Future Bike Paths?

bike path finalVermont - Vermont Agency of Transportation is looking to add and improve on-road bike paths through the On-Road Bicycle Plan. The agency started the project in the fall of 2014, focusing on gathering community involvement by asking where bicyclists would prefer to ride.

 

The department asked for the input of riders via Vermont Interactive Television, finding out: where they would want to ride, where they currently ride, and areas they think need improvement.

“Using the information that we acquired in our previous outreach meetings as well as our wikimap, we had more than 2100 people across the state tell us where they ride,” said Amy Bell, who is the Vermont Agency of Transportation Planning Coordinator.

Yesterday, the department discussed the map and on it is where there is the highest  demand for bicycle paths. With the information collected by Bell from the participants, the department can make roads safer for individuals to ride on.

 “We are trying to provide safe infrastructure for everybody,” said Bell, “We are very supportive of bicycling and walking as legitimate modes of transportation.”

Vermont had 0 bicycling fatalities in 2012 and 2011 according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The Biking and Walking Alliance shows Vermont to have the least fatality rates among bicyclists.

There is no set date yet on when the on-road bike path projects will be completed.