TEI led planning and design of the Houston Bikeway Initiative (HBI), a Harris County project to rapidly implement high-comfort, on‑street bikeways within Harris County Precinct 1 and the City of Houston.
Building on previous TEI-led planning efforts – including the Houston Bike Plan and the Precinct 1 Transportation Plan – HBI identified priority corridors where bike lane retrofits meeting “all ages and abilities” criteria are feasible based upon available street width and traffic volumes. TEI conducted feasibility assessments including traffic analyses, parking studies, and cross-section alternatives to satisfy City of Houston requests.
TEI helped the client develop and refine a toolbox of bikeway design treatments suitable to urban street retrofits, drawing from the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, the FHWA Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide, and other state-of-the-practice design guidance.
TEI led design on several corridors (Lyons, Hardy, Kelley, Downtown Connector, Polk/Cullen) and coordinated design on several others (Elysian, Austin, Gray, Cleburne, Hutchins). Design elements included pavement markings, signage, bus stop relocation and reconstruction, and pavement repairs. Traffic signal modifications included addition of bicycle signals at 53 locations to improve intersection safety along new bikeway corridors.
Close coordination with stakeholders including the City of Houston, METRO, TxDOT, management districts, and civic associations occurred throughout the design process. TEI supported City of Houston public engagement with figures, graphics, and talking points.
TEI also provided construction phase services for this award-winning project. Year one of HBI successfully constructed 18 miles of new on-street bikeways in less than 12 months.
