Fiscal Note
While adoption of this resolution does not represent a commitment to funding, it does identify a series of public actions that will require expenditures to be authorized by subsequent Common Council actions.
Title
Adopting the Bicycle Transportation Plan for the Madison Metropolitan Area and Dane County, as a supplement to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, including the relevant recommendations and proposed bicycle facility improvements contained within the plan.
Body
WHEREAS, in 2000 the City of Madison and the Madison Area Metropolitan Planning Organization adopted a Bicycle Transportation Plan for the Madison Urban Area and Dane County, which has served as a guide for continued planning, development, and maintenance of bicycle facilities and implementation of bicycle safety education, encouragement, and enforcement programs; and
WHEREAS, the Bicycle Transportation Plan for the Madison Metropolitan Area and Dane County was prepared by Madison Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (Madison Area MPO) staff as an update of the 2000 Bicycle Transportation Plan and a refinement of the Bicycle Element of the adopted Vision 2020 Dane County Land Use & Transportation Plan, which provides the overall policy framework for development and multi-modal transportation improvements within the Dane County region; and
WHEREAS, since 2000, the number of Madison residents commuting by bike has nearly doubled; and
WHEREAS, cycling provides significant health, economic, environmental and equity benefits to the City and its residents; and
WHEREAS, Madison has achieved League of American Bicyclists Bike Friendly Cities Gold status, and has set a goal of the Platinum designation; and
WHEREAS, one of the goals of the City’s Pedestrian-Bicycle-Motor Vehicle Commission (PBMVC) has been to update and revise the 2000 Bicycle Transportation Plan; and
WHEREAS, MAP-21 - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act requires Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to include bicycle and pedestrian components in their regional transportation plans; and
WHEREAS, the plan has been prepared with further input from City of Madison, other local community, and Dane County staff, commissions, and citizens; and
WHEREAS, public comments were solicited through wide distribution of information on the draft plan to interested parties, posting the draft plan on the City’s Web page, presentations, a public meeting, and a public hearing before the MPO; and
WHEREAS, the plan is intended to provide a policy framework and facilities and program planning guide to City of Madison and other Dane County communities, agencies, and commissions in developing and maintaining a continuous bicycle transportation system that provides safe, convenient, and enjoyable access and mobility throughout the Madison urban area and Dane County; and
WHEREAS, the plan is also intended to educate citizens and policy makers on bicycle transportation and the needs of bicyclists;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Bicycle Transportation Plan for the Madison Metropolitan Area and Dane County, including the changes recommended as a result of the public review process, be adopted as a supplement to the City of Madison Comprehensive Plan, to be used as a guide for bicycle facility and program planning and development; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Common Council hereby endorses the plan’s bicycle facility recommendations and the attached recommended actions for making the Madison area and Dane County even better places to bicycle through a comprehensive program of engineering (i.e., bicycle facility improvements and maintenance), education, encouragement, and enforcement; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the appropriate City of Madison departments, divisions, commissions, and committees are hereby directed to incorporate in their respective future work programs those activities identified in the attached recommendations for which they are responsible.