1. Walking in College Station –
Development Standards
and Safety
City Council
August 9, 2012

2. Objectives of Presentation
●City Policies Regarding Walking
●Benefits of Providing Facilities for Safe Walking
●Current City Development Standards Related to
Providing Safe Facilities for Walking
●Proposed Reduction of Standards Presented by
the Bryan-College Station Home Builders
Association
●Recommendations
Walking in College Station

3.  In a survey of College Station residents
conducted in 2012, the provision of places for
residents to walk and bike safely ranked
behind only public safety, street
maintenance, and economic development in
importance
 This same survey indicated a citizen preference
to continue to place the same or greater
emphasis on providing places to safely walk
or bike in the community
City of College Station
Policies on Walking

4. College Station Comprehensive Plan
● Developed through the work of thousands of
residents over a multi-year process established the
following mobility goal:
 Improved mobility through a safe, efficient, and
well-connected multi-modal transportation system
designed to be sensitive to the surrounding land uses.
● The Plan further provides the following strategy
and specific actions:
 Promote and invest in alternative transportation
options
 Amend and implement the Bicycle and Pedestrian
Master Plan

5. City Council – Strategic Plan
 In 2012, the Council adopted its amended
Strategic Plan and included the following
related to mobility:
 The City will work to improve mobility by:
• Providing streets that
accommodate vehicles,
bicyclists, and pedestrians
• Ensure streets have features
that promote walkability

6. College Station
Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways
Master Plan
 Recognized as one of the best such plans in the
State of Texas, established the following goals:
 Improve Connectivity and Accessibility
 Increase Safety
 Increase Bicycling and
Walking Outdoors

7. College Station
Neighborhood Plans
 Identified the need for
greater connectivity and
more sidewalks as top
priorities.
 Proposals to expend
thousands of dollars on
retrofitting existing streets
to add sidewalks

8.  The City of College
Station has…
 130 miles of sidewalks
 300 miles of streets
 More than half of the
street miles within
College Station are
without sidewalks
Benefits of
Being Able to Walk Safely

9. What’s the Risk?
 In the U.S. between 2000 and 2009..
 more than 47,000 pedestrians were killed
 more than 688,000 were injured
 Pedestrian injury is the 3rd leading cause of
death by unintentional injury for children 15 and
younger in the U.S.
 Nationwide, older pedestrians represent nearly
22% of total pedestrian fatalities while
representing only 13% of the nation’s population
Walking can be dangerous …especially so for
the young and the elderly

10. National Standards
 American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) -
“Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of
Pedestrian Facilities”:
 “Where sidewalks are provided on only one side of
a roadway, the overall connectivity of the sidewalk
is weakened, as well as pedestrian safety and
accessibility”
 “Sidewalks on only one side of the street are not
generally recommended”
 The manual identifies only two instances where
sidewalks on only one side a street may be justified
– when only one side of the street is developed or
on an interim basis – such as when previously no
sidewalks existed at all.

11. National Standards
 The Institute of Transportation Engineers -
“Recommended Guidelines for Sidewalk
Installation”
 Recommends sidewalks be required on both
sides of all streets in suburban and urban
developments
 The Federal Highway Administration – “Designing
Sidewalks and Trails for Access: Best Practices
and Design Guide”
 Recommends a minimum width of five feet for
all sidewalks

12. Bryan/College Station Design Standards
 Sidewalks located…
 Back of curb (on thoroughfares) be at least 8’
in width (unless in Northgate where greater is
required)
 Sidewalks not located on back of curb be at
least 6’ in width on thoroughfares (at least 3’
off of curb)
 On local/residential streets be at least 5’ in
width (at least 3’ off of curb)
Current Development Standards

13. The local HBA has requested:
● Sidewalks…
 Only be required on one side of
local/residential streets
 Not be required around the bulb of the cul-
de-sac unless there is a facility to connect to
 Not be required to exceed 5’ in width along
thoroughfares
 Not be required to exceed 4’ in width along
local/residential streets
Home Builders Association
Proposal

14. Staff, BPG Advisory Board, and Planning &
Zoning Commission are recommending:
 Sidewalks…
 Remain required on both sides of all streets, except
where currently exempt
 Not be required around the bulb of the cul-de-sac
unless there is a facility to connect to
 Along thoroughfares (except in Northgate) be allowed
to be reduced to 5’ if not on the back of the curb and if
adjacent to an existing striped bike lane
 Along local/residential streets remain at least 5’ in
width
 No longer be required adjacent to
expressways/freeways (though multi-use paths
identified in BPG Plan will still be required)
Staff Recommendations