Residents in Palmetto may

soon find an easier way to navigate the sometimes treacherous roadways

in Coweta County.

A recently issued report

is indicating an approach for Coweta County to establish a series of

bike paths.

The report, issued by Robert

and Company, said the emphasis should be on changing policy "to

promote a bicycle-friendly environment throughout the county."

Developing a county-wide

bicycle plan will help reduce auto congestion and make it easier to

get around the county without the aid of motorized machines, said the

plan. The plan also suggests changes in development patterns needed

to better accommodate bicycles.

The plan attempts to provide

Coweta residents information on existing conditions and suggestions

for creating more bike paths, but is by no means a rigid document.

"Ideally, it will be

used as a guide for future development, but will be effective only if

the notions within the plan are sonorous with the community's goals,

bending as goals themselves bend," it reads.

Recommendations from the

plan include:

Appropriate signs.

Part of every bicycle network,

signs provide ready reminders to motorists of the possible presence

of bicycles. Signs should create continuous routes that provide cyclists

challenging and enjoyable rides.

Because through traffic represents

a significant portion of the total traffic on Coweta's streets on any

given day, signs can serve to warn the nonresident motorists who may

only occasionally drive in Coweta. Additionally, sign installation is

relatively inexpensive and can be initiated quickly.

Signs should be placed every

two miles and just before and after every intersection involving a turn.

Sign design should feature

a standardized, easily recognizable bicycle graphic.

Signs should be consistent

throughout the county.

Signs should designate beginning

and end of routes.

Each route should be numbered

in order to create familiarity.

Coweta's routes should indicate

their connection to the state routes that pass through the county.

A system of markers identifying

historically or architecturally significant structures and sites should

be placed along each route.

Safety for cyclists.

The recommendations include

building an awareness of bicycle safety through local media outlets

and conducting public ribbon-cutting ceremonies when bicycle route improvements

are completed to make people aware that bicycles will be in the area.

In developing a bicycle plan,

a good understanding of the laws affecting the safe operation of bicycles

is important. The program should include strengthened enforcement programs

targeted specifically at road-sharing laws.

Land development.

The manner in which land

is developed can have a profound effect on the feasibility and accommodation

of bicycling. In order to create an equitable environment, bicycle and

pedestrian planning should become central to the long-term comprehensive

land use planning efforts in Coweta. Officials recommend requiring all

rezoning requests to address bicycle/pedestrian accessibility and that

all approved site plans should include provisions for adequate bicycle

parking facilities and bicycle/pedestrian access.

A local ordinance must be

written to mandate the inclusion of bicycle parking facilities in all

public, large residential, and large commercial buildings.

The following state-maintained

highways are recommended for bicycle lane upgrades: 16, 27, 29, 34,

54, 70, 74, 154.

There is ample room in Coweta

for a system of grade-separated bicycle paths, and seemingly no dearth

of interest, according to the plan. Off-road paths offer particular

benefits for children, who typically do not have well-developed riding

skills or knowledge of on-road operating etiquette. Grade-separated

paths can be planned and constructed in different ways.

The routes will be color-coded

and traverse the entire county.

Residents will be able to

pick up the path anywhere in the county and eventually hook up with

a series of paths toward Atlanta or Alabama. Officials plan to start

implementing their strategies in the next few months and conducting

public meetings to get residents involved in the process.