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

6. Update the Long­Range Transportation Plan with an eye to peak oil.
As the Bloomington/Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization prepares to
update its Long­Range Transportation Plan, it should do so informed by the phenomenon of
peak oil and the likelihood that reliance on the personal automobile will decrease while
reliance of public transit, walking and biking will increase.
7. Increase connectivity for bicyclists.
Build out bicycle boulevards
As discussed above, the City of Bloomington has
made a consistent effort to foster a robust bicycle and
pedestrian infrastructure. Bloomington’s 2008
Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation and Greenways
System Plan makes this commitment even stronger.
The Plan stresses the importance of connectivity – of
making it possible for bicyclists to reach destinations
Bicycle Boulevard street markings in
on a network of routes that provide safe and fast
Berkeley, California
travel. The Plan gives high priority to the concept of “bicycle boulevards.” Loosely
modeled on Berkeley California’s bicycle boulevards, Bloomington’s bicycle boulevard
program is intended to provide accommodations for bicyclists on existing roads, the
purpose of which is a “high degree of free‐flow bicycle travel, access to major destinations,
comfortable bicycling conditions, and minimal conflicts with motorists and pedestrians.”
Bicycle boulevards should provide significant east‐west and/or north‐south connectivity
along lengthy corridors and connect people to places of work, residence, shopping,
studying and play. The 2008 Plan outlines the intent to build a number of bicycle
boulevards within the city and assigns these a “high priority,” but does not attach a timeline
to the construction of the boulevards. The City should aim for constructing all of the
bicycle boulevards identified in the Plan within the next five years.
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