Goal 2. - Encourage the development and use of various types of transportation modes that will decrease the dependence and reliance on single occupancy vehicles while increasing access to employment centers, community services and commercial, cultural, educational, and commercial facilities.

A.

Develop a long-term comprehensive transportation needs assessment.

B.

Study the feasibility of alternative transportation modes (i.e. trolley, bicycle) that will link downtown with other major destinations.

C.

Provide and encourage transportation options that emphasize convenience, safety, environmental quality and efficiency.

D.

Develop traffic control measures such as:

•  Reducing parking requirements and encourage shared parking in the downtown district in order to encourage non-vehicular transportation;

•  Providing appropriate directional signage for public parking;

•  Providing public parking areas to encourage off-site parking;

•  Access management principles including required shared driveways;

•  Work with TXDOT to install medians and/or other traffic calming devices in FM 51 and FM 730 and other high traffic roads under state jurisdiction.

E.

Develop criteria for requiring traffic impact analyses.

F.

Encourage resident and employment growth within walking distance of the downtown areas and neighborhood and employment centers.

G.

Promote the safe use of bicycles as an efficient and environmentally sound means of transportation by encouraging a citywide network of trails, lanes and storage facilities.

•  Include bicycle-parking requirements in city regulations for cultural, recreational and other major destinations.

•  Identify bicycle lanes and trails as they are developed and publish a citywide bicycle map.

H.

Aggressively support a regional transportation system that expands capacity by using linked transportation networks such as light rail and bus routes.

I.

Assign a priority to the maintenance of streets and sidewalks and provide proper annual budget support.

•  Seek equitable contributions from heavy users for street and road repairs.

•  Establish design requirements for streets and road construction so as to increase the life expectancy to the maximum extent possible.

J.

Promote a safe and convenient pedestrian travel network with sidewalks, walkways and trails integrated into the transportation system and neighborhood centers.