Irondequoit Active Transportation Plan

What was the Challenge?

The Town of Irondequoit on the shore of Lake Ontario provides a wealth of opportunities for walking and bicycling. Both the town and the Genesee Transportation Council sought to create a more sustainable community and enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors by developing an Active Transportation Plan (ATP). The goal was to produce a plan for a network of sidewalks, on‐road bicycle facilities, and multi‐use trails that make it safer and easier to walk, bike, or use public transit in Irondequoit. A collaborative process was used to develop the plan that encouraged public input on pedestrian and bicycle networks. The process took into consideration the needs of key stakeholders by seeking the engagement of neighborhood associations, school districts, residents of all ages and mobility levels, and other relevant parties.

How did Barton & Loguidice provide a solution?

B&L created a mobile-device accessible, web-based crowdsourcing application, using Environmental Systems Research Institute’s ArcGIS online Crowdsource Reporter template. With this interactive app, the town collected information from the public specifically related to bicycle, pedestrian, and shared-use trails. Residents and visitors reported poor pavement conditions, lack of a bicycle lane, poor sight lines, ADA-compliance issues, and other problems impacting pedestrian and bicycle safety and ease of movement. The reports are located on a GIS-aerial map, and the information can be accessed by town officials, planners, and GIS software users. The app can also be configured to pair with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Why was the project a success?

The plan identifies location-specific facility needs based on existing conditions and public/stakeholder input that will help complete the town’s bicycle and pedestrian network. The recommendations include new bicycle facilities, important sidewalk connections or gaps, new or improved shared use paths and trails that tie into the region’s extensive off-road network, and transit stop improvements. To help establish momentum, several of the recommended facilities are identified for “early implementation.” These priorities were developed based on the demand analysis described above. Using this data, the Town of Irondequoit is implementing projects in accordance with capital improvement schedules and specific funding opportunities.
The plan provides the town with a community‐based, data-driven blueprint for future decision‐making and infrastructure investment and positions the town for seeking future funding opportunities.