Denton took a step toward becoming more bike-friendly Tuesday as the City Council approved a bicycle and pedestrian plan.
The 7-0 vote culminated years of work by the public, city staff members and a hired consultant and followed a public hearing that saw healthy support for the plan.
“It’s been a long process, but it’s been a productive process,” said Jim Coulter, a city official who oversees streets. “We think we have a good plan to work with.”
The plan identifies 35 miles of bike routes and dedicated lanes for immediate completion at an estimated cost of $600,000 to $1.2 million. Another 35 miles of routes and lanes are targeted for completion over 10 years at a cost of up to $1.4 million.
Howard Draper, who runs the bicycle news and advocacy website Bike Denton, said adding bike infrastructure would have safety and economic benefits for the city.
Kati Trice, representing Querencia Community Bike Shop, said the city has a long way to go make roads safe for all types of transportation but the plan is a good first step.
The vote Tuesday did not commit any money to the projects. Council members will have to approve funding in future budgets or bond programs.
City staffers plan to ask for $250,000 in next year’s budget for implementation projects, Coulter said. The current budget includes $200,000 to start applying the plan, including $100,000 in county matching funds.
Amber Briggle, one of several people present who served on a bike plan task force, said $250,000 was a “drop in the bucket” in the city’s total budget and urged council members to continue funding the plan.
“This is a great legacy that you all and we all are leaving for the city of Denton,” Briggle told the council. “But don’t let it die.”
The city had been experimenting with the plan’s recommendations even before its approval. When Jagoe Street near the University of North Texas was closed for utility work last year, the city added a wider sidewalk, bicycle signs and shared-lane arrows, or “sharrows,” while keeping vehicle parking on both sides of the two-lane street — one of several street designs the plan endorses.
The city’s 1999 master plan encouraged walking and bicycle riding, but the issue gained urgency in recent years thanks to the Denton County Transportation Authority, which started passenger rail service from Denton to Carrollton in June.
City leaders have voiced support for a bicycle network connecting the city, especially between UNT, Texas Woman’s University and the downtown transit center east of the Square.
The bike plan is a component of the city’s mobility plan. Future changes would be vetted through the council-appointed Traffic Safety Commission.
Council member Kevin Roden missed part of the meeting to speak at a Cub Scout banquet but returned before the bike plan vote.
LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is lmbrown@dentonrc.com .
IN OTHER ACTION
Also Tuesday, the Denton City Council:
• Voted 7-0 to create an economic development district around a planned new power plant near Denton Airport. The project involves building a combined heat and power plant and creating an economic development zone around it where the city could sell steam, chilled water and natural gas to industries. An ordinance signing ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. today at the airport terminal office building, 5000 Airport Road. The Texas Legislature authorized the project last year through Senate Bill 1230, overriding a city charter provision that calls for voter approval of new public utilities. Two speakers, Hatice Salih and Bob Clifton, spoke against the district Tuesday because of the lack of a public vote. Mayor Mark Burroughs said more opportunities for public input would come before the plant is built, although he was unsure of the exact process.
• Voted 7-0 to approve a 10-year, $388,000 incentive agreement with Mayday Manufacturing Co. designed to keep the aerospace parts company from leaving Denton as part of a planned expansion. Mayday, located at 1500 Interstate 35W, wants to expand and is said to be considering other locations, including a vacant building at 3100 Jim Christal Road in Denton and land in a neighboring city that hasn’t been publicly identified. The agreement is designed to encourage the company to choose the Jim Christal Road site by offsetting some expansion costs. The company’s chief executive officer, Randy Kempf, said Monday that company officials hoped to announce their plans within a month.
• Directed city staff members to move forward with the purchase of 26 acres bordering North Lakes Park so the city can preserve trees at the park while adding four adult soccer fields. However, council members expressed reservations about the use of tree mitigation funds to buy the additional land, since it has only two trees. They told city staffers to research ways to reimburse the tree fund after the purchase. The proposal from the parks department would use $250,000 in tree mitigation funds to cover part of the $1 million land acquisition. Council members also called on the city to fast-track the creation of a long-delayed citizen panel to help evaluate tree fund expenditures.
• Approved plans for 35 Denton, a four-day music festival in downtown Denton, including a partial street closure and the use of the Williams Square lot and Hickory Street between Austin and Industrial streets for outdoor concerts. The event is set for March 8-11, but no outdoor concerts are scheduled the first day. Nine business owners directly affected by the partial closure of Hickory signed a form consenting to it. The council did not agree to a noise ordinance exception allowing 95 decibels; the limit will be 75 decibels. Mayor Pro Tem Pete Kamp abstained from the votes because she has a financial interest in the festival.
• Reappointed Robin A. Ramsay as presiding judge for the municipal court for a two-year term. Council members previously approved a 2 percent raise for Ramsay, bringing his annual salary to about $112,000.
• Accepted a state grant that will fund 90 percent of a $100,000 project to develop a wildlife management plan for Denton Airport.
• Adopted a citywide sustainability plan.
• Delayed action on updates to the city’s four-stage drought plan until the next regular council meeting.
— Lowell Brown
