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The Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan for Bloomington-Normal identifies the need and provides direction for the placement of facilities that will service alternative modes of transportation.

Exhibit 5-A. Atwood Wayside.

Creation of this plan started with the forming of a technical advisory committee comprised of planners, engineers and parks and recreation directors from Bloomington, Normal, and McLean County. This committee, with assistance from Commission staff, developed goals and objectives. In addition, the committee evaluated important background information, including existing origins and destinations, future growth areas, and existing routes as well as alternatives for future linkages. A public hearing on the preliminary plan was held to gain additional input from area residents. Public comments were recorded and considered in the refinement of the plan. The Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan for Bloomington Normal concludes with a description of the available methods and responsibilities for implementation as well as the costs, funding and the need for continuing coordination in the planning and development of facilities.

Several methods and strategies are available to assist in the implementation of proposed bicycle-pedestrian routes. These include the use of regulatory ordinances and a variety of acquisition, ownership and financial strategies. Each of these is briefly summarized in the following paragraphs.

Regulatory ordinances include such measures as zoning and subdivision regulations and the official map. Such mechanisms may be used by local governments to guide development and also have applicability for bicycle-pedestrian route development and maintenance. Regulatory ordinances provide a legal framework for actions which can lead to the implementation of proposed bicycle-pedestrian routes. These tools are briefly summarized below in reference to the implementation of bicycle-pedestrian routes.

Because it controls the use of land, the zoning ordinance can be an effective tool for encouraging bicycle and pedestrian development. The City of Bloomington, Town of Normal, and McLean County each have a zoning ordinance. The County is in the process of performing a comprehensive update of its zoning ordinance. Care should be taken to ensure that zoning ordinances include adequate provisions to preserve open space and corridors, such as easements and rights-of-way, as well as encouraging development patterns that are compatible with the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists.

Subdivision regulations are another effective device for implementing proposed bicycle-pedestrian routes. By setting standards for the design of streets, sidewalks, utilities and community facilities, subdivision regulations can greatly affect the overall patterns and quality of development. These regulations may also require dedications of land or fee in lieu of land for parks, open space, or trails in new developments. Subdivision regulations may also require dedications for stormwater detention basins which provide open space that can help connect bicycle routes.

The subdivision ordinances of Bloomington, Normal and McLean County are in the process of being updated jointly by local and regional planning and engineering staffs to ensure adequacy in their provisions as well as mutual consistency. The ordinances specifically identify greenways and trails for consideration in the design of future subdivisions.

The official map provides a municipality the means to reserve land designated for public purposes for a one-year period from the time such land is subdivided. The map pinpoints the location of future public facilities and in effect serves notice that the municipality intends to acquire the designated land. The Town of Normal with technical assistance from McLean County Regional Planning Commission has completed a comprehensive plan and official map which identifies future greenways, trails, parks and open space. All of these can be utilized by the proposed bicycle-pedestrian route system. A similar update of the comprehensive plan and official map for the City of Bloomington is currently in progress.

The acquisition process is one of the most difficult aspects of implementing the bicycle-pedestrian plan. A wide variety of acquisition options are available for consideration. A number f these are widely accepted and often used with much success. A number of other less common but innovative options are also available and may be effective in certain situations. A number of potential acquisition strategies have been identified by the Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit land and water conservation organization that protects land through partnerships. Identified strategies are summarized in Table 5.1. This table can serve as a reference guide when considering the acquisition of land for bicycle-pedestrian routes.

Achieving the goals and objectives for the Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan in the metro area will require a coordinated effort on the part of government agencies, private organizations and individuals, and may include public-private partnerships. Responsibility for implementation of proposed routes lies with government (federal, state and local), private developers, private landowners, interested citizens, special interest groups, and the McLean County Regional Planning Commission.

All levels of government should be responsible for implementation of a bicycle-pedestrian plan. To achieve an extensive route system usually requires a balanced approach with participation from the federal, state and local governments.

The policies of federal government have a major influence on the development of bicycle-pedestrian routes throughout the nation. The federal government provides funding programs through legislation such as ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act) to assist local governments in developing alternative transportation modes such as the bicycle-pedestrian route system. These funding programs may come directly from federal agencies such as the United States Department of Transportation or as in the case of Illinois may be distributed through state agencies such as the Illinois Department of Transportation.

State government has the responsibility of interpreting federal policy and applying it to state agencies and local government. State government must address the need for bicycle-pedestrian routes and offer resources to local governments to encourage the development of bicycle-pedestrian plans and projects on a local or regional level. Also, the state has the responsibility for providing technical assistance to local government in the pursuit of bicycle-route systems, as was provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation in the development of this plan.

Finally, local government has a major responsibility for implementing the Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan. Upon completion of the plan and the public input process, local governments should adopt the Bloomington-Normal Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan as official policy for route development within their respective jurisdictions. The Plan should then be considered in the evaluation of future development projects to ensure that adequate provisions are made for bicycle-pedestrian routes. Local government should also be prepared to provide funding support for continuing planning and coordination. In addition, local government will likely be involved in varying degrees in the acquisition, implementation and management of most bicycle-pedestrian routes.

Private developers have an important responsibility for carrying out the bicycle-pedestrian plan. Private developers should consider the need for and benefits of bicycle-pedestrian routes in areas being considered for development. Dedication requirements from developers may also be used to support bicycle-pedestrian routes.

The successful implementation of the Bloomington-Normal Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan depends on the participation and support of interested citizens. Interested citizens who participate in the planning process can help build consensus and thus increase the likelihood of the plan's success.

Special interest groups also play an important role in the implementation of the Bloomington-Normal Bicycle Pedestrian Plan. These groups are usually well organized and can offer valuable assistance with bicycle-pedestrian related projects.

The Regional Planning Commission has a major responsibility for carrying out the plan. The Commission has been responsible for coordinating the preparation of the Bloomington-Normal Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan. The Commission is also responsible for long range comprehensive and transportation planning throughout the Bloomington-Normal area and thus has the responsibility and opportunity to coordinate bicycle-pedestrian plans and projects. In addition, the Commission is responsible for the review of major development projects to ensure consistency with adopted plans. The Commission is also coordinating the review and update of the local subdivision ordinances.

COSTS AND FUNDING

A critical factor influencing the implementation of the plan will be the costs to develop and maintain the potential future routes that are identified in the plan. Costs to be considered include land costs, construction costs and annual operation and maintenance costs. Table 5.2 was developed to provide a comparative summary of the possible costs associated with the identified routes. While the cost data is generalized and will vary greatly according to specific route designs, it does provide a frame of reference for development considerations.

For the most part, the costs presented assume the acquisition of 15' wide easement, and the construction of 10' wide, 3.5" thick asphalt pavement over 8" of crushed rock with a limited number of drainage culverts included. The recent extension of Constitution Trail by the Town of Normal was constructed to these standards at an average cost of $25.00 per linear foot. This figure was therefore used to calculate the construction costs presented on Table 5.2. It is assumed that construction will generally follow AASHTO standards. Land acquisition was assumed to be through easement dedications at the rate of $10,500 per acre as proposed in the update of the local subdivision ordinances now in progress. Annual operation and maintenance costs were assumed to be $1,500 per mile per year as derived from previous studies (See Table 5.2).

Equally important to costs is an identification of funding sources. It is anticipated that the majority of the land required will come from easement dedications and from the use of rights-of-way. Funding assistance for land acquisition when needed and for facility development may be available from federal and state grant programs through the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. As outlined in Table 5.3, federal and state legislation has made provisions for funding local transportation enhancement activities. Of particular importance is the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. This legislation provides state governments with the discretion to use ISTEA funds to contribute to the costs associated with land acquisition and facility construction. However, a significant portion will most likely have to come from local government resources.

CONTINUING COORDINATION

While the plan provides a general framework for bicycle-pedestrian route development, the implementation portion of the plan requires that designated bicycle-pedestrian routes continue to be constructed as well as maintained. This will require thorough analysis and consensus building in the selection of strategies for acquisition and financing, and in the selection of targeted routes. It is anticipated that this Commission will continue to play a coordination role through its Transportation Technical Committee.

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

In order for a plan to succeed, it must have implementation strategies that will be adhered to once the plan has been adopted. The strategies for the Bloomington-Normal Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan are described in the following paragraphs.

The implementation process should start with the approval of this plan by the Technical and Policy Committees of the McLean County Transportation Study. The plan should then be incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Community of McLean County, which is in the process of being updated. That document should then be adopted by the City of Bloomington and the Town of Normal as well as McLean County. To achieve this the cooperation that existed during the effort to create this plan will need to continue. The cooperating entities include members of government agencies from the City of Bloomington, Town of Normal and McLean County as well as those from private businesses and special interest groups.

Following adoption, the plan should be used as a guide for requiring dedication of land or conservation easements from developers as new areas develop in accordance with adopted comprehensive plans for the metro region. In general, routes being considered for implementation in developing subdivisions should be located adjacent to existing rights of way and usually not to the rear of lots in order to reduce potential maintenance problems and costs. The plan should also be considered in the design of road improvement projects, park projects, sidewalk installations and extensions to the existing trail system.

As noted previously, the subdivision regulations of Bloomington, Normal and McLean County are in the process of being updated to include provisions that assist in providing bicycle-pedestrian routes in the urban area. Parkland dedication requirements are proposed to be increased and such dedications will be specifically identified as available for use in trail developments. Provisions are also being recommended to provide for the dedication of conservation easements for that purpose. The adoption and enforcement of these measures will facilitate the implementation of this plan.

The process described above will place the Bloomington-Normal metro area on course to achieve the vision outlined in Chapter Two of this report.