Fiscal Note
There is no fiscal impact associated with the adoption of the report. However, implementing specific recommendations within the report will have fiscal impacts in the future and will require Common Council approval at that time.
Title
Adopting the Platinum Biking City Planning Committee’s report, “Making Madison the Best Place in the Country to Bicycle,” and recommendations contained therein.
Body
WHEREAS, the Mayor appointed the Platinum Biking City Planning Committee with the overall goals of achieving Platinum level through the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Communities program, and to put forward a roadmap, or bike path, for Madison to become the best city in the country for bicycling; and
WHEREAS, the Platinum Biking City Planning Committee (PBCPC) guided the preparation of the report with input from bicyclists and other interested stakeholders; and
WHEREAS, the PBCPC established a vision to make bicycling an integral part of daily life in Madison, thereby making Madison a model for health promotion, environmental sustainability, and quality of life; and
WHEREAS, the PBCPC established the following goals: (1) Madison will ensure a safe and well-planned bicycle friendly transportation network that allows connections to all destinations. The network will include bikeways, off-street paths, on-street marked lanes and low volume/low speed local roads, adequate bike parking, and adequate links to public transit. The network will be accessible to riders of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities; (2) Madison will promote a bicycling culture that supports experienced riders and brings new riders safely and comfortably into cycling; (3) Madison educational institutions, businesses, health care providers, and government will actively support bicycling as a transportation choice; (4) Madison will build social capital by encouraging bicycling as a social norm for all of Madison’s diverse population; (5) Madison will facilitate a mutual respect among drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians by promoting knowledge, acceptance, and consistent enforcement of traffic laws; (6) Madison will collaborate with surrounding municipalities, Dane County, and colleges and universities to develop complementary bicycle transportation plans and a seamless network of bikeways in the Madison area; (7) Madison will take advantage of the unique resources in our area (UW-Madison and other educational institutions, bicycle industry, other businesses and nonprofit organizations) to engage in public-private partnerships to develop innovative bicycle facilities, educational programs, outreach efforts, and funding mechanisms; (8) Madison’s bicycle plans will be incorporated into other City plans (such as transportation plans, land use plans, neighborhood plans, the Comprehensive Plan, Climate Protection Plan, etc.) to promote bicycle use as part of a multimodal, environmentally-friendly urban transportation network designed to benefit all citizens of the Madison metropolitan area (including persons unable to walk or ride, and in cases when bicycling is not feasible); (9) Madison will create an ongoing mechanism for cooperation and cross fertilization on bicycling issues across City department disciplines including Traffic Engineering, Engineering, Public Works, Police, Health, Parks, Madison Metro, and Planning; (10) Madison will increase its bicycle mode share (the percent of the traveling public that uses a bicycle for transportation);
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council does hereby adopt the Platinum Biking City Planning Committee’s report, “Making Madison the Best Place in the Country to Bicycle”; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the appropriate City agencies consider including the recommendations of the Platinum Biking City Planning Committee’s report “Making Madison the Best Place in the Country to Bicycle” in their future work plans and budgets.