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Monday, June 01, 2009

WPPDR to hold open houses on non-motorized improvements needs June 2, 4

HOUGHTON -- Lori Hauswirth, associate planner for the Western U.P. Planning and Development Region (WPPDR), is working with MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) on a project to identify non-motorized improvements needs in the Western U.P. and will be holding open houses in Houghton and Keweenaw counties Tuesday, June 2, and Thursday, June 4, to gather public input.

The meeting times and locations are as follows:
Houghton County Courthouse Conference Room, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 2;
Keweenaw County Courthouse Court Room, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday, June 4.
These open house meetings are open to the public.

Purpose of Project:
The Western U.P. Planning and Development Region is working with the Michigan DOT on a Non-Motorized Transportation Plan and Investment Strategy for our region. The information gathered and prioritized for our six counties will be incorporated into a U.P.-wide strategy that will guide non-motorized improvements and funding in the upcoming years. In order to gather input on local planning efforts and to identify priorities in each community, open houses are being held in each county. WUPPDR will be using the information from the county meetings to develop the plan and help prioritize projects on a regional level.

Project Goals:
•Work with stakeholders to identify gaps in the existing non-motorized system.
•Address needs and/or wants of trail groups and local officials.
•Identify potential projects
•Generate action plan.

What is a Non-Motorized Transportation Facility?
MDOT classifies facilities as one of two general types including on-road and off-road:
ON-ROAD
1) Paved shoulders (4' or wider)
2) Striped bicycle lanes
3) Widened curb lanes (lane closest to curb) – collector roads
4) Shared roadway – residential road

OFF-ROAD
1) Sidewalks
2) Sidepaths
3) Shared-use off-road paths

If anyone has ideas to share, please stop by the WPPDR office in Houghton or email Lori at lhauswirth@wuppdr.org.

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