Sandpoint committee positions itself for multimodal plan update, forms 'wheels' working group

Committee members used the Feb. 12 meeting to clarify how the Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Committee can prepare for a likely multimodal transportation plan update and to establish a bicycle-focused working group.

Council liaison Kyle Schreiber said council discussion signaled interest in updating the multimodal transportation plan and reviewing street frontage and sidewalk ordinances, but he also said the council had not reached a strong consensus. Staff urged the committee to collect ‘‘user-experience’’ information — qualitative observations about what it feels like to walk and bike in different parts of Sandpoint — so the committee can submit community-informed material to future consultants and staff rather than starting data collection from scratch when a formal update is launched.

Members agreed that smaller, focused work products will be most useful to staff and council. The committee asked staff to share guidance about in-lieu fee balances and how those funds must be spent in specific areas, and they discussed using the pedestrian priority list as a working reference. The committee also agreed to stand up a bicycle-focused "wheels" working group to consider bicycle priority streets, trail networks, and micromobility (e-bikes, electric wheels, skateboards). Chair Kaye Huseman and other volunteers offered to help coordinate initial meetings and outreach.

Members emphasized avoiding work that would sit unused: staff and some members recommended aligning committee outputs with council priorities and staff workloads so recommendations have a clear path to implementation. The committee agreed to collect baseline data in advance and to refine priorities when the council and staff set formal marching orders.