CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — City officials are looking at ways to make Padre Island more accessible.
They’re calling it the Island Mobility Plan. The Island Strategic Action Committee's goal is to create a comprehensive transportation network that connects residential neighborhoods to commercial and retail uses.
They're also identifying critical routes for walking, bicycling, and golf carts.
Michele Salinas who lived on the Island for 10 years wants to see it happen.
"There's only one lane coming from the other side of the Island over to the beach and that can become difficult because of the traffic,” Salinas said.
Salinas wants improved golf cart access from the island to the beach. But, as a resident, she said she doesn't want to see the island congested like over in Port Aransas.
"I think the amount of volume of golf carts makes it hard to drive a vehicle on the streets. It's one or the other and I think it's the amount of narrow streets. By not expanding in some of these streets to accommodate we'll become that,” Salinas said.
This is the type of feedback the Island Strategic Action Committee wants. In fact, the public was encouraged to take a survey online to help with the planning process.
Business owner and island resident, Wade Berry thinks the community should be involved.
"There's people who still bike and walk to the beach regularly,” Berry said.
The city is taking into consideration the recommendations from previous planning efforts and current development projects.
Berry hopes the work gets done.
"There's improvements that can be done to the Island to make it more accessible but for the most part it’s getting the construction done that gets started,” Berry said.
The Island Strategic Action Committee will have a meeting at the end of October where they'll have some preliminary results from the Island Mobility Plan.
