Trails plan development, potential speed limit changes, and stop sign change authority were the three topics discussed Tuesday by the Orem City Council and Transportation Advisory Commission in a work session held prior to the regular city council meeting.

Darrell Cook, chairman of the Orem commission and an administrator with Mountainland Association of Governments, began the meeting with the discussion of trails plan development.

Cook said that about seven years ago, MAG put together a local trails map that included trails on roadways and transit routes. When supplies of that map ran out, MAG started gathering data and updating information for a reprint.

"It was an eye-opener," Cook said, handing out a map that shows proposed and existing trails and bike lanes in Provo, Lindon, Vineyard, and Orem. On the map, Orem has a few solid lines of existing trails and bike lanes, but unlike surrounding communities, very few proposed trails and lanes.

Cook said he has a daughter who lives in Fort Collins, Colo., a college community that is roughly the same size as Orem's. Citing the Colorado city's "very aggressive" program for bicycle trails, Cook referenced a 1995 final draft plan and 2008 update by professional planners that emphasized a "vision plan" for Fort Collins bikeways.

The plan uses a hierarchy of trails -- major street bikeways, low-traffic street bikeways, and off-road trails -- to form a bikeway system that is part of the regional bicycle transportation network.

Fort Collins enlisted consultants for their program, and Cook said the Orem Transportation Advisory Commission has been looking at the cost of a similar study within a range of $50,000 to $125,000. Funding sources that have been identified vary from one requiring a local match at 80/20 percent to a federal funding source that could cover 100 percent of the cost.

Cook said that in a "worst case" scenario, Orem's financial participation for a study would probably be about $10,000. He stressed the importance of public engagement in the process, and interaction with the bicycling community.

"The more investment there is in the product -- as a commission, City Council, and the public -- the better chance it has of going somewhere," Cook said.

He asked the council if the focus of a plan should be on Orem, or on central Utah County.

"It seems to me," said Mayor Jerry Washburn, "that we would want to do both -- focus locally and regionally."

Cook proposed a two-tier plan of action: tier one would focus on Orem, and tier two would bring in other communities.

Councilman Mark Seastrand said he favors doing the study and research, but asked what action could be taken right now.

Commission member Brad Woods said there are bike lanes in the city that are not marked, and need symbols in the lanes.

Traffic engineer Keith Larsen said some signs have already been produced, and the city is just waiting for the weather to break to install them.

Consensus of the City Council was for the commission to proceed with its plans for the study.

The council, city staff and representatives from the city transportation advisory commission also discussed ideas for determining potential speed limit changes on Orem streets and approval authority for stop sign location alterations in the city.