Transportation plans

To the editor:

The Bainbridge Island Sustainable Transportation Planning process will soon move into the implementation phase. The City Council, the city, and the citizen volunteers who served on the Sustainable Transportation Task Force should be commended for their good work over the last two years.

Through this process, I have learned a lot. I’ve learned that to enable our children, women and people of all ages to bike and walk, we need safe bike and walkways. That means off-road pathways or on-road paths with significant separation from cars—not just a 5-foot lane on the side of the road with a white stripe for separation.

The city has shifted its plans in recognition of these needs. Scenario #2 “Connected Neighborhoods” focuses investment on safe bike and walkways so people from Lynwood, Island Center and Rolling Bay can bike or walk safely to town and back.

It looks likely that the council will back Scenario #2. In addition, I hope the council will create a Sustainable Transportation Commission to continue citizen input. The city needs to prioritize off-road paths that are not in their plans. And the city must incorporate plans for the Sound to Olympics trail into all relevant documents, such as the Comprehensive Plan. Such a commitment is critical to access much-needed federal and state funds for the trail.

I am excited about the vision of our island becoming truly bikeable and walkable.

Fran Korten

Bainbridge Island