The City of Saluda has created an extensive bicycle and pedestrian plan with $2,162,200  in proposed improvements. Included at that price tag are several marked crosswalks, 8.6 miles of on-road bicycle lanes, off road paths and a bicycle repair station.

While the plan in excess of 100 pages is thorough, it lacks public input. In fact, just one Saluda resident not affiliated with the plan attended the public meeting held May 20. This low turnout left project officials concerned about the plan’s potential success.

In early 2014, Saluda was awarded a North Carolina Department of Transportation Bicycle and Pedestrian Division study grant.

Saluda, one of 12 North Carolina communities to be awarded the grant, matched funds with the NCDOT in order to commission AECOM, a large scale engineering company, to research the city’s bicycle infrastructure needs and create the draft document.

In June of 2014 the Saluda Board of Commissioners approved the grant and the payment of $2,500 to AECOM.

Shortly after, a steering committee of 17 local officials, community members and school representatives was formed by the city. This committee met twice with AECOM order to create the document in which the program would be outlined.

The steering committee’s vision for the plan was outlined in the first meeting as, “The City of Saluda will be a place where people of all ages and diverse backgrounds have access to bicycle and pedestrian facilities and programs that promote: exercise and well-being, safety, accessibility, connectivity, and celebration and discovery of Saluda’s rich culture and history.”

Safety is strongly stressed throughout the daft document. Despite being a top state for recreational cyclists, North Carolina is ranked 42nd in the nation for pedestrian safety and 46th for bicycle safety. On average, 3,000 pedestrian and bicyclists are involved in incidents with motor vehicles in North Carolina per year. Six percent of these are fatal, according to the Institute of Transportation Research and Education.

“I believe that the addition of designated bike lanes on Saluda streets would encourage and increase commuter bicyclists, especially by families and school age children,” expressed Saluda resident, Ellen Rogers. “I would not feel safe taking my eight-year-old daughter bicycling on most of the roads in Saluda.”

The majority of changes affect Greenville Street as well as Main Street/US 176, which is currently a designated bike route known as NC State Bike Route 8 – Southern Highlands. The proposed redesign of the route calls for wider shoulders, bike sharing signage, pavement markings, improved sidewalks and improved crosswalks, adding up to an estimated cost of $180,000 for Main St. and $200,000 for Greenville St.

Upon finalization of the draft, the plan will be presented to the Saluda Board of Commissioners. An advisory committee under the designation RPO (Rural Planning Organization) will be formed to oversee the implementation of the plan.

This RPO committee will meet quarterly to seek funding and partnerships while dictating the plan of action.

Steering committee member and Saluda City Clerk, Cindy Hemenway, encourages comments and concerns be directed to her at C.Hemenway@CityofSaluda.com.

Hemenway expects the plan to be finalized and presented to the Board of Commissioners by the end of 2015.