Consultant outlines draft Western bike-and-pedestrian plan; public input shows safety and connectivity top priorities
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Summary
HKGI consultant Jody Raider presented a draft bicycle and pedestrian plan for Weston after outreach that included 316 survey responses and 304 map comments; the plan prioritizes safety, separated trails and connections to parks and schools and proposes nine draft goals aligned with the regional MPO.
Weston’s Parks & Recreation Committee heard a presentation on the draft Western bicycle and pedestrian plan on Feb. 23, 2026. Jody Raider, a landscape architect and project manager with HKGI, said the plan aims to improve facilities for a wide range of users — from recreational cyclists to people with disabilities — and to prioritize projects and funding in a phased strategy.
The consultant summarized the community engagement effort: a survey open from mid-September through mid-November that yielded 316 responses (about 2% of Weston’s population), and an interactive project map that received 456 visits and 304 comments. "Most respondents said they bike or walk primarily for exercise and recreation today," Raider said, and added that respondents ranked safety, lack of trails to desired destinations and safe intersection crossings as top barriers.
The draft plan emphasizes separated, paved trails where possible, stronger river and water-trail connections, and better crossings on busy corridors including Highway 29, Scofield Avenue and Camp Phillips. Raider said the draft includes a nine-goal framework adapted from the Wausau MPO bicycle and pedestrian plan to keep Weston aligned with regional networks. "We want this plan to be easy to use, clearly set out goals, and look at implementing projects in a phased strategy," she said.
Committee members pressed on coordination with regional planning. One committee member asked whether the plan is meant to work in concert with Marathon County planning; Raider and staff said the county-level work focuses on regional connectors while the Weston plan addresses finer local detail and neighborhood destinations. The committee also learned the plan team met recently with the DC Everest School District and will plan an open house tentatively on Feb. 26.
The committee did not take formal action on the plan at this meeting; staff said they will continue stakeholder outreach and refine the draft network and objectives through spring, then return with the draft plan document. Residents who want to comment were directed to the project page on the village website or to contact project staff directly.
The next step is continued revision of the draft network and formal presentation of the draft plan document in the spring, with options for an open house and additional public comment before the committee considers adoption.
