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Rider on Grizzly Century Bike Run - photo courtesy Doug Waltner

Proposed Bike Paths And Lanes In Madera County

MADERA COUNTY –  Would you like to see a bike path around all of Bass Lake? How about bike lanes from the lake to North Fork? Along Raymond Road, and Highways 41 and 49?

The Madera County Transportation Commission (MCTC) has released the Draft Active Transportation Plan (ATP) and related environmental documents for public review and comment, and they want to hear from you.

Both documents are available at http://www.maderactc.org/planning/active-transportation.

Incorporating feedback from a robust outreach process, MCTC and its partner agencies have developed an ATP committed to developing bicycle and walk-friendly communities that foster and promote active transportation throughout Madera County. Your feedback and comments are important, and the MCTC is asking the public to please review the documents available at the link above and let them know how they did.

What is Active Transportation (from the MCTC website)

Active transportation is human-powered transportation that engages people in healthy physical activity while they travel from place to place. People walking, bicycling, using strollers, wheelchairs and mobility devices, skateboarding, and rollerblading are all forms of active transportation.

Active transportation is meant to include all ages and abilities and supports connectivity to transit. Connecting walking and bicycle routes to schools is an important strategy to increasing levels of active travel and keeping kids healthy and independent.

The Madera County Transportation Commission’s Active Transportation Plan will identify projects to make walking and biking in Madera County more comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. It is important to plan for a future transportation system that will accommodate growth, enhance circulation, and provide mobility and accessibility for users of all transportation modes. Encouraging and building infrastructure for safe access to active transportation modes will also have the benefit of fostering health and fitness in the burgeoning population.

What’s Involved

An ATP is a roadmap for developing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, with an emphasis on promoting walking and bicycling as viable transportation options and fostering a practical, safe, and enjoyable environment. The ATP will provide an overall vision for the future of walking and biking in Madera County with specific policies and programs to achieve the desired vision. The plan will be shaped by the feedback and values of the residents and communities participating in the planning process.

Why MCTC is Preparing an ATP

To enhance cycling for recreation as well as commuting and to coordinate previous plans and projects to ensure development of a consistent and balanced active transportation system throughout Madera County. The ATP is an important step to increase walking and biking activities throughout the Madera Region. Development of active transportation strategies and prioritization of active transportation corridors helps position the Madera Region for future grant opportunities and funding for infrastructure improvements.

Details

The Plan will include the following key considerations:

  • What is the Region’s vision for the future bicycle and pedestrian network?
  • Where and what are the trends in bicycle-auto and pedestrian-auto collisions?
  • Where is existing bicycling and walking activity occurring?
  • Where do gaps in the existing network create barriers to biking and walking in Madera County?
  • How can Madera County better serve all ages for bicycling and walking activities?
  • What facilities or programs would best meet the communities’ needs and support the largest “mode shift” to bicycling and walking?

For information on the ATP specific to Eastern Madera County and other unincorporated areas, click here and scroll to page 81.

Questions? Jeff Findley, MCTC Project Manager can be reached via email at maderaatp@maderactc.org or phone at (559) 675-0721.

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