San Antonio to Improve Downtown Access

Why it matters

The study aims to improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, making the area safer and more walkable between Hemisfair, the convention center, the Alamodome, and the future sports and entertainment district. The focus will be on the two-mile stretch of I-37 from Houston Street to Carolina Street. AECOM Technical Services, Inc., a Dallas-based infrastructure firm, secured the $3.7 million contract. Their past projects include One World Trade Center in New York City and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The study is expected to run through the end of the year, with public input starting in April. Funding includes almost $3 million from a U.S. Department of Transportation Neighborhood Access and Equity Planning Grant. The city will provide a 20% local match of $740,000 from its Hotel Occupancy Tax Redemption and Capital Fund. The project seeks to reconnect communities divided by the construction of I-37 and the HemisFair '68 site in the 1960s. This earlier construction displaced between 1,600 and 2,238 residents. The city hopes to create a "seamless urban experience".

Key numbers

• San Antonio awarded a $3.7M contract for a study to improve connections between downtown and the East Side.
• The focus will be on the two-mile stretch of I-37 from Houston Street to Carolina Street.
• AECOM Technical Services, Inc., a Dallas-based infrastructure firm, secured the $3.7 million contract.
• Funding includes almost $3 million from a U.S.

What happens next

• The study aims to improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, making the area safer and more walkable between Hemisfair, the convention center, the Alamodome, and the future sports and entertainment district.
• The focus will be on the two-mile stretch of I-37 from Houston Street to Carolina Street.
• The study is expected to run through the end of the year, with public input starting in April.

Sources

• Antonio awarded

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