Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan
States and Metropolitan Planning Organizations across the country are completing plans to address bicycle and pedestrian issues, in part to respond to the requirements of the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and its successor, the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA21). Many of these plans are adopting the overall goal targets set by the U.S. Department of Transportation in April of 1994: (1) to double the percentage of trips made by foot and bicycle in the United States; and (2) to simultaneously reduce the number of injuries and fatalities suffered by bicyclists and pedestrians by ten percent.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Corpus Christi urbanized area recognizes that transportation planning includes addressing the access and mobility needs of bicyclists and pedestrians to travel to work and non-work destinations – including education centers, commerce, entertainment, and recreation – within and in close proximity to neighborhoods. The MPO selected a consultant to prepare a bicycle and pedestrian plan for the Corpus Christi metropolitan planning area consisting of the cities of Corpus Christi, Portland, and Gregory, plus considerations for expansion of the plan into surrounding unincorporated areas of Nueces and San Patricio counties. The study was to provide the region with a plan for creating an environment where people could choose to bicycle or walk to their destinations and provide recreational opportunities for walking and bicycling to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle. The Plan would provide guidance for the development and implementation of an interconnected network of designated on-street bicycle facilities as well as off-roadway trails and sidewalks.
