Annapolis, Maryland calls in outside bike planner
Bike Radar Has a nice article about the development of Annapolis' Bike Master Plan but I would like to take a moment to contrast what good planning considers as an economical and viable Enhancements to our road network to include comfortable accommodations for bicyclists versus what the State will spend Enchantment funds on.
First form the article:
“The biggest challenge is something you see everywhere and that is funding. As a country we don’t do a great job of funding that type of transportation.”
Instead the funding often is part of other projects, and TDG is looking to include bicycle paths, bike lanes and other improvements in those other projects. “We have to look at capital improvements and resurfacing and include bicycle paths into those.” Cruse says, “It is just hard to make it about bikes unless it is part of a larger project.
********************************************************************
Maryland with $31 million available in just Transportation Enhancement funds that could go to projects like those described makes the following ADDITIONAL requirements over and above the federal requirements: From Maryland's Transportation Enchantment Program Eligibility:
[Must] Be independent projects unrelated to planned or existing highway projects or routine highway improvements [such as resurfacing].
********************************************************************
I sympathize with Toole Design Group {TDG) as they work all over the country and Maryland is certainly the odd man out when it comes to following the recommended federal policy but I really have to question MDOT on it's policies of accommodating bicyclists any time SHA adds accommodations for bicyclists it's ALWAYS related to planned highway projects and NEVER a stand alone project. So why is MDOT putting this requirement on the localities?
.
Bike Radar: <a href="http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/annapolis-maryland-calls-in-outside-bike-planner-30793">http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/annapolis-maryland-calls-in-outside-bike-planner-30793</a>;
Maryland's Transportation Enchantment Program Eligibility: <a href="http://www.sha.maryland.gov/OPPEN/tep_chap2.pdf">http://www.sha.maryland.gov/OPPEN/tep_chap2.pdf</a>;