Untitled - Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization

Bandera Road/Hausman Road/Loop 1604 &
Neighboring Communities
Walkable Community Workshop Report
October 22, 2009
In support of a balanced and inclusive transportation system, the San Antonio-Bexar
County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has developed the Walkable
Community Program (WCP). The program recognizes the need to plan for everyone
and all modes of travel, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker or
wheelchair user or bus rider. A system that plans for pedestrians first incorporates
safety as a natural process which benefits all roadway users.
The WCP is modeled after a national program that encourages communities to design
a comprehensive and coordinated transportation system that is safe and more
welcoming to pedestrians and cyclists. The program is designed to engage the
community in the planning process for their neighborhoods. Goals of our local
Walkable Community Program are to:

Educate the public, as well as public officials on the advantages of
embracing walking and bicycling as viable modes of transportation.

Assist the community in the identification
improvements that encourage walking and cycling.

Serve as a communication forum between the community, the MPO’s
Transportation Policy Board and MPO partner transportation agencies.
of
infrastructure
The program specifically supports the MPO’s goal “to improve the opportunities for
alternative means of transportation that diminish the growth in single occupancy
vehicles and improve air quality by providing bicycle and pedestrian facilities”. As the
region’s transportation planning organization, the MPO provides a foundation
municipalities and counties can build on. The MPO’s transportation partners are
engaged and supportive of the process. They include but are not limited to: Alamo
Area Council of Governments, Bexar County, City of San Antonio, Texas Department of
Transportation and VIA Metropolitan Transit.
There are three possible activities a community may apply for within the program. Each
activity can be adapted to meet the particular needs of the community. The activities
include a bicycle/pedestrian safety class for children and adults, support and/or
facilitation of a bike rodeo and development and facilitation of a workshop. Mr. Robert
Davidson applied for a Walkable Community Workshop on behalf of the community
where he lives.
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Study Area Description and Background Information
Mr. Robert Davidson submitted an application for a workshop on behalf of the Sonoma
Neighborhood Association and the surrounding area. The study area for the workshop
includes portions of San Antonio and Helotes. The portion of the study area for the City
of San Antonio Districts includes both District 7 and District 8. The area is within Bexar
County and split between Precinct 2 and Precinct 3. Mr. Davidson actively engaged the
schools and businesses in the area in hopes of attracting at least thirty-five participants.
He developed and continues to maintain the “BikeNWSanAntonio” Google Group.
Interactive forums such as this make it easy for the public to stay involved in the
process. The study area map is shown in Figure 1.
The identified boundary includes schools, public buildings and businesses in close
proximity to utility easements that could theoretically connect a number of
neighborhoods, if access were allowed. Currently the primary way of getting anywhere
in the area is by motorized vehicles. Although not all the neighborhoods are gated,
residents are still closed-in with limited access to the major roadways in the area.
Alternative roads connecting neighborhoods directly were not provided by developers.
In addition, some businesses limit their accessibility by building and maintaining
obstructions that make it difficult for pedestrian and cyclists to access the property.
VIA Metropolitan Transit services the area with a number of routes which include: 604
Medical Center/University Park, 605 U.T.S.A./Mainland, 606 Medical Center/Alamo
Ranch and 660 Northwest Vista College/University Park & Ride. There is limited
service by routes 93 IH10 Crossroads/U.T.S.A. Express and 94 IH 10/Fiesta Texas
Express. A copy of a map showing the routes is included in this report as Figure 2.
The obvious “beaten down” paths through the easements and “drainage areas”
demonstrate people are interested in traveling by foot or other non-motorized means.
There are several of these paths leading to the Silverado 16 Theater, the HEB grocery
store, to retail and restaurant establishments. The possibility of identifying a legitimate,
non-motorized thoroughfare system throughout the community for pedestrians and
cyclists is a hope of Mr. Davidson’s application.
Accessing easements would allow children to grow in their independence and lessen
their dependence on their parents. Some children in the school attendance zones must
cross major thoroughfares in order to get from home to school and back. Mr.
Davidson’s application hoped that the information gathered would identify safe routes to
school for children of all ages. As children are old enough to ride their bikes to school
they can be independent from their parents. Schools within the boundary included
Brandeis and O’Connor High Schools, Hector Garcia and Stinson Middle Schools and
Beard and Steubing Elementary Schools.
Per Mr. Davidson’s application, he envisions a community that is no longer dependent
on the car to connect with neighborhoods, schools and businesses within the
community. Identifying connectivity opportunities is a key element of the process and
gathering information from the local residents is an essential part of the mix.
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Figure 1.
Study Area Map
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Rancho Diana
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HAUSMAN RD S
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606
MISTY WILLOW
BRAUN BEND
WHITBY RD
Leon Vista
R
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Stevenson
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GUILBEAU RD
Leon Creek Greenway North
BA
Braun Station
D
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FISHERS HILL
605
604
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GO
BABCOCK RD
OLD PRUE RD
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STONYKIRK RD
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SPRING GARDEN
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WOLLER RD
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SKYHAWK DR
Bonnie Conner
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WILLOW OAK DR
HAUSMAN RD W
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Existing Routes
Routes
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94
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4
Marshall
Community Outreach
As mentioned above, Mr. Davidson provided
extensive public outreach to neighborhoods,
schools, businesses and elected officials. His goal
was to gain the communities’ awareness of the
workshop to ensure sufficient representation for
information gathering. Mr. Davidson developed a
Google group and a brochure that he made
available to the public. The brochure is included in
this report.
The MPO expanded on Mr. Davidson’s outreach
by developing a public service announcement for
the radio and a flyer that was mailed to all
businesses and apartment complexes within the
identified boundary.
In addition, both City of San Antonio Councilmen
Reed Williams (District 8) and Justin Rodriguez
(District 7) encouraged their constituents to attend the workshop through e-blasts.
Councilman Williams opened the workshop with a warm welcome and expressed his
support for alternative transportation as a viable option in the region.
Walkable Community Workshop
The workshop was held at the City of San Antonio’s John Igo Library. The workshop
was well attended with over forty participants representing the community at large as
well as elementary, middle and high schools. The University of Texas at San Antonio
was also represented. One individual emailed the MPO prior to the meeting to express
regret they were unable to attend and included their thoughts for the workshop for
inclusion in the report. Another individual called the MPO with regrets and provided
their input to the process.
The workshop was covered by both television and newspaper reporters. An article
written by Chuck McCollough is included at the end of this report.
Information supporting the MPO’s Safety Study was available for participant input prior
to the actual workshop. This included a map depicting crash information, see Figure 3,
and a short safety survey to gather information as to what is perceived to be safety
issues in the area. The information collected prior to the workshop supports and
enhances the information gathered during the mapping exercise. The results of the
survey are provided in Table 1 of this report.
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Following the welcome by Councilman Williams, there were two presentations focusing
on the concepts involved with the Walkable Community Program.
The MPO representative explained the benefits of a Walkable Community and the
concept of Complete Streets. The benefits include, but are not limited to:

Transportation Benefits: reduced traffic congestion, improved safety, calms
traffic, preserves road infrastructure

Economic Benefits:
increased retail sales (restaurants, lodging
establishments, retail stores), job creation, and enhancement of nearby
property values

Environmental Benefits: improved air quality and energy conservation

Social Benefits: quality-of-life benefits from living in communities with more
open space and greenways and that provide more opportunities for walking
and cycling

Health and Fitness Benefits: it is well recognized that individuals benefit in
many ways from living in communities with more open space and
greenways and that provide more opportunities for walking and cycling
Following the MPO presentation, a representative of Alamo Area Council of
Governments (AACOG) presented programs available through their organization that
support active and alternative transportation. Programs AACOG provides include the
Walking School Bus, Bike Buddies and the Green Patrol.
Mr. Davidson addressed the participants as the originator of the application.
provided a brief background and thanked everyone for attending.
He
The MPO’s other transportation partners supporting the workshop included Bexar
County, the City of San Antonio Office of Environmental Policy, the City of San Antonio
Community Development Office, a representative from the Linear Creekways’
Committee, Texas Department of Transportation and VIA Metropolitan Transit.
After the presentations, participants were divided into four groups for a mapping
exercise. During this process concerns were identified and possible solutions proposed
for consideration by the respective agencies. Participants provided suggestions for
improving the walkability and bikeability of the community. The overarching comments
focused on the desire to improve the connectivity in the region and to lessen the
reliability on the motorized vehicles. Concerns from the workshop are addressed in
Table 2 of this report.
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Potential Funding Sources
There are no guaranteed funding sources for projects identified through the Walkable
Community Program (WCP). Nonetheless, good planning has its own rewards in that
the affected community begins working together with transportation agencies to identify
and prioritize their transportation needs for cars, buses, walking and bicycling. This
report represents the community speaking with one voice to assist elected officials and
potential funding entities in seeking solutions to their transportation needs. Sharing
project costs among several funding sources may be the best opportunity for funding
above mentioned projects. Potential funding sources might include:
Bexar County
 Special Road and Bridge Fund
 Farm to Market and Lateral Road Fund
 Future Capital Projects Bond Fund
City of Helotes
City of San Antonio
 Council Neighborhood Access Mobility Program
 Community Block Development Grant (CDBG) Program
 City Street Maintenance Program
 Advanced Transportation District (ATD) Program
 Future Capital Projects Bond Program
San Antonio – Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization
 Surface Transportation Program – Metropolitan Mobility (after 2012)
Texas Department of Transportation
 Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program
 District Discretionary Funds
 Category 2 Metropolitan Corridor Projects
 Safe Routes to School Funds
 Federal Enhancement Funds
Private Funding (examples)
 San Antonio Area Foundation
 The Meadows Foundation
 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
 Local Private Companies
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Next Steps
Copies of this report are provided to the Alamo Area Council of Governments, Bexar
County Commissioner Precinct 2 and 3, City of San Antonio Council District 7 and 8,
City of San Antonio Planning and Development Department, City of San Antonio Public
Works Department, San Antonio-Bexar County MPO Transportation Policy Board,
Texas Department of Transportation and VIA Metropolitan Transit. We encourage the
residents to stay in contact with the “BikeNWSanAntonio” Google Group and remain
involved in planning for future improvements in the area.
The future is forever becoming the past. Planning for the future is a dynamic process.
Planning for a healthy environment ensures a healthy community. The MPO supports
the efforts of the cooperative endeavor that included two cities, two council districts, two
county precincts and several neighborhoods.
MPO Contact Information:
Lydia Kelly
Bicycle/Pedestrian Transportation Planner
San Antonio – Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization
825 S. St. Mary’s St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
Phone: 210-230-6911
Fax: 210-227-9321
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:www.sametroplan.org
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Table 1
Safety Study Survey Responses
1) Do you feel there is a transportation
safety issue in your area
2) What are the most important
Transportation safety issues in your
area (Check all that apply).
The number next to the item identifies
the number of checkmarks for that
item.
Yes
8
No
0
_2_ Car seat/seatbelt _5_ Distracted Driver
usage
_1_ Drunk Driving
_2_ Faded Roadway
Markings
_2_ Ignore School
Zones
_3_ Lack of Bicycle
Facilities
_0_ Lack of
Crosswalks
_6_ Lack of Sidewalks
_4_ Mobile Phone
Use while driving
_4_ Poor lighting
_2_ Poor Signage
_1_ Pot holes/other
_3_ Speeding
_1_ Other aggressive
drivers who don’t treat
cyclists as vehicles
Multiple responses were allowed.
3) Are there particular roads or
intersections that are more dangerous?
Please list what you believe are the
most unsafe roads and/or intersections
in your area and why.
Babcock at DeZavala
Babcock Road from
Hausman to the
greenway
(2 respondents)
Needs sidewalks and
bike lanes for families to
be able to walk to the
park.
Bandera at Prue
Bandera at Quincy
Lee
Guilbeau at Bandera
Left turn into Bill Millers.
Hausman at Loop
1604
10
Prue Road
Expand (North-South
alternative needed).
Prue Road at Old
Prue Road
Tezel Road
Expand (North-South
alternative needed).
UTSA Boulevard
(2 respondents)
Students walking without
sidewalks.
UTSA Boulevard at
Babcock
4) List any comments/concerns for
transportation safety improvements in
your area.
Turning into university
park from northbound
lane.
There are accidents weekly at the light on UTSA
Boulevard and Valero Way.
Speeding on UTSA Boulevard.
Need sidewalks.
Light synchronization.
Don’t wait until development is complete to
implement a walkable community. Keep
bicycles off major roads. There is no east-west
walk way from Babcock to Loop 1604.
Babcock Road, north of Bamberger Park, leads
to parks, but is dangerous to pedestrian and
bike traffic. People should be able to get to the
greenway trail safely from most directions.
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Table 2
List of Infrastructure Improvements Identified
Area of Interest
A.
Use of
easements for
joint/use path
Identified Concern
1. Two CPS Energy easements were identified as possible
connectors to access commercial, theater and other
businesses.
a. Power line west of Bandera Road: would allow multiple
neighborhoods safe access to O’Connor High School and
Weinke Elementary School with only a short improvement to
Leslie Road for connectivity
b. Power line east of Bandera Road: Vicki Ordaz of Pool
Concepts has been in discussion with Mr. Davidson and has
communicated a willingness to allow access on the property for
connectivity to Western Oak neighborhood; this could connect
with the fitness trail Kamary Commons is putting in; connecting
in this manner would provide safe off-road access to the
Bandera Road/Loop 1604 commercial area for Bandera Springs
Apartments, Bavarian Forest, Cedar Springs and all of Sonoma
Ranch
c. Power line to Helotes: it is possible to ride in the power line
easement to Old Town Helotes if access is established
2. Lisa Enrico and Los Pedernales Roads: possible connection
to access power line path; Lisa Enrico Road is already open to
power line path, Los Pedernales is blocked by a welded gate by
Sonoma Ranch
3. Pedrotti’s Northwind Ranch property at the end of Sonoma
Parkway: possible access point to utility line path/possible
trailhead/park if property owners would allow
4. Braun Road: adjacent drainage/utility easement could be
made available for connectivity
5. Use French Creek drainage easement as a Creekway,
similar to Leon Creekway
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B.
Roadway
improvements
1. UTSA Boulevard is in need of bicycle and pedestrian
facilities for the safety of students
2. Bamberger Way from Babcock Road to Kyle Seale Parkway:
joint use path or at least bicycle facilities and sidewalks
3. Braun Road: sidewalks and bicycle facilities needed from
Loop 1604 to Bandera Road
4. Hausman Road: needs pedestrian and bicycle facilities the
entire length; this was a major concern at the workshop; public
opinion from the meeting suggests the center turn lane is not
needed or used substantially; participants of the workshop
would like to see pedestrian and bicycle facilities rather than the
turn lane
5. Hausman Road and Babcock Road: dangerous
intersection; becomes a choke point because there are no other
alternatives to using a car in the area
6. Sonoma Parkway from FM 1560 to Kyle Seale Parkway:
better connectivity needed with bicycle facilities; could
potentially take cyclists off Loop 1604 as well as connect to
Garcia Middle School
7. FM 1560 at Loop 1604: safe crossing needed for children;
Hausman Road/Loop 1604 intersection does not have
pedestrian walkways on both sides of the road
8. Tezel Road: bike facilities needed from Bandera Road to
Old Tezel Road
C.
Connectivity
related to
schools and
businesses
1. Connectivity needed for local businesses such as the 11600
Bandera Road HEB so residents do not have to rely on their
cars every time; pedestrian connectivity to Bandera Road/Loop
1604 commercial area behind Brae Ridge and Brae Valley is
blocked by a wall, forcing residents onto Bandera Road; the
evidence of use in spite of the wall can be seen by a well warn
path leading to the neighborhoods
2. Crossings: for Stinson Middle School are not safe
3. Brandeis High School: signage is needed identifying where
the school is; sidewalk and crossing improvements needed on
Kyle Seale Parkway between high school and the John Igo
Library; sidewalks along Hausman needed because high school
kids frequent business on Hausman
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4. Hector Garcia Middle School on Kyle Seale is missing 50
yards of sidewalk to connect it to the stoplight, allowing children
from the west side of Kyle Seale Parkway to access it via the
crosswalk instead of by bus
5. S. Hausman should have sidewalk to connect
neighborhoods to Steubing Elementary School, aquatics center
and Dub Ferris Rd
6. Wall behind Silverado 14 should be opened in at least two
places to allow pedestrians access to shopping area from wide
grass strips/easements
7. Short sidewalk missing on Loop 1604 from Bandera Springs
Apartments to Home Depot entrance; sidewalk in front of
Bandera Springs Apartments is excellent
8. O’Connor High School: sidewalk gaps exist for surrounding
area
D.
Parks &
Recreation
1. Bamberger Park: joint use paths to connect major roads
leading to park
2. Leon Creek and Bamberger Park: Live Fire range is along
pathway and near park; safety for those in the park and along
pathways is crucial; perhaps shorten the range; this was
brought up as a concern with two groups
3. A major reason people move to the area is the close
proximity to Leon Creek, Government Canyon and the Hill
Country; would like to see more connectivity for active
transportation to those amenities
4. French creek and unnamed creek in the boundary area:
Hike and bike connectivity opportunity
E.
Miscellaneous
1. Residents would like to see sidewalks with setbacks and not
adjacent to the streets.
2. Less variances for sidewalk construction
3. More access points within the area so the dependence on
cars is reduced.
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F.
VIA Metropolitan
Transit
1. Public transit access to John Igo Library
2. Transit stop at Loop 1604 and FM 1560: bad access
because of slope; needs sidewalk
3. Transit stops are located in heavy traffic areas with little or
no protection from motorists
G.
Municipality
collaboration
Residents from Helotes and San Antonio are interested in
connectivity in the area so they are not required to use a
motorized vehicle to get to the movies, grocery stores and
libraries
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By Chuck McCollough - Contributing Writer/Northwest Weekly
Robert Davidson wants to turn the clock back to a time when kids could safely walk or ride bikes anywhere they
wanted to go in their community.
And he has a lot of company.
More than 50 Northwest and North Central residents joined Davidson at an Oct. 22 Walkable Community Workshop
that looked for bike and pedestrian connections between neighborhoods in the general area along Loop 1604
between Bandera Road and Kyle Seale Parkway.
“I grew up riding a bike everywhere, and I want the same for my kids. But the area around our neighborhood is
landlocked so we can ride bikes to the neighborhood pool but that's about it,” he said
If Davidson and his family try to ride to the nearby ice cream shop, movie theater or DVD rental business “we have to
go on a road (Bandera) where the speed limit is 50 mph and there is a lot of traffic.”
Davidson, an avid bike rider and walker, lives in the Sonoma Ranch area north of Loop 1604 and between Kyle Seale
Parkway and Hausman Road in City Council District 8.
Davidson looked for unofficial connections between subdivisions that could be used or were already being used by
pedestrians and bike riders.
Those connections included utility easements and so called “goat trails” where pedestrians have worn down a path by
walking through grass or fields.
“Mr. Davidson came to us and said he had an idea about how to connect neighborhoods,” said Lydia Kelly, BicyclePedestrian Transportation Planner for the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Davidson's efforts and that of others allowed the MPO to call the Oct. 22 Walkable Community Workshop at John Igo
Library.
The workshop gathered data and ideas that could lead to expanding walkable and bikeable connections to keep
pedestrians and bike riders off busy streets, Kelly said.
District 8 Councilman Reed Williams was at the meeting to show support for bike and pedestrian safety.
“I am very interested in this (connectivity) idea for a number of reasons including the fact a friend of mine was killed
while riding a bike on Loop 1604 about four or five years ago,” he said.
“You can never make people completely safe and they have to take personal responsibility for their safety as well, but
over time we can improve the safety of areas they ride,” Williams said.
The councilman told those attending the workshop he was surprised to find little if any planning for pedestrian or
bicycle access improvements in the 2007 city bond issue.
Reed said information gathered at the workshop could be useful in planning for and funding of pedestrian and bike
safety improvements through future bond issue elections.
“There is a strong demand for pedestrian and bike safety improvements in District 8. There is a concentration around
the (South Texas) Medical Center, UTSA and USAA of people who like to bike and walk places instead of drive and
that helps push these issues,” the councilman explained.
At the workshop, people divided into groups and looked at maps of the areas where they live and used pens and
markers to identify existing or potential connections between residential areas and commercial areas.
Dede Goethke lives in the Stinson Middle School area and attended the meeting to show support for improved
walking and biking accessibility.
“My husband bikes to work 22 miles per day using the Leon Creek Greenway and our family supports better safety,
less driving and more walking and biking,” she said.
Participants marked up the maps to show existing or potential connections between areas and shared that data with
the rest of the workshop crowd.
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Among ideas put forth for improving pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity were:
• Multi-use paths along utility and drainage easements that connect with the Leon Creek Greenway system
establishing a wide network.
• More sidewalks in and around O'Connor High School and a nearby elementary school and a crosswalk at Bandera
Road and FM 1516 (Hausman Road).
• Better access to Brandeis High School with improved sidewalks and crosswalk.
• Bike lanes on Tezel Road from Bandera Road to Old Tezel Road.
• Bike lanes on Braun Road from Loop 1604 to Bandera Road.
• More sidewalks on Hausman Road.
• Having a physical barrier like a curb between a road and a multi-use path.
• Stripping a multi-use path (like a road) with separate lanes for bike riders and pedestrians.
The MPO will take the safety and connectivity ideas and produce a report in about a month. The report will be sent to
all applicable jurisdictions such as San Antonio, Bexar County and Helotes for future planning.
For more information about pedestrian and bicycle safety and mobility plans and ideas visit the MPO Web site
www.sametroplan.org.
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Visual Concepts from the Workshop
Potential connectivity through existing easement
Hausman Road westbound would be safer with bike lanes
and sidewalks
Connectivity opportunity for businesses
Sidewalk connectivity needed to access businesses
Hausman Road eastbound would be safer with bike lanes and
sidewalks
Connectivity opportunity for businesses
Example of connectivity from neighborhood to school
(Steubing Elementary School)
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