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Provo’s bike plan would add trails, connect cities

By Genelle Pugmire - Daily Herald - | Jul 17, 2011

If all goes as desired by local bike enthusiasts, Provo city and Mountainland Association of Governments, a number of connected bike trails between Orem and Springville will be just months away.

According to Provo Councilman Sterling Beck, a request for proposals for a Provo city bike plan has been released. The RFP closes July 28, with a consultant being selected by mid-August. MAG is offering $100,000 for the study with Provo adding $7,500.

“We want to attract consultants who will come up with something unheard of in the nation — bike connectivity,” Beck said. “It’s not an approach on status quo. It’s how can we dramatically shift.”

Being connected from city to city is a key component in the bike plan design, according to Beck. Orem just completed its plan last year.

“It makes no sense to cross our city line and have it end,” Beck said.

According to the proposal, the project will produce a comprehensive bicycle facilities master plan for Provo and detail ways to connect existing and planned facilities among Provo and its surrounding communities. The plan will incorporate connections to multiple transportation modes.

Jim Price, bicycle/pedestrian coordinator for MAG, said the Provo plan is being modeled after what was done in Orem last year. The plan is for Lehi and American Fork to be next.

“The long-term transportation plan is to be able to bike from one end of the county to the other,” Price said. “Provo has done a lot and wants to do a lot more.”

Price said with Orem wanting the same, “it will take time and effort but the momentum is on and we’re really on a good path.”

The plan will implement a high degree of coordination between Provo city and the Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Transit Authority. Discussions have yet to be held with Springville.

The goals of the project include obtaining community consensus, making improvements to bicycle safety, analyzing current conditions, identifying funding sources, and developing standards for new facilities.

Price said the connectivity is not just for recreation, but will be a way of getting people from point A to point B.

“As far as we’re concerned it’s transportation,” Price said. “If you’re getting healthy in the meantime that’s good too.”

With inter-connectivity you actually have bridges to your neighbors, Beck added. “It’s been amazing. For years we’ve been taught the old way of thinking. Communities have been hesitant to make changes.”

He points to Boulder, Colo., that started working on bike path issues 40 years ago.

Beck said that many times the city or groups under-deliver on a project or proposal. He also said this plan will be different.

“I think that we are going to over-deliver on this one. I think the city is going to be surprised,” Beck said. “It’s time to take bicycling seriously.”

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