SAN ANTONIO – Over half a million dollars in funding is set to go toward enhancing San Antonio’s street safety programs, according to a city news release.
The city received a $520,000 grant from the Safe Streets and Roads for All program to install “quick-builds,” which will bring low-cost improvements to San Antonio’s roadways.
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San Antonio’s Transportation Department will chip in an additional $130,000, the release said.
The grant, part of the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program, is the department’s second. The program was established through the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
According to Smart Growth America, a nonprofit that advocates for community resilience, quick-build projects “are temporary installations to test new street design improvements that improve safety and accessibility.”
“This is part of a multi-year strategy to pursue federal funding for local priorities through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act and other opportunities from the federal government,” City Manager Erik Walsh said
The quick-build installations will pad two ongoing city programs: Vision Zero and the Bicycle Network Plan.
Part of the funding, about $6.5 million, was also allocated to the airport to address runway improvements and parking lot realignments to prepare for the airport’s new terminal project.
Asked if the Transportation Department was looking at specific parts of the city for installations, Joe Conger, a city public information officer, said they would occur across the city.
“There are plenty of opportunities out there, but we have no specific number to identify at this time,” Conger said in an email to KSAT. “This grant is designed to not only discover potential Quick Builds, but also help design a Quick Build process, which the City at this point does NOT have.”
San Antonio’s Transportation Department addressed the ongoing Bike Network Plan in April at a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee briefing.
During the briefing, District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur said her office had received “a lot of feedback on current bike lane infrastructure.” Kaur asked Catherine Hernandez, the department’s director, what the potential for quick-build installations could look like.
Kaur echoed support for the grant and the feedback process it will bring in a Thursday emailed statement to KSAT:
Investing in safer streets is investing in the future of our community,” Kaur said. “This $520,000 grant will not only help us make immediate improvements through the Quick Builds for Safe Communities program but also guide long-term solutions that prioritize safety and accessibility for everyone. The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant provides us with a critical opportunity to work toward a safer community—not just for cyclists, but for pedestrians and drivers as well. The benefit of the Quick Build process is that it is not permanent, allowing us to continually gather community input make adjustments, and ensure that a full solution works and the community has had time to adjust to the changes. We see a lot of opportunities to address hazardous traffic and cycling areas a lot faster than the normal process and already have a list of areas around District 1 that we’re excited to see helpful changes.