In a city the size of San Antonio, transportation matters. Do you want rideshare to come back to San Antonio? Would you like to see more bike lanes or more bus routes? Both? Neither? Transportation meetings are scheduled throughout the city during the coming months for citizens to gather information about ongoing planning processes and let their voices be heard.
As more than one million people begin to trickle into San Antonio by 2040, citywide transportation conversations that address methods of movement whether by car, bike, foot, train, or bus, should – and are – happening.
SA Next
SA Next, a partnership between Build San Antonio Green, CPS Energy and Geekdom, is hosting a lecture titled, “Transportation in Action” at Geekdom on Thursday from 6-8 p.m. Speakers who represent various modes of transportation will discuss their areas of expertise, and the panelists include an Uber representative, a rail director for the Lone Star Rail District, and a Bike World manager. RSVP to jeyer@buildsagreen.org to secure a spot.
SA Tomorrow
The City is hosting a series of small-scale meetings that will provide a place for community members to discuss San Antonio’s transportation future. The City is seeking community input regarding various strategies to promote transportation safety, accessibility, convenience and reliability for its SA Tomorrow Multimodal Transportation plan. SA Tomorrow is a three-part plan – a transportation, sustainability, and comprehensive plan – that address the future growth of San Antonio. The meetings are scheduled during lunch and after-work hours.
On Wednesday the SA Tomorrow Plan Element Working Groups Committee begin with the transportation meeting from 3-5 p.m. at the Pre-K 4 SA South Education Center.
Survey Says: San Antonians Like to Ride
“As the city’s traffic congestion grows more serious every day, bicycling and walking are the most popular travel alternatives to avoid and reduce that traffic,” City officials stated in a news release last week.
A recent Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization study indicated there are approximately 325,000 San Antonians who bicycle at least once a month, the majority of which are recreational cyclists, while 17% bicycle to run errands, 7% bicycle to work, and 4% bicycle to school.
San Antonio’s Howard W. Peak Greenway Trails System is an interconnected network of 47 miles of greenway trails that caters to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Terry Bellamy, Transportation & Capital Improvements assistant director said it’s destined to become a sort of “freeway” for bicyclists and pedestrians.
“People already see the value of this City asset, and as we plan for 2040, the greenway system will play an even bigger role in helping people move around our city,” Bellamy stated.
The complete list of the City’s seven transportation meetings is below. Information at each meeting will be the same.
Thursday, July 23
Igo Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway • VIA bus route 605
Monday, July 27
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. / 4 – 6 p.m.
Barbara Jordan Community Center, 2803 E. Commerce • VIA bus route 25
Tuesday, July 28
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. / 4 – 5:30 p.m.
Melendrez Community Center, 5909 W. Commerce • VIA bus route 75
Wednesday, July 29
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. / 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Central Library, 600 Soledad • VIA bus routes 3, 4, 90, 96, 97
Thursday, July 30
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. / 4 – 6 p.m.
Brookhollow Library, 530 Heimer • VIA bus route 648
Monday, August 3
12 – 2 p.m. / 4 – 6 p.m.
Great Northwest Library, 9050 Wellwood • VIA bus route 610
Tuesday, August 4
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. / 4 – 6 p.m.
Pan American Library, 1122 W. Pyron • VIA bus route 46
Tuesday, August 11
6 – 8 p.m.
Online open house. Get your questions answered via webinar at www.SATransportationPlan.com/webinar (link will go live on Aug. 11).
*Featured/top image: Councilmember Rey Saldaña walks to the front of the bus to ask the driver a question about the current route. Photo by Scott Ball.
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