JACKSON, Wyo. — The Town Council discussed bike path and e-bike safety during their recent meeting on Jan. 18, passing a motion directing staff to draft an implementation plan.
Brian Schilling, Pathways & Trails Coordinator presented the council with recommendations from the Pathways Task Force. Schilling called pathway safety a “never-ending process” and identified educational, regulatory and infrastructure recommendations that could be implemented on town pathways.
Concern about pathway safety was initially brought to light during a Sept. 2021 Council meeting. Council asked for recommendations on how to implement speed limits, signage and additional safety measures following a busy summer on the bike paths.
The pathway task force suggested further support to Friends of Pathways and the Jackson Police Department for education on bike path safety at Jackson Hole Middle School and required education at local bike shops that provide rentals.
The task force suggested regulating speed limits on town pathways to 15 miles per hour and that e-bike riders with passengers must be 16 years old. Infrastructure recommendations included traffic calming opportunities like pavement textures to indicate slow zones and Chicane gates that require users to slow down upon entering slow zones. The ball fields near Jackson Hole Middle School and Colter Elementary schools were identified as areas that needed gates.
Councilmember Sell Chambers shared her support for dismounting gates in high traffic areas, especially near the schools.
“I would support moving forward with everything that’s been suggested so we can get a real look at the implications. the cost, etc,” Chambers said. “I think we are going to have greater safety if we prevent the young people from having passengers, it’s like driving a car.”
Vice Mayor Arne Jorgensen supported the recommendations but noted the shortcomings with enforcement and regulation.
“I am struck by the discussion we’ve had about enforcement. it dawns on me that this is yet another example of passing SPET items and amenities and yet we don’t have the funding in place to do the ongoing enforcement and operation at the level we should. The reality right now is that we don’t [have the funding],” Jorgensen said.
The Council decided to direct staff to create an implementation plan, considering all the recommendations along with staff and fiscal impacts.
