City officials in West Des Moines want to be sure bicycling is on the
forefront of planners’ minds as the community continues to grow.
Community
leaders and parks staff have created a bicycle master plan —a living
document that identifies how West Des Moines can become more bicycle
friendly. They recently completed a draft proposal to present to the
City Council during a workshop later this month.
Sally Ortgies,
superintendent of parks, said the city has never officially adopted a
bicycling master plan, though one was created in 2011. The city thought
it was time to re-analyze where it stands and where it wants to be going
forward, she said.
The bicycle master plan does not outline
projects that will get done; it has no money attached to it. Instead, it
will serve as a guideline for policymakers and developers as they build
and re-construct roads in the city.
The 63-page draft proposal has three key features:
Create a network of ‘complete streets’
A
major componentis passage of a complete streets policy that will take
into consideration all modes of transportation on any new or redeveloped
street in West Des Moines.
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