Salt Lake City’s 20-year blueprint for expanding and redesigning bikeways and pedestrian walkways is up for review this week. Transportation officials will unveil the draft master plan to the city’s planning commission.
Salt Lake City’s transportation expert’s spent the last two years developing the plan. The latest draft was published on the city’s website in late November for the public to view and comment on.
Rebecca Roolf is the city’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator. She says most people still get around Salt Lake City by car, but she suspects that will change.
“I think we will be in a circumstance in 20 years where people will feel like they have the choice to walk or bike and will feel that they have facilities that enable them to feel safe and comfortable in making that choice,” she says.
The draft plan proposes a more connected bike network with some protected lanes, like the one’s recently installed on 300 south in the heart of downtown and some traditional painted lanes. Roolf says pedestrians can expect to see safer crosswalks, more signs and signals.
“Right now, you kind of feel like, okay I could walk or bike but I’m stepping out into a car world,” Roolf says. “I think the plan helps us to re-balance and to provide people with that choice.”
Transportation officials will present the plan to the city planning commission on Wednesday. They’ve been incorporating some of the public’s feedback into the draft.
The planning commission will make a recommendation to the city council. That body will decide whether or not to implement the plan.
