Warsaw wants to continue to be accommodating and make travel safe for bicyclists and pedestrians. Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety Friday approved the city accepting a $50,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Health for funding for a bicycle and pedestrian plan to be created. R.W. Armstrong will create the plan. The board also approved the city applying to the K21 Health Foundation for a $24,000 grant for bicycle and pedestrian signage for a bike and pedestrian system in Warsaw. The system is proposed to be on Smith Street and Winona Avenue and will continue up McKinley Street to Market Street. The grant will allow for the purchase of bicycle safety signs that will be used to inform motorists and cyclists of where the shared section of road and the designated bike lanes will be. Tim Dombrosky, Warsaw assistant city planner, shared the bicycle and pedestrian plan details to the board Friday. He said the bike path will be 1.9 miles long. Dombrosky said the city applied for the K21 grant May 1, and will find out in July if the city will be awarded the grant. Dombrosky said no pedestrian lanes will be created, but existing sidewalks will be used. Bike signage such as “share the road” signs and “bike route” and “bike lane” signage will be used, and crosswalk and bike lane striping also will be a part of the system, Dombrosky said. Mayor Joe Thallemer said there will be community meetings for the public to provide input on the bicycle and pedestrian master plan. “There is going to be a learning curve, but we don’t want a learning curve at the expense of someone’s life,” Thallemer said. The bike and walk program will be promoted May 20 during the Fat & Skinny Tire Festival. Informational displays will be at First Fridays and the Kosciusko County Fair for the bike and pedestrian program. Along with the bike path and signage, there will be also be destination and directional markers posted. Bicycle lanes along Smith Street after the street undergoes a repaving project in the next few months will occur. The bike lanes will direct bicyclists to Winona Lake, the fairgrounds and downtown Warsaw with directional markers and distances. Information on safe cycling is available at facebook.com/RideWalkWarsawWinonaLake and nhtsa.gov Also during the meeting, the Warsaw Police Department was approved to purchase three 2012 Ford Police Interceptors from Kerlin Motor Company in Silver Lake. Kerlin Motor Company submitted the lowest of five bids at $23,957.97 per vehicle. The purchase will replace three Ford Crown Victorias that the department will dispose of through the city auction this fall. The portion of the purchase price will be paid out of the Motor Vehicle Highway fund and the remainder will be paid out of the police machinery and equipment from the 2012 police budget.The board also: – approved six Warsaw Parks Department contracts. – approved a contract with the American Red Cross Waterfront Module training for parks aquatics staff. – approved Chad Elvington and Josh Harrell to serve as stage hands for the country classic rock concert. – approved the parks department purchasing event cancellation insurance for the classic rock and country concerts. – approved a renewal license with American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers to use licensed music at events. – approved the parks department serving as a community partner for Kosciusko County Head Start. – approved the city paying $3,500 to the Warsaw Community Development Corp. for the Warsaw-Winona Lake fireworks display. – approved a cell phone allowance policy for city department heads. – approved temporary street closures for Kosciusko County Farmers Market today and Oct. 27 and on every Saturday until October. Center Street between Buffalo and Lake Streets will be closed from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. those days. – approved a road closure from Provident Drive between Springhill Road and Medpark at 9 a.m. for the Health and Wellness Center 5K. – approved a street closure of Center Street between Indiana and Buffalo Streets May 18 from 5 to 11:30 p.m. for the Fat and Skinny Tire Festival. Follow Jennifer Peryam on Twitter at tunews_peryam
