For Immediate Release

Contact:

Laura Loges
Director, Marketing & Public Affairs
Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission
(937) 223-6323
lloges@mvrpc.org

DATE: February 27, 2008

Comprehensive Local & Regional Bikeways Planning Meetings

Dayton, OH – The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) is pleased to announce the third and final series of public meetings on the Comprehensive Local-Regional Bikeways Plan for the Miami Valley. MVRPC and its partners, the Miami Conservancy District, Five Rivers MetroParks, and the Miami County Park District, invite public comment on the draft plan for bicycle transportation for the region.

The plan will provide an update to the existing regional and local inventory of bicycle facilities and identify, evaluate, prioritize, and recommend future connecting links at both the regional and local level. The emphasis will be on creating a complete system of shared-use paths in the region, with connecting on-street bikeways. The draft plan includes two primary elements: a bikeway plan that identifies a connected system of bikeways throughout the region, and the development of Safe Routes to Schools programs in the MVRPC region. In addition, the draft plan will suggest bicycle-related policies and programs to educate Miami Valley cyclists about bicycle transportation opportunities in our region and encourage their use.

The public meetings will be designed to be interactive in nature with the opportunity for citizens to share their thoughts, while providing those who attend information on the study effort. The meeting will begin with a presentation summarizing draft plan recommendations, followed by an open house for attendees to review the policy and program recommendations and maps of proposed bikeways.

So, if you walk, bike, or rollerblade for transportation or leisure or you would like to and do not because of a lack of facilities or connections, please attend and share your thoughts and concerns.

The public meetings will be held as follows:

Wednesday, March 19, 2008
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Troy City Hall (Lower Level Conference Room)
100 S. Market Street
Troy, OH 45373

Wednesday, March 19, 2008
4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Fairborn Senior Center (Great Room)
325 North 3rd Street
Fairborn, OH 45324

Thursday, March 20, 2008
1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
MVRPC Center for Regional Cooperation
1100 West Third Street
Dayton, OH 45407

The consulting firms conducting the study are Burgess & Niple of Columbus, Ohio & Alta Planning+Design of Saratoga Springs, NY.

More information is available on MVRPC’s website at www.mvrpc.org (click on the Miami Valley Bikeways Plan icon). Information is also available at the MVRPC offices located at One Dayton Centre, One South Main Street, Suite 260, Dayton, OH, 45402, during regular business hours (8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday). Written comments will be accepted and can be submitted to Kjirsten Frank, Regional Planner, MVRPC, One South Main Street, Suite 260, Dayton, OH, 45402 or by email at kfrank@mvrpc.org . Comments will be received until April 4, 2008.

At all MVRPC public involvement meetings, interpreters for hearing impaired individuals or bi-lingual interpreters are available upon request. Requests should be made at least one week prior to the meeting date. Contact MVRPC at (937) 223-6323 or 1-800-750-0750 TTY/TDD to request an interpreter.

The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission is a forum and resource where regional partners identify priorities, develop public policy and implement collaborative strategies to improve the quality of life and economic vitality throughout the Miami Valley. MVRPC performs various regional planning activities, including air quality, water quality, transportation, land use, research and GIS. As the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), MVRPC is responsible for transportation planning in Greene, Miami and Montgomery Counties and parts of Warren County.

For additional information, contact Kjirsten Frank, Regional Planner, at (937) 223-6323 or via e-mail.

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