Topic: Administrative
February 22, 2017
Ball State University will become more bike friendly by creating dedicated bicycle paths and wider shared multiuse paths, and establishing bike lanes on existing streets.
Primary recommendations from the university’s Bicycle Master Plan will be unveiled by representatives from Ball State and Rundell Ernstberger Associates, a landscape architecture firm in Indianapolis, during a meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center, Room 310. The meeting is free and open to the public.
The bicycle master plan addresses not only proposed bike routes through campus but also considers the physical characteristics of those routes. The plan also explores the feasibility for an integrated Muncie-wide bike-sharing program.
The university and Rundell Ernstberger Associates began creating the bicycle master plan in late 2016 by hosting two open houses to receive feedback from the campus community. The plan also takes into consideration information gleaned from an online survey.
“We’ve received some excellent input from students, faculty and the entire Muncie community thus far,” said Jim Lowe, Ball State’s associate vice president for facilities planning and management. “Bicycling must be seen and promoted as an integral part of our transportation system on campus, and future improvements need to provide dedicated safe routes for bicyclists.”
Lowe noted the recently completed Ball State University Campus Master Plan emphasized, among other things, the need to establish a stronger system for bicyclists on campus.
The bicycle master plan also addresses how future cycling planning efforts on campus will tie into citywide initiatives. In 2016, the city of Muncie was designated a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.
For more information, or to participate in the online survey, please visit bsu.edu/bikeplan.