New study encourages Yumans to contribute to improving pedestrian safety

Bicyclists and pedestrians will soon have a chance to voice concerns and comments on the basis of accessibility in Yuma County.

The Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization and Greenlight Traffic Engineering are partnering to conduct a year-long study on how bicycle and pedestrian routes can be improved.

The YMPO began this study as they realized the need for an update to the bicycle and pedestrian plan here in Yuma.

Charles Gutierrez, senior planning and mobility manager for YMPO is heading the study.

“I just want to make sure that the people of the region have everything that they need to make everything that they can possible for their family’s safety,” he said.

An additional need is a new design guideline for safe bicycle routes and connectivity of existing paths.

The goal of the study?

To serve pedestrians and bicyclists with the implementation of a “Complete Street” approach for new streets and to work on existing areas to make them friendly for those people.

“It is for our state, it is for our community, and it is also for the feds to look at us as something that we can provide to our municipalities and member agencies and the community to create some type of connectivity,” Gutierrez said.

The YMPO has every intention to continue to encourage Yumans to use walking or biking as a mode of transportation.

“We know that the cities and the towns of the region are doing what they can to provide bike lanes, bike paths, pedestrian places for them to walk, and even the horses, we are always looking to improve those types of things,” Gutierrez said.

A priority is safety .

“People die, people get hurt and we do not want to be one of those municipalities that did something wrong and next thing you know you have thousands of deaths because people are not walking right, people are riding their bikes in the wrong type of an environment, we want to make sure that when we do something, it is with safety in mind always,” Gutierrez said.

In addition, the study will act as a document to reference when repairing or constructing roads.

During the study, the YMPO intends to assess school areas, consider future road conditions, conduct a needs and demand analysis, implement a plan for improvement and compile a list of guidelines.

A study of future road conditions may include identifying the fastest and safest bike routes, prepare a bike route map, identify obstacles and recommend improvements.

Gutierrez explained, “We are looking at the current conditions, what is actually there? Where do we have bike racks, where are the centers, are they using modes of transportation where there is bicycling pedestrian, are you using the transit?”

In order to achieve these goals, YMPO is in need of the community’s help.

“We want to have a committee, to do this because I want to be able to reach out to as many people as possible that are bike riders, that walk, any mode of transportation,” Gutierrez said.

The YMPO intends to reach out to people in the community that has been affected.

Bicycle groups, concerned parents, students who walk to school are examples of groups that the YMPO wants to hear from.

“We want to make sure that whatever we do, is school friendly,” Gutierrez said.

Even if you are someone who uses a vehicle to get from place to place, you have probably seen an area around Yuma where a bike lane would create a safer place for bikers on the roads.

The public is able to submit comments and feedback during a monthly meeting held at the Yuma County Development services building on the second Tuesday of every month at 9 P.M.

You can also Gutierrez at 928-783-8911 or cgutierrez@ympo.org.