Council Briefed on Pedestrian Access Study

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday heard a presentation from the Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) on the results of the Pedestrian Access Study. The purpose of the Pedestrian Access Study is to identify existing pedestrian infrastructure and recommend priority pedestrian routes and projects to help connect destinations around the City and promote access. The study was coordinated with the Regional Trail Plan, the Parks and Recreation Department with regard to tree plantings and the Transit Department for bus stop access.

Officials say the Tyler Area MPO began the study by reviewing existing assets, determining what gaps there were in the current system and then providing a way to prioritize new construction to best meet the goal of an accessible network. According to city staff, in creating the priority listing of projects, the MPO paid special attention to areas that would be significant draws such as major employment centers, regional shopping areas, civic centers and schools; staffers say consideration was also given to how these attractors connect with residential areas. Additionally, the MPO held three public meetings and accepted public comments throughout the development of the study to obtain input from the community to assist.

After their assessment, the Tyler Area MPO identified 214 projects; these projects were each assigned a score based on their proximity to the attractors mentioned above. The scores were used to rank the importance of the project based on the impact it would have on the community. This project ranking is scheduled to be adopted by the MPO Policy Committee at their February meeting.

The project ranking will also be submitted to the City of Tyler Capital Improvement Program in February for consideration by the Half-Cent Sales Tax Board in April. Sidewalks are currently ranked number four out of 91 projects citywide. The Tyler Area MPO has also identified the Federal Safe Routes to School program, Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife trail grants and public/private partnerships as other possible funding sources for these projects.

The City of Tyler serves as the administrative agency of the Tyler Area MPO. The MPO, in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), is responsible for carrying out the urban transportation process as required by federal legislation. The MPO is intended to provide a forum for cooperative decision making concerning transportation issues. Go to http://www.TylerAreaMPO.org for more information.