ALBANY, GA -- Driving around the city, you may have noticed a lack of bicycle lanes and pedestrian crosswalks, but don't worry, the city and county are working to fix that problem!
“They've had a lot of accidents because there are no bike lanes, so I think it'll be good for the city,” says Yolanda Primus who lives in Albany.
“I think that having bike lanes would be a lot safer for people that do commute and cannot afford the gas,” says Christina Wilson, who often rides her bike.
The bicycle and pedestrian plan presented today by Pond & Company is part of a 30 year plan the city, Dougherty and Lee Counties are envisioning for the betterment of the area.
“It's part of our overall, long range plan, it's systematic and it's already on the books in terms of how we think it should be done,” says Dougherty County Chairman Jeff Sinyard.
There's no doubt about the benefits this bike and pedestrian plan will bring to Albany, however there's one concern--the funding. They simply don't have the $30 million this plan would require.
“There's potential for funding some of this through the transportation enhancement act which is going to be up for vote next year, and also the future SPLOST initiatives,” said Richard Fangmann, Director of Transportation Planning with Pond & Company.
There's also state and federal funding. But Sinyard says the state requires that a plan be in place before any request for funding can be made. But other commissioners agree, it is needed.
“These kinds of amenities do make communities more livable. And we have three institutions of higher learning here and we have a lot of young folks here,” said Commissioner Gloria Gaines.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWFXL