CM Allen Parkway Named 2022 Great Street in Great Places in Texas Awards

CM Allen Parkway was named Great Street in Texas 2022 as part of the American Planning Association Texas Chapter’s Great Places in Texas awards last week. This project was a collaboration between the City’s Planning & Development and Engineering departments.

According to the city, CM Allen Parkway embodies the components of a Great Texas Street by embedding access, sustainability, and connectivity into the goal of its design.

The roadway weaves together the San Marcos River and associated river parks and civic uses to the downtown core and historic district. CM Allen was reconstructed to incorporate utility, multimodal transportation, and environmental infrastructure updates.

Funded by Capital Improvement Project (CIP) funds, Edwards Aquifer Authority Habitat Conserva?on Plan Funding, and TCEQ 319 grant funding administered through Texas State University, the corridor includes a 12-foot multi-use pathway, crosswalks, pedestrian lighting, and pedestrian islands within the median. Fifty trees line the street with native vegetation.

The street also has five biofiltration areas created to capture pollutants from stormwater runoff, effectively protecting the San Marcos River and surrounding natural areas.

The local habitat is home to several endangered species that are susceptible to environmental toxins, and the low-impact design elements reflect the communities’ desire to protect the San Marcos River through any means possible.

The biofiltration system, with a total surface area of 1,190 square feet, is estimated to remove an annual 10,840 lbs. of suspended solids per year. The US EPA Region 6 awarded the City of San Marcos’s CM Allen Parkway Project second place in its Outstanding Green Infrastructure/Low Impact Development Project Competition.

Additional engagement from representatives of the Indigenous Cultures Institute and Texas State University are ongoing to create informational sidewalk medallions along CM Allen which will highlight the local indigenous culture and local ecosystems.

Learn more about the award: https://texas.planning.org/community-outreach/great-places-texas/?fbclid=IwAR39awfhGozl8VwptpJ4CuBwD-7HGcM60V_DwcLiDmUEUtKi_Ixve09mWDE