BikePedSince November 2010, the Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Planning Staff has been working with local governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations and the general public to update the Montgomery MPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan adopted in 2003. The plan will help establish bicycle and pedestrian transportation priorities for portions of Autauga, Elmore and Montgomery Counties including the municipalities of Coosada, Deatsville, Elmore, Millbrook, Montgomery, Prattville, Pike Road and Wetumpka.  The Montgomery MPO 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan will serve as a guide for bicycle and pedestrian project implementation.  The 21 month process was split into three phases: information gathering, public comment on preliminary bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and public comment on the Draft Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan

Phase 1: Information Gathering

A series of public involvement meetings were completed in November 2010 throughout the tri-county area.  The purpose was to gather important input from area residents.  Citizens interested in the development of bicycle lanes, greenways, sidewalk improvements, and other bicycle and pedestrian treatments were encouraged to attend.  The meeting marked the beginning of the initial public involvement comment period which lasted thru December 1, 2010.  A total of 70 interested citizens attended the public meetings.  Public comment sheets were used to gather public input on sidewalk and bicycle facility location preferences that were used as public input into the planning process.  The meetings began the planning process to update the 2003 Montgomery MPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.  In an additional effort to gather public comments, an internet survey was launched November 29, 2010.  A link to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan adopted in 2003 is below:

A sidewalk inventory was completed in 2010 for the entire MPO Study area.  At the November 2010 meetings maps of the data collected were presented and used by citizens to identify additional sidewalk needs.  In addition, MPO staff completed an analysis based on areas that needed additional sidewalks in order to make the current sidewalk system a complete network connecting various origins and destinations.

In an effort to gather specific location comments, participants at the November 2010 public meetings were asked to indicate on maps where they would like pedestrian and bicycle, and also comment on the previous plans proposed bicycle routes to indicate whether or not the previous plans proposed bicycle routes were still valid or not.  These “Mark-up” maps and comment form information were used by MPO staff to prepare/update the pedestrian and bicycle plan potential facilities to be presented in the second Round of Public meetings in August 2011.

Phase 2: Public Comment on the Preliminary Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities

The purpose of the August 2011 Public Involvement meetings was to present and gather public input on the Draft Routes and Connectors, as well as to present and gather input on the listing of pedestrian facility needs.  The public comment period began on August 1, 2011 and ended on August 17, 2011.  The public comments were used to formulate the final Bicycle Routes, Connector Routes, and Pedestrian detailed in the Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.

Phase 3: Public Comment on the Draft Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and Adoption of the Final Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan

The Draft Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan was presented at the June 2012 public meetings.  The comment period for this phase was from Friday, June 1, 2012 to Monday, June 25, 2012.  The public comments were used to edit the Draft Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.  The plan helps establish bicycle and pedestrian transportation priorities for portions of Autauga, Elmore and Montgomery Counties including the municipalities of Coosada, Deatsville, Elmore, Millbrook, Montgomery, Prattville, Pike Road and Wetumpka.  The Final was adopted in July of 2012.

Phase 3: Final Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Amendments

After the adoption of the Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, comments received to include additional bicycle and pedestrian facilities ion roadways throughout the MPO study area.  In response, two amendments were completed and adopted.

Bicycle Routes and Connector Route Maps

Sidewalk Maps

pedcrossing

Additional information is available on the MPO Internet website at www.montgomerympo.orgunder the Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning link. To contact MPO staff, stop by 495 Molton Street, Montgomery, AL; call Robert E. Smith Jr., Director of Planning/MPO Administrator, Department of Planning, City of Montgomery, Alabama at 625-2249, or email rsmith@montgomeryal.gov.  or Kindell Anderson, Transportation Planner, at 625-2754, or email him at kanderson@montgomeryal.gov .