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 last 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 non-resident 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.