The Bee Cave Hike & Bike Connectivity Plan, adopted by City Council in November 2016, is a guide to provide a safe, convenient, and functional transportation network throughout the City to satisfy regular travel and recreational needs for pedestrians and cyclists.  The network is loosely configured as a hub and spoke system with a concentration of multi-use pathways in ‘town center’—i.e. the Hill Country Galleria; the Shops at the Galleria; and the area identified in the City’s Comprehensive Plan as the “Recreational Entertainment District,” generally positioned west of RR 620, south of Bee Cave Parkway, and north of Little Barton Creek (inclusive of the forthcoming Village at Spanish Oaks project)—and ‘spokes’ out to the majority of residential neighborhoods, most of which were built with their own network of sidewalks.

Update on Implementation to Date

The first phase of implementation, a ¾ mile off-road shared use path from Falconhead Blvd to Central Park roughly parallel to RR 620 and an off-road path on the south side of Bee Cave Parkway from the intersection with RR 620 to approximately .3 miles eastward, was completed in Spring 2019.

The City has been in the process of acquiring easement and approvals for phase 2, which is set to go out to bid in Winter 2021 and tentatively includes:

• Falconhead Blvd to Lake Travis High School Shared Use Path: This .5 mile segment is a continuation of a portion of trail built in phase 1 and will use the approximate alignment of existing, narrower crushed granite path, but be improved to match the city’s preferred shared use path profile.
• Ladera Blvd Shared Use Path and crosswalk improvements:   This includes 1) a crosswalk and a 110‘ segment in the vicinity of the Ladera Blvd/Tambre Bend intersection that will complete the connection between the newly built shared use path west of Willie Way to the existing sidewalks in Ladera and 2) a .25 mile segment east of Willie Way that connects in the vicinity of Chick-Fil-A to the shared use path built in Phase 1.
•  Bee Cave Parkway, west of RR 620 Shared Use Paths:  This includes a .25 mile shared use path north of Bee Cave Parkway east of Willie to the Central Park pedestrian tunnel and a .2 mile shared use path south of Bee Cave Parkway from the RR 620 to the Central Park entrance, as well as a ramp down to the pedestrian tunnel. 

There are a few additional projects for which we are in the process of securing easements and will include in this round as ‘bid alternates’ in the event permission is secured in time.  If a project listed below does not make this round of construction, we plan to include them on the 2022 round.

• Bee Cave Parkway, east of RR 620 Shared Use Path:  Improvement of the existing .4 mile trail on the south side of Bee Cave Parkway from Vista Ridge to Market Street.
• A+ Federal Credit Union Trailhead Parking:  8-10 spot parking lot on the west side of RR 620 in the location of the Phase 1 trail construction staging area.
• Town Center South Shared Use Path:  Improved connection between the Shops Parkway sidewalk and the amenity pond east of Plate by Dzintra and a 1 mile segment east of sculpture park to the existing low water crossing and around the stormwater ponds.

In conjunction with development with the City’s Capital Improvements Plan, an update to the City’s Transportation Criteria Manual, the recently adopted update to the City’s Thoroughfare Plan, and a request from the Economic Development Board, City staff has been working on an update to the map in the Connectivity Plan.  The draft maps refine the recommendations and sequencing for implementation in the original plan to incorporate information, progress, and experience we have acquired since 2016.

The purpose of this item is to receive feedback and direction in order to finalize a new map for adoption.  An update to the text of the Connectivity Plan is forthcoming. 

As illustrated in the attached maps, each segment is tentatively identified by the following information, among other attributes:

1. Type
   •  Primitive Recreational Path
   • Improved Recreational Path
   • Shared Use Path
   • Sidewalk
     • Minor Arterial
     • Primary Collector
     • Neighborhood Collector
     • Residential Collector
     • Local
   • Bike Lane
   • Bike Lane – Shared Shoulder
   • Crossing
     • On-Grade
     • Off Grade (e.g. tunnel, bridge)
2. Maintenance Obligation
   • City of Bee Cave
   • Other
     • TXDOT
     • Travis County
     • HOA/POA
3. Status

• Built

• Unbuilt

4.       Regional Plan

• Yes – publicly accessible and interconnected
• No – private/limited access trails.  Direct, non-residential building access.

5.       Recommendation – feeder into CIP

• Keep
• Replace
• Construct 2021
• Construct 2022
• Construct 2023
• Construct 2024
• Construct Future – Projects that, for a variety of reasons, we’re not yet ready to predict because they’re dependent on bigger variables (that are still in flux) than simply getting easements and funding.  E.g. trails within Brown, Central Park, near the PD, near the Episcopal Church, on the north side of BCP east of RR 620.  Almost any of these projects may ultimately be ripe for construction within the FYs above, but it’s advisable to let those other variables crystalize more before we formally put them in our 4 year action plan. 
• Construct with Road – Shared use paths associated with most of the forthcoming segments shown on the recently adopted Thoroughfare Plan and will also correspond with the road cross-sections we’re putting together for the updated Transportation Criteria Manual, the update of which is nested within the development codes update. 
• Support Enhancement – Segments that staff does not foresee the City or EDB directly and/or wholly funding, but would be beneficial for ultimate connectivity.  Predominantly represents TXDOT’s Special Use Path concept along 71 and RR 620 and sidewalks/trails already underway in the Backyard & Village at Spanish Oaks.  For the remaining, it represents new segments that are anticipated to be privately maintained and built/reconstructed.  Having these represented on an adopted City Plan may aid said entities with obtaining grants.