Donning
their helmets and jerseys, Tyler Bike Club members were present as
Mayor Joey Seeber unveiled Tyler’s first ever bicycle route on
Thursday, June 23, at Golden Road Park.
"We are excited to provide yet another way for our citizens to enjoy the beauty of Tyler while exercising at the same time," Mayor Joey Seeber said.
City staff met with Texas Department of Transportation staff, the Master Transportation Plan committee, Tyler Bike Club members and a professional bicycle facility planner to develop the plan, which designates an initial 6.3-mile bike route through Tyler.
The route forms a square loop containing portions of Donnybrook Avenue, Amherst Street, Golden Road, Devine Street and Lake Street. The route will consist of both shared route facilities and exclusive bicycle lanes. Shared route facilities are where automobiles and bicycles share the roadway. Exclusive bicycle lanes are areas where automobiles are prohibited from using the designated bicycle lane, which requires the removal of on-street parking.
The bicycle route passes next to Golden Road Park, in accordance with one of the goals of the revised bicycle plan to connect neighborhoods with City parks.
Placement of signs and markings designating the new route should be completed by July 8.
The city of Tyler is moving forward with plans to extend a pedestrian and bike trail in the southern part of town.
Wednesday, city council members approved a $275,000 contract with MHS Planning and Design for the preliminary engineering, surveying, environmental and design work on the project.
Overall, the 6.6-mile project is expected to cost $3.5 million. The city will pay 20 percent with a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation covering 80 percent.
Anna K. Hayes, resource development specialist for the city, said the design phase will take 18 months, with construction being phased in over several years.
Once completed, the trail will extend from the existing Rose Rudman Recreational Trail, south behind the Broadway Crossing Shopping Center. It will cross South Broadway Avenue and continue along Grande Boulevard to Old Jacksonville Highway. It will extend along Old Jacksonville Highway from Loop 323 to south of Grande Boulevard
When Grande Boulevard is expanded eastward, the trail will also be built in that direction to Paluxy Drive.
Mayor Kevin Eltife said the south Tyler trail extension is part of a larger project to connect all of Tyler's park and recreation areas by trails.
"It is pretty exciting," Eltife said. "You will be able to traverse the city on bike, Rollerblades or whatever."
Four companies submitted proposals for the design phase of the trail project.
A committee, including the city engineer, parks director and planning director, reviewed the proposals and recommended MHS Planning and Design, headed by Mark Spencer, be hired.