Introduction
Interest in bicycling generated during the development of Elkton’s Bicycle Plan (2011) led to requests for WILMAPCO to produce a bike plan covering all of Cecil County. While Cecil County is rural in its composition, there are many opportunities to expand bicycling for a variety of uses, including commute, recreation, and tourism opportunities. By developing an integrated transportation system that supports bicycling, Cecil County will improve access to communities and other key destinations, link to other modes of transportation, promote tourism, improve air quality, and enhance quality of life. The collaborative vision for both Cecil County and the Towns is “to support multi-modal transportation by focusing investments into existing communities to foster bicycling for a variety of uses including transportation, recreation, fitness, and tourism. The County and Towns will increase bicycle usage by improving safety and providing a convenient and coordinated network”.
The development of this Plan was guided under the direction of an Advisory Committee that represented a variety of stakeholders and agencies including Cecil County Planning and Zoning, Maryland state departments (MDOT, SHA, MDP, MDNR, MTA), municipalities, community groups, and citizens. The Plan maps proposed countywide and local bicycle facilities and identifies other bicycle investments such as bicycle parking, and presents actions for implementation. Additional key components of the bicycle plan include bicycle safety education and encouragement programs.
This Cecil County Bicycle Plan was approved by the Cecil County Board of Commissioners on November 27, 2012, the Towns of Cecil County, and the WILMAPCO Council on January 10, 2013.
Plan Objectives
The Cecil County Bicycle Master Plan includes a set of goals, strategies, and actions to guide development and implementation of bicycling projects and programs in Cecil County.
- Identify best practices for bicycle transportation and their possible use in Cecil County
- Evaluate existing bicycle conditions and identify gaps in the network
- Identify links to other modes of transportation, including bus and rail, pedestrian connections and park and rides
- Propose policies, programs and projects for achieving the plan goals
- Develop an action-oriented implementation plan, including funding sources and partnerships
Download the Cecil County Bicycle Plan (11.5MB) Low Resolution (5.8MB)
View the Summary of Recommendations (pages 77-80)
Public Outreach
Public feedback was sought out through several public open-house workshops and other forms of communication. County and Town residents were invited to participate in a number of workshops and meetings to discuss local bicycle issues. See Frequently Asked Questions.
- November 20, 2012 Public Workshop Flyer – This public workshop was held in conjunction with a 5-week public comment period.
- May 31, 2012 Public Workshop Flyer
- May 31, 2012 Public Workshop Materials– This open house public workshop introduced draft recommendations for the bicycle plan.
- November 1, 2011 Public Workshop Flyer
- November 1, 2011 Pubic Workshop Boards – This open house public workshop introduced the plan’s vision and goals, the proposed county bicycle network, bicycle crash data, and other improvements such as bike parking.
Other public workshops were held in each Town and meetings with WILMAPCO’s Nonmotorized Transportation Work Group.
Identifying the Network
As part of the development of this Plan, the concerns and ideas from bicyclists were sought out to help improve conditions for biking throughout the County and within the Towns. We asked bicyclists to fill out a field worksheet and/ or map the route (and any obstacles) that they use regularly. Additionally, frequent routes and obstacles encountered were also collected via interactive mapping. This input was used to help identify improvements that could be made along bike routes.
Implementation
WILMAPCO assisted Cecil County and its Towns in the submission of a joint application for the FY 2014 Maryland Bikeways Grant Program. The Maryland Bikeways Grant Program, established in 2011 under the Cycle Maryland Initiative, supports projects that create and improve bicycle connections for transportation to key destinations, such as work, school and shopping. Funding is competitively disbursed throughout many counties and municipalities for a variety of projects in different stages of development from feasibility and design to construction. In FY 2014, the program awarded $3.2 million in grants to four counties and 12 municipalities. Among the recipients, Cecil County received $39,470 to install bicycle racks at key destinations and signage on bike routes in the Towns of Cecilton, Charlestown, Chesapeake City, Elkton, Perryville, North East, and Rising Sun.
Other Links
Contact Info.
For more information about the Cecil County Bicycle Plan and its implementation please contact Dave Gula at dgula@wilmapco.org.