A proposal from the Texas Department of Transportation’s Pharr district aims to address bike safety and connectivity in the Rio Grande Valley.

A recently published plan proposes adding 33 new bike routes along state highways in Cameron and Hidalgo counties.

“Those are the two most congested counties in the Pharr district, and priority was given to the areas that could benefit the most from improvements,” TxDOT spokesman Ray Pedraza said.

Data from the TxDOT Pharr district shows that from 2017 to 2021, there were close to 600 crashes involving bicycles in the area.

Of those crashes, 16 were fatal. The majority of the crashes happened in Cameron and Hidalgo Counties.

The 33 routes were drafted based on a survey and crash data collected in 2023. The survey asked people where they felt bike safety and connectivity could improve. 

Before any final plans can be drawn up, TxDOT is asking the public for input on the plan. 

“This is a draft plan, and again, we welcome the comments — and those comments will be taken into account before a final plan is presented,” Pedraza aid.

Comments can be submitted online or by email or mail by Friday, Aug. 9.

Details on how to submit a comment are available online.

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