Multimodal transportation takes into account all modes of transportation, including auto, freight, rail, transit, biking and walking for all ages and abilities.
It has been over 30 years since the City Council last adopted a Comprehensive Plan and a Transportation Plan together for the entire city. The Multimodal Transportation Plan will address how people will move around in 2040. It complements the transportation component of the San Antonio Comprehensive Plan; builds on the Alamo Area MPO’s 2040 Long Range Regional Transportation Plan; will incorporate VIA’s Vision 2040; and maximizes infrastructure investments. It also builds on the vision of SA2020.
City Council provided policy and financial direction to conduct the three growth- related plans (Comprehensive, Sustainability, and Transportation). Funding for the Transportation Plan includes $500,000 of General Fund funding in both the fiscal year 2015 and 2016 budgets. In addition, the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization awarded the City of San Antonio $2 million for the Transportation Plan.
There are three main action items: (1) transportation projects need to be identified and prioritized; (2) the City’s Major Thoroughfare Plan from 1978 needs to be revamped; and (3) policies and codes need to be refined to reflect current needs.
It is a significant linear route that can be shared by multiple modes of transportation, such as motorized vehicles, public transit, rail, bicycling, and walking. It exists to move people and goods.
Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. The City is committed to incorporating complete streets in this plan, because incomplete streets – those designed with only cars in mind – limit transportation choices by making walking, bicycling, and taking public transportation inconvenient, unattractive, and often, less safe.
All modes of transportation, from light rail, to streets and managed lanes, to bicycle and pedestrian paths on the city’s greenways will be considered as potential improvements to the transportation system.
TxDOT, Bexar County, and VIA are partner agencies in this transportation plan. All partner agency plans will be incorporated into the Multimodal Transportation Plan.
As Mayor Ivy Taylor said, “San Antonio, even long before it had a name, was always a place where people have come and didn’t want to leave.” People are moving to San Antonio for the same reason that three-fourths of adults born in Texas, still live in Texas: it is a great place to live! We have a strong economy, and that, coupled with a lower cost of living, lower taxes, and jobs, makes it an attractive place for relocation. Ignoring the predicted growth will not deter people from moving here. Cities that chose not to improve their transportation plans were not successful in restricting future growth. Planning in advance allows the most cost efficient improvements; not doing so is costly in terms of money and quality of life.
All transportation improvements will meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
All comments received on social media and at meetings and events are reviewed by members of the project team and incorporated into the planning materials. For instance, the majority of comments received so far from citizens via social media, meetings, gatherings, and surveys fall into three main categories: (1) transportation choices, (2) Improved connectivity and reduced congestion, and (3) system-wide safety and reliability. These trends are being reviewed and considered as the City of San Antonio identifies and evaluates different approaches to meeting transportation needs.
San Antonio has always been a dynamic and diverse city. The many cultures that have comprised San Antonio are what makes San Antonio a special place. San Antonio’s elected officials are committed to maintaining and celebrating the cultural heritage of the City. Mayor Taylor sums it up best: “Before we arrived at this place in this time, centuries of work had been done to make San Antonio special. Our responsibility is to build upon and advance this legacy. It is the debt we owe to our ancestors and gift we bequeath to generations who will follow.”
In designing improvements to its transportation system, San Antonio is committed to developing solutions that minimize impacts to the environment and allows the development of a more sustainable transportation system.
Having multiple transportation choices will provide more efficient and often more affordable transportation options.
Terry Bellamy is the Assistant Director of Transportation and Capital Improvements. He is working with his team to oversee the development of the Multimodal Transportation Plan.
As part of the Multimodal Transportation Plan, several corridors will be evaluated for potential complete street improvements. This is very similar to the work done for Santa Rosa Street as part of the Downtown Transportation Study.
The above shows a section of St. Mary's Street and the types of streetscape improvements that could be made to make this a great street for cyclists.
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