Plans to make Eau Claire more bike-friendly revealed
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission gives presentation on potential improvements
Nick Gourdoux
Issue date: 10/1/09 Section: Campus News
In an attempt to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission unveiled plans on Thursday to make Eau Claire more compatible for those who prefer alternative modes of transportation.
Speaker Pat Ivory said the BPAC's main concerns include the current gaps in the pedestrian and bicycle route system, lack of development standards, detour and bike parking considerations and an increase in education and awareness.
While Eau Claire already boasts 39 miles of Bike Trails and 361 miles of sidewalks, the city is still looking to improve. The main focus of the newly-proposed trails and sidewalks is to improve the connection between the north and south sides of town and to fill in the current gaps in the systems, Ivory said. The BPAC has a number of improvements already under construction, the most noticeable of which is the construction of a pedestrian tunnel under North Hastings Way near its intersection with Birch Street.
Another concern for both the BPAC and members of the audience was the lack of bicycle parking spots. Ivory said the commission was looking into ways to incorporate more bike racks around town and in locations that are convenient for bikers. Several audience members expressed concerns during a question-and-answer session, saying that businesses should be required to provide bike parking and to place the racks in easily accessible locations.
In an attempt to address bicycle education and awareness, the BPAC plans to increase signage and even produce maps that show the locations of trails and bike racks. Ivory also suggested that offering classes at UW-Eau Claire might be a possibility and is something worth looking into.
Most of the proposed changes, however, will not greatly affect the campus area, something senior David Smuhl attributed to the size of the campus.
"On campus, we're lucky enough that it's condensed," he said. "It's not like the (University of Minnesota's) campus, where you need a lot of infrastructure for the students."
The proposed changes will not take effect immediately; many of the suggestions must go through a long approval process before they can take effect. Despite the fact that the city of Eau Claire has churned out four new miles of bicycle pathways in the last two years, the proposed changes, if approved, will take as long as 20 years to be completed.
Speaker Pat Ivory said the BPAC's main concerns include the current gaps in the pedestrian and bicycle route system, lack of development standards, detour and bike parking considerations and an increase in education and awareness.
While Eau Claire already boasts 39 miles of Bike Trails and 361 miles of sidewalks, the city is still looking to improve. The main focus of the newly-proposed trails and sidewalks is to improve the connection between the north and south sides of town and to fill in the current gaps in the systems, Ivory said. The BPAC has a number of improvements already under construction, the most noticeable of which is the construction of a pedestrian tunnel under North Hastings Way near its intersection with Birch Street.
Another concern for both the BPAC and members of the audience was the lack of bicycle parking spots. Ivory said the commission was looking into ways to incorporate more bike racks around town and in locations that are convenient for bikers. Several audience members expressed concerns during a question-and-answer session, saying that businesses should be required to provide bike parking and to place the racks in easily accessible locations.
In an attempt to address bicycle education and awareness, the BPAC plans to increase signage and even produce maps that show the locations of trails and bike racks. Ivory also suggested that offering classes at UW-Eau Claire might be a possibility and is something worth looking into.
Most of the proposed changes, however, will not greatly affect the campus area, something senior David Smuhl attributed to the size of the campus.
"On campus, we're lucky enough that it's condensed," he said. "It's not like the (University of Minnesota's) campus, where you need a lot of infrastructure for the students."
The proposed changes will not take effect immediately; many of the suggestions must go through a long approval process before they can take effect. Despite the fact that the city of Eau Claire has churned out four new miles of bicycle pathways in the last two years, the proposed changes, if approved, will take as long as 20 years to be completed.
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