Ideas sought to make area bike friendly

SANDPOINT — City concept planners are seeking residents’ opinions on the future they’d like to see for downtown biking and walking.

Ever since the City Council hired SERA Architects to design concepts for the downtown streets once Idaho Transportation Department releases them back to city control, the firm has been hard at work crafting plans that will reconcile bicyclists and pedestrians with two-way traffic and parking.  

Residents have a chance to voice their opinions on the matter at an upcoming public forum. Scheduled for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 21, the meeting will take place at the Cedar Street Bridge.

Throughout the day, SERA representatives will be available with visual aids and charts to show off some of their ideas for handling bike and foot traffic in the downtown area.

Individuals can drop by at any point to offer opinions and suggestions on their work. The concept planners will take the feedback and work them into their final designs for the city.

The public forum highlights an element that city officials especially want to see pan out well. One of the major advantages of reclaiming the streets from ITD control is the calming effect it will have on the downtown scene. Rather than dodging semi-trucks and out-of-state traffic, residents and tourists alike will be able to stroll pleasantly along the many shops and attractions downtown Sandpoint offers.

A solid pedestrian and bike system will also provide a safer environment for kids and families heading to the beach, officials said.

 At a public forum in May, SERA representatives offered several ideas to keep bicyclists and pedestrians safer. Dedicated bike lanes were one major improvement over the current configuration. Representatives also suggested highly visible bicycle intersection treatments to keep the more vulnerable members of traffic visible and provide a clear, safe path for them.

Specially-designed pedestrian crossings played a similar role by keeping walkers highly visible. Other inclusions like strategically-placed signage and multi-use paths offered more safety options.