Scaled-down Galveston safety plan proposed for $2.15M budget; residents, businesses raise delivery and loading concerns

City staff on June 23 presented a scaled-down, safety-first approach to improvements along Galveston Avenue that they said can be built within the approximately $2.15 million currently budgeted for the corridor. The plan focuses on ADA ramp replacement, targeted sidewalk repairs, pedestrian refuge islands, a raised pedestrian crossing at 12th Street, and center medians at select locations; larger elements from the 2020 full design, including utilities and wider shared-use paths, were deferred because of available funding.

Ryan Oster, the city engineer, said the Galveston Corridor has been under study for more than a decade and that the council-adopted 2020 design represented a roughly $8,000,000 concept (about $4,000,000 transportation and $4,000,000 utilities). With the current budget reduced to about $2.15 million, staff said the revised scope concentrates on “safety first” elements and minimizes permanent curb changes so the design can be delivered with limited disruption.

Key elements described in the June 23 concept include: - ADA ramp and sidewalk work in multiple locations; staff said many existing ramps are noncompliant and some sidewalk segments are in poor condition and would be rebuilt. City crews are expected to self-perform much of the sidewalk and ramp work to reduce cost. - Pedestrian refuge islands at several crosswalks (for example at 13th Street) so pedestrians cross in two stages instead of across the full curb-to-curb width. - A raised pedestrian crossing at 12th Street to slow vehicles and improve visibility for people walking and bicycling. Staff said raised crossings act like elongated speed tables and are already used on other local streets and near schools. - Bulb-outs and narrowed crossing distances at some intersections to shorten pedestrian crossings. - A plan to address a retaining wall south of the bridge that currently forces pedestrians into the roadway; staff said the wall will need to be pushed back to the right-of-way to allow continuous sidewalk access on the south side of the corridor. - A pavement preservation overlay (2-inch grind and inlay) for the full corridor expected in summer 2026 as part of the city's street preservation program; the overlay and final striping would follow earlier pedestrian/median construction.

Oster said curb-to-curb widths will largely remain in place, so bike lanes in the concept are narrower than in the 2020 design: staff proposed 4–5 foot bike lanes with a 2-foot striped buffer and 10.5- to 11-foot travel lanes, noting that striped buffers can tend to be driven on over time and staff are exploring options such as vertical delineators, Duracurb, or other low-profile separators.

Staff outlined a likely breakdown of work: sidewalk and ramp work and some minor inlets to be self-performed by city crews; center islands, curb work and specialized wall and lighting design to be contracted out. Lighting for crossings and specialized wall design were identified as work areas that would require on-call engineering or contractors.

Staff also said stormwater treatment work originally part of the larger design is not included in the current budget; only incidental inlet relocations tied to bulb-outs would be handled in this scope.

Public comment and questions were extensive. A bicycle commuter who uses Galveston said staff’s package was “a pretty big improvement” but expressed concern that narrower bike lanes and remaining travel lanes might still feel unsafe. A number of business owners representing Galveston bars and restaurants urged the city to minimize construction impacts during the spring and summer business season, requested clearer construction timing and staging plans, and asked about accommodations for delivery trucks that now use the center turn lane for loading. One owner said much of their revenue comes from outdoor seating in spring and summer and urged minimal disruption during those months.

Staff replied that they plan night work for the pavement overlay to reduce daytime impacts and that the sidewalk and ramp work would be phased with pedestrian access maintained around active work zones. City staff acknowledged delivery and loading concerns and said they would coordinate with businesses to find staging and parking solutions; staff also said the bulb-outs and refuge islands could be refined in design to avoid blocking needed delivery movements.

Several active-transportation and school advocates said the corridor’s improvements would help children and residents travel by foot or bike to nearby schools and parks, and they urged the city to pursue more protective bike infrastructure over time and to pair the planned work with enforcement and speed-management measures.

Staff asked the subcommittee whether to proceed with final design work (including wall and lighting engineering) and to prepare materials for bidding late this year with construction next spring; staff requested guidance about the level of additional public engagement. Council members and several commenters favored targeted outreach to corridor businesses and neighborhood groups, posting the updated concept to the project web page, and returning to council with a recommended funding approach for pilot projects and final design.