Action Alert: Idaho Transportation Dept Pedestrian and Bicycle Survey

The Idaho Transportation Department is seeking your input through a survey. If you are interested in bicycle or pedestrian mobility in Teton Valley and Idaho we encourage you to fill out this survey. All survey responses are confidential. Completing the survey will enable you to participate in establishing a new vision for non-motorized mobility within Idaho and provide needed insight to all agencies that make non-motorized mobility decisions. Thank you in advance for your participation.

To access the survey go to: http://itd.idaho.gov/planning/bike/2008PlanSurvey.html

Here are a few of my responses:

5. Tell us if you are aware of any bicycle or pedestrian mobility concerns that may be unique to your community.

"We are situated on the West side of Teton Pass which separates us from Jackson, WY. We are in need of completing the non-motorized pathway over Teton Pass. Currently there is a pathway on the East side of the path, but not one on the West side. This connection is important for residents who work in Jackson as well as tourists who visit the area."

6.Tell us about any issues, concerns or frustrations that you currently experience related to your interaction with the Idaho Transportation Department concerning bicycle and pedestrian mobility. Do you have suggestions for improvement?

"Overall I am frustrated that Gov. Otter's and ITD's transportation initiative focuses entirely on outdated methods of transportation infrastructure development. It is time we move away from only funding auto-centric methods of transportation. I would like to see more attention devoted to multi-modal transportation that reduces the number of yearly Vehicle Miles Traveled. I do realize this has the negative affect of further reducing income from gas tax, but this too is an outdated method of structuring our transportation system. It is time we devoted serious attention and resources to non-conventional methods of traveling around our state both at the local and regional level. Of course we must maintain the highways and bridges we already have, but creating more miles of asphalt that caters to auto dependent development patterns is wrong."

7. Tell us about any issues, concerns or frustrations that you currently experience related to your interaction with state elected officials concerning bicycle and pedestrian mobility. Do you have suggestions for improvement?

"At the 2008 AIC conference as well as the Idaho Falls transportation conference my requests for more support for multi-modal transportation projects were largely ignored. The response I kept getting was, "But we have to maintain the infrastructure of highways and bridges we already". Obviously the fact that I repeatedly focused my comments on new highway projects and road widening projects was missed. I suggest that State Officials recognize that national development trends are moving away from Suburban development and towards compact, pedestrian friendly development. This return to compact development patterns needs governmental support for non motorized transportation infrastructure."

8. Tell us if your governmental agency supports infrastructure improvements for bicycling and walking. If yes, how do you do this?

"The City of Victor requires all new developments to construct sidewalks and bicycle paths that connect to our existing network. We also support our local advocacy group, Teton Valley Trails and Pathways. Recently we passed an ordinance requiring Main St property owners to plow their sidewalks and we are working with Landsman Transportation on a new Transportation Plan that will include pedestrian and cycling improvements."

9. Please tell us any other thoughts concerning bicycle and pedestrian mobility.

"Please do not continue to pull funding for enhancement grants that can help grow our pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. I realize we are in a budget shortfall, but cutting good programs that can be part of a larger solution to our problems is not the answer. It is time to look beyond the transportation development trends of the last 50 years and find new solutions to our new problems."