MARSHFIELD, Wis (WSAU) Should Marshfield develop a series of point-to-point bicycle routes to help facilitate two-wheel travel around the city? That was the discussion at Marshfield’s City Plan Commission meeting this past week.
City planner Josh Miller said the bike routes would differ from the citywide trail system, and include both city streets and paths designated as bike routes by appropriate signage. “We’re not talking just about trails or paths,” Miller said. “Think of it as a line on a map, that would be the route. And as a physical route possibly some signage or some markings on the street where we were just simply looking at the route from point A to point B.”
The bike routes would be modeled after those in Wausau and Stevens Point, and according to Miller a lot of factors would need to be studied. “What would be the extent of this system? Would we be looking at just major routes like the Veterans Parkway path, and Central Avenue, or are we looking at smaller lesser traveled routes as part of this system? If we decide we’re going to go forward with identifying bike routes what would be the criteria for bicycle routes? We’d be looking at the type of road. The condition of the road. The width of the road. All those things factor into whether there’s room for accommodating bicycles.”
Some of the other issues the city will study include whether there’s a need for the routes, whether they would be used primarily for recreation or commuting, which city department would best oversee the routes, and how signage for the routes would be paid for and maintained.
by Terry Pezl, WSAU
