The Town of Blacksburg is seeking public input to identify opportunities for designation of town-wide contiguous bike routes. These routes will provide cyclists with the ability to make short trips, commute to work and school, and run utilitarian errands around town.
Participants have two options for submitting comments. Firstly, an interactive web-based application available at: http://www.cgit.vt.edu/ProjectWebs/Bikepedsurvey/ allows the participant to plot their routes on an electronic map of Town and append the map with comments about certain problem areas. Otherwise, for those who would prefer, paper maps will be available in four locations: the Blacksburg Motor Company Building, Blacksburg Parks and Recreation Center, East Coasters, and the Bike Barn. Using the paper maps, participants may highlight their preferred routes and provide comments on a prepared survey form.
The information sought from these surveys is an understanding of riders’ points of origin and destination, the most travelled route from high density origins to common destinations, preference for in-road, shared-use, or off-road riding, and requests for additional amenities such as lockers or bike racks to facilitate users’ commutes. Once the data is collected, this information will be used to prioritize route improvements. These improvements include widening and improving roads for in-road bike lanes, construction of shared use off-road paths, in-road markings or signage for preferred routes, and assignment of an alpha numeric designation for each route for the purposes of navigation and mapping.
The public comment period will begin Wednesday, November 4 and end December 2nd. Those interested should visit the website or one of the referenced locations to provide route preferences during this time.
For more information about the project contact Priscilla Cygielnik, Assistant Director of Public Works at 540-961-1142 or pcygielnik@blacksburg.gov.