The county’s Planning Department has released the first draft of its pedestrian master plan and is seeking public comments on its recommendations, officials announced.
The plan is the county’s first attempt to create a comprehensive plan to improve pedestrians’ experience county wide, make walking safer and a more connected, comfortable experience as well as more equitable.
The recommendations are in six broad categories: building, maintaining, protecting, expanding access, monitoring and funding.
The many recommendations include:
- Planning to build more sidewalks faster
- Eliminating the need to push a button to cross the street
- Assuming county control of state highways in some locations
- Improving the quality of pedestrian lighting
- Removing sidewalk obstructions
- Building more walkable places
- Keeping sidewalks and ramps clear
- Improving and expanding protected crossing
- Making walking to school safer and more direct
- Removing sidewalk obstructions, and
- Identifying new revenue sources to fund pedestrian improvements.
Planners would like the public to weigh in on the draft recommendations online and at a community meetings planned for September 7 (virtual) and September 13 (in-person), each from 7–9 p.m.
Following the comment period, the department plans to present the draft to the Planning Board in September.
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