<\/p>\n
Homeplace, a new 2,l00-acre community in Montgomery, is emphasizing a cycling-forward design with miles of mountain biking trails and paths.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Homeplace<\/p>\n
Homeplace is situated along Texas 105 near Lake Creek High School in Montgomery, about 55 miles north of downtown Houston.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Homeplace<\/p>\n
In a region famous for its car-centric lifestyle, the developer behind a new 4,500-home community is taking an unusual strategy: building a neighborhood where bikes may matter just as much as cars.<\/p>\n
The 2,100-acre project near Montgomery, known as\u00a0Homeplace, is being built along Texas 105 by Rochester Developmen<\/a>t in partnership with the Randall family, a longtime Montgomery family who has owned portions of the land since the 1800s. Building the entire community will take 15 years, according to\u00a0Homeplace, but the first phase with 330 homes will be ready by August 2027. Home prices will range from about $300,000 to more than $1 million.<\/p>\n The development is being designed around a connected network of paved paths, off-road trails and 17-miles of dedicated bicycle lanes. The bike lanes will form seven interconnected loops integrated into the community\u2019s road system, creating roughly 100 riding routes.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n While large-scale master-planned communities often incorporate trails and paths for pedestrians and cyclists,\u00a0Homeplace appears to be taking a more cyclist-forward approach.<\/p>\n Although the strategy is uncommon in \u00a0Texas, cycling advocates say it\u2019s part of a small, but growing trend of real estate developers embracing bike-friendly infrastructure \u2014 even in hot, southern climates.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are seeing more developers recognize that having great places to walk and bike in a community isn’t just a recreational amenity, but that it’s really a competitive advantage,\u201d said Martina Haggerty, vice president of infrastructure at PeopleforBikes, a national cycling advocacy nonprofit.<\/p>\n HOCKLEY GROWTH: Why Houston buyers are flocking to this rural Houston\u00a0exurb<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A preliminary, conceptual rendering of a tunnel and paths underneath Homeplace Boulevard. Cars will drive on top of the tunnel, allowing students walking or biking to Creekside Elementary School and Lake Creek High School safe passage below.<\/p>\n Homeplace A conceptual rendering showing the entrance of the the tunnel in Homeplace.<\/p>\n Homeplace<\/p>\n Bike-forward communities have popped up in Phoenix and Bentonville, Ark., for example, as well as a car-free community in Tempe,Ariz.,Haggerty said<\/p>\n Houston\u2019s cycling infrastructure is far weaker than other large cities, according to PeopleforBikes, which analyzes how well roadways and paths accommodate cyclists in 3,000 U.S cities.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s bike network scored <\/a>just 17 out of 100 in PeopleforBike\u2019s annual ranking, placing it in the bottom 13th percentile in the country. Houston has expanded its cycling infrastructure over the past decade, though some efforts to reallocate street space for protected bike lanes have since been reversed or shelved<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Outside of Houston, suburbs such as Katy and\u00a0Tomball performed better on PeopleforBike\u2019s ranking, but only The Woodlands earned <\/a>what advocates consider a strong ranking of 66.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Joe\u00a0Cutrufo, executive director of BikeHouston, also pointed to a relatively new community southwest of Houston called Indigo, a 235-acre agrihood with certain \u201ccar-free zones\u201d<\/a> in Richmond.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look at what these developers are doing outside the city \u2013 and they know that having trails is good for their bottom line,\u201d\u00a0Cutrufo said.<\/p>\n MONTGOMERY COUNTY: Why nearly 900 people are fighting a Montgomery County development<\/a><\/p>\n Homeplace is expected to feature 4,500 homes once complete over the next 15 years. The development is in unincorporated Montgomery County.\u00a0<\/p>\n Homeplace<\/p>\n Suburban dwellers are unlikely to \u00a0ditch their cars completely but they could rely on them less within their own neighborhoods if streets are safe and comfortable enough to encourage biking to run errands or commute to school, Cutrufo said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n That would require developers to design streets with slower speed limits and safer crossings to prevent accidents such as the 2023 killing <\/a>of a 14-year-old boy riding his bike to school in Katy\u2019s\u00a0Cinco Ranch community, Cutrufo said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Raised crosswalks and narrower streets can encourage drivers to move more slowly. And separated bike paths or wide medians in the middle of a busy road can reduce risks,Cutrufo said.<\/p>\n Safe street crossings will be a priority in\u00a0Homeplace\u2019s design, though the developer is still finalizing plans, said Chad Rochester of Rochester Development. Speed limits are not expected to exceed 30 miles per hour, for example, he added.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n