Walking & Bicycling Task Force

Click here for a PowerPoint Presentation on the Lansing Walking
& Bicycling Task Force!

On October 20, 2006, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero launched a
Walking & Bicycling Task Force force the City of Lansing. A group
of nearly 40 stakeholders and community representatives began
meeting that month, focused on the question, "What do we need
to do to make Lansing a walk and bike friendly community?"

Mid-MEAC has provided leadership and support in the formation
of the task force, the planning process, and implementation,
thanks to generous support from the Ingham County Health
Department, through a grant provided by the Michigan
Department of Community Health.

From October through December, the group created a set of
goals based on their common wisdom and analysis of the
question at hand. Since then, the group has been working to
implement its goals. Click here to read the report of these
planning sessions.

First year goals of Lansing Walking & Bicycling Task Force:

1. INVENTORY of existing bike lanes/wide shoulders and
sidewalks, show current infrastructure and condition.
-->See "existing conditions" chapter below, in #2.

2. PLAN for bike and pedestrian facility plan focused on creating
safer routes for bicyclists and pedestrians to access destinations
and connect to adjacent municipalities' non-motorized facilities
and plans.

Prior to producing the plan, amass case studies and examples
of best practices, things to avoid, and design guidelines.
--> To accomplish this goal, the task force's infrastructure sub-
committee commissioned an MSU Urban Planning Student
Practicum Team to create a Non-Motorized Transportation
Planning Resource Book for the City of Lansing. The students
produced a 158 page book, containing background information
and research to aid in the development of non-motorized
planning in Lansing. The chapters of the report are available in
PDF, by clicking on the links below:

- Integrate the new plan into the city's MASTER PLAN and ZONING
ordinances. Integrate considerations for walk-ability, bike-ability
into site plan reviews for new buildings.

3. MARKETING AND MEDIA CAMPAIGNS to help people
understand rights & responsibilities, promote the lifestyle of
walking & bicycling, and help people understand the reasons
behind infrastructure improvements/changes.
--> Click here to learn about Smart Commute '07.
--> Click here to learn about the bike lane education campaign.

4. BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY EDUCATION THROUGH
SCHOOLS. Integrate bicycle and pedestrian safety training into
drivers' education, work with community resource officers and
parent teacher organizations to do in-school trainings, introduce
the Safe Routes to School concept, toolkit, and funding
opportunities.
--> Click here for photos of Bingham Elementary's Walk and Bike
to School Day on May 23, 2007, coordinated by Marni Barron
Bingham with support from the Walking & Bicycling Task Force.

5. COMPLETE STREETS RESOLUTION. Create and build support
to pass a resolution by Lansing City Council that would commit to
integrating bicycle, pedestrian, and handicap considerations into
all road construction projects.
--> After further consideration of the impact of a resolution, the
task force option to set on the path of creating a Non-Motorized
Plan for Lansing, outlining all of the necessary steps, with
concrete, measurable recommendations and actions.

This plan is nearly complete, as of January 4, 2007, and will be
made available for public review and comment by February 1,
2007. Check back soon!!

Task Force Co-Chairs:
- Andy Kilpatrick, City of
Lansing Transportation
Office

- Jessica Yorko,
Mid-Michigan
Environmental Action
Council

Active Task Force Members:
- Alicia Armstrong,
Community Partners in
Health

- Lyndon Babcock,
Tri-County Complete Streets

- Josh DeBruyn, Michigan
Department of
Transportation

- Jane Dykema, City of
Lansing Public Service
Department

- Sgt. Dave Emmons,
Lansing Police Department

- Eric Glohr, Lansing
Community College

- Lina Goodwin, NorthWest
Initiative

- John Hodges, City of
Lansing Planning
Department

- Jen Hoffman, Allen
Neighborhood Center

- Josh Hovey, Mayor Virg
Bernero's Office

- John Lindenmayer,
League of Michigan
Bicyclists

- Murdoch Jemerson, City of
Lansing Parks Director

- Sarah Panken, Governor's
Council on Physical Fitness

- Karen Patterson, Michigan
Department of Community
Health, Obesity Prevention

- Tim Potter, MSU Bikes

- Bill Savage, Tri-County
Bicycle Association

- Janine Sinno, Ingham
County Health Department

- Chris Thelen, Consumers
Energy

Additional stakeholders
from Task Force planning
sessions:
- Tom Carmoney, NorthWest
Initiative
- Todd Kauffman, MDOT
- Helen & Dave Keeney,
seniors
- Katherine Knoll. American
Heart Association
- Mickie Kreft, Sparrow
Hospital, Children's Safety
- Joel Maatman, Lansing
School District
- Bill Rieske, City of Lansing
Planning Department
- Nate Rowen, Lansing
School District
- Steve Shaughnessy, MDOT

- Karen Smith, Ingham
Regional Medical Center
- Jamie Schriner-Hooper,
Old Town Main Street
- Deirdre Thompson, MDOT

In a walkable community you will find:

- Destinations - like housing, offices, retail,
schools, parks - situated within a safe,
comfortable walking distance of one another

- Mixed land uses, compact building/dense
development, inviting pedestrian corridors, and
"complete streets" that serve a full ranges of users
- pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and
automobiles.

- People substituting driving with walking,
bicycling, and other non-auto modes,
contributing to reduced congestions and better
air quality.

From www.walkablecommunities.org:

"Walkable communities put urban
environments back on a scale for
sustainability of resources (both natural and
economic), and lead to more social
interactions, physical fitness, and diminished
crime and other social problems. Walkable
communities are more live-able communities,
and lead to whole, happy, healthy lives for the
people who live in them."

Bicycle friendly communities provide safe
accommodation for cycling, and encourage
residents to bike for transportation and recreation.

In a bicycle friendly community you will find...

- Government ordinances and regulations that
require integrating walk-ability and bike-ability
when roads and bridges are repaired and newly
constructed.

- Bicycling "facilities": a high percentage of
arterial streets with striped and signed bike lanes,
Signed bike routes. Abundant bike parking. Bike
racks on buses. Regular maintenance of bike
lanes, routes, trails, racks, and other facilities.

- Training programs to help engineers, public
officials, and residents understand bicycle safety
needs and best practices. Commuter programs
that encourage people to bicycle to work. "Share
the Road" signage and campaigns.

From www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org:

"Communities that are bicycle-friendly are seen
as places with a high quality of life. This often
translates into increased property values,
business growth, and increased tourism.
Bicycle-friendly communities are places where
people feel safe and comfortable riding their
bikes for fun, fitness, and transportation. With
more people bicycling, communities
experiences reduced traffic demands,
improved air quality, and greater physical
fitness."