City to Host Open House for Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans

The City of Sioux Falls will host a public open house on Thursday, May 18, 2023, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Downtown Library to share its bicycle and pedestrian plans. The City’s Planning and Development Services staff will be available to answer questions about each plan.

“We have many individuals who are passionate about bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure and safety in our community,” said Sam Trebilcock, Senior Planner for the City of Sioux Falls. “Our bicycle and pedestrian committees have worked diligently to draft plans that enhance the bicycle and pedestrian network while ensuring all residents, regardless of their transportation mode, can travel our city safely and efficiently.”

The bicycle plan outlines a vision statement for bicycling in the community, goals and strategies, public involvement, design guidelines, and new bicycle trail and on-street facilities.

Top-priority goals of the plan include:

• Develop a complete bicycle network that is both comfortable and safe for all levels of bicyclists through the addition of new on-street and trail facilities as identified in the bicycle plan.
• Expand the bicycle trail so that any origin or destination in the city is located no more than one mile from the trail.
• Ensure that safe and comfortable bicycle routes exist for all schools and employment centers.

The draft plan is available at www.siouxfalls.org/bikeplan. Once feedback is incorporated into the bicycle plan, it will be presented to the Active Transportation Board for their recommendation and to the City Council for approval.

The pedestrian plan provides goals, objectives, and policies for infrastructure heavily used by pedestrians, like sidewalks.

Plan goals include:

• Create a safe, accommodating, and attractive atmosphere for all pedestrians.
• Educate the public about pedestrian rules and standards to help them make informed decisions and input.

The pedestrian plan is available at www.siouxfalls.org/pedestrianplan. Following the open house, the pedestrian plan will be presented to the Active Transportation Board for their recommendation and to the City Council for approval.

Residents are encouraged to read and provide feedback on both plans, either online or at the open house on May 18.

If an ADA accommodation is needed, please contact the Human Relations Office at 605-367-8745 (Voice), 605-367-7039 (TTY) or humanrelations@siouxfalls.org at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.