From left, Greg Demopoulos, MACOG Principal Planner Zachery Dripps and MACOG Regional Planner Caitlin Stevens review maps outlining proposed walk and bike routes. (Photo by Amanda McFarland)

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — The Michiana Area Council of Governments has a plan and wants to make sure all those interested are involved.

Wednesday evening, June 22, MACOG representatives held an open house event at the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, inviting government officials, cyclist groups and area residents to find out the latest in the Active Transportation Plan.

The Active Transportation Plan is part of the Michiana on the Move: 2040 Transportation Plan and encompasses four counties, including Kosciusko, Elkhart, Marshall and St. Joseph. The idea is to encourage types of “active” transportation, like walking and bicycling.

Wednesday’s open house was the second of four MACOG is hosting in hopes of gleaning insight into the best ways to go about encouraging active transportation in each of the four counties. While impending weather may have kept many away, those who did attend were able to view maps of proposed bike and walk routes and browse a detailed report of the 2040 Transportation Plan.

MACOG Principal Planner Zachery Dripps and Regional Planner Caitlin Stevens were on hand to speak with visitors and answer any questions. Those who were unable to attend the open house but who would still like to comment or ask questions can visit the Active Transportation Plan website and click “comment on the plan.”

The next step, Dripps and Stevens said, will be to form a committee, consisting of a mixture of local government representatives, chamber of commerce representatives, tourism commissions, bicycle advocacy groups and members of the public who may be interested in increasing and improving foot and bicycle travel.

A copy of the plan is available here and at the Warsaw Community Public Library.