WFU Area Bike, Ped, Transit Study Complete

As was reported last week in the Winston-Salem Journal, Alta Planning + Design delivered a final set of recommendations for improving safety and access for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders in the two-mile radius surrounding the Reynolda campus. The 88-page report is available to the public.

The report recommends five priority areas for improvement and a set of policies that the university should adopt to support more active modes of transportation.

Results of a campus-wide transportation preferences survey factored into the study results, as did feedback from multiple Winston-Salem community stakeholder meetings, interviews with Wake Forest faculty, staff, and students, and contributions to an interactive study area map and public input session.

The final report was presented to the local urban area transportation advisory committee, to the public at an open meeting for feedback, and to the Wake Forest administration. Proposed improvements involve NC DOT-owned and maintained roadways, locally-owned roadways, and university property. Any improvements will require ongoing cooperation and public-private partnership funding.

At the public meeting, city council members Denise D. Adams and Jeff MacIntosh both expressed support for implementing the recommendations, which would improve safety and enhance opportunities for active modes of transportation in both of their respective wards. The council members urged residents to send letters and emails of support for the projects.

The study was administered by the City-County Planning Board with input and support from the WFU Office of Sustainability. The partnership process has served as a model that could be replicated in other high-traffic areas around Winston-Salem, including other universities, colleges, and hospitals.

By Dedee DeLongpre Johnston, Director of Sustainability