Politics & Government
Columbia Awarded State Grants for Bikeway Improvements
The grants will be used throughout the city to improve bike pathways.
Columbia was awarded three grants worth about $155,000 for planned bikeway improvements in and around the city, according to an announcement from Gov. Martin O’Malley on Tuesday.
The improvements include:
- Crosswalks, curb cuts and signage for several locations identified by the Columbia Association ($50,000)
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- Signed route and striping for a bikeway from Columbia to Fort Meade ($25,000)
- A 4-foot paved shoulder through the S-Curve on Guilford Road in Clarksville ($80,000)
Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Maryland Bikeways Program designated all three improvements as “minor retrofits.” The grants will help the Columbia Association implement its Active Transportation Action Agenda, according to its Facebook Page. That plan is focused on making a more comprehensive bicycling and walking circulation system in Columbia.
In December, the Columbia Association created an interactive Google Map to help identify where pathways need to be improved. Multiple residents have participated by posting comments at markers to indicate dangerous intersections, steep hills and other hazards.
The CA has not decided yet where the additional crosswalks, curb cuts and signage will be placed, but CA spokesperson Kelly Cooper said officials have some ideas. She said the Action Agenda would guide where the grant money would be most useful in making Columbia more bikeable.
