[BikeLongmont] Fw: Safe Routes Bill Passes First Committee!!

[Richard Masoner]

Buzz Feldman reported:

>SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PASSES TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE!!
>  
>

At the risk of counting chickens before they hatch, I think it would be 
good for Longmont cyclists to begin thinking about ways to bring these 
State dollars to Longmont should SRS become public law. Here's how it 
would work in a nutshell:

   1. Longmont public works creates a proposal to improve or create some
      sort of facility near a public school. This project might be
      widening, installing, or fixing a sidewalk or multiuse path;
      widening the road to install an on-street bike lane; installing a
      ped/bike crossing (think "grade separated crossing"); or
      installing traffic-calming and traffic-diverting measures. The
      bill also authorizes funding for educational programs.
   2. This proposal is sent to a CDOT grant-awarding committee. This
      committee will have at least one representative of groups
      representing educators, parents, bicyclists, pedestrians, and law
      enforcement.
   3. The proposal is approved by the committee, and the city of
      Longmont receives the funds to build the project.

As an example, I live near Fall River Elementary on Deerwood Avenue. A 
simple but unobtrusive traffic-calming measure might be installing 
textured-pavement crosswalks or possibly raised crosswalks on either 
side of the school -- perhaps one across Deerwood at Mountain View 
Avenue, another across Mountain View at the same intersection, and 
another similar crossing a few hundred feet north of the school. 
Depending on what's used, the cost can probably be under $50,000 for 
this project. I can envision a similar project on Francis near Mountain 
View Elementary, which is also on a street with a 30 mph posted speed 
limit but with much higher speed traffic in reality.

Stretch goals might be grade separated crossings. My suggestions are:

    * Airport Road to Westview Middle School and perhaps another one on
      17th leading to the trail around McIntosh Lake.
    * Somewhere along Pace Street, perhaps near 17th or Red Oak Drive.
      Crossing Pace is difficult for children.

Another idea is to get the state to pay for some of the trail projects 
the city is planning on doing anyway. An extension of the Spring Gulch 
Greenway in my part of town would fall under this category, as might a 
grade separated crossing under County Line Road. A path along the 
Oligarchy Ditch dead ends at Francis -- use state funds to extend this 
path to Spencer Street or something.

Get your thinking caps on. Think about the children who walk or bike to 
elementary or middle school and the barricades they might encounter on 
the way. If you need distance benchmarks, some middle schoolers in my 
church ride their bikes a mile or more to school. People in my 
neighborhood walk their children about 3/4 mile to the elementary school.

We might also think about useful education programs, something beyond 
the basic bike rodeo and "always wear your helmet" stuff.  The nearest 
League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor is in Ft. Collins.  
Perhaps funds can be granted to pay for a local teacher to receive 
League certification.

Gotta go!

Richard Masoner
http://www.masoner.net/bike/

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