NEWS
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Bike Paths and "Non-Motorized" Transit
I have posted information about a series of public meetings connected to an effort to conduct a city-wide "non-motorized" transit plan in my event listings in the right column. It seems like they're talking about some good ideas:"The west side of Ann Arbor could get a whole lot more bike friendly, according to a comprehensive non-motorized transportation plan that's being put together for the city.
The plan calls for bike lanes along portions of many major west side roads such as Jackson, Stadium, Dexter, Newport, Seventh, Pauline, Wagner and Scio Church.
... The study was begun earlier this year in an effort to make city streets friendlier to bicycles and pedestrians. It's part of a larger effort to offer an alternative to Ann Arbor's traffic congestion and parking problems. ...
The installation of pedestrian crossings with "refuges" in the middle of the road would allow pedestrians to cross busy roads more cautiously, and could act as a traffic calming device.
While the city budget is tight these days, money is available to make many of the improvements discussed at Wednesday's meeting, said Mayor John Hieftje, who attended the meeting.
The city increased the money it earmarks for non-motorized transportation from the state fuel tax from 1 percent to 5 percent. That's about $350,000 currently, he said.
The city of Ann Arbor is paying the Greenway Collaborative $60,000 for the study, with an additional $20,000 each from the University of Michigan and the Downtown Development Authority.
The citywide plan is an expansion of the Northeast Area Plan. That plan proposed policies, design guidelines and specific proposals. But this plan will be more detailed in terms of what will go where.
A final report will be drafted early next year; after that, city officials will prioritize goals from the plan and decide what can be done and when.
The next meeting, on June 16, will focus on the northeast area of town. Later meetings will focus on the central and south areas. Residents are encouraged to attend. For details, check www.greenwaycollab.com"
> AANews: "West side bike paths may be cheap"
In a related note, I think the city should investigate constructing a riverwalk connecting Argo Pond with Gallup Park - there currently are a series of disconnected and partially paved paths between the two, and I think a well-lit, paved path along the river would be a good investment for the city to make.
It appears as if some people have already given quite a bit of thought to the Broadway park area: see this Broadway Park redesign website.
Posted by Rob at 1:32 PM
