2004-12-13 Regular Meeting and Workshop Meeting

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Overview In June of 2003 Council approved, by Resolution, a Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail Implementation Plan for the City of La Porte. This plan is serving as a guide for future development of a comprehensive trail plan for La Porte that, when completed, will link all the city (and County) parks, schools, and public recreation areas in the City for pedestrian and bicycle access. Current Status The Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail system has begun in earnest, with the design in place for the Safe Routes to School project through a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation. This project, still subject to approval from Austin, is scheduled to be let for construction contract this spring, with construction scheduled for the summer of 2005. The Safe Routes to School project, when completed, will provide a safe, off-road pathway for both bicycles and pedestrians on the South Broadway corridor from the Shoreacres City Limit, to Fairmont Parkway. This is the most-needed pathway in our system; since 2000 we have experienced numerous pedestrian/bicycle vehicular accidents and 2 bicycle/vehicle fatalities on this roadway. In addition, an in-house design of bicycle lanes from East "E" Street to Broadway has been completed and is ready for implementation. Potential Problems for Implementation There are several issues that require staff direction before we can proceed with future plans, prioritized as follows: 1. Safe Routes to School Proiect. This project was funded at 100% ($470,000) for estimated cost of construction through the TxDOT grant that we received, and TxDOT engineers believe they have designed a project that will come in at budget. However, if the cost of construction exceeds the budgeted amount, our agreement with TxDOT for the project stipulates that the City will fund any cost overruns. 2. "E" Street Bicycle Lanes. This project is designed but is currently unfunded. The estimated cost of installation for this project, using force account, is $22,000 through the Public Works/Parks & Recreation Department. 3. Pasadena Corridor. This is the phase I project as identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Implementation Plan. In order to qualify for state and federal grant funding for bicycle-pedestrian pathways, our project must be included in the Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, administered through H-GAC. Our bicycle-pedestrian plan is included in the TIP for the 2008 call. However, in order to qualify for federal or state funding through CMAQ, STEP, ISTEA, or other TxDOT funding, the TIP requires that the project have complete Preliminary Engineering (Le. be surveyed, designed and otherwise ready for construction) as well as Environmental Analysis completed, prior to the call in order to be considered for funding. Another issue here is, that "being ready for Page 2 of 4