Officials Release Dubois County Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan

The grant will be used to develop a master plan intended to address bicycling and pedestrian connectivity within the County. The primary goals of this plan are to: 

 • Create an understanding of the true prevalence of walking and bicycling currently in the communities/County and increase the number of bicyclists and walkers in the communities/County; 

 • Identify and develop a plan for bike and pedestrian facilities, which will increase the amount of people walking and bicycling for everyday transportation purposes such as commuting to work, walking or bicycling to school and running errands; and 

 • Provide guidance and priorities for implementing programs, policies and infrastructure to support walking and bicycling with a broad range of funding and support. 

 The plan will evaluate overall bicycle and pedestrian connectivity in the County, identify connections and routes for future facilities, identify short and long-term priorities for implementation, and make policy recommendations for the communities within the County to work in tandem to achieve a more bikeable and walkable culture in Dubois County. An advisory committee has been established to direct the planning effort made up of representatives from the County and its individual communities. 

In addition to their guidance, the public is being asked to participate in the planning process. A community survey has been developed to help assess walking and biking in Dubois County. The survey includes both a traditional online survey along with mapping exercises to help identify County-wide destination and connections. In addition to the survey and mapping input, two public informational meetings will be held in the upcoming months. 

The purpose of the meetings is to give residents an opportunity to provide feedback on the plan as it is developing, and to provide review of the draft plan once it is complete. Residents are encouraged to attend. 

“The Dubois County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is a roadmap to provide safe options for bicycle and pedestrian connectivity throughout Dubois County,” says Mayor Vonderheide. “The effective execution of the study recommendations will create healthier more connected residents and will also attract economic development and tourism benefits by leveraging existing and planned pathways within our municipalities.” 

The planning process will run through the end of June 2021. For more information about the project or to take the public survey, please visit our project website at https://tswdesign.mysocialpinpoint.com/dubois-county.