Cyclists urge Richmond to implement improvements

During 2015, Richmond spent $40,000 from a grant and other funding to have a consultant develop a bicycle and pedestrian master plan.

Nine years later, the city has moved forward with little beyond the Loop multimodal pathway. Goals and ideas previously developed with community input simply remain in the master plan documents accessible on the city’s website, richmondindiana.gov/resources/bicycle-and-pedestrian-master-plan.

A work group, however, wants those plans to begin becoming reality. Elisa Worland and Barry Cramer addressed Richmond Common Council during its Oct. 7 meeting about implementation of four priority routes.

“We are encouraging council and the administration to get started implementing this,” Cramer said. “We believe that having these routes would be a big boost in transforming Richmond into a bicycle-friendly city. We believe that the Loop and the Cardinal Greenway are a good start in making Richmond bicycle-friendly, but not adequate by themselves.”

The duo sought a commitment from council and Mayor Ron Oler for “low-hanging fruit,” but although the presentation was well-received, no commitment was made.

The four routes cover about 25 miles and could be made bicycle friendly with signage, designated bicycle lanes or shared lane markings. Cramer said they would not involve huge amounts of money, major construction or long-term traffic disruption.

“The routes that we are presenting this evening would make the Loop and the Cardinal Greenway more connected to residents from different parts of the city,” Cramer said.

The top priority route connects the Wayne County Fairgrounds with Glen Miller Park, while also passing a Cardinal Greenway trailhead. It follows Peacock Road, Richmond Avenue and North E Street.

The second priority extends the U.S. Bicycle Route 50 as designated by the Adventure Cycling Association. It enters Indiana on Hodgin Road, then uses South 13th Street, West Main Street, Salisbury Road and College Corner Road.

A third route connects downtown with neighborhoods on the northwest and southeast sides, using North West L Street, Sheridan Street and South Fourth Street.

The final priority project primarily uses 13th and 12th streets to connect Indiana 227 while avoiding U.S. 27.

Within the master plan by Rundell Ernstberger Associates, connectivity is a primary concern for bicyclists and pedestrians. Its recommendations include creating hubs at Elstro Plaza downtown and at Glen Miller Park, then having routes from the hubs that connect to schools, parks, recreation centers, shopping centers, employment centers and neighborhoods using multiuse paths, sidewalks, greenways, bike lanes and shared lane markings.

Connectivity provides opportunities for residents to reach destinations without a car. Worland said that’s important, because 10.8% of Richmond households have no vehicles and another 41.5% have just one vehicle. Making it comfortable for residents to bike or walk also benefits their physical health, their mental health, the environment and businesses.

“If we can create a community that is able to enhance more active transportation, then we have more opportunities to have a healthier community,” Worland said. “There’s a lot of reasons that this could be useful for our community.”

Improvements can take multiple forms, beginning with infrastructure, such as bike lanes, bridges or underpasses, improved lighting and shared lane markings. Wayfinding signs tell bicyclists where it’s safe to bike or how long it takes to reach destinations. Maps can also let bikers know what’s easily accessible in an area. Then there’s the necessary bike racks.

“There’s a number of places here in Richmond where I can bike to, then I’m wrangling my bike around a tree because there’s no place to park my bike,” Worland said. “Bicycle racks don’t need to be ugly. They can actually be artwork that can highlight a community.”