Last year, the Wyoming legislature created a task force to make the state’s communities more attractive to bicyclists and pedestrians. That group will host a phone meeting Monday morning to discuss the value of these modes of transportation, as well as the projects and policy changes that would make them more workable.
Task Force Chairman Tim Young says it’s all part of a report they’ll submit to the legislature in October.
“It’s going to focus a lot on communities,” Young said, “and the connection between communities and public lands, and it also encompasses the walkable main streets. Many communities in Wyoming are looking at ways they can enhance their main street. Making it more pedestrian friendly is really good for business.”
Young said that good pathways can help the state diversify its economy.
“When firms are looking to Wyoming, and considering putting an office here, they don’t just look at the dollars and cents of their business,” Young said. “They also look at the quality of communities they’re going to move into. Do those communities have recreational opportunities? Are there pathways and trails that their employees can use for their recreational needs, for public health?”
The Task Force is also looking for ways that Wyoming towns can take advantage of their place along routes like the Transamerica, which Young says crosses through some of the state’s greatest landscapes.
The meeting is open to the public. The draft report and instructions for joining the call are posted on the Wyoming Business Council’s website.