Ahead of spring break, city leaders voted to incorporate a mobility plan to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers on Padre/Mustang Island.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Officials in Port Aransas confirmed a cyclist was hit and killed Saturday night, prompting renewed urgency for long-planned mobility and safety upgrades on and around the island.
Port Aransas PD said the victim was a 68-year-old man who had been riding on the sidewalk near the intersection of Highway 361 and Howard Boulevard. He was reportedly struck by a car at a stop sign, sending him into the highway, where he was hit by a second vehicle.
Georgie Barragan, store manager at W.B. Liquors located at the intersection where the crash happened, said he learned of the accident from his staff.
“I got a text from one of my key holders saying that there was an accident,” Barragan said.
Although the employee did not witness the moment of impact, she saw the immediate aftermath.
“She didn’t witness the actual initial accident when it happened but she did see that the person was lying on the floor getting CPR and that he got hit by a car,” Barragan said.
With spring break approaching and visitor numbers expected to surge, Barragan said he hopes the accident underscores the need for safer mobility on the island.
“In the spring and summer, it’s gonna be pretty busy, and these types of things should not be happening,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Corpus Christi City Council voted to incorporate the Padre-Mustang Island Mobility Plan into the city’s comprehensive plan, a move city leaders say strengthens the long-term effort to improve traffic safety for all.
“We want to prevent this, so we want to incorporate that into this plan, and then all of that is what gives it the priority level,” Councilwoman Kaylynn Paxson said.
Paxson said the mobility plan formalizes strategies to improve transportation across in an area.
“It has looked at a variety of mobility types, whether that’s vehicular, bicycle, pedestrian, and it really looks at how we can recognize each of those in a safe way,” she said.
City Manager Peter Zanoni said the plan also serves as a long-term guide for improving access and connectivity.
“As vibrant as the island is, it woefully lacks connectivity, especially for things like walking or cycling. Even golf cart use and so the island mobility plan was developed with community input and it provides connectivity,” Zanoni said. “It provides connectivity from where the residential neighborhoods are to the event centers to include things like restaurants and parks and other destinations on the island.”
Port Aransas Police said there was no probable cause to file criminal charges following the initial investigation. The case remains under investigation. 3NEWS will update this story as new details become available.