Community Members Weigh In On Bike-Friendly Options
WARSAW — Over 30 community members gathered at Warsaw City Hall last night, Jan. 22, to discuss plans for the development of Market Street in order to make the area safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. The majority of attendees were from Kosciusko County Velo Cycling Club.
Consultant Jonathan Mooney of Lochmueller Group presented a brief overview of the proposed ideas. Mooney also helped create the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan for Warsaw in 2013. This newly proposed plan targets Market Street between Columbia and Hickory Streets.
Ideally, the project would include a two-way cycle track that is physically separated from the road. This track would be located on one side of the roadway. If everything goes as planned, the on-street parking would remain where parking already exists. If more room is needed for the project, it is a possibility that left-turn lanes could be eliminated.
A preliminary traffic study was conducted and it was discovered that making the changes towards a bike-friendly street would not negatively impact the traffic. On the other hand, not making the changes poses safety concerns with pedestrians and bikers.
It was not yet made clear how the project would handle the Detroit Street intersection.
The plan is still in the preliminary stages and community members were able to weigh in on their preferences with three input exercises. The map exercise allowed residents to identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities regarding specific locations on Market Street. The other exercises included identifying visual preferences and ranking additional amenities, such as artwork and streetscapes.
The consulting team and city officials will spend the rest of the week studying the data from the community session and working on concept refinement. The draft concept presentation will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25.