BEDFORD — To attract young talent and retain population, cities need to make themselves livable. One aspect of livability is the ability to walk or bike to school, work, to run an errand, or just for pleasure.
That’s the goal of the bicycle and pedestrian master plan in development for Bedford’s interior and corridors linking it to Oolitic and Mitchell.
On Thursday, consultants from Remenschneider Associates in Indianapolis toured Bedford on bikes to explore possible corridors suitable for pedestrians.
They met on the downtown square, hopped on bikes and headed north, then turned west. They rode through the central parts of town and past local parks and schools before returning to the downtown.
Ken Remenschneider, plan consultant, along with Brandon Schregg, project manager; said their six-mile ride gave them a good glimpse of Bedford, but they need the public to provide input on what they want from a master plan.
“The more input from the public the better the plan will be,” he said. “The design should reflect the needs and desires of the public.”
A public session is set for 6 p.m. Monday at StoneGate Arts and Education Center, 405 I St. Remenschneider will summarize the results of an online survey about the plan and solicit feedback from residents. He will also have maps for residents to consider possible bike and walking routes.
Local input is needed to identify corridors and then rank those corridors based on what paths the community would like to see added.
Once completed, the city can take the master plan, use it for future planning and implement the paths in phases.
“People should be able to walk places,” said Remenschneider. “A master plan can bring back those pedestrian corridors and make it safe to be a pedestrian in your city.”
Joining them were a couple of local bicyclists and Bedford Parks Department Director Barry Jeskewich.
Jeskewich said he envisions the master plan making it possible for the community to improve opportunities for physical activity.
“I hope it provides a healthier lifestyle for residents and an opportunity to explore different parts of the community they might not normally visit and be a draw for travelers and individuals looking to relocate,” said Jeskewich.
Bedford resident Rex Fish, who joined the group on the ride, said he thinks the master plan is needed to improve recreation.
“I think a lot needs to be done to make Bedford what it was 30 years ago,” he said. “We have a daughter who lives north of Chicago, and it’s phenomenal what they have there … walking trails, activities for children and nobody’s fat. A lot needs to be done her and (the master plan) is a good start.”
Over the last 30 years, said Remenschneider, vehicle traffic has increased exponentially.
As a result, “Pedestrians have suffered as roads were designed for motor vehicles,” he said.
The creation of center turn lanes meant tree plats went away and sidewalks became narrow. Remenschneider said even though 16th Street has sidewalks, the narrow separation of traffic from pedestrians makes walking on the street risky for some.
Cities that implement a pedestrian/bicycle master plan can reap lots of benefits, from an influx of younger residents to a fitter, more vibrant community.
Remenschneider said Franklin adopted a pedestrian master plan in 2009.
“There has been $22 million in downtown building investment since then,” he said. “Thirteen downtown businesses had ribbon-cuttings in 2014.
“When people have routes to walk and bike, and can easily access downtown, you create a community that is much more appealing.”