Editor's note: This story originally appeared Sunday, May 23, exclusively in the print edition of the San Antonio Express-News.

For years, San Antonio has built streets and approved developments with little to no accommodation for anything but motor vehicles. Now with obesity rates off the charts, the region on the verge of violating federal air standards and a new mayor who sees bicycles as part of being a competitive and attractive city, bike lanes are gaining ground.

It's a move Portland, Ore.; Seattle; Minneapolis; and New York made decades ago.

According to a study for the Metropolitan Planning Organization, San Antonio and Bexar County could add 350 miles of bike lanes just by restriping pavement, without impeding traffic or widening roads. The "road diet" plan would more than triple the miles of bike lanes and go a long way toward forming a grid.

But in a city that has ignored piles of bike studies, change doesn't happen with white paint alone, officials acknowledge. It requires a new approach to transportation in which bikes no longer are an afterthought.

Although difficult and slow, the transformation has started: A federal grant will promote bicycling and department heads have issued new marching orders.

"It seems the bureaucratic molasses has given way to fuel," Mayor Julián Castro said recently.

"We are going to be self-starters on this one instead of waiting and waiting," he said. "We have put bike lanes on a higher priority."

Encourage activity

For him, bike lanes are necessary to have a sustainable city, one with a qualify of life that attracts and retains talented people.

Metro Health Director Fernando Guerra likes bike lanes because they encourage people to be active. This spring, his department received a $15 million federal grant to fight obesity.

Along with measures to improve eating habits, funds are dedicated to create a ride-to-own-bike program, establish a "complete-streets" policy so the city considers all modes of transportation, and start ciclovías, where miles of streets would be periodically closed to make room for bikes, classes and recreation in a citywide celebration of being active outdoors.

For Gloria Arriaga, director of the Alamo Area Council of Governments, that kind of change could not come soon enough. This summer, San Antonio's air likely will violate federal ozone standards. That will trigger more federal oversight of development, businesses and road construction. Any efforts to reduce motor vehicle traffic will help.

For the MPO, which has been promoting bike lanes for 15 years as part of its mission to advocate planning for all types of transportation, the new attention is a relief. It makes members of its Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee believe their efforts are starting to pay off.

"Six years ago, we did not have any of this," said Oscar Kazen, the committee chairman. "We are at that tipping point and I think the mayor and his people might just be able to push this damn thing over."

More Information MORE COVERAGE Area bike rides

City's memo about bike facilities

Proposed bike lanes database

BMAC presentation

Blog : Earth Matters

: Earth Matters Graphics: A look at where the lanes could go and what would need to be done to accommodate them VIDEO Cycling Blanco Road

Cycling Broadway/Austin Highway

Cycling Southwest Military TIMELINE

Bicycle planning in S.A. 1975: The city's Department of Planning and Community Development publishes a draft Bicycle Master Plan that calls for a network of bicycle corridors. City Council doesn't adopt the plan as policy.

The city's Department of Planning and Community Development publishes a draft Bicycle Master Plan that calls for a network of bicycle corridors. City Council doesn't adopt the plan as policy.

1994: The Metropolitan Planning Organization approves another long-range plan, creates the Bicycle Mobility Task Force and calls for permanent bike coordinator positions at the city and Bexar County. City and county positions are not funded.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization approves another long-range plan, creates the Bicycle Mobility Task Force and calls for permanent bike coordinator positions at the city and Bexar County. City and county positions are not funded.

1996 to 1997: MPO funds the Community Based Bicycle Planning Study and recommends more than 150 bicycle routes totaling 463 miles and adding 13 new bicycle corridors to the 1994 Bicycle Mobility Plan network. None of this study's recommendations is completed.

MPO funds the Community Based Bicycle Planning Study and recommends more than 150 bicycle routes totaling 463 miles and adding 13 new bicycle corridors to the 1994 Bicycle Mobility Plan network. None of this study's recommendations is completed.

May 1997: The City Council approves the Bike Master Plan that includes calls to:

-- "Create pedestrian ways, people mover systems and bicycle trails to connect downtown with adjacent neighborhoods, open spaces, retail, medical and other support facilities."

-- "Plan and develop a citywide system of linear parks and hike and bike trails which incorporate drainage ways and open spaces which link parks, schools, institutions, and neighborhoods."

-- "Promote the safe use of bicycles as an efficient and environmentally sound means of recreation and transportation by encouraging a citywide network of lanes, trails, and storage facilities." Work on linear parks is started; other recommendations not fully pursued. VIA Transit installs bike racks on 15 buses.

The City Council approves the Bike Master Plan that includes calls to: -- "Create pedestrian ways, people mover systems and bicycle trails to connect downtown with adjacent neighborhoods, open spaces, retail, medical and other support facilities." -- "Plan and develop a citywide system of linear parks and hike and bike trails which incorporate drainage ways and open spaces which link parks, schools, institutions, and neighborhoods." -- "Promote the safe use of bicycles as an efficient and environmentally sound means of recreation and transportation by encouraging a citywide network of lanes, trails, and storage facilities." Work on linear parks is started; other recommendations not fully pursued. VIA Transit installs bike racks on 15 buses.

1999: The MPO Metropolitan Transportation Plan updates the 1994 Bicycle Mobility Plan and establishes guidelines to direct more federal funding to bicycle and pedestrian projects up to about $1 million a year. Guidelines mostly unused due to lack of funding.

The MPO Metropolitan Transportation Plan updates the 1994 Bicycle Mobility Plan and establishes guidelines to direct more federal funding to bicycle and pedestrian projects up to about $1 million a year. Guidelines mostly unused due to lack of funding.

2000: The city has 34 miles of bike lanes and routes, VIA installs bike racks on all buses.

The city has 34 miles of bike lanes and routes, VIA installs bike racks on all buses.

2000-2001: The MPO identifies 700 miles of roadways within the region for the creation of a bicycle network. Plan is mostly ignored by the city and county.

The MPO identifies 700 miles of roadways within the region for the creation of a bicycle network. Plan is mostly ignored by the city and county.

2001: The City Council approves the new Unified Development Code that requires bikeways on specified types of roadways as part of new development or infill redevelopment when enabled by bicycle master plan. Roads are still built without bike lanes or sidewalks, bike plan recommendations are often ignored or cut due to budget limitations.

The City Council approves the new Unified Development Code that requires bikeways on specified types of roadways as part of new development or infill redevelopment when enabled by bicycle master plan. Roads are still built without bike lanes or sidewalks, bike plan recommendations are often ignored or cut due to budget limitations.

2004: The city has 66 miles of bike lanes and routes.

The city has 66 miles of bike lanes and routes.

2005: MPO develops a new Bicycle Master Plan. Plan lacks funding, benchmarks and implementation guidelines.

MPO develops a new Bicycle Master Plan. Plan lacks funding, benchmarks and implementation guidelines.

2009: The city has 136 miles of bike lanes and routes.

The city has 136 miles of bike lanes and routes.

2010: MPO identifies 350 miles of roads in the city and Bexar County that could support bike lanes without being widened or decreasing service to motor vehicles. City hires firm to create a new bike master plan. City Council approves a safe passing ordinance to protect bicyclists and other vulnerable road users. Source: MPO, city of San Antonio Stay ahead of the curve! Savor future special reports that are exclusive to the print Sunday edition of the Express-News. They aren't available to online readers until later in the week. Click here to subscribe, and stay ahead of the curve. Go to mySA Special Reports See More Collapse

The game changers

Richard Varn, the city's chief information officer, is an avid cyclist who loves a challenge. On Wednesday nights, he's a regular among the riders who test themselves and race each other on the rolling hills south of the city.

At 24, he was elected a state representative in Iowa for four years and later was a state senator for eight years. After a career in Iowa government and with the federal government and starting his own consulting business, he was hired as CIO by the city of San Antonio in 2007.

In addition to guiding the city's use of technology, Varn requested last year that City Manager Sheryl Sculley move the bike coordinator position to the Office of Environmental Policy, which he oversees.

In Des Moines, Varn saw bicycling go from a fringe activity to a normal part of transportation as the bike system grew. The safer it became to ride, the more people did.

He believes the same can happen in San Antonio.

Sculley is an avid runner and prides herself on the success of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, which she helped usher in. Varn wants to do a similar competitive event here, but for cyclists.

The city's last bicycle coordinator had one of the lowest positions in public works and struggled with a small budget. Her salary was paid by the MPO, not the city. She ended up quitting and the position went vacant for a year.

Julia Diana was hired as bike coordinator a year ago and her salary is paid by public works.

She is working on a program that would make it easy for tourists to rent bikes from their hotels like room service and then head for a ride to the Missions.

This year, she saw the City Council approve two ordinances that were bike-related, a first. She took bikes once used by the police, added front baskets and made them available so other city employees can use them to commute between city buildings.

She is trying to establish north/south and east/west corridors to start linking neighborhoods with downtown and the Mission Trail. Next on the list is making connections to the linear parks.

Her most ambitious project is a new bike master plan.

San Antonio's first plan was crafted in 1975 but wasn't adopted by the City Council. Later plans would be adopted, but they came with no dedicated funds or mandates and were easy to ignore.

In contrast, Diana said: "This plan is going to have benchmarks and mandates."

Changing status quo

The success of the plan, which if adopted will serve as a guide for the city and Bexar County, will be seen in how roads are built.

Bulverde Road is the most recent example of the need for a plan.

In 2006 the rapid spread of subdivisions, golf courses and strip malls north of Loop 1604 was causing stop-and-go traffic on the once-rural road. The county made a plan for developers to pay for the expansion to four lanes north of Evans Road, Bexar County engineer Renee Green said.

As the explosive development continued and construction costs increased, the county decided to take over the project, according to Green.

The initial plan had sidewalks and bike lanes, she said. The county estimated the total cost at more than $8 million - she had $6.6 million to work with.

"That's why we made the decision to remove the bicycle lanes and sidewalks," Green said. "The first priority of a roadway is getting the vehicles through."

The lanes could have been narrowed to make room for bikes and pedestrians, but Green said she thought that would be too dangerous for the 50-mph road.

The decision infuriated bike advocates, especially since the wide shoulders once favored by riders were eliminated. Bulverde Road is a favorite gateway to the Hill Country and bike groups use it on weekends in particular.

Kazen complained to the county and said the door was politely shut in his face with the explanation there was no funding and no room for bike lanes.

For him, the lack of bike lanes is personal.

He used to ride to his job as an associate probate judge downtown from the North Side. He loved it and lost weight. But now he lives on the far West Side and considers his commute a "suicide mission."

Now the city is expanding Bulverde Road between Evans and Loop 1604 to four lanes to accommodate growth, and it's taking a different approach.

The $36 million project is funded by a 2007 voter-approved bond and will accommodate bikes.

Absent a workable bike master plan, however, the engineers were left to decide what those would be.

It's far from a perfect system, said Majed Al-Ghafry, who was hired two years ago as director of public works and is changing the status quo in his department.

"The bike master plan is going to be the standard guiding document for us," he said. "Not just as a book that collects dust."

But the plan is at least a year from completion, so in the meantime Al-Ghafry and city engineer Mike Frisbie crafted a new policy last month that states: "Bike facilities must be considered as part of all roadway-related projects that are not further along than 40 percent design approval stage."

Instead of bike facilities being viewed as something that should be added when budgets allow, engineers now have to get approval not to include them.

"I would not underestimate that sort of change of direction at the bureaucratic level," Castro said about the policy.

Al-Ghafry said it puts bike facilities on "first base," so they have to be considered from the beginning of the planning process.

"This is a slight change in the paradigm," he said. "We have done it in the past; we have just done it inconsistently."

That said, he is not excited to start adding bike lanes everywhere the MPO study calls for.

It analyzed 1,700 miles of roads, including peak flows of traffic at current and projected demand for 2025, and found 348 miles of bike lanes could be added without reducing the level of service for vehicles.

Al-Ghafry said the study needs further analysis by his own engineers before he is comfortable with it.

In San Antonio, it is legal and common to park vehicles on most bike lanes, rendering them useless for bicycles. But Al-Ghafry said that if he removes parking from streets to make room for bikes, his office would be flooded with complaints. There simply are a lot more drivers than bicyclists, he points out.

"I want to create bicycle facilities," he said. "I don't want to create controversy."

Road ahead Rob Kane is an avid bike racer who also enjoys taking his two sons, age 5 and 8, for rides to the park and when they go out to eat.

Kane has watched bike projects take shape.

"It seems that the people doing these projects are kind of learning on the job," he said.

To him, the changes in bike facilities so far appear to be more evolutionary than revolutionary.

With the "road diet" study and some easy improvements identified, Diana and Varn are looking at the tougher road challenges to come.

On roads like Hildebrand between U.S 281 and Broadway, there are no easy answers. The road is about to be torn up so new drainage can be installed. Flanked by the University of the Incarnate Word and Brackenridge Park, it would be a natural east/west corridor to connect the park with neighborhoods and UIW with Trinity University. But it's packed with traffic, and the current options make bike lanes and sidewalks too expensive.

Recently, Diana and Varn rode their bikes north on Broadway to take a look. Riding one of the converted police bikes, Diana uses herself as a test case. Not an experienced cyclist like Varn, her goal is to make roads safe enough so she feels comfortable.

Even with light traffic on Broadway, they illegally rode on to the sidewalks to avoid vehicles and open drains as the passing traffic forced them toward the curb.

They slowed to cross the three lanes of traffic and make the left turn onto Hildebrand. Varn looked over his shoulder, accelerated up the hill and slipped across with ease.

Diana saw cars and trucks closing in behind her and pulled over into the driveway of the Cheesy Jane's fast-food restaurant. She waited for the afternoon traffic to completely clear.

She won't compete for road space with cars.

"I have two children" she said.

Click here for a larger view of the graphic below.