TheWriter
04-23-2005, 03:52 AM
Bicycle master plan is rolling
Web Posted: 04/22/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Patrick Driscoll
Express-News Staff Writer
After 30 years of shelved efforts, the City Council on Thursday did what was once considered more laughable than serious — it passed a bicycle master plan.
The ambitious blueprint calls for bicycle routes to be considered on many of the major streets in San Antonio, including new roads in developments. That amounts to more than 1,600 miles of off-road paths, separate bike lanes on roads or lanes shared with cars.
Currently, the San Antonio area has just 228 miles of bike routes either on the ground or funded for construction.
"This is the first substantive step," Councilman Julián Castro said of the plan, which was approved by a unanimous vote.
Castro wasn't even a year old when an earlier bicycle master plan was trotted out by city staff in 1975 and ignored by the council.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization, which oversees federal transportation dollars here, followed with two other plans and a couple of studies.
In 1997, the city adopted a master plan that included goals to establish more bike routes. Then in 2001, a revamped development code required bikeways in new developments and redevelopments.
However, the development code included a proviso that a bicycle master plan must first be in place. It took four more years for the council to solve that problem, which included some foot dragging during the past year because of concerns from developers about added costs.
"The developers actually came around," said Scott Ericksen, a spokesman with the Metropolitan Planning Organization, which helped put the city's bicycle plan together. "I'm not sure they're thrilled about giving away too much right of way."
Officials with the Real Estate Council of San Antonio couldn't be reached for comment.
Bicycle advocates, who lobbied the city hard in recent months, see the plan as a turning point.
"It's long overdue," said William Hudson, past president of the San Antonio Wheelmen. "San Antonio is still behind most of the major metropolitan areas, but this is a major milestone."
But the plan will take decades to complete, will not be cheap, and getting the money will be a challenge, said Tom Wendorf, the city's public works director.
"It's an evolution, not a revolution," he said.
Developers will put bikeways on an estimated 12 percent of the city's roads as they're built out. Other streets are either constructed or grandfathered, and therefore will need to be retrofitted for bike routes as funds become available.
City, county and state officials already try to add bicycle facilities to roads as they're widened or rebuilt. For the city, the master plan identifies streets where such efforts are now mandatory.
Some of the city's $8.5 million a year from a recent voter-approved sales tax increase will be used for bike routes, Wendorf said. Other potential sources include grants, bonds, private partnerships and the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority.
One idea, not yet floated as an official proposal, is to increase the local vehicle registration fee or add a bicycle registration fee.
"It's one of those ideas out there that ought to be explored," Wendorf said.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/citycouncil/stories/MYSA042205.1B.council.1ff5bdbf4.html
Web Posted: 04/22/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Patrick Driscoll
Express-News Staff Writer
After 30 years of shelved efforts, the City Council on Thursday did what was once considered more laughable than serious — it passed a bicycle master plan.
The ambitious blueprint calls for bicycle routes to be considered on many of the major streets in San Antonio, including new roads in developments. That amounts to more than 1,600 miles of off-road paths, separate bike lanes on roads or lanes shared with cars.
Currently, the San Antonio area has just 228 miles of bike routes either on the ground or funded for construction.
"This is the first substantive step," Councilman Julián Castro said of the plan, which was approved by a unanimous vote.
Castro wasn't even a year old when an earlier bicycle master plan was trotted out by city staff in 1975 and ignored by the council.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization, which oversees federal transportation dollars here, followed with two other plans and a couple of studies.
In 1997, the city adopted a master plan that included goals to establish more bike routes. Then in 2001, a revamped development code required bikeways in new developments and redevelopments.
However, the development code included a proviso that a bicycle master plan must first be in place. It took four more years for the council to solve that problem, which included some foot dragging during the past year because of concerns from developers about added costs.
"The developers actually came around," said Scott Ericksen, a spokesman with the Metropolitan Planning Organization, which helped put the city's bicycle plan together. "I'm not sure they're thrilled about giving away too much right of way."
Officials with the Real Estate Council of San Antonio couldn't be reached for comment.
Bicycle advocates, who lobbied the city hard in recent months, see the plan as a turning point.
"It's long overdue," said William Hudson, past president of the San Antonio Wheelmen. "San Antonio is still behind most of the major metropolitan areas, but this is a major milestone."
But the plan will take decades to complete, will not be cheap, and getting the money will be a challenge, said Tom Wendorf, the city's public works director.
"It's an evolution, not a revolution," he said.
Developers will put bikeways on an estimated 12 percent of the city's roads as they're built out. Other streets are either constructed or grandfathered, and therefore will need to be retrofitted for bike routes as funds become available.
City, county and state officials already try to add bicycle facilities to roads as they're widened or rebuilt. For the city, the master plan identifies streets where such efforts are now mandatory.
Some of the city's $8.5 million a year from a recent voter-approved sales tax increase will be used for bike routes, Wendorf said. Other potential sources include grants, bonds, private partnerships and the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority.
One idea, not yet floated as an official proposal, is to increase the local vehicle registration fee or add a bicycle registration fee.
"It's one of those ideas out there that ought to be explored," Wendorf said.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/citycouncil/stories/MYSA042205.1B.council.1ff5bdbf4.html