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Bel Air reviews bicycle–pedestrian plan, aims for interactive walking tour and notes FY24 funds encumbered
Summary
Staff previewed a draft bicycle–pedestrian plan and a GIS-based historic walking-tour project; commissioners asked for more time to review. Finance staff said study funds were encumbered from FY24 and a resolution will be needed by June to finalize accounting.
Bel Air — Town staff presented a draft bicycle–pedestrian plan Jan. 14 and said the town’s economic development and planning departments will create a GIS-based historic walking tour to replace the existing paper brochure.
Laura (economic development staff) told commissioners the proposed story map would offer an 11-stop, 30-minute route and an alternate 14-stop, 60-minute route and be available on the town web site and other visitor portals; staff set an internal target date to launch the walking tour by April 1.
On the bicycle–pedestrian plan, staff summarized public outreach: an in-person open house at town hall, a farmers‑market pop-up and an online survey. Survey and public-engagement results ranked new dedicated bike lanes/cycle tracks/shared-use trails as the top priority, a complete sidewalk network second, and improved intersection treatments for bicycles third. Staff provided counts from the engagement: the top priority option received 45 public votes in the dot-exercise; a complete sidewalk network was chosen 29 times; intersection improvements 20 times (participants could select up to three priorities).
Commissioners expressed mixed views about specific proposed projects that cross sensitive natural land and stream corridors. Several members asked that staff defer specific project-by-project funding decisions and recommended the board treat the plan as a menu of long-term priorities to guide grant applications, redevelopment conditions and developer negotiations.
Finance staff said the planning-study funds were included in the FY24 budget and have been encumbered; staff signaled a June deadline to complete accounting and process any required resolution to keep the work funded. The commissioners set a follow-up review: the bicycle–pedestrian plan will return to a work session in roughly four weeks for deeper consideration.
