[Update Sat 9:15 AM: The weather forecast for this afternoon looks good. Only a 20% chance of rain, and even then it would merely be of the sprinkles variety. A cloud cover with temps in the upper 70’s should make for a pretty nice Poky Pedal.]

This Saturday, Poky Pedalers will share Bike Fun of a different flavor on the Bike/Ped Plan Vision Ride. This will be an opportunity to learn about the recently adopted Portage County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and the innovative infrastructure it recommends.

Learn about the Portage County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan this Saturday on the Bike/Ped Plan Vision Ride

The Bike/Ped Plan Vision Ride will meet on Saturday August 23 at 12:45 PM in Bukolt Park near the skate park. From there, we’ll head off on an 11-mile loop ride on calm streets and non-motorized paths to visit about a dozen locations in Stevens Point.

At each stop, we’ll learn about the biking and walking infrastructure that the Portage County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan recommends for that location. About halfway through, there will also be a rest stop where snacks can be purchased. The Bike/Ped Plan Vision Ride is free, and all Poky Pedalers are welcome.

At the start, Poky Pedalers will receive a handout with pictures and summaries illustrating the various types of infrastructure recommended by the plan. Some will be familiar, such as bike lanes and crossing islands. Others will be less so, such as sharrows and HAWK signals. Each of these treatments has been implemented in cities across the US to create better environments for biking and walking.

Due the subject matter of this Poky Pedal, we will visit a few locations that tend to create discomfort for those biking and walking. After all, these are the places where improvements are really needed. We’ll take extra care negotiating such spots, meaning that we may walk across more intersections and route ourselves through more (underutilized) parking lots than typical. So Poky Pedalers can expect the usual level of comfort that they have come to expect with PPSP. If you haven’t been on a Poky Pedal before, you can read this page to get a better idea of what to expect.

The Portage County Board of Supervisors voted overwhelmingly to adopt the bike/ped plan this past April. Now that it is an official county planning document, implementation of these recommendations can take place opportunistically over the years to come.

The Bike/Ped Plan Vision Ride will cover only a tiny portion of the plan. Nevertheless, Poky Pedalers will come away with an understanding of what the plan is about, which will inspire a vision for a better place to live. And spreading this vision among Poky Pedalers can only hasten the pace at which the plan recommendations become reality.

As of Thursday morning, the weather forecast for Saturday afternoon calls for temperatures around 80 degrees with some sun but also a 40% chance of rain. The forecasted amount of rainfall is pretty small, so it seems likely we’ll ride as scheduled on Saturday. (The rain date is Sunday, so if the forecast turns significantly worse, that is an option.) I’ll post weather updates to this blog post through Saturday morning, so check in once in a while to see if anything changes.

The Bike/Ped Plan Vision Ride should be inspirational for those who want better biking and walking. It will be one of those rare opportunities to take a good look at where we live and imagine how we can make improvements. I’m really looking forward to sharing this vision-inducing flavor of Bike Fun with all Poky Pedalers on Saturday.

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