SAN ANTONIO – A national bike infrastructure design guide revision out this week could influence the development of facilities through San Antonio’s Bike Network Plan update, according to Transportation Department officials.
The “Urban Bikeway Design Guide,” updated for the first time in a decade, suggests design practices for cities and policymakers to institute complete bike networks, a National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) news release said.
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“The newest edition of the Urban Bikeway Design Guide will be an important resource for communities as they improve safety and design for cyclists, pedestrians, and everyone who uses our streets and roads.” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said.
This updated edition includes straightforward policymaking and project development guidance for connected bikeable streets in cities across the United States, the release said.
San Antonio inked several projects on its bike transportation timeline last year.
Last month, the city’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was briefed on a program -- part of the larger Bike Network Plan update -- to install quick builds.
The infrastructure tool is “designed to enhance safety and mobility through rapid, low-cost roadway improvements,” a city news release said.
The Transportation Department received the grant from the Federal Highway Administration.
After the committee approved the agreement, City council is expected to vote on it after the FHWA finalizes the agreement, said Catherine Hernandez, director of the transportation department.
Also in December, city council approved a funding agreement with TxDOT to construct a one-mile, two-way cycle track from Flores Street to Interstate 37.
The project, expected to be completed by Winter 2028, is currently in its design phase.
Joe Conger, a spokesperson for the city’s Transportation Department, said NACTO’s guide would not apply to projects currently underway, specifically those past their design phase and already in construction.
However, Conger said NACTO’s updated design would be considered as the department approaches developing bike facilities through the Bike Network Plan.
The plan has been under development for over two years. Completing the plan in its entirety could take between $3-8 billion over 25 years, including $540 million to $1.44 billion in local match funds, according to a draft implementation plan.
“It is way too soon to tell what, if any, impact it will have on any particular future project: Should the BNP pass City Council later this month and we begin planning for bike facilities, the BNP still requests input from the residents and businesses that would be affected by the bike infrastructure,” Conger said in an email to KSAT.
Public input, coupled with traffic data and available funding, are key elements in the future design of roadways, Conger said.
City council will vote on the update to its 13-year-old Bike Network Plan at the end of the month.
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