Lemoore reviews Kings County draft active-transportation plan, seeks feedback
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Summary
Kings County Association of Governments presented a draft regional active transportation plan to the Lemoore City Council, outlining 19 pedestrian projects and 25 bicycle projects (about 30 miles) affecting the city, and asking for council feedback during a public review that runs through Aug. 27.
The Lemoore City Council heard a presentation Tuesday on the draft 2025 Kings County Regional Active Transportation Plan, which lays out proposed pedestrian and bicycle networks for Lemoore and neighboring jurisdictions and offers a Complete Streets policy template that jurisdictions can adopt to improve competitiveness for state and federal grants.
The plan presentation, made by Theresa Nicholl, regional planner with the Kings County Association of Governments, and consultants from Mark Thomas, asked the council to receive the draft and provide feedback before the public review period ends Aug. 27. "The public review period has already started, so it actually ends August 27," Nicholl told the council, and noted the draft plan and templates are available online at kingscog.org.
The draft includes a Vision Zero commitment in its complete-streets template and identifies 19 pedestrian improvement projects in Lemoore and 25 bicycle projects totaling about 30 miles of upgraded facilities. Proposed bike treatments include Class 1 shared-use paths, Class 2 and buffered Class 2 lanes, Class 3 routes and Class 4 separated bikeways; pedestrian proposals include sidewalk gap closures, priority corridors and two specific crossing enhancements at Champion Street/Iona Avenue and Vine Street/SR 198.
Council members and staff asked mapping and implementation questions during the study session. Council members raised a possible labeling error on the map related to the proposed Class 1 trail along the railroad right-of-way and the extent of the route across the Lemoore/Armona/Hanford corridor; Mark Thomas staff acknowledged they would check the mapping and update the materials. Staff also emphasized that the map is a long-range vision: detailed design decisions and mitigation measures would be made during project design and when applying for grants.
Consultants said the plan includes an implementation and prioritization step: ranked projects by impact and feasibility, produced cost estimates for the top 10 pedestrian and top 10 bicycle projects in Lemoore, and identified state and federal funding programs (including SS4A-type grants) to move concepts to construction. Nicholl and the Mark Thomas team said they held two tabling outreach events at the Lemoore Recreation Center and ran an online survey and a project advisory committee that included Lemoore Public Works staff.
No formal council action was taken; the item was presented as a study-session briefing and the consultants requested feedback. The plan is scheduled for adoption by the Kings County CAG in September, after the public comment period closes.
