Active Mobility Planning

In my early years in the planning profession, I was involved in a few bicycle and pedestrian plans and reviewed many more. But much like everything else, these plans have evolved over time. To concentrate solely on bicyclists and pedestrians is a little too narrow. These two sects are not the only users of our community’s trails and sidewalks. There should also be considerations for modes of mobility.

In addition to bicyclists and pedestrians, active mobility planning takes into consideration those who use other human-powered or electric-assisted devices. This includes wheelchairs, scooters, e-bikes and a variety of other mobility devices that help us move about day-to-day.

La Vista’s Active Mobility Plan

Although trails have been depicted in La Vista’s Comprehensive Plan in the past, the City has never had a dedicated bike and pedestrian plan. This has hindered trail development in La Vista over the years. Much of the community was developed without a trail plan to lean on. Founded in 1960, La Vista epitomizes suburban-style development. So incorporating trails after the fact, rather than with new developments based on a planning document, has made the development of a cohesive system problematic. This is where the La Vista Active Mobility Plan comes in.

La Vista’s Active Mobility Plan was funded by a grant through the Metropolitan Area Planning Association (@MAPA). MAPA is a regional planning organization that helps to manage regional transportation funding.

In Rural Resurrection’s latest YouTube video, I discuss active mobility planning with Craig Melke of Benesch (@AlfredBeneschCo), La Vista’s planning consultant. We also bring in Cale Brodersen, the Associate Planner for La Vista. Cale was the project manager for City and provides more on active mobility planning from his viewpoint. In the video we discuss the plan as well as the process we took to complete it. We also talk about a variety of related subjects, from the implementation of the plan to the economic impact of trails.

Check out the La Vista Active Mobility Plan on YouTube: