Expanding a Municipal Bikeshare System into an Urban National Park through Community Partnerships

Abstract

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is in the urban outskirts of downtown San Antonio, Texas. Since the mission was established as a National Park Service site, visitors have arrived at the park primarily by personal vehicle. Reducing the number of motorized vehicles near the historic missions and promoting alternative transportation options for visitors will help protect resources and enhance the visitor experience. The first bikesharing system in Texas, San Antonio B-Cycle, was launched in 2011 in downtown San Antonio. Shortly afterward, partners in the city of San Antonio's Office of Sustainability, San Antonio Bike Share, and the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program proposed a linear expansion of the bikeshare system from downtown, south along the San Antonio River and a newly built recreation trail, to connect to the park. A successful project proposal was developed for an FTA grant; in 2012 the city was awarded $324,000 and the following year received an additional $295,774. This case study documents the process for expanding the San Antonio urban municipal bikeshare system in a nontraditional linear way, within a national park, by leveraging community partnerships. The study presents contextual information on the local setting and its transportation challenges, identifies relevant strategic initiatives prompting citywide improvements, summarizes the bikesharing concept, and details project development steps. The study concludes with analysis of usage data, which indicates project success and distills project challenges and key findings into a useful tool for other bikeshare implementation or expansion efforts.

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