Plan Framework

Southeast Community Area’s Mobility Needs

Southeast Community Area Mobility Framework

Multimodal Priority Corridors

Streets play a multifaceted role in the Plan Area, serving as arteries for traffic, as links to amenities and recreation, and as public spaces. Changes to street design can help achieve the community’s vision of the Plan Area and better reflect the balance and prioritization of how motorists, bicyclists, transit users, and pedestrians will interact with each corridor. Modal emphasis corridors guide design treatments of a particular mode of mobility. A multimodal priority corridor does not exclude other users but helps guide tradeoffs and decisions during the design of a specific street.

Automobile corridors are envisioned to support high levels of motor vehicle travel daily. These corridors are often interstates, highways, arterials, and primary roads which provide connections to major destinations and link the Plan Area to other regions. Roland Avenue has been identified as a priority automobile corridor to facilitate travel to and from Rigsby Avenue and Southcross Boulevard. Automobile corridor improvements can relieve traffic congestion and enhance roadway design to increase the safety of motor vehicle travel.

Freight corridors are envisioned to support high levels of goods movement, often by freight trucks that travel from industrial or commercial areas to major destinations. The Planning Team has identified Loop 410 as a priority corridor to enhance goods movement and relieve congestion along the interstate and through the Plan Area, specifically at the on and off ramps at Sinclair Road, Rigsby Avenue, and Southcross Boulevard, which all support larger truck traffic volumes.

Bicycle corridors are envisioned to provide biking as a convenient, safe, and comfortable mobility option for all ages and abilities. An integrated network of bicycle routes along with well-designed streets in key activity areas aim to fill the gaps in the multimodal system. East Highland Boulevard, Fair Avenue, and the north side of Foster Meadows were identified as priority corridors to enhance the existing bicycle network.

Transit and pedestrian corridors are envisioned to provide the community with easy, reliable, and congestion-proof choices for traveling to and from work, school, and other key destinations. Streets, intersections, and traffic signals greatly influence transit service reliability and the transit passenger experience. Providing streets that enable reliable and frequent transit service and a walkable environment allows users to choose travel options besides driving, alleviating a primary cause of congestion. Dedicated transit lanes, signal timing, and operational improvements can keep transit vehicles moving regardless of automobile traffic. Priority transit corridors in the Southeast Community Area are currently along Rigsby Avenue (west of Roland Avenue) and South New Braunfels Avenue which connects the Brooks area to Fort Sam Houston and Downtown with VIA Metropolitan Transit’s Primo service. This area already includes many bus stops but existing facilities could be improved to enhance safety and attract more transit riders. All transit passengers are also pedestrians first, so enhancements to sidewalks, crosswalks, and streetscapes amenities that increase the safety and comfort of walking are critical in these corridors.

Multi-use trail corridors are envisioned to provide continuous arteries of separated pedestrian and bicycle facilities that connect numerous destinations, parks, retail and commercial development, schools, libraries, and residential areas. A multi-use trail provides access points to regional amenities and improves connections for people walking or biking. The Southeast Community Area is already home to the Salado Creek Greenway, a growing network of multi-use trails. There is an opportunity to enhance the trail with additional connections extending south past East Southcross Boulevard. The extension of the greenway trail will provide an easy pathway for people walking or cycling to numerous attractions and open spaces.

Rosillo Creek has been identified as a potential new trail in the Southeast Community Area. This creek is located just east of Loop 410 and runs adjacent to the highway. Similar to the Salado Creek Greenway and other City creek trail systems, such as the Westside Creeks Trails, this trail would create safe, non-vehicular connections to neighborhoods and commercial destinations. Potential trailheads could occur at Rigsby Avenue, Tealer Park, Sinclair Road, and New Sulphur Springs Road.

Balanced and multimodal corridors are envisioned as “complete streets” that consider all users and accommodate all ages and abilities including children, older adults, and persons with disabilities. These corridors balance the priorities of multiple modes and require community conversations and case-by-case design to best align with the community vision. The function of the road, level of traffic by mode, and adjacent land use and intensity will help determine the road type and design features. The Southeast Community Area has multiple priority locations for multimodal investments. South WW White Road was identified as having the highest potential as it bisects the Plan Area and provides access to a range of mixed use development, low-density residential development, parks and open spaces. Similar to South WW White Road, Rigsby Avenue east of Roland Avenue has been identified another corridor that should incorporate a balance of various modes of mobility. Other corridors identified by the community for evaluation of multimodal street designs include Sinclair Road, Pecan Valley Road, Southcross Boulevard, South Hackberry, and Steves Avenue. Multimodal investments will enhance connectivity while simultaneously supporting the community goal of promoting well-being and safety.

Pedestrian focus areas refer to specific nodes that accommodate significant volumes of pedestrian activity. These focus areas aim to create high-quality street-level experiences to enhance the economic strength of commercial and mixed-use districts. These areas include large sidewalks, safe and balanced intersections, ample crossing opportunities, and design characteristics focused on keeping pedestrians safe while providing a comfortable overall experience. Pedestrian focus areas have been identified near the intersection of East Southcross Boulevard and South WW White Road, Southside Lions Park, Rigsby Avenue, and Fair Avenue. These areas have been identified near major neighborhood origins and destinations to enhance pedestrian access, mobility, and safety.

Intersection and crossing enhancements are envisioned as intuitive and predictable crossings for all users. Enhancement locations are identified where crossing is considered a priority and pedestrians, motorists, and bicyclists share space. Whether signalized or un-signalized, crossings where a high level of multimodal activity, including pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle crossings, will facilitate predictability for all uses. Intersection enhancements could include lowering motor vehicle travel speeds when appropriate and ensuring high pedestrian visibility. Priority intersection and crossing enhancement locations are identified where complex movements occur and potential conflicts between pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers exist. The Southeast Community Area has identified a total of 12 priority intersections, including five located on WW White Road, as it provides connections to multiple residential and commercial areas.

Mobility hubs are envisioned as scalable nodes of mobility options, like frequent transit, shared rides, bicycling, and micro-mobility. These areas converge multimodal access and connectivity with adequate lighting, shelters, benches, real-time information, accessible sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. A mobility hub is identified at the intersection of Rigsby Avenue and WW White Road.

Southeast Community Area Street Types

Southeast Community Area Streets for People and Places

As communities evolve and grow, so do the demands on the mobility system. The location and type of growth in an area or along a corridor help determine the demand on the transportation network and the viability of various transportation options. This interdependence makes it crucial to plan for transportation and land use collectively. Streets are organized not only by role and function, but also by the character and surrounding context.

Land uses encouraging mixed-uses and higher density developments on major roadways will lead to additional pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, cars, and freight delivery trucks of various sizes. Future land use also influences other factors, such as drop-off delivery zones, shared mobility hubs, and walkability. The map below shows the interactions between future land use and transportation plans. The street type classifications integrate transportation and land use to guide context-sensitive mobility solutions.

Southeast Community Area Proposed Street Types

Relationship between the Street and Buildings

Safe and vibrant streetscapes depend on how buildings integrate with surrounding sidewalks. Minimizing building setbacks, the distance between a building facade and the street, is key for creating a walkable and more connected public realm. Buildings that meet the sidewalk directly connect pedestrians to destinations and create an enlivened urban space with opportunities to activate ground-floor uses and provide shopping and entertainment offerings with convenient access.

Smaller building setbacks are characteristic of Mixed-Use Local, or Urban/Suburban Local street typologies, which prioritize pedestrian-oriented design. Meanwhile, larger setbacks that can accommodate front-end parking, are more characteristic of secondary arterials (whether suburban, industrial, mixed-use, or urban). Primary arterials are designed to move vehicles and may require large setback minimums to accommodate additional parking.

The Streets for People and Places below illustrates the Plan Area’s streets classified into the same gradient of intensity between car-focused and people/places-focused. As shown on the map, many of the major roadways in the Southeast Community Area should have an equal emphasis on people-and places and auto-oriented design approach going forward to support the future land use vision of more mixed-uses along those corridors. Other major thoroughfares such Southcross Boulevard, Steves Avenue, and Pecan Valley Drive, which are already primarily auto-oriented, should have more emphasis on street design oriented towards people, their safety, and how they interact with the places along those corridors.

A successful street hierarchy will align travel speeds with street usages and will decrease speeds accordingly by roadway function. While major regional roads may require higher speeds to accommodate heavy traffic flows, most smaller roadways serve lower volumes of vehicles, thus having lower speeds. On these roads, lower speeds ensure a safe environment for vehicles and people alike.

Street typologies that focus on moving vehicles, such as Suburban Commercial, Residential, or Industrial Super and Primary Arterials, will feature higher speeds. However, typologies that focus on people and places, such as Mixed-Use, Multi-family, Urban/Suburban Local Roads and Secondary Arterials, will feature lower speed limits, to increase road safety for both people and vehicles.

Parking provides access to work, retail, or entertainment. Cars searching for on-street parking create serious traffic and safety challenges. Incorporating safe street design elements, such as buffering between bike lanes and traffic, can create a safer on-street parking environment.

Street types that emphasize people and places, such as those with featuring Mixed Use or Multi-family developments will restrict the supply of parking overall. Restricting space allocated for parking allows for more active uses, denser physical environments, and more connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists. Meanwhile, intermediary street typologies that support vehicles as well as people and places will likely offer some on-street parking, in addition to smaller on-site lots. Conversely, Suburban Contexts or Super and Primary Arterials may forgo on-street parking altogether, favoring large surface lots and structures.

Space between the curb and the travel lanes provides an opportunity to serve many uses such as driveways, bus lanes, cycle tracks, on-street parking, bicycle parking, freight drop-off delivery zones, or shared mobility hubs. This flexible zone can be converted based on demand and play a role in street activation. The design of the curb influences how cars and people enter and exit work, residential, and retail environments. Addressing areas where traffic and turning patterns increase the risk of crashes will reduce conflicts between driveway traffic and pedestrians and will improve roadway safety.

Suburban Commercial and Super or Primary Arterials typologies will focus on the ease of ingress and egress for vehicles, while Mixed-Use or Local street typologies focused on moving people will emphasize how vehicle access can coexist with safe, walkable environments.

Lane width determines how cities can allocate space for motorists, buses, trucks, bikes, and parked cars. Streets often dedicate space for bike lanes, parking, safety islands, and travel lanes. The lane width will vary based on the surrounding context and modal priority as transit, freight, and emergency response vehicles require wider travel lanes.

Wider lane widths are designed to move vehicles in high-speed environments. For example, a Suburban Primary Arterial will be wide enough to efficiently move passengers through residential and commercial environments, while Mixed-Use Local or Suburban Local environments have narrow lanes to reduce crossing distances for pedestrians and to help promote slower driving speeds.