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The following is a release from the Arizona Department of Transportation:

PHOENIX - As walking and bicycling for transportation and recreation steadily grows in popularity around our state, the Arizona Department of Transportation continues to advance its Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan to improve safety and multimodal travel options.

ADOT is working on finalizing an update to the plan, which was first established in 2003. Beginning Tuesday, everyone has the opportunity to share their thoughts on the draft final report by filling out an online comment form and providing input. The draft final report and comment form can both be found here. The web address is http://www.azbikeped.org/studyupdate/documents.asp. The public comment period runs until Feb. 8.

"We're calling on the public and members of the bicycling and pedestrian communities to provide us with their ideas on the 24 recommended strategies that are outlined in the draft final report," said Michael Sanders, ADOT's bicycle and pedestrian program coordinator. "It's this kind of feedback that allows us to refine the goals and objectives of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and continue our work to develop changes in safety, infrastructure, and education, as they apply to our state highway system."

The recommended strategies fall into three categories: plans and policies; education, enforcement, encouragement and evaluation; and bicyclist and pedestrian infrastructure. All of these strategies are aimed at building on programs and policies that first began in 2003 with the launch of ADOT's first comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.

The updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan is expected to be finalized this spring. Last summer, more than 1,800 people responded to a survey during the first phase of public involvement for the plan update. The end of 2012 also brought the finalization of the Bicycle Safety Action Plan, a task defined in the 2003 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. The final report for the Bicycle Safety Action Plan can be found here: http://www.azdot.gov/mpd/systems_planning/PDF/BSAP/Final.pdf.

ADOT's Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan was developed as part of a federal long-range bicycle transportation and pedestrian walkways plan. It is also part of Arizona's Long Range Transportation Plan, also known as "What Moves You Arizona."

The web address for the draft final report and the comment form is http://www.azbikeped.org/studyupdate/documents.asp. For those who don't have access to a computer and would like to request a mailed copy of the comment form, you can call (602) 712-8141 or send your request to ADOT's Bicycle and Pedestrian Program at 206 S. 17th Avenue, Mail Drop 310B, Phoenix, AZ 85007. Those who wish to take the survey can also print and mail the form to the above address.