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I-694 NON-MOTORIZED CROSSING STUDY PAGE 5 study area • Meetings with local pedestrian and bicycle groups • Identification of future planned and programmed street, highway, and trail projects in the study area • Incorporation of mapping from Metropolitan Council’s Bicycle System Study • Documentation of study recommendations in the final report PLANNING AND POLICY FRAMEWORK Pedestrian and Bicycle travel is an important part of the transportation network and has been recognized as such in state, regional, and local plans and policies for decades. Though not an exhaustive review, this section includes recent high-level policies and plans at various levels of government to underscore the supporting policy framework for this study and its implementation . Federal The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations was signed on March 11, 2010 and announced March 15, 2010 by former Secretary Ray LaHood. The policy states: “The DOT policy is to incorporate safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities into transportation projects. Every transportation agency, including DOT, has the responsibility to improve conditions and opportunities for walking and bicycling and to integrate walking and bicycling into their transportation systems. Because of the numerous individual and community benefits that walking and bicycling provide — including health, safety, environmental, transportation, and quality of life — transportation agencies are encouraged to go beyond minimum standards to provide safe and convenient facilities for these modes.” State Non motorized travel is critical to Minnesota GO, the state’s 50-year vision for a multimodal transportation system that maximizes the health of people, the environment and our economy. The vision includes the following principles to guide future policy and investment decisions for all forms of transportation throughout the state: • Leverage public investments to achieve multiple purposes: The transportation system should support other public purposes, such as environmental stewardship, economic competitiveness, public health and energy independence. • Ensure accessibility: The transportation system must be accessible and safe for users of all abilities and incomes. The system must provide access to key resources and amenities throughout communities. • Build to a maintainable scale: Consider and minimize long-term obligations–don’t overbuild. The scale of the system should reflect and respect the surrounding physical and social context of the facility. The transportation system should affordably contribute to the overall quality of life and prosperity of the state. • Ensure regional connections: Key regional centers need to be connected to each other through multiple modes of transportation.