MULTI-MODAL PLANNING IN DAVENPORT
Davenport recently undertook and adopted a 10-year comprehensive transportation plan in 2009 called Davenport In-Motion. Covering transportation by walking, bicycling, and public transit, the plan includes a wide range of recommendations to guide policies and capital improvements. Trends specifically related to bicycle infrastructure have evolved at a pace that necessitates the need to re‐examine the original plan recommendations and ensure they are within the best interests of public health, safety, and welfare. The current planning efforts under Davenport Go will update and expand upon the bicycle and shared‐use trail (walking and bicycling) network component proposed in Davenport In‐Motion as a vital component to a balanced, linked, and sustainable multi‐modal transportation system.
WHAT IS A BICYCLE AND SHARED-USE PLAN?
This plan considers how bicycling functions together in the larger transportation system in a safe and efficient manner. Davenport Go will be used as a vehicle for implementing the policies of Davenport+2035, the City’s Comprehensive Plan, which envisions a transportation system that is multi‐modal, interconnected and supports a pedestrian‐friendly urban community, and is intended to identify the bicycle infrastructure related transportation actions needed to realize the following vision for the City:
- A vibrant mix of uses including residential, commercial, service, retail, recreational and other public spaces, along with cultural, entertainment, research, and learning opportunities that create a sustainable and livable community now and in the future.
- An urban, pedestrian‐oriented place that is characterized by ease of access, placemaking, and manageable facilitation of all vehicles.
- An interconnected, multi‐modal transportation system that not only sustains, but enhances the city’s character and appeal, both downtown and citywide, while connecting to the larger region.
WHAT DOES DAVENPORT GO MEAN FOR DAVENPORT?
Davenport Go will create a road map (literally and figuratively) for implementing bicycle and shared-use transportation actions and policies that create a safer, friendlier, and efficient transportation environment for all users. The plan will have the following outcomes:
- An integrated network of shared-use trails and on‐street biking infrastructure.
- Updated guidelines for street design (specifically for collectors and arterial streets, both Department of Transportation and City maintained) incorporating the latest best practices that will improve the livability of the City and ensure a pedestrian system that achieves the highest standards of connectivity and amenity.
- Supporting documentation including case studies as metrics to empower City Staff, Elected Officials, and the public with logical and defensible arguments to demonstrate need and justify proposed implementation.
- Identification of innovative financing and pricing mechanisms to improve the efficiency of existing infrastructure and to finance facilities, services, and programs for pedestrians and bicycles.
- Evaluation criteria and performance measures for ensuring that the future bicycle and shared‐use trail system reflects the policies established in Davenport+2035.
The City of Davenport is excited to have RDG Planning & Design and Alta Planning + Design help in this planning process with guidance by the project Steering Committee:
Zach Peterson – City of Davenport, Staff
Brian Schadt – City of Davenport, Staff
Clay Merritt – City of Davenport, Staff
Jason Gordon – City of Davenport, City Council
Kyle Gripp – City of Davenport, City Council
Kerri Tompkins – City of Davenport, City Council
Kathy White – 3rd Ward
Matt Wissing – 5th Ward
Tom Jacobson – 6th Ward
Tom Donahoe – 8th Ward
Lauren Crew – At-Large
Eve Reynolds – At-Large
Denise Bulat – Bi-State Regional Planning Commission
Joe Taylor – Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau
Jim Hudson – Quad Cities Bicycle Club
Jim Martin – Bi-State Regional Trails Commission
ABOUT DAVENPORT
The City of Davenport is the seat of Scott County, located in southeast Iowa. Covering around 65 square miles, Davenport is the third largest city in Iowa with a 2010 population of 99,985. Davenport is a bustling, vibrant community with a rich history closely related to one of the world’s mightiest rivers, the picturesque Mississippi. Davenport offers a variety of amenities including professional theater, the Quad City Symphony, historic riverboat cruises and riverboat gaming, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, the Quad City Air Show, the world famous Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival and Bix 7 Race.
The City of Davenport has an impressive system of recreational trails, including the Riverfront Trail and the Duck Creek Parkway Trail. Portions of the Riverfront Trail are also part of the national north-south Mississippi River Trail and/or the cross-country American Discovery Trail, which cross each other in Davenport at the Government Bridge over the Mississippi River. Due in part to the significance of this physical fact, the City of Davenport and the Quad Cities hosted the National Trails Symposium during October of 2006. Several major arterial streets in Davenport have been designated for this purpose and have been signed and striped to accommodate bicycles.
