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Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element Bicycle/Pedestrian System In 1997, the Indian River County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan was completed. It was then updated in 2003. That plan contains a number of innovative methodologies, including a BLOS (Bicycle level of service), a PLOS (Pedestrian level of service), and an interactive hazards analysis. These tools enable the MPO to precisely identify bike/ped needs throughout the area. As structured, the MPO Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan identifies a set of proposed improvements to meet the bike/ped needs of the MPO area. Those improvements are proposed in both the municipalities and the unincorporated county. For the unincorporated county, the bicycle and pedestrian system improvements programmed by 2030 are shown in Figures 4.11A and 4.1113. These cost -feasible improvements were derived from the MPO Bicycle/Pedestrian plan and are based on priority rankings using the BLOS and PLOS analysis. With the objective of providing a continuous bicycle system throughout the MPO area, that plan calls for five foot wide paved shoulders on each side of all collector and arterial roads where no major constraints exist. The plan also calls for a pedestrian system along major roads. The ideal pedestrian improvement is a five foot wide sidewalk on each side of major roadways. Since the MPO Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan adequately addresses the county's major bicycle and pedestrian issues, the county needs to formally adopt all portions of the MPO plan that are applicable to the county. While that plan focuses on bike/ped facilities along major roadways, it does not address pedestrian circulation on local roads. With narrow pavement (20 to 22 feet) width, local roads without sidewalks constitute a safety problem even with their low design speeds. For that reason, the county must maintain its current requirement for sidewalks to be installed in new subdivisions with a density exceeding lunit per four acres. It should be noted that current county policies, including adoption of the Bike/Ped plan and the sidewalk provision requirements, have resulted in a significant increase in the number of new sidewalks and bike lanes throughout the county. At the same time, however, several other components of bike/ped level of service (including the speed and volume of adjacent traffic; the presence of heavy or oversize vehicles on the adjacent roadway; intersection geometry; dedicated crossings; and crash histories) have worsened in the county in recent years. At present, 37% of roadways have a bicycle or pedestrian level of service of "E" or "F". Improving bike/ped safety in Indian River County will require a number of policy initiatives. To increase safety for non -motorized vehicles (particularly at intersections), the county needs to install bike -ped signals at all signalized intersections. Newer technologies, such as count -down indicators for waiting pedestrians, illuminated crosswalk markings, mid -block pedestrian crossings on collector level roadways, and access management measures (such as driveway consolidation) to reduce the number of potential traffic conflict points, must also be considered. Other county policies and regulations need to address installing bike racks on buses; requiring bike racks at apartment complexes and all shopping centers; and encouraging other bike/ped amenities (such as locker rooms and showers) at parks and major employment centers. Community Development Department Indian River County 105