Sanibel’s Shared-Use Path Master Plan Open House/Public Forum (Nov. 3, 2006)

Background

A Comprehensive Shared-Use Path Master Plan for Sanibel is currently being developed. City Council requested the development of this plan, provided funds, and made its completion a priority, as reflected in the Council’s eight goals for 2006-2007. Sprinkle Consulting, a firm with extensive experience in municipal path planning, was hired by the City for this project in the spring. Many in the community participated in the path User/Usage Survey that they conducted last April.

Next Step – Open House/Public Forum

The next step in the process is an open house/public forum to get input from citizens and community groups on their ideas and concerns about the path system, with particular focus on: 1) The community’s vision of what it wants the path system to be, now and in the future. 2) Problems with the current path system and suggestions for improvement and enhancement.

Where and when:

The public forum will be held in Schein Hall at BIG ARTS on Thursday, November 16, 2006, from 2:00PM to 7:00PM. It will be a flexible, open-house style session that allows people to drop in at any time during the posted hours.

Meeting Format

At the public forum, attendees will have the opportunity to speak to consultant representatives one-on-one to express their ideas regarding Sanibel’s path system and answer additional questions the consultants might have as they gather input on community thinking. This input will be captured and used by Sprinkle Consulting when they develop their report and recommendations to City Council.

What Can Citizens Do?

Interested citizens should attend the Master Plan public forum and encourage their friends and neighbors to do the same. This includes all who use the path system, either personally or through visiting friends and family, and all types of path users—bikers, walkers, joggers, roller-bladders, etc.

Attendees should come prepared to share their thoughts about the path system, both current and future. The following are some questions to consider:

• What is your vision for the path system and its role in the community?
• What value do you place on the path system in terms of quality of life, economic value, etc., and relative to other resource assets of the island?
• What improvements would you like to see to make the paths safer and more enjoyable?
• Do you have specific suggestions for path design, construction, and/or maintenance? For signage, and/or amenities?
• Should the current system be extended to connect more areas of the island, and if so, what are your suggested priorities?
• What concerns do you have about the multiple types of users and uses of the paths and how best to manage them safely?
• Do you have concerns about specific geographic areas of the path that you’d like to see addressed or improved?
• What opportunities do you see for better using the path system as an alternative mode of transportation, e.g. encouraging people to park their cars and use the paths?
• Do you have any suggestions for how the city’s planning, budgeting, priority-setting, and/or management processes might better support path system resources?
• Do you have any suggestions about how the costs of path system maintenance, improvement, and expansion should be financed?
• Do you have any suggestions for how the citizens, community groups, and businesses of this island could contribute to making the path system safer and more enjoyable?