Date:

June 11, 2007

For More Information Contact:

David Cary, Planning Department, 441-6364

Residents of the College View neighborhood in the Union College area will work with the City this summer to conduct a mobility audit – an effort to improve conditions in the area for pedestrians, bicyclists, bus service and motorists. The mobility audit is the first step in developing several multi-modal neighborhood transportation plans throughout the City, as part of Lincoln’s Long Range Transportation Plan.

“Enhancing the experience of walking and biking can strengthen the neighborhood,” said David Cary, transportation planner for the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department. “It encourages healthy living, reduces fuel costs, increases safety and enriches the quality of life and economic viability of the community.”

From June 13 through 20, neighborhood volunteers will conduct an in-depth inventory of transportation assets, liabilities and opportunities. The audit will document sidewalk conditions, pedestrian crossings, safety concerns, bicycle routes and streetscape appearance. The planning effort also will include information on traffic counts, crash data, the Union College master plan and future road and utility infrastructure projects.

Cary said the Planning Department chose College View as a starting point for several reasons. The neighborhood, roughly bounded by Calvert Street, Pioneers Boulevard, 44th and 55th streets, has schools, a park and a recreation center, as well as both new and long-standing businesses. It also include strong institutions such as Union College, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and the home office of Union Bank and Trust. Cary said challenges include a major arterial – 48th Street – dissecting the neighborhood and needing rehabilitation. Higher density housing has resulted in some congestion and parked cars along the streets. The area currently has no connections to major bike paths.

City planners will work with a citizen study committee to analyze these and other transportation issues over the next several months. Cary said citizen involvement is important throughout the process.

“We want the people who live and work and go to school here to take ownership of this plan,” Cary said. “It has to be a process in which people are willing to collaborate and form partnerships for investing in the neighborhood.”

The project will include three neighborhood workshops:

• The first workshop – to be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 13 at Union College’s Ortner Center, 3800 S. 48th St. – will train volunteers on how to look for challenges and opportunities for each mode of transportation in their assigned locations.
• The second workshop, scheduled for July 18, is open to the public to review audit findings, visualize concepts and suggest improvements along key corridors.
• At the third workshop, planned for late August, the public will be invited to give their input on the plans recommended by the study committee and City staff. The City will then formalize the plan and begin working with both public and private entities to begin implementing short-term and long-term projects.

Those wanting more information on the College View Neighborhood Mobility Audit can contact Cary at 441-6364.