WDM Preparing To Update Bike Master Plan

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With about 80 miles of trails, biking is a major part of life in West Des Moines. That’s why the city is taking another look at its bicycle master plan and giving it a tune-up.

What’s Happening

The updated master plan will build off West Des Moines’ current plan, which was last revised in 2015. The master plan provides a guide for the development of bicycle infrastructure and how every component can work well together.

“It’s really a network that shows, how can we build on our existing infrastructure and explore ways, as the city grows, to improve biking in West Des Moines,” said Eric Petersen, the city’s principal traffic engineer.

Petersen said not to expect any wholesale changes in the updated master plan. Instead, he said there will be tweaks.

“They are necessary because a lot has happened in a growing city like West Des Moines. When everything grows so fast, 10 years is a long time. A lot has changed with new development, roadway alignments, so we just need to get everything back in place,” Petersen said.

The Federal Highway Administration and National Association of City Transportation Officials have both updated recommendations within the last 10 years, and those will also be incorporated into the plan.

Ashworth Road

While the master plan has provided and will continue to provide a guide for future projects, it acts more as a big picture wish list, rather than a promise.

Eagle-eyed cyclists will notice the proposed Ashworth Road trail from 1^st to 50^th St. included on the draft map, even after the City Council already shot it down. But don’t get too excited, because it’s not likely to be built anytime soon.

“It is still in our master plan, but again, our master plan doesn’t have a year tied to it,” Petersen explained. “It could be decades out when some of these improvements on the master plan are actually built.”

The upcoming reconstruction of Ashworth will happen without the trail, even though it’s included on the master plan. The City Council decided to axe the trail due to opposition from property owners along the road who would have to give up some of their land.

“It could still happen at some point in the future, but as far as our current project, no we are not planning for that on Ashworth Road,” Petersen said.

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Input Needed

Input from the public is what changed the city’s direction for Ashworth, and the same can be done for the future of cycling infrastructure through the master plan.

“That would have been really nice as a cyclist,” West Des Moines resident M.J. Hoag lamented about the Ashworth project.

You can bet Hoag will share his thoughts on the master plan. He even had a hard copy of the proposed plan when we met up to chat earlier this year.

“I have lots of opinions, so I’ll share them all,” he joked.

Hoag grew up in West Des Moines, lives in the Valley Junction area, and loves to ride his bike.

“I am a year-round commuter cyclist,” he said. “I hate driving, so if I can cycle somewhere, I generally try to.”

He has been active in recent years, regularly advocating for improving infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians. Hoag even has a website, entitled “A Better WDM,” which features his numerous presentations at city council meetings.

“To West Des Moines’ credit, we do have a pretty robust bicycle master plan. We do build bicycle paths along major arterial streets. So it’s often possible to get places, if generally maybe not pleasant or something you can do in a reasonable time,” Hoag said.

Petersen said the city is looking for specifics from cyclists like Hoag as they finalize the updated plan.

“They’re seeing it every day, and they’re seeing where are the areas that are giving them the biggest issue of getting from one point to another,” he said. “Is it crossing at a certain point? Is it a missing section of trail or sidewalk that’s really giving them problems?”

What’s Next

• Late May/early June: City will post interactive map of proposed master plan online where users can leave comments

• August: City staff will incorporate public feedback into final draft and present to Bicycle Advisory Commission for recommendation to advance to City Council

• Fall: City Council will vote to officially adopt updated bicycle master plan

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Proof Of Ride

I did it! I finally went on my first bike ride of the season! I got out last Saturday and headed north on the Neal Smith Trail. Sadly, I did not get ice cream. And even sadder yet — that wind! I should’ve ridden on Sunday instead. But it was still great to get out and get moving after a long winter of too much laying on the couch, watching TV. I really had to remember what I learned when I wrote about Des Moines’ new chapter of All Bodies on Bikes. Their mantra is that “All bodies are good bodies. All bikes are good bikes. All rides should be celebrated.” I’m gonna go with that! Have a good one!