IInyo County Collaborative Bikeways Plan

The Inyo County Collaborative Bikeways Plan is the official Bicycle Transportation Plan of the County of Inyo, City of Bishop, and Bishop Paiute Tribe. The Plan makes these entities eligible to apply for Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA) funding. Go to the bottom of this page to view the Bikeways Plan. Described below are grant programs that are currently accepting applications for bicycle related projects.

2010/2011 BTA Call for Projects

Caltrans has released a Call for Projects for BTA projects. The BTA provides state funds for city and county projects that improve safety and convenience for bicycle commuters. Applications are due December 1, 2009. For more information and to view the application, follow this link to visit the Caltrans BTA website. 

2009 TE Call for Projects

The Inyo County Local Transportation Commission (LTC) is pleased to issue a Call for Projects for the Transportation Enhancement Program (TE). The amount allocated to Inyo County for the 2010 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) cycle is estimated to be $1,388,000 based on previous allocations. At their October meeting, the California Transportation Commission will determine the exact amount available. An 11.47% local match is required for all projects. Contact Inyo LTC staff at (760) 878-0201 or follow the highlighted links to obtain information about: the application process, eligibility requirements, and criteria used to evaluate applications. Submit application package to Inyo County LTC Staff no later than December 31, 2009. Bicycle related projects are TE eligible.

 The Bikeways Plan can be viewed in its entirety by following the links below. It is recommended that view the site via the first link and then view the Figures and Appendices as needed - because the entire document is a very large Adobe PDF file that can be slow to download.

The Inyo County Board of Supervisors, as the Lead Agency under CEQA, approved the Plan at their November 18, 2008 meeting. The Inyo County Local Transportation Commission further approved the Plan at their November 19th meeting. The City of Bishop approved the Plan at their November 24th City Council meeting and the Bishop Paiute Tribe approved the Plan at their December 4th Tribal Council meeting. LTC staff has forwarded the Collaborative Plan to Caltrans. The Caltrans State office makes the final determination if the Plan complies with Bicycle Transportation Account requirements. Their approval of the Plan will mean that the collaborative partners will be eligible to receive funding under the Bicycle Transportation Account for the next five grant cycles.

 A bikeways plan focuses on special provisions for bicycle facilities, which will encourage bicycle use by all ages on the road system. One of the goals in the General Plan for the County of Inyo is:

Develop a safe, convenient and effective bikeway system that promotes bicycle travel as a viable transportation mode and connects work, shopping, schools, residential and recreation areas.

The California Department of Transportation "Highway Design Manual" provides a discussion of the role of bikeways.

Bikeways are one element of an effort to improve bicycling safety and convenience which, when added to maintenance and support facilities, either help accommodate motor vehicle traffic and bicycle traffic on shared roadways, or compliment the road system to meet needs not adequately met by roads alone.

Off street bikeways in exclusive corridors can be effective in providing new recreational opportunities, or in some instances, desirable commuter routes. They can also be used to close gaps where barriers exist to bicycle travel.

On street bikeways can serve to enhance safety and convenience, especially if other commitments are made in conjunction with establishment of bikeways, such as: elimination of parking or increasing roadway width, elimination of surface irregularities and roadway obstacles, frequent street sweeping, establishing intersection priority on the bike route street as compared with the majority of cross streets, and the installation of bicycle sensitive loop detectors at signalized intersections.

The decision to develop bikeways should be made with the knowledge that bikeways are not the solution to all bicycle-related problems. Many of the common problems are related to improper bicyclist and motorist behavior and can only be corrected through effective education and enforcement programs. The development of well-conceived bikeways can have a positive effect on bicyclist and motorist behavior. Conversely, poorly conceived bikeways can be counterproductive to education and enforcement programs.