Manitou Springs explores code to connect walking, biking and transit routes
A grant-funded process would include a route audit, public engagement and ordinance drafting before possible City Council consideration.
Published at
Manitou Springs is exploring a code that would require development and street-improvement projects to better connect walking, rolling, biking and transit routes, turning adopted community plans into project-level requirements, according to a city presentation on the proposed Active Transportation Connectivity Code.
The city says its current code lacks active-transportation connectivity policies. Goals in the presentation include continuous accessible sidewalks, safer crossings, connections for bicycles and other small mobility devices, transit access, and links to trails and public staircases. No code provisions have been decided, and adoption would require a City Council vote.
The grant-funded work is outlined in three stages: a baseline connectivity audit, community engagement, and development of an ordinance for Council consideration. The audit would examine routes to and from the Hiawatha and Dillon Mobility Hubs for safety, accessibility, how routes connect and overall network efficiency.
The presentation describes engagement through committees, ward meetings and public forums, with residents’ preferences and priorities intended to inform the code. The process would then move to drafting and revising an ordinance before it is presented to the City Council.
If the code is adopted, the presentation says that could unlock a later grant phase for a Complete Street guidance document, mobility-hub improvements such as bike lockers and wayfinding, 8–10 small bicycle and pedestrian projects, and design work for other projects. These are conditional possibilities, not commitments under the current proposal.