bike lanes along Avenue B and North Alamo Street.
Digging deeper
Residents are also invited to answer a bike network plan survey, which closes Jan. 15, 2024. Hubbard and Bemporad shared with event attendees preliminary survey results, saying 7 out of 10 residents expressed openness to biking for 15 minutes or longer—or nearly 2 miles—given safe and comfortable conditions.
Hubbard and Bemporad offered other findings from Phase 1 outreach efforts:
- 53% of respondents reported driving alone daily, but of that group, only 9% said that was the only way that they “would like to get around San Antonio.”
- 47% of daily drivers did not list driving as one of their mobility preferences.
- 69% voiced challenges in navigating San Antonio without a car.
- 67% of respondents said building protected bike lanes should be a priority for the city to “make it more comfortable” on San Antonio streets.
Some attendees at the Nov. 30 event said they want the city to focus on developing a network of complete streets, which the grassroots group ActivateSA describes as accommodating all types of travelers users with sidewalks, bike lanes, wide paved shoulders, bus lanes, transit stops, crosswalks, median islands, pedestrian signals and curb extension.
City officials said these and other findings emphasize the potential for bicycling as a viable mode of transportation in San Antonio.
“To ensure inclusivity, the BNP team is using Phase 2 to target areas of San Antonio where survey responses were lacking in Phase 1. We want to reach every part of San Antonio with numerous events scheduled to engage diverse communities," Hubbard said in a statement.
