The City of Folsom, California is kicking off 2006 with a newly opened, four-station light rail extension, a reorganized bus route that complements the new system, and a Pedestrian Master Plan to complement the City's current efforts to create functional and practical transportation alternatives for the people who live and work in the community.

The City of Folsom retained the Alta Planning + Design team to develop a Pedestrian Master Plan that will serve as the guiding document for implementing both prioritized capital projects and programs highlighting the three E's of education, encouragement, and enforcement.

Folsom is located in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains along the Interstate 50 corridor, just 15 miles east of Sacramento. The community is a regional draw with its historic gold rush character, natural beauty of the American River, and a staple of quality jobs that provide opportunities for residents to live and work in Folsom.

Alta partnered with HDR to conduct an extensive GPS data collection effort of major and minor arterials throughout the City. The data served as a reliable basis for creating project recommendations in conjunction with community input. This plan summarizes the current state of Folsom's pedestrian system with analyses of curb ramp conditions and crosswalk and sidewalk obstructions. The plan also provides recommended design guidelines for future development and a project list for major categories of improvements, including:

• Transit Access,
• Historic district,
• Multi-use trail improvements,
• Safe Routes to School, and
• Cultural and recreational facilities access.

For more information about this project, contact Alta Principal Michael Jones in our San Rafael office.

Phase I of the Amargosa Creek Pathway in Lancaster, California was completed in Summer of 2005. Lancaster is located on the southern edge of the Mojave Desert and in the far northern portion of Los Angeles County. Alta completed design and construction documents for this project, which includes a trailhead with picnic facilities, restrooms, and parking. Alta also obtained a Caltrans encroachment permit for construction of the asphalt trail, which is approximately 1.2 miles long and includes a parallel four-foot wide running trail. The trail provides an off-street pathway from Avenue I to Avenue H and a trailhead at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) has just published the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis #62: Integration of Bicycles and Transit. Alta assisted Toole Design Group in this research effort.

Many new bicycle programs have been implemented at transit agencies in the decade since the original TCRP Synthesis #4 on Bicycles and Transit (1994). The new synthesis provides updated information about:

• Bicycle on bus programs
• Bicycle on rail programs
• Bicycle on vanpools, ferries, and other forms of transit
• Bicycle parking at transit facilities

The document also synthesizes the state of the practice by providing information about ridership levels, ridership trends, funding, marketing and promotion, maintenance, safety and security issues, and bicycle access to transit. The primary sources of information for the document were questionnaire responses from 56 different North American transit agencies.

For more information about this report, please contact Alta Principal Mia Birk in our Portland office.

We are pleased to offer the combined strengths of Bowman-Melton Associates and Alta Planning + Design in a newly formed entity: Bowman-Melton/Alta. Together, we bring decades of experience in the specialized expertise of planning, design, and implementation of bikeways, walkway, trails, greenways, and parks throughout the U.S. Our aim is to help create healthy, active transportation and recreation choices.

In the Dallas area, Annie Bowman Melton and Bud Melton have been leaders for over two decades, with such prominent projects as the City of Carrollton Pedestrian and Bicycle System Master Plan, Long-Range Strategic Parks Plan in Dallas, iYo Camino, Yo Cuento! (I Walk, I Count!) Bilingual Pedestrian Encouragement and Outreach Campaign for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and the Trinity Interpretive Center and Trinity Equestrian Center Master Plan in Dallas. Alta Planning + Design’s Texas work has included such projects as the Plano Veloweb Master Plan, Lancaster Trails Master Plan, Pasadena Greenbelt/Bayou Trails Master Plan, and the Austin Lamar/Ben White Interchange Pedestrian Enhancement Project.

Annie Bowman Melton has more than 20 years experience in providing non-motorized transportation and recreation services as both lead contractor and on teams with other planners, researchers, landscape architects, and engineers. Project types include: site, area, city- and county-wide non-motorized transportation and recreation system master plans; ISTEA & TEA-21 trail construction documents; Major Transportation Investment Studies; public participation facilitation; walkability workshops, educational awareness campaigns and topical seminars; research and data collection; and successful grant writing. Ms. Melton has been the lead bicycle and pedestrian planner in the development of plans for Texas cities such as Belton, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Bryan, Woodway, and Waco.

Bud Melton is a bicycle and pedestrian mobility specialist with more than 40 years experience working with the public in numerous industry and organizational roles, including as business owner and manager, educator, researcher, employee transportation coordinator, facilitator, and presenter. With this lifetime of focus on bicycling activities, and as a past League of American Bicyclists Education Committee member and certified training provider, Mr. Melton adds a critical user perspective to any bikeway or trail project. He has more than 10 years experience as a non-motorized transportation and recreation planner and consultant to landscape architects and engineers.

Breean Lingle, Project Assistant - Berkeley, California
Breean Lingle joined Alta in November 2005. Breean is originally from San Diego, where she went to University of California San Diego and earned a bachelor's degree in writing/literature and a minor in Spanish. Breean's previous experience includes work in the publishing industry as an editor (at music technology magazine, Mix) and in marketing (at Bike and Powder magazines), as well as a stint with culinary catalog retailer Sur La Table.

• Pro-Bono Assistance: Alta staff are available to help community groups and agencies on a pro bono basis, whether it is answering questions or assisting with research. Every year we donate hundreds of hours to help our colleagues in a variety of areas. Call an Alta professional today to find out more about this, or come into one of our offices and use our library of resources.
   
• Conference Support Program: Alta offers help to deserving individuals who wish to attend conferences in fields related to bicycles, pedestrians, and trails. This may include plane tickets, other travel costs, and conference costs. Contact Alta Principals Michael Jones or Mia Birk to find out more about this program.