Charleston residents advise officials on new city bike and trail plan

ANDREW BROWN | Gazette

Ted Armbrecht III, a South Hills resident and avid cyclist, points out some of the locations in Charleston where he believes bike routes could be improved.

Efforts to rethink and redesign the walkways and bike paths of West Virginias capital city are underway.

On Wednesday, city officials and employees with Alta Planning and Design held open-door meetings to discuss the creation of the citys Bike and Trail Master Plan.

The goal of this is to create a master plan that will be implemented over several years, said city manager David Molgaard.

The meetings were the first steps taken in a 10-month process that will eventually provide a road map for how to improve bike routes throughout the city, something the people in attendance appreciated.

The city should be commended on what they have done so far, said Ted Armbrecht III, a resident of South Hills.

While the public meetings were meant to define residents expectations, they were also used to pinpoint where the citys infrastructure is currently failing cyclists.

Jarret Smith, who lives in Davis Creek but works in Kanawha City, said there are certain areas of Charleston that are safer than others. While Smith said he feels relatively safe cycling along the roads in the East End, he said biking in parts of Kanawha City and on the Patrick Street Bridge can be a little dicey.

All the bridges are a little disconcerting, said Jill Watkins, a resident of South Charleston, adding that when you bike across the citys bridges you usually sit above the guardrails.

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Charleston residents advise officials on new city bike and trail plan