CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM

Department:	Planning & Development Services		Commission Meeting Date:  February 20, 2018
Staff Contact:	Jessica Mortinger, Senior Transportation Planner
Recommendations/Options/Action Requested:
Accept the Lawrence Loop Alignment Study.
Executive Summary:		The Lawrence Loop is currently a section of Shared-Use Path surrounding the city that is identified in the Countywide Bikeway Plan. The loop began over 20 years ago and the City has increased the number of segments during that time. Previously, the remaining sections, needed to complete the loop only had preliminary alignments that were identified by the community. However, alignments of incomplete sections have not been studied for their community preference or feasibility.  The Lawrence Loop Alignment Study analyzed alternative alignments to determine the feasibility and public preference for two incomplete sections of bikeway between the north end of Burroughs Creek Rail Trail along 11th Street to the Shared Use Path in Burcham Park and the west side of the Sandra Shaw Trail to the Peterson Road Shared Use Path.” The public was asked to share their vision for routes to close the incomplete sections. Based on the community feedback, the study proposed alignments and developed a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis for each proposed alignment. The public was again asked to weigh in on their preferred alignment. Overwhelmingly, the pubic shared their desire for routes that avoided streets, driveways and intersections, provided access to natural/scenic areas and had grade separation (bridge/tunnel) to avoid crossings. This study was approved by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board on January, 15 2018 and recommended for acceptance by the Transportation Commission on February 5, 2018. With the acceptance of this study these priority routes will be incorporated into the Transportation Commission’s non-motorized prioritization list for funding considerations. Further discussions should occur with the BNSF Railway and KTA to design routes and get appropriate approvals. The priority routes will also be incorporated into the Countywide Bikeway Plan update planned for 2018-2019.
Strategic Plan Critical Success Factor		Safe, Healthy, and Welcoming Neighborhoods Innovative Infrastructure and Asset Management
Fiscal Impact (Amount/Source):		The Alignment Study provides route recommendations for the Lawrence Loop. Designing and constructing the loop segments will require financial investment. Accepting the study does not commit the current City Commission, or future City Commissions to make specific investments.
Attachments:		Lawrence Loop Alignment Study

Reviewed By: (for CMO use only)

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