Monday, Dec. 15, 2008

Plan envisions county bike network

Proposal calls for 134 miles of paths to boost commuting

Bicycling is a great way to get some exercise and get out in nature on a weekend -- but it could be a lot more.

Bicycles could be an alternative transportation mode in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, where the terrain is flat and the summers long. Getting people out of their cars and pedaling to work or the store eases air pollution and traffic congestion, and improves fitness.

That's the goal of a recent Stanislaus Council of Governments plan. The Stanislaus County Non-Motorized Transportation Plan includes bicycles and pedestrians, and is aimed at making it easier for people to get places on foot or on bike.

The plan aims to link the cities of the county with bike lanes, and residential areas with destinations such as downtown, schools, jobs and shopping.

The plan is built around a "primary bikeway network," 134 miles of bikeways connecting the cities in the county, and connecting with local bike routes within each city.

The county has a long way to go to become "bicycle friendly," say members of the Stanislaus County Bicycle Club, but the plan is a good first step.

"We run into a lot of hazards. Bad roads, no shoulders, crazy drivers," said Jack Quinnett, a bicycle club member and Salida resident. Some areas are good, he added, but a lot of older developed areas have problems.

The problems are enough to discourage many people from commuting on bicycles, he said. "There's no room. Cars aren't looking, there's not enough space, there are parked cars with people opening the door. It's pretty difficult to get around town," Quinnett said.

The StanCOG plan tries to address those problems with bicycle lane improvements and an educational element to make drivers more aware of bicyclists.

Bicycle lane improvements come in three categories, according to the plan: a bicycle path separated from roads (Class I); roads with a widened shoulder to accommodate bikes (Class II); and streets and roads with bicycle signs (Class III).

Network mixes categories

The primary bikeway network would be a mix of the three, according to the plan. For instance, among the 18 high-priority projects listed in the plan is a 10.33-mile Class I path from Patterson to Newman. A Class II 2.6-mile bike path is planned from Claus Road to the Oakdale city limit; and a Class III 14.8-mile pathway from the Turlock city limit to the Oakdale city limit also is on the list.

The total cost of the bike portion of the plan is daunting: More than $235 million. But the big number doesn't mean it can't be done, said Stanislaus County Public Works Director Matt Machado.

Having a regional plan in place opens the door for state and federal grants, Machado said, and the plan dovetails with road improvements the county will need.

"As we do road improvements, we can pretty easily add bicycle amenities," he said. "We can widen the asphalt a couple of feet and make a Class II path. Hopefully all the jurisdictions can incorporate this and get pieces of it built," Machado said.

"No one has the money to build super-duper routes. But it's always been envisioned to include nonmotorized components in road projects," he said.

The idea of putting bicycle route planning in the public works department rather than a parks and recreation department is overdue, said David Cooperider, advocacy director for the Stanislaus County Bicycle Club and a former lieutenant in the Modesto Police Department.

Parks departments build bike paths that are great for a scenic recreational ride, Cooperider said, but they aren't designed to allow a bike rider to use them for practical transportation.

StanCOG included the bicycle club in the planning process to develop the plan, and an ad hoc committee is planned to advise the county on bicycle issues, Cooperider said.

"The club supports the plan. Anything that provides infrastructure that is bicycle friendly, we are supportive of," Cooperider said.

Buzz around biking

The time is right to promote bicycling as an alternative transportation mode, added Cooperider. The recent high gasoline prices, air quality issues and the Amgen bicycle race coming to Stanislaus County have heightened interest in biking, he said.

What's the potential for increasing bicycle commuting in Stanislaus County? According to the plan, 35.1 percent of the county's residents travel less than 15 minutes to work, a much higher percentage of short commutes than the state (25.3 percent) or the United States (29.4 percent).

Just 0.7 percent of Stanislaus County workers ride a bike to work, less than California as a whole (0.8 percent). More Stanislaus County residents drive alone to work than state or U.S. workers. The numbers come from the 2000 census, so they are a bit dated.

Cooperider, for one, said he would be commuting to work if he hadn't retired.

Bee staff writer Tim Moran can be reached at tmoran@modbee.com or 578-2349.