MONROEVILLE EYES HIKING AND BIKING

Monroeville residents would walk, hike and bike more if their town had less traffic, more and better sidewalks, and a greater number of bike lanes and trails.

Those are the findings of a survey that asked residents what prevented them from getting out for a walk or bike ride, Monroeville Mayor Nick Gresock told a meeting this month of Monro evil le’ s Active Transportation Committee. Seventy-five percent of residents surveyed said they would walk more, and 69 percent said they would bike more if conditions improved, Mr. Gresock said. Bikers were concerned about safety, he said.

Transportation consultant Elaine Kramer of Pashek MTR said at the committee’s Oct. 18 meeting that active transportation is defined as any human-powered mode of transport, including walking, jogging, running, bicycling and rollerblading.

She used a multi-colored map of Monroeville, showing where trails could be built to allow cyclists and walkers to reach such destinations as Monroeville Mall, the Gateway School District campus and other places.

She presented a slideshow of possible options to increase accessibility for cyclists and walkers.

One option could be building a separate uphill bike lane on some roads, while cyclists would share a downhill lane with cars, she said.

Another option would be having two bike lanes with a sidewalk built along one side of a roadway. The bike lanes could be separated from traffic by a grassy median, she said.

Ms. Kramer said her firm hopes to come back with a more “fully packed” plan in a couple of months.

Monroeville council could vote on the plan late this year or early next year, Mr. Gresock said.

To see the map with proposed bike/walking trails and sidewalks, look under Monroeville Active Tranportation Plan Information on the Monroeville home page.