Wyoming Bicycle & Pedestrian System Report
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WYOMING BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN& SYSTEM REPORT2017 BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN SYSTEM REPORT 2018 i TABLE of CONTENTS WYOMING BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN& SYSTEM REPORT2017 LEGISLATION THAT LED TO THE CREATION OF THIS REPORT REQUIRED THAT A DIVERSE, 13-MEMBER TASK FORCE BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR: Matt Carlson, WYDOT Highway Safety Office Jeff Wiggins, City of Cheyenne Trails Planner Coordinator John Rutter, Wyoming Office of Tourism Board Member Pat Collins, Bicycle Station Bike Shop Owner Tim Young, Wyoming Pathways Angela Emery, Platte River Trails Andy Greenman, Wyoming Business Council Alexia Harrist, Wyoming Department of Health Domenic Bravo, Wyoming State Parks Peggy Caldwell, Wyoming Backcountry Horsemen Officer Jack Koehler, Friends of Pathways Jim Hellyer, Fremont County Committee of the USDA FSA Greg Venable, Wyoming Trucking Association 2nd VP & Washakie Area Trucking Specialist PRODUCED BY THE WYOMING BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN TASK FORCE WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM ALTA PLANNING + DESIGN AND FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS (SEE PAGE 80) ii Executive Summary ............................iv Preface ....................................................viii Part 1 Existing Conditions, Benefits, & State of the Practice 01 Community Pathways & Local Streets ..................................pg. 1 02 Main Streets & Downtowns ................................pg. 12 03 Rural Bicycling & Walking in Wyoming .....................................pg. 21 04 Natural Surface Trails ............... pg. 29 05 Health & Safety Benefits ...............................pg. 37 Part 2 Recommendations 06 Recommendations....................... pg. 46 Walking is critical to successful local businesses in Campbell County Executive Summary Legislative Background The Bicycle and Pedestrian System Task Force was Safety issues will be addressed in Chapter 5 of the created with the passage of Senate Enrolled Act report. A tragic number of bicycle and pedestrian 8 during the 2016 legislative session. The bill was fatalities and injuries have occurred around developed by the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife Wyoming in recent years. These crashes were part and Cultural Resources Committee over the of the Legislature’s purpose in forming the Task course of the prior year as part of an Interim Study Force. The legislation calls for safety analyses of Topic, and passed with strong support in both bicycle and pedestrian crashes and to recommend Senate and House. Governor Matt Mead signed the ways to improve public safety for all travelers. WYOMING BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN& SYSTEM REPORT2017 bill into law, and following an application process, Many communities have pathway and trail he appointed 13 people representing key areas of programs, and at least 25 Wyoming communities expertise from around Wyoming to serve on the have plan documents that address existing and Task Force. future pathways and trails. The legislation calls for the Task Force to identify and evaluate options to Task Force fund the construction and maintenance of these The Task Force was charged with developing this pathways and natural surface trails, including report to help the legislature, local communities, private and non-profit sources, along with local, and state agencies, including WYDOT and the state, and federal sources. Departments of Health, Tourism, State Parks, and the Business Council, to better understand the The legislation requires the Task Force to prepare opportunities, benefits, and challenges of bicycle a preliminary report by October 1, 2016, and to and pedestrian pathways and natural surface prepare a Final Report due by October 1, 2017. This trails. This is the first state-level effort of its kind report represents the efforts of the Task Force and to study these issues in Wyoming and provide consultants in preparing the 2018 Final Report. recommendations to the legislature and agencies. Benefits Following completion of the The legislation calls for the Task Force to consider the economic benefits of bicycle and pedestrian report, the Task Force will pathways and natural surface trails through continue to be available enhanced tourism opportunities and community quality of life enhancements, and to study the to assist the Legislature health benefits to Wyoming residents and visitors of encouraging bicycle and pedestrian recreation through July 1, 2018, when and active transportation, and ways in which these the Task Force will end. benefits can best be attained. indicates benefits throughout the report iv Report Development & Meetings The Bicycle and Pedestrian System Task Force’s efforts have also been informed with the work of The Bicycle and Pedestrian System Task Force the Governor’s ENDOW Initiative, which includes held its first meeting in August 2016. The group the Outdoor Recreation Task Force. That task appointed Tim Young, Executive Director of force is developing policy recommendations for Wyoming Pathways, as Chairman, and established Governor Mead’s consideration topic area subcommittees to assist in the work. to guide and expand The full Task Force has met a total of ten times to business opportunities date, including two in-person meetings, the first and to improve recreation in Casper and the second in Lander (near the end infrastructure in the of the report writing process). In addition to the state’s second largest full group meetings, the five subcommittees and industry. There has been agency representatives have contributed. communication between To prepare the most useful report for the the two task force entities legislature, the Task Force determined that regarding funding needs and bringing in professional assistance would be possible fee proposals. beneficial. To do so, the Task Force successfully WYOMING BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN& SYSTEM REPORT2017 raised $50,000 in private and public funding. In spring 2017, a qualified consultant was contracted to assist in the report preparation. Alta Planning + Design was selected based on their qualifications and experience on similar state bicycle and Report Structure pedestrian plans, which also included health and economic benefits of active transportation The Final Report is structured and recreation, and for their knowledge in best around five chapters (Part 1), outlined practices in the planning, design, management, below, followed by recommendations and safety of bicycle and pedestrian systems. (Part 2) tailored to major agencies The Task Force gathered existing plans and data and stakeholders in Wyoming. on bicycling and walking in Wyoming that were Each chapter has written content, available from state and federal agencies, tribal infographics, photos, and successful and local governments, public land agencies, Wyoming case studies. Important and tourism sources, and then provided the takeaways, recommendations, or information to Alta Planning + Design. The stories are identified in sidebars (like Task Force also held conference calls with the this one) or full page features. consultant and each of the five subcommittees in order to provide additional Wyoming background Community Pathways & on the report’s topic areas. In addition, the Task 01 Local Streets Force organized additional calls with public land managers. Main Streets & Downtowns The Legislature assigned the Wyoming Business 02 Council (WBC) to provide administrative support for the Task Force. The WBC staff have excelled Rural Bicycling & Walking in at managing the flow of information, announcing 03 Wyoming meetings, and creating a website page to gather public input and organize the information for Natural Surface Trails the report. The members of the Task Force are 04 grateful for this assistance. 05 Health & Safety Benefits v Recommendations The report's After the overview of existing conditions and benefits in Part 1, the Wyoming Bicycle & Pedestrian recommendations were System Report concludes with policy, statute, derived from local program, and infrastructure recommendations specifically tailored to 12 agencies or groups of experience, needs, and agencies in Wyoming. By following the Report guidance and recommendations, users, land desires, as well as national managers, visitors, taxpayers, and the state literature and regional and as a whole will be able to maximize the active transportation and recreation accessibility, national case studies on economic, and community health benefits of walking and bicycling. safe community design, Below are one to two high priority anticipated outcomes, and recommendations from each agency identified in WYOMING BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN& SYSTEM REPORT2017 benefits. Part 2 of this report. Agency High Priority Recommendations Wyoming State • Create an Interim Study to evaluate Wyo. Stat. § 31-5-601 et. seq. (Pedestrians) and Wyo. Legislature Stat. § 31-5-701 et. seq. (Bicycles), and related statutes, to explore legislative opportunities to improve and update statutes to help realize the safety, economic and health benefits described in this report. [SL S.2] • Create and fund a $10 million annual statewide bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and information initiative to address identified needs of, and benefits to, Wyoming communities of enhancing walkable main streets, community pathways, rural cycling routes, and natural surface trails. [SL F.1] • Develop legislation to provide funding and direction to state agencies to prepare a comprehensive and quantitative study of the health, safety, economic, and other benefits of walking and bicycling in Wyoming. [SL S.1] Office of the • Evaluate