Councilmembers Propose Quick Build Team for Infrastructure Concerns

Published on April 08, 2026

SAN ANTONIO (April 8, 2026) – City of San Antonio District 1 Councilmember Dr. Sukh Kaur and District 5 Councilmember Teri Castillo have filed a Council Consideration Request (CCR) to create a Quick Build Team (QBT) to address infrastructure concerns impacting pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.

Councilmember Kaur stated, “Quick builds are considered lighter, quicker and cheaper solutions by the City in the Complete Streets Policy adopted in 2024, but the execution of the method has been met with challenges. Coordinating project efforts across City departments and external vendors has led to delays and inconsistent execution, often resulting in disappointed residents.

"Infrastructure is a consistent concern among District 1 residents. There are numerous issues to address and not enough money to fix them all. Residents want solutions, and they want them fast. A dedicated interdepartmental team that builds on our Complete Streets Policy would help bridge the time and funding gaps, allowing City Council offices to deliver the results constituents want to see.

“The proposed interdepartmental Quick Build Team would be composed of City staff members in the Public Works and Transportation Departments, including a traffic engineer with quick-build experience who would work exclusively within the QBT. The team would oversee projects submitted by City Council offices, primarily using available City Council District infrastructure funds.

“A quick-build approach could be used to test new street configurations, such as bike lanes, bulb outs and neighborhood traffic circles, with materials that are less expensive and timely than concrete. This could allow the City to evaluate whether proposed solutions work before investing in permanent infrastructure. The policy request would prioritize requests outside of traffic calming, such as temporary median treatments.”

Councilmember Castillo stated, “There are many different ways of implementing immediate safety needs and improvements in our communities. Quick builds are one of these options for traffic calming and pedestrian safety. We have a lot of infrastructure needs in District 5 that require immediate attention. However, we do not have the budget to tend to them all now. By building up our quick build capacity, we can pilot some options to provide relief to our constituents’ needs.”

The CCR also calls for a market analysis on the salaries of traffic engineers to be able to hire effectively, annual projections on the number of projects that could be completed and identification of potential funding needs from the Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

The CCR requests that the item be placed on the agenda of a future Governance Committee meeting.