Document Type

Article

Abstract

The city of Marshall, Illinois has expressed interest in creating a new bike path through their town. This will reduce the number of cars on the roads and promote more physical activity for the citizens. They have concerns about the school traffic jam during pick up and drop off. To help address this concern, the bike path route we planned travels through town and connects the schools, this will help with automobile traffic concerns by encouraging more children to ride their bikes to school. The town also wanted the bike path to connect with the Lincoln Trail State Park located close to the town. The bike path extends to connect with the trials at the park. This will encourage people to make use of the park and be more physically active outside. The bike path also connects the other parks in town, encouraging greater use of these areas. We also made a loop with the bike path around downtown Marshall. This will decrease the use of automobiles through the town and can help facilitate more business as people ride their bikes downtown to shop. We addressed the types of bike lane that should be used for the path, concluding that a conventional bike lane would work through the town itself and a separated bike lane would be best for the parts exiting the town leading to the Lincoln Trail State Park and Walmart. There are several crosswalks throughout Marshall that should also be updated in order to provide safety and comfort. The crosswalks should have adequate lighting, signs, and signals so that drivers are aware pedestrians may be crossing and bicyclists are not unsure of where or when to cross the road. A safe bike path with clear crossings will encourage greater use by the pedestrians and will make drivers more aware of bicyclists. Finally, we addressed the costs of the bike path and crosswalks, recommending that Marshall aim for the minimum costs to maintain a sound budget.

Publication Date

Spring 5-1-2023

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