Convenient and safe micro-mobility trails could someday be another way of getting around Kendall County, according to a local transportation committee wrapping up its final meetings.
Cyclists and future-thinkers worked with the committee to consider a network linking local cities of interconnected, smaller pathways for bicycle riders, walkers and — someday — bus passengers after they disembark.
Safety was a driving force for a subcommittee prioritizing walkability for school-age children heading to and from classes and cyclists who often find themselves fighting for a share of the road. Ideas about the smaller trails linking destinations grew from those discussions.
Ben Eldredge noted Texas Department of Transportation statistics show pedestrian-vehicle fatalities increased by 15 percent in 2021; he also cited figures from TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams.
“(Williams) says, ‘Only 1% of traffic crashes in Texas involve pedestrians. Yet pedestrians account for 19% of all roadway deaths. That’s because pedestrians lack the protective equipment – airbags, seat belts and bumpers common to vehicles,’” Eldredge said.
He continued, “Is that how TxDOT thinks about people on the road who are not in cars? That somehow it’s … their responsibility to not be killed by cars?”
Eldredge said state roads are not built to accommodate people traveling outside of vehicles.
Initially facing skepticism from fellow committee members on whether such a vision falls under the purview of a transportation group, Eldredge, during an earlier Kendall County, Boerne and Fair Oaks Transportation Committee meeting, recalled seeing a man biking down the Old No. 9 trail with a backpack, noting the cyclist was using the paved path for transportation and not recreation.
According to Eldredge, the interconnectivity of micro-mobility trails in Kendall County’s booming communities could alleviate hazardous situations he’s seen including residents on scooters ramping onto Interstate 10 to get home, older neighbors on a fixed income who may not be able to afford a vehicle or auto upkeep and residents zooming around Fair Oaks Ranch in golf carts.
One subcommittee member recalled the friends he’s lost to cycling when they were struck by passing vehicles. Testimonials at earlier meetings painted a picture of county roads as unfriendly to cyclists.
Though committee members have warmed to the idea of micro-mobility trails, some residents have said planned thoroughfares and roads running across their land could affect property values and marketability.
In response, the committee has opted to put in trails on large swaths of land to avoid conflicts, with many adding the suggestions are part of a developing vision and not permanent.
An important component of the trails vision is to have “mobility hubs” where the series of paths intersect, allowing for bike storage, bus stops or ride-share pickup or drop-off spots.
While there is no bus system in the county – with longtime Boerne city planner John Kight noting past attempts failed from lack of use – the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has said there will be a VIA Metropolitan Transit bus connection to the Alamo Colleges District building under construction across the interstate from Fair Oaks Ranch.
Eldredge said accessibility should be the province of residents, not developers.
“If we don’t plan our future, developers will plan it for us,” he said.
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