HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 02-16 Ramsey County Board adopts countywide bike plan MAPLEWOOD REVIEW 2/16/2016 Ramsey County Board adopts countywide bike plan I Lillie Suburban Newspapers-LillieNews.com
Ramsey County Board
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Submitted by admin on Tue,02/16/2016- 12:00am
By: Mike Munzenrider
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2/16/2016 Ramsey County Board adopts countywide bike plan Lillie Suburban Newspapers-LillieNews.com
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The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Feb.2 to adopt a bike and pedestrian improvement plan.
District 2 Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire said she was"excited”for the plan and gave a "shout out"to the Parks and
Recreation department's work on it.
Years in the works,the Ramsey Countywide Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan came into focus over the past year and a half as
meetings were held to gather the public's input throughout the county,with two meetings in Roseville, including an open
house at the city's Ramsey County Library last fall.
As explained by a county website,"This is not a typical plan focused on specific projects for an individual jurisdiction, but
rather a set of tools,analysis and actions to engage community members at all levels in supporting a place where people of
all ages and abilities can safely and comfortably walk and bicycle."
Much of the creation of the plan revolved around taking stock of the existing walking and biking infrastructure in the county,
then taking public input on how it can be connected and improved.
Active Living Ramsey Communities spearheaded the plan,and its director, Connie Bernardy,who is also a DFL member of
the Minnesota House from Fridley,said the plan will serve as a"common vision"for county and city projects within the county,
moving forward.
"Now thatwe have this plan,when we have county projects,we are able to incorporate and consider[the bike and pedestrian
elements]in those projects"more easily, Bernardy said.
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2/16/2016 Ramsey County Board adopts countywide bike plan I Lillie Suburban Newspapers-LillieNews.com
For instance,she said,Active Living Ramsey Communities has been working closely with Ramsey County Public Works as it
considers its slate of projects for 2016, discussing ways to incorporate biking and walking facilities as ground-level parts of
those projects.
Bernardy also said the bike and pedestrian plan fosters coordination amongst projects,which,for instance,will help more
quickly connect the county together for non-motorized transportation.
"Sometimes a multi-mile corridor may need only a couple of small segments to complete it,"she said, noting that the plan
helps decision-makers see the big picture.
Living document
The Ramsey Countywide Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan can be viewed atwww.ramseycountynedbike.org. Bernardy called it a
"living document,"and said itwill be revisited and updated as county residents' needs change.
For now, Bernardy said she sees the plan as being able to meet the needs of a variety of people of different ages.
"I think people are starting to understand that people move about differently,"she said,"and people move about differently
throughout their lives."
This shows up in a number of ways, Bernardy said, including kids biking to the neighborhood ballparks; Millennials preferring
to use public transportation and walking to fill in the gaps;folks who have aged out of being able to safely drive a car;or
people who can't afford or don't desire to own a car.
In all,she said,the plan amounts to the county planning for safe and efficient and accessible transportation for all.
Mike Munzenrider can be reached at mmunzenridealillienews.com or 651-748-7813. Follow him on
Twitter @mmunzenrider.
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