To

Mayor and Council

Subject

Columbus Alternative Transportation Plan

Initiator

Planning Department

Recommendation

Approval is requested of the Columbus Alternative Transportation Plan.

Approval

Pending

Background

The Columbus Alternative Transportation Study began in the summer of 2012 in

response to the implementation of the majority of the projects proposed in the

previous Alternative Transportation Study for the City, created in 1993. The

new study was developed to satisfy a number of functions including: documenting

the community's desire for continued investment in alternative transportation

opportunities; preparation of technical analyses to determine the areas where

alternative transportation investment is most critical; consideration of

policies that Columbus can pursue to encourage more use of alternative

transportation; and, develop project recommendations that leverage and expand

the existing alternative transportation system. This study / plan defines

alternative transportation users as pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit

riders.

Analysis

URS, the consultants for this study, is recommending sixty-eight (68) potential

projects which include several low cost, high-impact improvements. These

proposed projects will add an additional 132.20 miles of pedestrian amenities

(including sidewalks, road diets, and trails) and 148.76 miles of bicycle

amenities (including bike lanes, sharrows (street marking's indicating where

vehicles must share the road with bicyclists and trails). These plan

recommendations are made with the understanding that funding constraints,

changing priorities, changes in the built environment over time, and challenges

in implementing particular projects make it unlikely that every project

recommended will be built or built as suggested.

Financial Considerations

The recommendations in the plan will be implemented as part of the Long Range

Transportation Plan and as funding opportunities become available.

Projected Annual Fiscal Impact Statement

N/A

Legal Considerations

N/A

Recommendations/ Actions

The Columbus Transportation Planning Department recommends approval of the

Columbus Alternative Transportation Plan.

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