By Mary Alys Cherry
Webster has taken the first steps toward what it hopes will be shared bike and pedestrian paths linking NASA Parkway to Henderson Road along the east side of FM 270 – applying for some $1 million in state transportation funds.
Webster Economic Development Director Dr. Betsy Giusto said the Texas Department of Transportation has recently authorized $70 million in funding for transportation enhancement projects with the state paying 80 percent of the costs of eligible projects by using federal funds.
Webster’s part of the cost will be $184,000, she said, adding that a portion of the project (20 percent) would be funded by the city’s Street Construction Fund.
Giusto said the project cost consists of all construction costs, including paving and drainage, to build the 10- to 12-foot wide shared use path from NASA Parkway to Henderson Road with TxDOT overseeing construction, as well as fully funding all design work and any required right-of-way acquisition at no cost to the city.
“TxDOT engineers have committed to performing the design work, and an Advanced Funding Agreement between TxDOT and Webster would be executed at the time of project selection,” she explained.
FM 270 is a seven-lane major north-south roadway with an average daily traffic count of 27,900 vehicles and a speed limit of 45 mph.
