Rochester to Update Bicycle Master Plan with More Multimodal Infrastructure

Residents of Rochester, Minnesota had a chance this week to submit comments on the city’s proposed active transportation plan, which updates the Bicycle Master Plan to include more infrastructure for walking and other modes, reports Randy Petersen in the Post-Bulletin.

“Rochester planner Matt Tse recently told the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission that the document is intended to be a long-range guide for planning related to biking and pedestrian pathways throughout the city,” as part of a broader effort to eliminate traffic deaths. “Colin Harris, an engineer with Colin Harris, Alta Planning + Design, said pedestrian and bicycle crashes make up 2% of crashes in Rochester, but they account for 39% of fatal crashes and 14% of serious-injury crashes.”

The plan specifically focuses on ten prioritized projects that could serve as a model for all future roadwork projects. Factors used to prioritize projects include bicycle crash data, demand from the community, surrounding land use, and equity. “In addition to defining priorities for change, the plan includes design resources that provide recommendations that include increasing accessibility beyond existing federal standards to create a system that works for all potential users.”