Opinion

Prioritize making S.A. friendly to pedestrians, cyclists

San Antonio police work at the scene of a pedestrian fatality. Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales, noting that eight pedestrians were killed or seriously injured in accidents during her first eight months in office, wants to make the city safer for pedestrians and cyclists. less San Antonio police work at the scene of a pedestrian fatality. Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales, noting that eight pedestrians were killed or seriously injured in accidents during her first eight months in office, ... more Photo: JOHN DAVENPORT, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Photo: JOHN DAVENPORT, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Prioritize making S.A. friendly to pedestrians, cyclists 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO -- Pedestrian and cycling safety are among my top priorities. Walking and cycling are important transportation modes throughout District 5.

It is not uncommon to pass through intersections in District 5 occupied by more pedestrians than motorists. I, too, walk and ride. I walk to work, ride my bike to City Hall, and ride for exercise through all parts of the city. My husband commutes by bike.

District 5 residents depend on walking and cycling, but unfortunately they are exposed to disproportionate risk from motor vehicle collisions and inadequate facilities. As we've built a city around the automobile, we've neglected to meet the needs of pedestrians and cyclists.

Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities and serious injuries repeatedly emphasize this point. The city's environment — built in a culture of auto-dominance — results in a community that disproportionately kills and seriously injures pedestrians and cyclists.

There were 218 accidents involving motorists and non-motorists in San Antonio's urban area in the five-year period from 2003 to 2007. Ninety-eight percent of those resulted in serious injury or death to the pedestrian or cyclist. During this period, accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians accounted for just 1 percent of crashes, but 30 percent of fatalities.

During my first eight months in office, eight pedestrians have been seriously injured or killed in District 5 alone. On average, a pedestrian is killed in San Antonio every week. Those who suffer most are children, the elderly and those with disabilities.

San Antonio faces enormous pressures and challenges to accommodate growth. Air quality, transportation, energy, water resources, and the well-being of our city's core are under pressure. These issues are interrelated.

SA2020 captures the community's vision in specific goals related to transportation, water, energy, health and well-being. However, SA2020 does not provide a plan to achieve these goals, and we are on negative trends with many goals related to transportation, environment, water and walkability.

Achieving and exceeding the SA2020 goals, and ensuring a better San Antonio for our children, requires a plan addressing these issues jointly.

The city of San Antonio is updating the master plan. The 2010 Comprehensive Master Plan framework addresses these concerns, including goals to accommodate population growth, and doing so within the existing city limits and to protect air quality by reducing fossil fuel consumption. The goals are consistent with those stated in SA2020 and would move San Antonio toward a sustainable future.

However, the reality is policy and public investment at the local, state and federal levels conflict with these goals. I believe this is, at least in part, because we have not fully committed to achieving these goals.

These goals are best achieved with land use and transportation policies that reduce automobile use and increase walking, cycling and transit use.

Achieving these goals means deliberately planning, and implementing projects, to reduce automobile use while making walking, cycling and use of public transit the preferred transportation modes.

The ability to walk, cycle and support quality public transportation depends on an environment that prioritizes people over automobiles. The standard for land use and transportation decisions in San Antonio should be the ability to achieve the goals stated in our vision documents, such as SA2020 and our city Master Plan. Current zoning policies assume the automobile will be the primary mode of transit, while the development patterns that support walking, cycling and public transit are alternative development patterns.

Walkability means reversing those patterns. City planners know how to achieve walkability, but they need support from elected officials to change entrenched habits of auto-dominant development.

San Antonio is expected to continue growing rapidly. Accommodating new residents presents challenges, but it also presents opportunity. It is the opportunity to grow the population within the existing developed area of the city to achieve the density needed to support a quality pedestrian-oriented environment that has less impact on air quality, less impact on water resources, fewer traffic fatalities, and provides better quality of life for all citizens, particularly children, the elderly and those who cannot drive.

It is my goal, and my passion, to lead the city in that direction.