The Pekin Riverfront Park is a bicycle and pedestrian friendly destination. The city is developing a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan to meet demand for such transportation needs. (Photo courtesy of www.illinoisriverroad.org)

The city of Pekin is looking for public input and feedback on its proposed Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.

The city held its first of two open houses on Wednesday, May 24 at the Miller Center. The second open house is planned for September.

The Pekin Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan will serve as the city’s vision and blueprint for walking and biking. and active transportation projects, policies, and programs.

“The Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan embodies the City’s ambition to create a safer, more comfortable transportation environment for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, especially for people who walk, bike, and use mobility assistance devices like wheelchairs or walkers,” the city stated in its plan outline online.

The final plan will include recommendations for new trails, bikeways, sidewalks, and intersection improvements, as well as supporting policies, programs, and implementation strategies, according to the city and the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.

The Pekin bike and pedestrian plan can be connected to the  Tri-County Regional Planning Commission’s BikeConnect HOI, a TCRPC regional bicycle plan for the Greater Peoria area that Open houses were held in the region where the public voted on recommended bicycle network improvements to connect communities in the region; and recommend action items for strengthening bike transportation.
At the time, there were 17 improvement projects already planned, while 36 were still in the concept stage, and all included some mix of shared use paths, widening of road shoulders and additional bike lanes.

The planning process for the city of Pekin’s master plan began earlier this year and will continue through December.

(Courtesy of tricountyrpc.org)

The 11-month project timeline is divided into three phases, starting with an analysis of existing conditions and the development of a vision statement to form the basis of the plan’s goals and recommendations, according to the city.

The next phase continues through the summer with the development of a network of trails, sidewalks, and bikeways to support active transportation in the near future.

In addition, the project team will review programs, policies, and strategies to expand travel choices for Pekin residents and make walking and bicycling “an integral part of the larger transportation system,” the city plans state.

By the fall, the planning project team will focus on developing a complete draft plan document that encompasses all the work done by that point, according to the city.

With revisions based on feedback from city staff, steering committee members, and the general public,

The final Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan document will be adopted by the city — with revisions based on input from city staff, steering committee members, and the general public — to serve as a guiding document for future investments in walking and bicycling.

City says there is a need for building a bike and pedestrian infrastructure because walking and bicycling are on the rise throughout Pekin and feedback from residents shows a desire for safer, more connected, and more comfortable streets and trails to support that.

“Creating these public spaces is about more than just helping people get from point A to point B. The benefits of a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly environment can also support community health, equity, environment, safety, economic development, and overall quality of life,” the city report states.