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Long Range Transportation Plan
Areawide
Bicycle Plan
Bicycling and walking have been
growing in popularity for years. More than one third
of adults in Alabama enjoy
bicycling for pleasure and many use the bicycle as
a form of transportation. Walking is great exercise and
thousands of people walk to work in the Birmingham
area.
There are many places in the region where walking is
a pleasant activity because of sheltered sidewalks,
multi-use trails, street trees, and destinations that are
close
to home. In many places, however, travel by foot and
bicycle is dangerous. Communities are often isolated
by major highways and thoroughfares, giving people
no choice but to drive to every destination. Parents who
grew up walking or riding their bikes to the local
park
are afraid to let their children do the same today,
and with good reasons. In the city of Birmingham alone,
a
pedestrian is injured once every two days in a collision
with an automobile, and half of them are school age
children. Local and regional governments in Jefferson and
Shelby
Counties have recognized the importance of bicycling
and walking, and have developed a plan that addresses
these critical issues. The
Birmingham Area Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenway Plan establishes new goals for
the transportation
system, and will serve as a blueprint to improve walking
and bicycling conditions during the next 20 years.
Additional Documents:
Report Summary: Mean Streets 2004
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