Montgomery MPO Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update 2010-2011

Bike Symbol SignIn the upcoming months, the Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Planning Staff has been working with local governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and the general public to update the Montgomery MPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. The plan will help establish bicycle and pedestrian transportation priorities for portions of Autauga, Elmore and Montgomery Counties including the municipalities of Coosada, Deatsville, Elmore, Millbrook, Montgomery, Prattville, Pike Road and Wetumpka.  The bicycle and pedestrian plan will serve as a guide for bicycle and pedestrian project implementation.

A series of public involvement meetings were completed in November 2010 throughout the tri-county area.  The meetings marked the beginning of the initial public involvement comment period which lasted thru December 1, 2010.  A total of 70 interested citizens attended the public meetings.  Public comment sheets were used to gather public input on sidewalk and bicycle facility location preferences that will be used as public input into the planning process.  The meetings began the 8 month planning process to update the Montgomery MPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.  In an additional effort to gather public comments, an internet survey was launched November 29, 2010.  A link to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan adopted in 2003, as well as the December 2010 Public Comment Form, the Internet Survey, the Survey results as of January 17, 2011, and an Updated Timeline, is below.

In the past year, MPO staff completed a bicycle suitability analysis on all federal functionally classified (major roadways) roads in the MPO Study area.  Suitability scores were calculated from an average of factor scores.  Suitability is indicative of level of difficulty of roadways.  The suitability ranges are as follows:

Bicycle Suitability Factors                                                            Score

Traffic Volume

Less than 2,500 vehicles per day per lane (vpdpl)    4

Between 2,500 and 5,000 vpdpl                               2

More than 5,000 vpdpl                                              0

Travel Speeds

 

Less than or equal to 30 mph                                   4

Between 30 and 40 mph                                           2

Greater than 40 mph                                                 0

Functional Class

Local Streets and Collectors                                     4                             

Minor Arterials                                                         2

Other (Major Arterials and Highways)                     0

The following maps detail the 2005 Bicycle Suitability of the MPO study Area:

In an effort to gather specific location comments for preparing an update to the pedestrian and bicycle plan, participants at the November 2010 public meetings were asked to indicate on maps with schools, parks, YMCAs, Community Centers and other civic and recreational facilities throughout the MPO Study area were they would like pedestrian and bicycle facilities to be where they currently are not, and also comment on the previous plans proposed bicycle routes to indicate whether or not the previous plans proposed bicycle routes were still valid or not.  These “Mark-up” maps and comment form information will be used by MPO staff to prepare/update the pedestrian and bicycle plan potential facilities to be presented in the second Round of Public meetings in February 2011.  The maps used at the November public meetings are below.  In addition the maps listed above were also available. 

The “Mark-up” maps from the November 2010 Public Involvement meetings are as follows:

Information regarding the next round of public involvement meeting will be released in the beginning of 2011.  To contact MPO staff, stop by 495 Molton Street, Montgomery, call Robert E. Smith Jr, Senior Transportation Planner, MPO Administrator, Planning and Development Department, Transportation Planning Division at 241-2249, or email rsmith@montgomeryal.gov; April Delchamps, Transportation Planner, 241-2734, or email her at adelchamps@montgomeryal.gov; or Kindell Anderson, Transportation Planner, at 241-2754, or email him at kanderson@montgomeryal.gov.