Results from the District 2 Community Workshop
Summary
The District 2 Statewide Bicycle Planning Study Community Workshop was held at the Bemidji City Hall Council Chambers at 317 - 4th Street NW, Bemidji, MN 56601 from 4-6 PM on March 1, 2012. Approximately 30 people participated in the workshop.
Findings
Workshop participants completed a S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of bicycling facilities in our State. Following the S.W.O.T. analysis, participants worked in small groups to organize their responses in themed categories. The themes were prioritized by the participants, unless otherwise noted, with theme prioritized as #1 being the the most important.Strengths
Theme (noted as Priority #1): Good Existing Trail System
- Current trail system
- See through bikers often – we are on the national route
- Multi-use trails
- We have Minneapolis paving the way in bicycle infrastructure
- Build on existing network
- Trail system
- Regional trails (Paul Bunyan, MRT)
- Route around Lake Bemidji
- Significant development of Rails to Trails program last 10 years
- Start of a nice system of trails
- Good trail system
- Bike trails that are established
- Current trail systems
Theme (noted as Priority #2): MN is a bike friendly state
- Paying attention to bicycling at a statewide level
- Bike friendly state but mostly in urban areas
- No fees except high taxes
- Positive relationship with public
- DOT has improved it[s] road standards to include bike trails – more funding
- Openness/willingness to include biking
Theme (noted as Priority #3): Promoting Active Living and Health Benefits
- Willingness to be involved in bicycle discussions, Bemidji example: active living
- Populace (residents) who value health and exercise
- Promoting active living in community
Theme (noted as Priority #4): MnDOT has good planning department
- Made a lot of progress towards policies and projects to encourage biking
- The planning effort is better than ever before
- Having these meetings engaging the public across the state
- MN Bike Ped. Office
- This planning effort
- Bikes part of motor vehicle code
- Identification and marketing of trails
- Good information on the MnDOT website on bicycling within state
Theme (noted as Priority #5): Good start to a system of lanes, paved shoulders, places to ride
- Paved shoulders to separate bikes and vehicles
- Separated bike lanes
- Bemidji including space along new roadways for bicyclists
- We have lots of places to ride
Theme (noted as Priority #6): Dedicated Funding
- Funding for trails through enhancement funds
- Enhancement funding for trails
Weaknesses
Theme (noted as Priority #1): Policy
- Policies related to inclusion of bike and ped facilities in new development
- Working with other department[s] (making the connections)
- Allow local government units to use your map model for their own road systems
- DOT still sometimes forget that bikes should be included on a road when planning calls for it
- Not pushing complete streets policy outside of metro area
- Perception of Co. Engineers [that] bikeways take away from roads
- Better coordination with DNR, county and cities
- In need of more/proper bike lanes
- MnDOT does not focus on facilities they have with in cities. Want the cities to do
Theme (noted as Priority #2): Design/Maintenance
- Roadway spacing for bicyclists
- Lack of shoulder space/bike lanes in older roadways
- Roads with minimal shoulders
- Shoulder line rumble strips
- Roads with gravel shoulders
- Rumble strips that don’t take all of the bike lane
- Wider shoulders on roads in NW MN
Theme (noted as Priority #2): Trails
- Paul Bunyan Drive dangerous to connect Hy II heading west or east
- Poorly maintained paths (also an opportunity for relatively cheap improvement)
- Trail system maintenance
- Connection of communities to regional trails
- Lack of trails/maps of regional connectors
- Not enough trails: regional; local; bike lanes
- Incomplete trails
Theme (noted as Priority #3): Education
- I don’t think we have reached the tipping point in our society where we value biking as much as other modes of transportation
- Education ie. share the road; part of driving fast
- Driver education
- At times, in cities, bike lanes can impede traffic flow (perception?)
Theme (noted as Priority #3): Promotion
- Are these great ideas about bike routes marketed to the public extensively
- Difficulty knowing who to go to to get a map for a proposed bike ride
- Promoting bicycling as a form of transportation
- Better bike trail advertising
- Missed opportunities – integrating bicycle/peds later in planning process
Theme (unranked by participants): Safety/signage
- Better signage
- Riders who are not familiar with rules of the road
- Signage
Theme (unranked by participants): Mother Nature
- Our weather – limited season for major investments
Theme (unranked by participants): Rural
- Bike routes for smaller cities/towns and rural areas
- Forgetting of rural areas
Theme (unranked by participants): Funding
- Funding – no dedicated source
Theme (unranked by participants): Connectivity
- Lack of route continuity – ability to get to desired destination safely
- Connectedness of bike routes
- Connect middle school and high school to community
- Connecting rural to urban is not done well
- Need to better coordinate bike trail planning with other agencies, cities, towns, DNR, communities
Opportunities
Theme (noted as Priority #1): Infrastructure
- Use Superior Hiking Trail model of establishing relationships with local enterprises
- Expansion of state bike trail system
- Tourism
- As more people bike, we may need more room on the road
- Bike waysides
- Put Bemidji on statewide bicycle trail maps
- Rest areas for bikes along routes
- Outstate roads need provisions for riding
- How does MnDOT work with the City of Bemidji
- Commuting
- Signage nothing that drivers should watch for cyclists
- Share standards with local highway engineers
- Include bike trails in public works projects to put people to work
- The NW par of state is blank
- More paint on the roads
- Discuss funding for route marking paint and signs
- Rumble strip standards
Theme (noted as Priority #2): Education and Lobbying
- Bike education for all ages
- Active lobbying of legislature and legislators – political activists
- Crosswalks not honored
- The chance to engage young riders
- Promote public education for drivers and bike riders
- Help sponsor bike related community events and awareness
- Include Bemidji as a bicycle destination for trails and events
Theme (noted as Priority #3): Mapping
- Knowing where routes are available
- Internet site for accessing bike routes in state
- A lot of trails/routes that could be generated by making connections
- Integrate route documentation (maps, facilities, etc) into existing route and map network of the Adventure Cycling Association
- One place to get information on places where you want to go
- Share results with other local government units!
Theme (noted as Priority #4): Partnerships
- Continued partnerships with others – bicyclists, city/counties and others
- Best bike route to get through county
- Big public ad campaign showing local biking heros!!
- Tax bike purchases for trails funding
- Stakeholder groups coming together (bike clubs; fitness; etc)
Theme (noted as Priority #5): Economics
- Use of Legacy funds for rec trails (not TE)
- High gas prices will encourage other modes of transport
- [As] Gas $$ increases, bicyclists [increase]
- Funding level to date good, unknown in future
- Higher gas prices creates more interest in biking
- Include “bikeway” funds in road projects
Theme (noted as Priority #6): Public Health
- Continuing to uplift the connection between biking and positively impacting the environment and public health
Threats
Theme (noted as Priority #1): Safety Education
- Complete trail systems
- Distracted drivers
- Heavy commercial vehicles (trucks)
- Lack of safety are threats to biking – real or perceived
Theme (noted as Priority #2): Funding
- Cuts in bike related funding
- Industry concern about moving freight
- Funding
- Funding (bicycle vs. vehicular)
- Upcoming elections
- Funding not available to maintain all roadways car and driver
- Fund is getting harder to find
- Funding
- Funding (lack of)
- Money
- Lack of money
- $$ little to no money to finance projects
- Funding and resources
- Those who want funding to improve roads for cars
- Making funding a top priority for future projects
- Lack of funding for bikes not high on the priority list
- Lack of funds – think of more people biking because of high gas cost in all areas of the state
Theme (noted as Priority #3): Politics
- Lack of Fed Congressional support
- Fed. Trans. bill not re-authorized
- Political climate (fossil fuel proponents vs. others)
- Limited funding loss of federal enhancement funds dedicated to trails and etc
- Public funding getting harder to come by (no new taxes)
- Lack of partnership between public and private
Additional comments may also be provided to Greta Alquist through March 30, 2012.
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