Resident urges Planning Commission to plan for non-drivers, protected bike lanes and improved transit

Shereen Del Souze, a District 5 resident, addressed the City Planning Commission during the public comment period urging officials to consider residents who do not drive when planning roads and development.

"We need data when we're making plans," Del Souze said. She added that national figures show a segment of the population that lacks access to a car and cited repossession statistics as context for local affordability pressures. "So there is a huge segment of our population that's not being considered… Sidewalks are not enough. When you're making decisions with the roads we need something called protected bike lanes. We need better public transit," she said.

Del Souze recommended a demand-response transit system with more pickup points and called for higher-density, mixed-use development so people can walk to jobs and services. She noted the city currently accommodates drivers and said planners should collect local statistics for Corpus Christi rather than rely on national figures. "We need at least specific data so we don't say oh well those people don't exist," Del Souze said.

The commission acknowledged the public comment and proceeded with the agenda. The issues Del Souze raised—data on non-drivers, transit pick-up density and protected bike lanes—are policy considerations that would be addressed through planning studies, future code changes or capital project priorities rather than by a single zoning decision.