Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Monday morning announced $15M in new funding to improve Houston's bike network. Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis pledged $10M toward bicycle and pedestrian facilities, matching the city's $4.4M commitment made over four years. Turner said the collaboration could result in over 50 miles of bike lanes separated from vehicle traffic, new sidewalks and intersection upgrades to protect the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. Some of these “high comfort lanes” are proposed for Hardy and Elysian streets in Near Northside, where Council Member Karla Cisneros is a funding partner.
Last year was the busiest year on record for Houston's bicycle rental program BCycle, with a 52% increase in users. BCycle will eventually deliver 71 new stations and 600+ bikes, tripling the size of the network. The City’s Planning and Development Department sponsored a Houston-Galveston Area Council grant from the Federal Highway Administration, covering $3.5M of the cost of expanding the system.
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