City reviews $52,000 design amendment to close gap in Bicycle Boulevard route

Staff presented a proposed amendment to the Bicycle Boulevard contract with Barge Consultants that would add $52,000 to cover design work needed to close a long‑standing gap between Culver Street and East/West Newberry.

Director Tate (speaker 3) told commissioners the original Bicycle Boulevard design followed a route that turned at Culver and used Newberry and neighboring streets but that route leaves a treacherous connection. "There was a gap between Culver and Redding Road," the director said, and the amendment will allow Barge to develop a new design concept, including a roughly 320-foot buffer/taper to shift traffic lanes and provide a protected bike lane on Dade Boulevard where space exists. The director emphasized that approving the amendment would only fund design work and does not commit the city to a final construction layout.

Staff said the amendment also covers additional NEPA/right-of-way tasks required because the project footprint was extended beyond the original limits. The director said final design documents will be returned to the commission for review and that the mayor must sign the TDOT-related amendment before Barge executes the contract extension.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the cause of the gap (railroad tracks were identified as a primary factor), whether adjacent property owners or a railroad would share right-of-way, and the projected timeline. Staff replied that the railroad was unlikely to share its right-of-way, that the mayor's signature and receipt of design documents will be the gating items, and that Barge will begin design once the amendment is executed.

The amendment was presented as resolution 26-194 for the commission’s consideration at a later agenda; staff said it will return with design plans and cost estimates before any construction commitment.