Feedback Wanted Thursday on Multi-Modal Transportation Plan

Whether you're a driver, a cyclist or fond of walking, all residents will have the chance today to weigh in on what could become the city's master plan for multi-modal transportation.

During two sessions on Thursday, consultants will present a rough draft of Birmingham's multi-modal transportation plan during an open house at Baldwin Public Library.

It's a plan, city officials hope, that will help guide future planning and development around multiple forms of transportation — from adding bike paths, to improving bus stops, to making Birmingham even more walkable.

Behind the process is Greenway Collaborative, Inc., a consulting firm out of Ann Arbor that focuses on non-motorized planning. Birmingham first hired Greenway last summer to develop its multi-modal transportation plan after the Birmingham City Commission voted in support of the state-mandated Complete Streets program in July 2011.

Complete Streets requires municipalities to accomodate alternative forms of transit when planning road construction and development projects.

In November, Greenway asked residents to complete a survey about transit options and opportunities in Birmingham. Sixty-nine percent of survey respondents said they drive on a regular basis, though 73 percent said they would walk to work if transportation facilities were available.

In January, Greenway consultants held a visioning workshop to collect even more feedback, then presented their results to the City Commission on Jan. 28.

During two sessions on Thursday — from 3-5 p.m. and then from 7-9 p.m. — consultants will begin with a brief presentation of their plan. Residents can then visit a series of stations to review various parts of the plan and offer input.

Greenway consultants will return to the City Commission on March 11 for another update. Meanwhile, Planning Director Jana Ecker said a final multi-modal transportation plan should come before the City Commission for approval in early summer.

For more information, visit the website for Birmingham's Multi-Modal Transportation Plan at Greenway Collaborative. The group also has a Facebook page and Twitter account.