Tippecanoe County unveils draft thoroughfare plan emphasizing sidewalks, transit access and multimodal design

Tippecanoe County senior planner Doug Pode presented a draft thoroughfare plan at the Citizens Participation Committee meeting on Sept. 10, outlining new standards that would require multimodal street design, perimeter sidewalks for subdivisions, and developer-provided connections to bus stops. The plan is a draft and no adoption vote was taken.

The draft would replace a thoroughfare plan last updated in 1981 and aligns local functional classifications with Federal Highway Administration standards. "Tonight, I'm excited to present to you our draft thoroughfare plan," Doug Pode said, noting the draft is posted on the Area Planning Commission (APC) website for public review.

Why it matters: The plan would change how new and reconstructed roads are designed across Lafayette, West Lafayette and several towns within Tippecanoe County by prioritizing pedestrians, bicyclists and transit in addition to motorists. It also creates an urban development boundary tied to anticipated sewer and water service over the next 25–30 years, which determines whether an urban or rural cross section applies.

Key proposals and details

- Multimodal focus: The draft adds pedestrians, cyclists and transit to the plan's design priorities instead of focusing mainly on vehicular traffic. Pode said the plan moves beyond simply "a stripe on the road" and aims to address the first/last mile for transit users by asking developers to provide bus stops and pedestrian connections to stops when developments fall on or near bus routes.

- Sidewalks and subdivisions: The draft would require sidewalks on perimeter streets of new subdivisions (residential or commercial), not just internal subdivision streets. Pode said this change followed road safety audits near McCutcheon High School and a nearby…