$345M approved for pedestrian, bicycle projects across Texas

AUSTIN, Texas - A historic $345 million was approved by the Texas Transportation Commission for pedestrian and bicycle projects across Texas.

New sidewalks, bikeways and other types of infrastructure will help improve safety and enhance quality of life in Texas communities.

The funding will go toward 83 projects that will improve access while providing safety enhancements and mobility options to schools, jobs, public transit and local destinations.

This historic investment in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is more than six times as much funding compared to the last Transportation Alternatives call for projects when it was $55 million in 2021.

City distributing Project Connect funds

The City of Austin has started distributing funding allocated for helping prevent the displacement of renters and homeowners due to Project Connect.

Unfortunately, Texas is seeing a rising trend of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. In 2022, there were 830 pedestrians and 92 bicyclists killed, and over the last five years both have risen nearly 30%.

These projects will help improve safety for people walking, biking, or using wheelchairs, including 24 projects that will go in areas with a high pedestrian crash history.

"People who walk and bike make up about 1 out of every 5 deaths on roadways here in Texas," Texas Transportation Commissioner Alvin New said. "These projects will help the state move closer toward the goal of zero deaths by giving people a place to walk and bike separate from traffic."

Some of the projects approved include sidewalks connecting to schools and transit options, shared-use paths benefiting both pedestrians and cyclists, new pedestrian bridges, and 15 planning studies.

In the Austin area, nearly $30 million was awarded for nine projects. These projects include: