Peak Oil Task Force Report - City of Bloomington - State of Indiana

REVIEW OF CURRENT SITUATION:
WALKING AND BIKING
The City of Bloomington has made a considerable effort to develop a network of safe,
convenient, and attractive bicycle and pedestrian facilities with guidance provided by the
Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation and Greenways System Plan. 153 Indeed,
the City is one of 108 communities across the country to be recognized as a "Bicycle
Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists for "longstanding commitments
to providing safe accommodation and facilities for bicyclists, and
for their efforts to encourage bicycle travel for transportation
and recreation." Similarly, Monroe County has developed an
alternative transportation plan whose aim is “making
alternative transportation a way of life for many Monroe
County residents.” Furthermore, in January 2009, the
Bloomington/Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO) adopted a Complete Streets Policy. The guidelines outlined in the policy ensure that
local roadways which are federally funded safely accommodate all users of a corridor,
including pedestrians, bicyclists, users of mass transit, and motorists.
Whether increasing fuel prices can be offset by turning to walking and biking depends on
many factors, including the distance residents need to travel and the safety of the bicycle or
pedestrian route. If the typical Bloomington resident has an average 19‐minute commute
by car, how feasible is it for the typical resident to bike to work? What about biking or
walking to other necessary destinations such as the grocery store, school, the doctor’s
office, etc.?
153 Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation and Greenways System Plan (March 2008),
http://bloomington.in.gov/media/media/application/pdf/57.pdf
Report of the Bloomington Peak Oil Task Force
119