SAN ANTONIO – The cycling community in San Antonio is outraged by the Texas Transportation Commission’s decision to nix San Antonio plans that would have added protected bike lanes to Broadway Avenue.
“We need public outrage about this,” Bryan Martin of Bike San Antonio said.
Martin was one of several cycling advocates who tried to convince the commission in Austin but their words weren’t enough.
The commission in a 3-1 vote reversed the plan to hand off the 2.2 mile stretch of Broadway between I-35 and Burr Rd.
“This is the exact opposite of small government, TxDOT should trust San Antonians to make the decision that’s right for them in their community,” Martin said.
Cyclists have said safety was one of their biggest concerns as there is only a narrow sidewalk along that stretch of Broadway that is for pedestrian use.
“These roads need to go on a diet and they need to make it safe and better for pedestrians, bus drivers and cyclists,” Martin said.
Not everyone was against the vote, some local residents were pleased that Broadway would not be reduced to fewer lanes.
“To reduce down to bike lanes on each side and picturesque, that’s beautiful but it doesn’t serve the community we need to serve,” Susan Howard said.
Although the move likely means the end of the city’s current vision for Broadway, the commission said it’s not the end of all work on the roadway.
“So there’s nothing in this proposed action that would prevent us from working with the City of San Antonio,” commission chairman, J. Bruce Bugg said. “To the contrary, that’s what I would envision we do — is again, going forward, we sit down, we listen to each other, but the only stipulation is we cannot reduce capacity on Broadway.”