City Planners Support Bicycle, Pedestrian Friendly Plan
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Warsaw Plan Commission approved sending a favorable recommendation to Warsaw City Council for a draft of the plan during its meeting Monday night.
The motion was made by board member Rick Keeven, seconded by board member Jeff Grose.
The city has been working with project consultant RW Armstrong to develop a bicycle and pedestrian plan draft.
Jeremy Skinner, city planner, said the Indiana Department of Health awarded the city and Winona Lake a $50,000 grant last year for the bike and pedestrian plan to be conducted.
A Bicycle Advisory Committee, consisting of 17 members, worked on the draft, with input from the community during two public meetings in July and October. Two hundred and fifty people completed an online survey regarding bicycling and pedestrians.
The plan includes specific areas where bike/pedestrian lanes are proposed to be added and which of those can most easily be achieved.
Among those noted as the least challenging to achieve are side paths along the southeast side of Pike Lake, Pierceton Road to St. Andrews Road West, and Logan Street from Winona Avenue to Rozella Road.
Among the most challenging projects will be adding bike lanes from CR 350N to CR 200N; adding greenways along the Tippecanoe River, Deeds Creek and Eagle Creek; and adding side paths along Winona Avenue from Smith Street to Park Avenue, along Parker Street and Husky Trail to CR 200N, and along Buffalo Street, Ranch Road and County Farm Road.
The draft of the plan was presented by Tim Dombrosky, assistant city planner, and Jonathan Mooney, RW Armstrong urban design manager, Monday night.
“The biggest, most important part is our intent. This is going to be a guiding document for many years and outlines our intent and wishes for the future,” Dombrosky said. “It is a comprehensive roadmap for the next 10 years for policy and program recommendations.”
The 60-page plan includes background of the bicycle and pedestrian plan; vision, goals and objectives; priority strategies; infrastructure ideas; maps and means of implementation.
The plan is for 87 miles of new bike and pedestrian facilities in Winona Lake and Warsaw.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the Bicycle Advisory Committee will look at the project and use the plan to prioritize its desires to complete the project. Funds also will need to be implemented.
“This gives the city, county and Winona Lake an action plan and document to prioritize and seek funding, I’m thrilled and this is a high priority,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said the education portion of the bike and pedestrian plan is at the top of his list.
He said motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists all must be respectful of one another and understand bike and pedestrian lane markings.
Keeven asked how the project will be funded.
Skinner said the city needs a 20 percent matching grant fund for the project and there will be private foundation funds sought. Federal money is available.
Local business leaders, Bicycle Advisory Committee members and business leaders attended Monday’s meeting to show support for the bicycle and pedestrian master plan.
Mark Dobson, Warsaw-Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce president, said the business community is supportive of the effort.
Suzie Light, Kosciusko County Community Foundation executive director, said the foundation was one of the first funders of the Greenway project. She said the foundation supports the bike and pedestrian plan.
“This is a project that improves quality of life and that is always attractive to help build our community,” Light said.
Tom Allen, board president, said he supported the project. However, he said he has had concerns with double yellow lines and bicycles.
The Warsaw Common Council will have the final vote at its regular meeting Dec. 22. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday. The city council will meet at 7 p.m. in the new city hall on Buffalo Street.
Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety also will meet at the new city hall Friday at 10:30 a.m.[[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw Plan Commission approved sending a favorable recommendation to Warsaw City Council for a draft of the plan during its meeting Monday night.
The motion was made by board member Rick Keeven, seconded by board member Jeff Grose.
The city has been working with project consultant RW Armstrong to develop a bicycle and pedestrian plan draft.
Jeremy Skinner, city planner, said the Indiana Department of Health awarded the city and Winona Lake a $50,000 grant last year for the bike and pedestrian plan to be conducted.
A Bicycle Advisory Committee, consisting of 17 members, worked on the draft, with input from the community during two public meetings in July and October. Two hundred and fifty people completed an online survey regarding bicycling and pedestrians.
The plan includes specific areas where bike/pedestrian lanes are proposed to be added and which of those can most easily be achieved.
Among those noted as the least challenging to achieve are side paths along the southeast side of Pike Lake, Pierceton Road to St. Andrews Road West, and Logan Street from Winona Avenue to Rozella Road.
Among the most challenging projects will be adding bike lanes from CR 350N to CR 200N; adding greenways along the Tippecanoe River, Deeds Creek and Eagle Creek; and adding side paths along Winona Avenue from Smith Street to Park Avenue, along Parker Street and Husky Trail to CR 200N, and along Buffalo Street, Ranch Road and County Farm Road.
The draft of the plan was presented by Tim Dombrosky, assistant city planner, and Jonathan Mooney, RW Armstrong urban design manager, Monday night.
“The biggest, most important part is our intent. This is going to be a guiding document for many years and outlines our intent and wishes for the future,” Dombrosky said. “It is a comprehensive roadmap for the next 10 years for policy and program recommendations.”
The 60-page plan includes background of the bicycle and pedestrian plan; vision, goals and objectives; priority strategies; infrastructure ideas; maps and means of implementation.
The plan is for 87 miles of new bike and pedestrian facilities in Winona Lake and Warsaw.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the Bicycle Advisory Committee will look at the project and use the plan to prioritize its desires to complete the project. Funds also will need to be implemented.
“This gives the city, county and Winona Lake an action plan and document to prioritize and seek funding, I’m thrilled and this is a high priority,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said the education portion of the bike and pedestrian plan is at the top of his list.
He said motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists all must be respectful of one another and understand bike and pedestrian lane markings.
Keeven asked how the project will be funded.
Skinner said the city needs a 20 percent matching grant fund for the project and there will be private foundation funds sought. Federal money is available.
Local business leaders, Bicycle Advisory Committee members and business leaders attended Monday’s meeting to show support for the bicycle and pedestrian master plan.
Mark Dobson, Warsaw-Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce president, said the business community is supportive of the effort.
Suzie Light, Kosciusko County Community Foundation executive director, said the foundation was one of the first funders of the Greenway project. She said the foundation supports the bike and pedestrian plan.
“This is a project that improves quality of life and that is always attractive to help build our community,” Light said.
Tom Allen, board president, said he supported the project. However, he said he has had concerns with double yellow lines and bicycles.
The Warsaw Common Council will have the final vote at its regular meeting Dec. 22. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday. The city council will meet at 7 p.m. in the new city hall on Buffalo Street.
Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety also will meet at the new city hall Friday at 10:30 a.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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