NEWS RELEASES

Chittenden County Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan Up For Approval

South Burlington, VT - Ten years after an initial Bicycle/Pedestrian plan for Chittenden County was created, the board of the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization is poised to approve an update to the plan at its meeting Wednesday September 17, 2003 at 7 p.m.

All 18 municipalities in Chittenden County are included in the plan to guide implementation of a regional interconnected bicycle and pedestrian transportation network. The focus of the Bike/Ped plan will be on developing on-road bicycle facilities, shared-use paths, and sidewalks throughout Chittenden County.

“The Bike/Ped plan is an effort to improve and increase the number and quality of on and off road bicycle and pedestrian facilities in Chittenden County, in order to give residents more transportation choices. The plan identifies improvements throughout the county, that when implemented will provide walking and biking links between town and metropolitan and village centers,” said Peter Keating, senior planner for the CCMPO, the region’s transportation planning agency.

In a CCMPO random sample survey conducted in 2000, improving bike and walking facilities rated very high among Chittenden County residents. More than three-quarters of respondents felt that providing separated bike paths, bike lanes on existing roads, and fixing existing sidewalks was important or very important.

Other agenda items include pending approval of the Chittenden County Transportation Authority Short Range Plan and the CCMPO Public Involvement Plan. The board is also scheduled to warn for a public hearing on its draft Metropolitan Transportation Plan.

The meeting will be held at CCMPO offices, 30 Kimball Avenue, South Burlington. Meetings are open to the public. For more information, call the CCMPO at 660-4071 ext.223.

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