Public Comment Wanted For Better Bicycle, Walking Experience
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- Open space planners want to make Arapahoe County more bike friendly and walk-able for their citizens, as well as people trying to navigate their way in from other areas.
Ray Winn rides his bike to work every day, a 20-mile trip, in and out of Arapahoe County.
He says it's a great way to start the day, "As you go to work, you get to wind up, mentally prepare for work and when you leave you get to wind down your day."
Winn is also an open spaces planner for the county, developing a long-term bicycle and pedestrian master plan.
Public feedback, so far, has helped create an interactive master map, which addresses concerns about access, safety and connectivity for trails and busy streets, like Arapahoe Road.
Cyclist Lynn Tillet says he gave feedback about signs alerting folks to move over on the trail.
"When I'm riding along and there is someone walking away, I holler.. 'Passing out on your left' and people get it after a while," said Tillet.
Winn says the county will take public comments through April, then update the master map and get county commissioners in the loop.
While some changes will be made quickly, others will happen over the lifetime to the 20-30 year master plan development depending on the severity of the changes.
"It will require underpasses, overpasses, these big dollar infrastructure projects that are long term… but the idea is now we have a vision and its prioritized," says Winn. "A lot of people are realizing we have 300 days of sunshine in Colorado so I can get out and ride a bike."
He says as the roads get more congested, people are getting fed up with being in their cars.
There will be one more public meeting on April 25.
The long term master plan also includes municipalities within Arapahoe County to apply for their own funding to make localized changes in their areas.
LINK: Arapahoe Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan
Jennifer Brice is a reporter with CBS4 focusing on crime and courts. Follow her on Facebook or on Twitter @CBS4Jenn.
