advertisers

5 Questions about Logansport’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan

Last Updated on November 2, 2017 by cassnetwork

The Logansport Planning Department will hold a public meeting on Monday, Nov. 6 to kick off the public input period for the development of Logansport’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.The meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers on the 3rd floor of the Logansport City Building, 601 E. Broadway.

According to the public notice for the meeting, this is a document the city will use to plan and prioritize future projects and coordinate regional connectors like the Panhandle Pathway and the Nickel Plate Trail. These infrastructure projects can range from new sidewalks, repairs to current sidewalks, bike lanes, trails and more.

A website has been developed that the public is encouraged to visit to provide feedback on the City’s bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure:
http://wikimapping.com/wikimap/LogansportPedPlan.html

At Monday’s meeting, there will be a short presentation by the design consultant, DLZ Indiana, LLC and an opportunity for the public to ask questions and provide feedback by taking a brief survey and marking up maps of the City of Logansport.

Michelle Dials with Cass County Communication Network asked planning director Arin Shaver for answers to 5 questions the public might have about this project:

1) Why does Logansport need a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan?
We want to make sure that the community has input on where there is a need in their neighborhood and community for new or repaired sidewalks, intersection ADA ramps, or possibly even trails and bicycle lane connections. The final plan will be a comprehensive document that will help prioritize needs in the community, which helps make sure allocated funds are spent on high priority projects.

2) Whose idea is this?
This was something that the Complete Street Committee came up with as a response to the community’s bike lane concerns. Many felt that they weren’t heard during that process. So this is an opportunity we wanted to give the community to voice their needs and concerns before funding is allocated for any project.

The Complete Street Committee is a group that started in 2014. It was formed to look at transportation policy and design approaches to provide convenient and comfortable travel for users of all ages and abilities. Studies have shown by providing these elements, a community can improve safety, health, economic, and environmental outcomes. This committee has many key players like the schools, hospital, planning department, economic development, tourism, Logan’s Landing, Mayor’s Office, street department, parks department, redevelopment commission, YMCA, Chamber, Council, Utilities, Police, and a liaison from the biking and running community.

Although this is a large committee already we need to hear you! Please come to our meeting on Nov. 6 @ 5:30 p.m. and share your ideas on how our community can improve on connectivity for all ages and abilities.

3) Who’s paying for it and how much is it?
This was a grant through the Indiana State Department of Health. They awarded us $20,000 provided we give a 1 to 1 match of $20,000, which was allocated by the City Council out of the CEDIT Fund. During the process we found that most plans are around $75,000. So to keep our budget to the $40,000, we are doing a lot of the work in-house. We will be providing some map assistance and administering a lot of the committee meetings. Meetings are typically a large portion of consultant costs because of the travel time and gas, as well as the time of the consultant at the meeting.

4) How can people get involved?
We will be having a public meeting on Monday, Nov. 6 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Please come and participate to help guide the City with future infrastructure improvements in the community. If you need a translator please let us know as soon as possible or feel free to bring your own. If one isn’t available for that night we will take your contact information and set up another time to meet to go over the information and mapping system with you.

5) What’s the next step after the plan is done?
At the end of this process we will have a Master Plan that will help the City determine projects that are high priority for the community. With this plan we will be able to find local, state and/or federal funding to start implementing these high priority projects.

 

Cass County Online