MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

COMMUNITY ASKED TO COMMENT ON SIDEWALK NEEDS

Sidewalk Survey Ready for Responses

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When I took office last year, I recognized that Fort Wayne residents wanted to be able to walk to places, but all too often they found it difficult to do so when they encountered gaps in sidewalks, especially along our major thoroughfares.

I have asked City staff, with the assistance of an advisory committee of members of the public, to improve the availability of sidewalks throughout Fort Wayne, but I need your help.

I invite you to complete a survey that will help my staff and I set priorities on how to make our city easier to navigate for walkers. City Utilities customers will find a brief survey in their August bills, regarding sidewalks and asking for input on which locations are destinations that may need increased service from sidewalks, trails and other pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. I want to make Fort Wayne an easier city to navigate for pedestrians.

It’s important to help our citizens connect with the destinations they find most necessary. We recognize that many people use our sidewalk system for recreation and leisure, but also for transportation, traveling to a school, shopping center or a medical office, for instance. Making sure we have safe, adequate facilities for them is important. This effort aims to identify the areas throughout the community where we need to consider connecting or creating more accessible pedestrian opportunities.

A cross-functional internal City team has been working on mapping the existing sidewalks and trails. An advisory group made up of external stakeholders is also helping with identifying potential user groups such as seniors and immigrants.

Besides the survey in City Utility bills, they will be available at Allen County Public Library branches within the city during the month of August, and at local community centers and facilities through September. All surveys should be turned back in to the City by the end of September. Residents are also encouraged to go online to complete the survey at www.cityoffortwayne.org/sidewalkplan. The deadline for responses is September 30.

The goal is to have results by mid-October. The Sidewalk Plan will ultimately help provide guidance for plans and development of pedestrian infrastructure along major roadways over the next several years. I have previously implemented working groups to assess bicycle infrastructure and high speed rail, as part of making the community more accessible to various forms of transportation.