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Dedicated to every child who wishes

never to grow too old to ride a bicycle
... and to every adult who keeps that
child alive and well.

[ A Plan to Enhance Transportation Options ]

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For more than 30 years, Fort Waynes bicyclists have enjoyed the Rivergreenway and our growing network
of multiuse trails. The time is right for the City of Fort Wayne to expand local cyclists options for a diversity of
infrastructure. These alternatives include bike lanes, signed bike routes, sharrows and other facilities that make
it easier for residents and visitors to use their bikes as transportation.
To make sure Fort Waynes new options connect people to destinations, City of Fort Wayne staff with
input from the public and the Bike Fort Wayne Task Force wrote the Bike Fort Wayne plan. It takes a
comprehensive approach to making our community more bicycle friendly through three focus areas:
1. C
 onstruct a bike network over the next decade on a core grid of major thoroughfares,
2. Provide education and outreach to the growing numbers of cyclists by promoting the benefits of cycling
and encouraging safe behaviors from drivers and cyclists alike,
3. Encourage policy and legislation at all levels that supports the implementation of the Bike Fort Wayne plan.
More active transportation infrastructure adds to Fort Waynes quality of life and plays a role in attracting
and retaining employers and employees. Enhanced choices for cyclists result in more bicycles on our
roadways. They reduce congestion on our streets, improve air quality and give bike riders a built-in workout.
Better bicycle infrastructure is really a solution to many of our urban challenges. I encourage you to be a part of
our efforts to make Fort Wayne more bicycle friendly.
Sincerely,

Thomas C. Henry,
Mayor, City of Fort Wayne

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CITY OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

Thomas Henry, Mayor
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
John Urbahns, Director
PLANNING & POLICY
Pam Holocher, Deputy Director
PLANNING STAFF
Dennis Donahue
Sherese Fortriede
Kienan ORourke
Paul Spoelhof
Jane Yoh
CITY OF FORT WAYNE & ALLEN COUNTY STAFF
Rachel Blakeman, Fort Wayne Mayors Office
Shan Gunawardena, Fort Wayne Traffic Engineering
Amy Hartzog, Fort Wayne River Greenways
Matt Peters, Northern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council
P. J. Thuringer, Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Allen County Public Library
Jon Allmandinger, William & Wagner Advertising, Inc.
Gian Giacomo Caprotti, Comte Mede de Sivrac, Karl Drais von Sauerbronn,
Pierre Lallement, Kirkpatrick MacMillan, Ernest Michaux, Eugene Meyer &
James Starley who are all in some way cited as the inventors of the bicycle!

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ii

On behalf of the Bike Fort Wayne Task Force, Bike Fort Wayne is a plan to better balance our existing
transportation methods and infrastructure, particularly in accommodation of bikes and pedestrians. The
success of the Fort Wayne and Allen County Trails system has encouraged cyclists to consider and use
alternative transportation and routes for more practical purposes, not just recreation. The Bike Fort Wayne plan
addresses these needs and responds to the increasing community demand for better, safer ways for cyclists to
navigate city streets and county roadways.
The implementation of Bike Fort Wayne is a major first step in making our community more bicycle-friendly
and reducing our dependence on motor vehicles. This is particularly significant as we go into a time of
escalating fuel costs and the wish for alternative transportation and healthier lifestyles.
We are seeing increasing numbers of cyclists commuting to work and school, conducting errands, and
enjoying more recreational cycling. This plan emphasizes this growing level of active transportation and
Complete Street designs that ensure everyone will have the ability to travel safely and efficiently.
Bike Fort Wayne provides a framework for bicycle policy, spanning over the next 10 years. Along with citizen
input, the City of Fort Wayne will become an outstanding bike-friendly community.
As co-chair of the Bike Fort Wayne Task Force, I am impressed with not only the intensity and quality of staff
input, but also the effective manner in which interested citizens have contributed to the development of this
plan. If there is a future role for the Bike Fort Wayne Task Force, I am confident that the task force members are
ready to rally and support the plans we have collectively created.
Sincerely,

iii

Richard Davis
Co-chair, Bike Fort Wayne Task Force
President, Downtown Improvement District
Fort Wayne, Indiana

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THANKS TO:
Bike Fort Wayne Task Force 2009-2010
Dan Avery, Northeast Indiana Regional Coordinating Council
Scott Allen, Northwest Allen Trails
Marty Bender, Fort Wayne Police Department
Jon Bomberger, Greenway Consortium
Bob Boyd, Concordia Lutheran Elementary School
Steve Carr, Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne
Mike Clendenen, New Haven Parks
Jim Coplan, Southwest Allen County Schools
Rich Davis, Downtown Improvement District (Chair)
Andy Downs, Cyclist
Karen Goldner, Fort Wayne Common Council
Tim Hall, Fort Wayne Outfitters
Mitch Harper, Fort Wayne Common Council
Bill Hartman, County Highway
Lisa Hollister, Parkview Trauma Manager
Dennis Holp, Air Quality Task Force
Betsy Kachmar, Citilink
Lori Keys, Aboite New Trails
Ethel Klopfenstein, Cyclist

Paul Lagemann, Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce

Dave Lehman, Three Rivers Velo Sport
Bob Mann, Summit City Bicycles
Vickie Meyer, Lutheran Health Network
Jenny Nash, Cyclist
Ed Reed, Ivy Tech
Sharon Repka, Bike Safety Advocate
Dawn Ritchie, Fort Wayne Greenways Manager
Vince Robinson, Fort Wayne/Allen County CVB
Rick Samek, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Board
Jerry Seifert, Bikes and Boards
Ben Shafer, Indiana Department Of Transportation
Erin Smith, Allen County Public Library
Scott Spaulding, Cyclist
Pat Stelte, Cyclist
Andrew Stout, Indiana Tech
John Surbeck, Cyclist
Eric Toy, University of Saint Francis
Karen Walker, Wayne Township Trustees Office

iv

I thought of that while riding my bike.

Albert Einstein, on the theory of relativity

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1

Introduction

CHAPTER 2

Network

CHAPTER 3 Education & Outreach

CHAPTER 4 Legislation

17

CHAPTER 5

25

Implementation

21

MAPS
Map 1. Popular Destinations
Map 2. Bikeway Network & Rivergreenway Trails
Map 3. Bikeway Facility Types
Map 4. Bikeway Network Priorities
Network Phase I
Network Phase II
Network Phase III

9
10
14
16
29
30
31

APPENDIX
Bike Fort Wayne Timeline
Resources & Acknowledgements
Bicycling Laws
Glossary of Terms
Bike Fort Wayne Adopted Ordinance

33
34
35
39
43

People do not drive cars,

they steer them. People
do not ride bicycles,
they drive them.
A. N. Mouse

PHOTOS and GRAPHICS

All photos, charts, and graphics courtesy of City of Fort Wayne except where noted.

For more information, please visit

cityoffortwayne.org/bike-home

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vi

Bicycles are Transportation

CHAPTER ONE: Introduction

Bike Fort Wayne is a community initiative intended to augment

our transportation system with facilities that encourage bicycling
as a mode of transportation. The prevailing auto-centric roadway
design and the policies that produce it, discourage bicycling
as a form of transportation. Without specific bicycle facilities in
our roadways, people who wish or need to ride a bike are forced
into risky and sometimes dangerous competition for room on
the road. A broad understanding that bicycles have a right to
share the road will help alleviate frustrations by both cyclists and
drivers. The Bike Fort Wayne initiative intends to change roads
and minds in order to improve the option of riding a bike as a
mode of transportation.
Bike Fort Wayne is part of a broader program to shift the
prevailing transportation designs which reflect a myopic focus
on motor vehicles, to include serious options for safe and
convenient access to the places people want to go. Expanding
transportation options with better transit service, consistent
pedestrian access and safe facilities for cyclists is an objective
established by Plan-it Allen!: the Fort Wayne and Allen County
Comprehensive Plan. In this light, Bike Fort Wayne is a tool for
implementation; for making real the future imagined by Fort
Wayne residents.

There is something
uncanny in the noiseless
rush of the cyclist, as he
comes into view, passes
by, and disappears.

www.labreform.org

Popular Science, 1891

Americans are increasingly using their bicycle as their primary

means for transportation to work. This increase has recently
been documented by the League of American Bicyclists in a
report that analyzes data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau.1
According to estimates delivered by the American Community
Survey, bicycle commuting to work increased 36 percent
between 2005 and 2008. The report delivers another important
finding: communities that have invested in bicycle infrastructure
experienced a significantly greater increase in cycling than
others. The strength of this finding is further reinforced by
the fact that the increases occurred in cities where weather
conditions are not always conducive to riding a bike; cities like
Fort Wayne.

1 American Community Survey Bicycle Commuting Trends, 2000 to 2008 League of

American Bicyclists, 2009.

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Purpose of the Plan

Bike Fort Wayne recognizes the distinction between bicycling for

recreation and bicycling for transportation to destinations. Fort
Wayne has a network of multi-use trails that connects many of
the Citys wonderful parks. It provides recreational riders with
facilities that are the envy of other communities and a source of
great local pride. The growing Fort Wayne Trails network provides
a solid foundation upon which to begin the work of balancing
the transportation system. Bike Fort Wayne is organized around
the idea that the solid return on investment in trails can be
repeated with investments in transportation facilities that
encourage people to choose their bike rather than their car.

In the Department of

Transportation, bicyclists
have a full partner in working
toward livable communities.
Were excited that the Federal
Highway Administration is
looking at best practices in
Europe to improve safety
and mobility for walkers and
cyclistsI welcome the vigor
of the bicycling community in
advocating for bike-friendly
measures in the upcoming
authorization bill, CLEAN-TEA.
Bicycles are a critical part of
a cleaner, greener future in
American transportation, so
keep those wheels spinning.

Encouraging residents to ride a bicycle more often has health

benefits as well as economic and environmental advantages.
Bicycling provides an opportunity for routine physical activity
which is increasingly important given that the obesity rate in
Indiana is just over 27 percent.2 While bicycling is by no means
a panacea for any health epidemic, increased physical activity is
recognized as an effective way to reduce the obesity rate, and
mitigate the incidence of Type 2 diabetes.3

~Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation on 3/13/2009

Expanding safe opportunities for cyclists at all levels of

experience is a critical part of the goal. Cyclists are commonly
categorized as advanced, basic and children. Bike Fort Wayne
will accommodate the needs of each group with bikeway
projects, educational programs and policies to keep them safe.
Advanced riders may feel comfortable using all roadways to
reach their destinations; however, the less experienced riders
may be more comfortable on designated routes, or those
roadways with marked bicycle lanes. Bike facilities proposed in
this plan are designed to accommodate the needs of advanced
and basic riders as well as children under adult supervision.
Unaccompanied children are served best by sidewalks and
shared use paths which offer greater protection from traffic
on the roadway.

City of Fort Wayne

The plan also reflects the fact that implementing a shift from the
auto-centric status-quo to a bike safe and bike friendly street
network requires more than new signs, or wider pavement. The
change will also depend on investment in education that will
increase awareness of motorists and cyclists about the meaning
and use of new facilities that are being incorporated into the
roadway. Legislation and policy at the State and local level also
need to be reviewed and modified in order to better support the
overall goal of Bike Fort Wayne.

Bike Fort Wayne is a transportation plan with primary goals

to decrease automobile trips by increasing bicycle trips and
at the same time increasing the safety of everyone using the
transportation system. Increasing bicycle trips has clear benefits
for the transportation system. Making it easier and safer to
use specific roadways for bicycling can reduce the number of
automobiles on the network. This reduction follows the logic
that bicyclists would otherwise be traveling in an automobile.
And based on the pattern of automobile use, there is a good
chance that they would be alone in the car. So, every additional
driver that chooses to ride a bicycle represents one car fewer on
the road. A decline in the number of cars on the road will
reduce congestion and improve the level of service throughout
the system.

From the beginning of this initiative, the City of Fort Wayne

has enlisted the help of the residents that it serves.

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prevalence & Trends Data, 2008.
3 Journal of the American Medical Association, October 1999,
based on a study by the Harvard School of Public Health

The transportation chapter of Plan-it Allen! reflects the trends

for increased cycling in Fort Wayne and Allen County. It also
anticipates growing demand from cyclists for more efficient
routes to nearby destinations. While Plan-it Allen! makes
clear recommendations for incorporating the needs of cyclists
in decisions about investing in the transportation system, it
remains appropriately general given its scope and purpose. Bike
Fort Wayne picks up where Plan-it Allen! left off and provides
specific guidance for increasing the number of bicycle trips safely
negotiated through city streets. This community based plan is
a resource for planners and transportation engineers who make
decisions about improvements to thoroughfares.

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Community Planning Process

The Planning and Policy department formed an exploratory
committee that included members of the Fort Wayne Greenways,
Transportation Engineering, Planning, NIRCC, and the Mayors
Office to examine the need to develop bicycle transportation
infrastructure. Starting in late August 2008, the team used two
surveys to collect information about bicycling preferences of city
residents. The response was overwhelming, with almost 4,000
residents providing data on where they ride, why they ride and
reasons that they might not travel on their bikes (such as comfort
level, traffic, or non-attentive drivers). This survey information
formed the basis for producing the plan. Appendix A provides a
summary of the survey responses.

City of Fort Wayne

This exploratory committee identified six cities that have

experience with developing and implementing bike plans:
South Bend, Bloomington, IN, Indianapolis, Madison, WI,
Milwaukee and Charlotte, NC. Team members interviewed
staff from these communities who coordinate their efforts to
build bicycle infrastructure. During the 90-minute interviews,
the bike coordinators and transportation officials were asked
about their efforts in the bike planning process. The interviews
provided a framework of lessons related to the planning and
implementation of bicycle infrastructure. They reinforced several
ideas including the importance of planning access to specific
destinations, and emphasizing education and outreach as a
vital part of improving cyclist safety. The experience of these
communities provided a foundation upon which the team would
eventually build a plan that addressed infrastructure, education
and legislation.

One of the Bike Fort Wayne goals is to form and identify

a bikeway network throughout the City.

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The high survey response, the lessons from other communities

and the Mayors commitment to improve connectivity
contributed to the shift from exploratory committee to planning
team. While there was solid evidence from the surveys that
people ride their bikes and support investment in more ways
to do so, the team needed more specific information about
desirable destinations. In late March 2009, the city sponsored a
Bike Summit at the Allen County Public Library. At the summit,
participants were asked to describe precisely where they travel
by bike, the places they want to travel, and the roads on which
they enjoy bicycling. The summit also hosted an exhibit hall
where local bicycling organizations, vendors and others were
on hand to explain their roles in encouraging cycling. The event
concluded with rides of five- and thirty-miles; both organized
by a local bicycling club. With over 200 attendees, the event
was a great success. The information collected at the Summit
refined the survey results and set the groundwork for the bicycle
network recommended in this plan.
Shortly after the Summit, Mayor Henry established the Bike
Fort Wayne Task Force; inviting members of city council and
representatives of area schools, hospitals, trails organizations,
bike shops, and others with an interest in bicycling to advise
city staff during the planning process. The task force and
its subcommittees (policy, infrastructure, and outreach)
met several times over the course of a year and discussed
the policy statements that comprise this plan as well as the
recommendations for the bicycle network.

Bike Fort Wayne Goals:

1.) A
 mend Plan-it Allen! with specific policies for improving both
bicycle access to roadways and cyclist safety while riding.
2.) Provide guidance for land use and transportation decisions
in the form of a bikeway network map and bicycle facility
design recommendations.
3.) Increase the number of routine trips made by bicycle
rather than car.
4.) Engage the Fort Wayne community in implementing the
Bike Fort Wayne initiative.

Bikeway Network Goal:

Provide cyclists with safe, efficient transportation

opportunities on streets throughout the city and
connectivity to bicycle infrastructure in
the community.
The Bikeway Network chapter specifies projects that will be
constructed over the course of ten years. The recommendations
comprise a network of on-street and near-street facilities
including bike lanes, paved shoulders and shared-use paths,
which will complement the growing Fort Wayne Trails network.
These projects are prioritized into phases of two, five and ten
years for completion. So, while the plan has a ten year horizon,
improvements will occur in more immediate time frames.
The bikeway network chapter also makes recommendations
regarding facility design and maintenance.

Education & Outreach Goal:

To increase the safety of, and expand support for

the growing number of cyclists in Fort Wayne by
providing education, outreach and the promotion of
the benefits of cycling.

with leadership from various entities in the community. Fort

Wayne has a number of strong agencies and organizations
that advocate for bicycling as a core goal or as an important
component of their mission. The plan will capitalize on their
efforts and expand their impact.

Legislation and Policy Goal:

 o encourage and support legislation and policy

T
adoption at the state and local levels that enables
the implementation of the Bike Fort Wayne Plan.

The attention to local and state regulations and laws pertaining

to bicycles represents another aspect of the policy orientation
of the plan. Changes in laws and policies that define and
promote safe use of roadways will reinforce the project and
program components of this plan. For example, a state law that
requires motorists to give cyclists at least three feet of space
when passing, raises awareness of a safe practice and, since it
is enforceable, can quickly facilitate a desirable shift in motorist
behavior.

City of Fort Wayne

The goals and objectives established in Bike Fort Wayne

represent policies that complement Plan-it Allen! with increased
detail relating to bicycle transportation. The plan was prepared
with the intent that the Fort Wayne Common Council will adopt
the goals and objectives as an amendment to Plan-it Allen!. The
goals and objectives are organized by three topics; the bikeway
network; education and outreach programs; and legislation.
The goal and objectives for each element are presented with
supporting strategies in individual chapters.

Cyclists on the Rivergreenway, Fort Wayne, Indiana

In addition to clarifying the rules for how motorists and cyclists

use the road, local legislation can set rules for how engineers
and planners design a road. The projects recommended in the
bikeway network chapter require varying degrees of retrofitting
existing roadways. A change in design standards can ensure
that future road construction will better accommodate cyclists,
pedestrians, as well as motorists. This concept is commonly
referred to as Complete Streets.

The plan also presents a comprehensive education and outreach

agenda. The programs that emerge from Bike Fort Wayne will
encourage bicycling, inform safer cycling, and promote the
benefits of accommodating cyclists on the road. The strategies
are also geared toward increasing motorist understanding of
their rights and responsibilities with respect to sharing the road
with cyclists. The plan envisions programs that are implemented

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CHAPTER TWO: Network

One of the most important
days of my life was when
I learned to ride a bicycle.

One of the primary goals for Bike Fort Wayne is to increase

the number of trips Fort Wayne residents make by bicycle. In
order to accommodate the growing demand for on-street
cycling, the city will build bikeway facilities that improve and
expand transportation options for cyclists with various levels
of experience. The network of bikeway facilities is designed to
provide improved connectivity to major destinations throughout
the city within a ten year time frame. Local experience and
survey responses provide evidence that people will ride bicycles
more if safe and efficient facilities are available. For example, as
the trail network has grown over the past three decades, so has
its use. The 2008 bike survey suggests that riders will respond the
same way to the development of bike facilities in and along city
streets.
This chapter of the Bike Fort Wayne plan presents the goal,
objectives and strategies related to the physical infrastructure
required to encourage more people to ride their bikes for
transportation. The chapter also presents the network of city
streets that should be modified with additional bicycle facilities.
This bikeway network consists of specific recommendations
for short and long term improvements that will accommodate
cyclists with routes to popular and common destinations
throughout the city. Finally, this chapter presents the method
for prioritizing segments of the bikeway network and a set
of guiding principles and design criteria that should inform
implementation and modification of the bikeway network.

Michael Palin

Goal:

tealoverscorner.ning.com

 rovide cyclists with safe, efficient transportation

P
opportunities on and along streets throughout the
City and connectivity to bicycle infrastructure in the
community.

She who succeeds in gaining the mastery of the

bicycle will gain the mastery of life.

Frances E. Willard

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The bikeway network presented as a part of Bike Fort

Wayne provides designated routes primarily on and along
roadways classified as arterials and collectors. While the
facility recommendations are specific rather than conceptual,
construction of the network needs to move forward with
sufficient flexibility to allow for opportunities and alternatives
that improve the system as a whole. This objective contemplates
a priority assigned to financing and designing street
improvements in the network that accommodate an increase in
bicycle transportation.
Strategy A: Apply the project prioritization map to guide
development of short, mid, and long-range projects.
Strategy B: Monitor transportation investments in Fort Wayne
to identify opportunities to build and expand the bikeway
network.
Strategy C: Formally incorporate review of the Bike Fort Wayne
Plan as part of all land-use decision making and transportation
project development.
Strategy D: Assign City staff to coordinate implementation of
the bikeway network.

The bikeway network represents a system that cyclists can use

to efficiently and safely reach various popular destinations.
Improving access to the network and connections from the
network to nearby destinations is an important way to enhance
its utility. Implementing this objective will involve continued
planning and public outreach as well as close coordination with
local and state transportation agencies and groups representing
cyclists.
Strategy A: Coordinate with other government agencies and
transportation organizations to expand connections to trails and
bike facilities within and adjacent to the City.

Working with

NIRCC to incorporate the bikeway network into the
Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP)

Greenway Consortium, Aboite New Trails, and the
Northwest Allen Trails group to identify and mark good
connections to the network

Citilink to improve Rack & Roll services on routes that
connect to the bikeway network.

City of Fort Wayne

Objective 1:

Build a bikeway network over the next ten years on a

core-grid of major roadways to provide connectivity
throughout the citys four quadrants.

Objective 2:

Develop and expand connectivity between the

bikeway network, multi-use trails, residential
neighborhoods, and the destinations cyclists
wish to reach.

Multi-use trails are part of the strategies being drafted and

implemented in the Bike Fort Wayne plan.

Strategy B: As bikeway network segments are developed,

identify residential street routes that provide good access and
communicate them to residents.
Strategy C: Monitor changes in demand for access to specific
destinations throughout the City and respond to those changes
by modifying the bikeway network and/or adjusting priorities
guiding its development.

City of Fort Wayne

Clearly marked bike routes will thread through the city

to provide an efficient transportation alternative to
automobile traffic.

Objectives and Strategies

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City of Fort Wayne

The plan promotes bikeways that meets cyclists and

motorists needs for safety, efficiency, and comfort.

BIKE FORT WAYNE

Recommended BIKE FACILITIES

Objective 3:

Manage the bikeway network in ways that increase its

utility and value to the community.

Facility design will be evaluated on a project-by-project basis

as the network is constructed. While there are design guides
available from the American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA), decisions should reflect
local expectations for user safety and comfort. Several factors
contribute to making a roadway safe for cyclists. These include
traffic speed and volume, the number of vehicle travel lanes and
their width; the presence of on-street parking and the parking
turn-over rate. Tools such as the Bicycle Compatibility Index (BCI)
provide some insight into how safe riders will feel on Fort Wayne
streets. The BCI is a formula that produces a score between 1
and 5 where 1 would make even the most seasoned commuter
nervous and 5 represents a street where parents might let
unsupervised children ride. Measuring the level of service or
compatibility of a facility for each project application can be a
useful way to ensure that the network is comprised of facilities
that meet cyclist and motorist needs.

Designing and building the bikeway network are vital steps

toward expanding transportation options in Fort Wayne, but
sustainability of the system requires excellent management
practices. This objective is also about adding value beyond the
facilities the City builds into rights-of-way such as encouraging
secure bicycle parking at major destinations and providing
cyclists with information about trip distance and route
planning. Effective management of the bikeway network
requires coordination and commitments by several government
and non-profit agencies including Public Works, Community
Development, Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating
Council, and others.

Strategy A: Establish standards for incorporating bike lanes,

sharrows, wide curb lanes, and multi-use off-road paths into
segments of the bikeway network.

MILES

Strategy B: Determine an acceptable bicycle level of service

or compatibility index for routes that comprise the bikeway
network.
Strategy C: Incorporate creative facilities that resolve cyclist
and motorist conflict at key intersections and complex roadway
configurations.
Bike Sharrows Shared
Lanes
Paths

Objective 4:

Design bikeway facilities that respond to cyclist and

motorist needs for safety, efficiency and comfort.

Strategy A: Routinely review network segments to measure use

and safety. Recommend modifications when the outcomes are
not desirable.
Strategy B: Install local way finding and traffic control signage
to mark network as it is built using the Manual on Uniform Traffic
Control Design as a guide.
Strategy C: Establish maintenance standards and schedules for
constructed segments of the bikeway network.
Strategy D: Develop online and paper maps to assist cyclists in
planning routes using the bikeway network.
Strategy E: Integrate park-and-ride opportunities into the
network.
Strategy F: Provide bike storage at destinations throughout the
network.

Signed Paved
Routes Shoulder

TYPE

You just cant get a better transportation return on your

investment than you get with promoting cycling.

Sam Adams, Mayor, Portland, Oregon

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The Bikeway Network

Designated bike lanes, downtown Fort Wayne, encourage

road sharing and awareness of transportation options to
popular destinations.

City of Fort Wayne

The network of bike facilities presented in this plan is designed

to provide efficient routes to popular destinations throughout
the community as well as connectivity within the network. The
facilities and their locations reflect local public input regarding
preferences for destinations and riding routes combined with
guidance from institutions such as the American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

City of Fort Wayne

City of Fort Wayne

The challenge of designing a useful network is to understand

the destinations cyclists want to reach and the limitations
inherent to the various types of bicycle infrastructure. Local
cyclists helped planners to identify the popular destinations
illustrated in Map 1. The maps on the following pages illustrate
where these destinations are and how the proposed Bikeway
Network will serve them. The second map also shows how the
Bikeway Network complements existing trails and plans for
other improvements.

The network is designed to provide efficient routes to popular

destinations as well as connectivity within the network.

Collaborative efforts among public transit and commuters

encourage biking and help complete the networks accessibility.

Life is like riding a bicycle: you dont fall off

unless you stop pedaling.

Claude Pepper

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10

For more information, please visit cityoffortwayne.org/bike-home

In order to guide bikeway facility planning and design the Bike

Fort Wayne Task Force adopted the following guiding principles
and design criteria; which are intended to further influence the
development of the network.

Guiding principles:

sheknows.com/parenting/articles/800997

Bike Fort Wayne is an comprehensive plan that identifies key

principles of development, inclusion, safety and connectivity.

11

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O
 pen to innovation: The plan for a bikeway network
describes the best locations for bicycle facilities and the
most appropriate type of facility considering the location
and character of the roadway. The bikeway network
presented in this plan reflects the best information
available during the planning process. It is conceivable
that during the course of its 10-year implementation,
facility design improvements or guidance for their
application will change. It is important that the City
of Fort Wayne maintain the flexibility necessary to
accommodate improved design and to modify the
recommendations in an effort to improve safety and
efficiency within the network.
Community-based planning: The bike facilities plan
is a community-based plan developed with a significant
amount of meaningful public input. The community of
riders and drivers will continue to shape the plan as it is
implemented and revised beyond its ten-year planning
horizon.
Serve all rider types: The bike facilities plan will serve a
broad spectrum of cyclists needs, skill levels and comfort
zones. Bike riders represent variety in skill and experience,
from children and novice riders to seasoned experts.
Creating and expanding safe riding opportunities for all
types of riders is an important way to encourage more
riding and increased rider confidence; both of which will
increase the number of bike trips that replace vehicle trips.
Balance motorists interests: In addition to design
considerations that focus on rider confidence, bikeways
should also be designed to increase driver confidence as
it relates to operating a vehicle on a roadway shared by
cyclists.

C
 omplement trail investment: The bikeway network
will complement existing and planned expansion of
the local trail networks. The Fort Wayne Trails Network
provides popular places to ride recreationally and have
increased local interest in bicycling for fitness as well as
commuting. Integrating a bikeway network with the local
trails network will increase the value of both systems.

Design criteria:

S
 afety: Accommodating bicycle and motor vehicle use
of roadways demands a high and primary emphasis on
safety for all users. Collisions will happen despite the
most thoughtful and deliberate design but the objective
remains; plan and design for safety first. To that end,
contextual consideration for elements including crash
data, traffic volume, traffic speed, and other characteristics
of the riding/driving environment will be incorporated
into planning and design. Design safety also implies an
emphasis on resolving hazards created by physical and
environmental conditions on a bikeway.
Destinations: Through public outreach, the City has
identified many destinations that riders would like to
access more efficiently and safely. Survey results provide
insight on the categories of destinations including
employment centers, parks, retail centers, schools and
others. The 200+ participants in the 2009 Bike Summit
described several specific destinations that they currently
ride to and would like to ride to when the facilities are in
place.
Connectivity: The City has an excellent and growing
network of multi-use trails that provide for recreational
riding, access to parks, and limited access to specific
destinations identified by the public. A bikeway
network must capitalize on opportunities to improve
connectivity with the existing and planned expansion
of the local multi-use trail network. In addition to
facilitating increased safety for cyclists, the City intends to
improve conditions for pedestrian access throughout the
community. Consideration should be given to improving

This plan presents a network of bikeway facilities (Map 3, page14)

that are designed to improve access to destinations people wish
to visit. These bikeway facilities are intended to complement
the existing active transportation facilities including sidewalks
and the growing multi-use trail network. While this plan does
not specifically recommend greenway or sidewalk construction
as bikeway facilities, the plan does recognize the value of
these facilities with regard to fostering an increase in active
transportation.
In order to provide efficient access to destinations, the bikeway
network is primarily designed on roadways that are classified as
collectors and arterials. These roads are designed to carry higher
traffic volume over longer distances than the local roads that
wind through residential neighborhoods. One of the challenges
of improving access is to create an advantage to riding on the
network rather than on roads that are not part of the network.
There are several ways to accommodate bicyclists on existing
roadways; each with its own set of limitations to provide safe
space to share the road with motorists. These different facilities
also have advantages and disadvantages with respect to serving
different rider groups and being applied to different roadway
design and use characteristics. The facilities recommended in
this plan are:

City of Fort Wayne

Bikeway Facilities

Bikeway facilities are intended to improve accessibility

and safety for cyclists through the use of shared lanes,
designated bike lanes, sharrows, and paths.

Shared travel lanes: These are travel lanes shared by

motorists and cyclists. Within the bikeway network, lanes
designated as shared vehicle lanes will be right-edge lanes
or the lane closest to the curb, or edge of pavement. Shared
vehicle lanes follow three designs in the bikeway network.
The first is to mark the route with signage only. This is
suitable in low traffic volume and low speed situations.
Sharrow pavement markings provide cyclists and motorists
with guidance as to where cyclists should be in the lane
and increase safety in situations where road use is a little
more intense and includes on street parking. Wide outer
lanes provide cyclists and motorists room to pass without
requiring the motorist to move outside of the travel lane.

both pedestrian and bicycle access where the needs and

facilities lines up. Finally, connectivity to transit service
lines is also a valuable location consideration for bicycle
facilities.
Flexible design: There are many ways to accommodate
cyclists who want to commute or ride recreationally.
The bikeway network will be comprised of a variety
of bicycle facilities in and beyond the roadway. These
facilities include; paved shoulders, bike lanes, sharrow
pavement markings, shared roadway signage, and
off-road multi-use paths. Corridors within the Bikeway
Network may be comprised of a variety of facilities that
safely accommodate riders. Design flexibility implies
that facilities may change over time as resources and/
or conditions warrant change. Design flexibility also
contemplates consideration for differences presented by
the urban versus suburban context.
Aesthetics: Bicycle facilities should exhibit good form,
consistent themes, and attractive design. This includes
investing in unique branding and incorporating iconic
color and design into signs, pavement marking, and bike
racks.
Existing infrastructure: The feasibility of safely
incorporating bicycles into existing roadway will depend
on details including pavement width, lane configuration
and purpose, shoulder and/or curb conditions. Design of
bike facilities should change as roadway improvements
present opportunities for increased safety and efficiency.
Population demographics: The bike way network will
be designed to serve population centers with safe and
efficient means to minimize vehicle trips by riding a bike.
Population demographics will provide insight as to the
potential trip volume generated by bicycle facilities, and
the demand for bikeways. Demographic information
including population density, access to vehicles, and
household income will help to guide both prioritization
for developing bikeways and the best option among
various bicycle facilities.

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A lane that is 14 feet wide together with the sharrow

pavement marking is an ideal treatment for roadways where
volume and speed do not indicate complete separation
from the travel lane.
Bike Lanes: Bike lanes are 5 - 6 foot lanes in the roadway
and adjacent to motor-vehicle travel lanes. The lanes
are marked with signage, striping and other pavement
markings and designate preferential or exclusive use for
bicycles.

City of Fort Wayne

 Paved Shoulders: A paved shoulder that is 4 wide or

greater provides a distinct space for cyclists to ride outside
of the vehicle travel lane. A wide paved shoulder can
provide a similar level of service as a bike lane or a space for
cyclists to move comfortably out of a travel lane when being
passed by other vehicles. Paved shoulders are only marked
with bike route signage and the edge striping that defines
the vehicle travel lane.
Multi-use pathways and streets encourage cycling,
walking and motor traffic .

Sidewalks: Sidewalks have a limited capacity to serve both

pedestrians and cyclists, however cyclists are permitted to
use sidewalks and in some cases they represent the safest
option for bicycle transportation. Sidewalks often represent
the best option for young children riding independently to
destinations near home like schools, parks and libraries.
In addition to the most commonly used bike facilities there is a
trend for experimentation and innovation in areas with higher
ridership rates and greater accommodation by the driving public.
While these innovations are not recommended for the bikeway
network at the time this plan is being published, transportation
planners and engineers should remain fluent in the evolving
designs of bicycle facilities and incorporate good solutions as
they become available and as Fort Wayne is ready for them.

Cyclist Errors

Graphs: floridabicycle.org

Motorist Errors

Shared Use Paths: A trail located within the public

thoroughfare that is physically separated from motorized
vehicular traffic by an open space or barrier. A shared use
path provides cyclists and pedestrians with dedicated
space beyond the roadway. These paths are typically 10
feet wide or greater, and may be used by pedestrians,
people in wheelchairs, and other non-motorized modes
of movement. Their alignment with and proximity to
roadways distinguishes these paths from bike trails which
more often follow scenic routes and utility easements.

Right Hook

13

Left Cross

Drive Out

Passing-on-the-Right
Hook

Left Cross in the

Blind Spot

Door Prize

Pothole Plunge

14

For more information, please visit cityoffortwayne.org/bike-home

bikeandroll.com

Photo: Bike and Roll. | Many short trips are made easier and
more efficiently by bicycle than automobile.

Cyclist Categories

Time Frame

The guiding principles set a standard for meeting the needs

of riders with different levels of experience and comfort in the
roadway. The network provides facilities that have varying
capacities to serve riders depending on their skill and comfort.
Transportation designers commonly categorize cyclists using the
Federal Highway Administration ABC system when considering
the utility of different bicycle facilities and their context.

Bike Fort Wayne recommends a schedule for building the

network through 2020. These recommendations are intended
to provide guidance during the ten-year planning horizon
and should be implemented with flexibility to respond to
opportunities for improving corridors in the network ahead of
schedule and with facilities that can better serve the broadest
group of cyclists.

Advanced or experienced riders are comfortable riding in a

wide range of traffic conditions provided there is enough space
for motorists to pass them without forcing a significant shift in
position. Riders in this category will ride on the street as if they
are a motor vehicle and do not require special facilities to meet
their routine commuting needs. While Advanced riders are the
smallest segment of bicyclists overall, they represent the majority
of cyclists using major roadways for transportation.

In order to guide construction of the network, the corridors and

road segments are prioritized into three categories that reflect
timeframes for completing the segments of the network (Map 4,
page 16). Segments with the highest priority will be constructed
in the first three years, second priority projects should be
implemented within the first seven years, and third priority
segments should be finished within ten years. The priorities
reflect the following four criteria:

Basic bicyclist is the category that represents the majority of all

adult riders. They are recreational or casual adult and teenage

riders with less experience operating a bicycle in the roadway.
When Basic riders use streets for bicycle transportation they look
for designated facilities that provide comfortable distance from
motor vehicles or neighborhood streets with low traffic speed
and volume. Basic riders represent the greatest potential for
growth in bicycle transportation trips.

Children represent another large segment of the bicycle riding

public. While many young children are introduced to riding in
the road under the supervision of an adult, older children use
bikes for transportation independent of such supervision. Their
trips are relatively short and often limited to neighborhood
streets. Bicycle facilities that provide a clearly defined space
for riders in the roadway are good tools for introducing older
children to more advanced riding without encouraging them to
ride in the travel lanes of higher speed roadways.

Cyclists fare best when

they act and are treated
as drivers of vehicles.

15

John Forester

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T
 rip generation: the relationship of a corridor to a
popular destination and the estimated capacity of the
destination to generate trips.
Ease of implementation: the relative ease by which a
corridor or segment can be built.
Public importance: the average score derived by a
survey of Task Force members
Connectivity: the degree to which a corridor is
connected to other corridors in the proposed network
and to other bicycle infrastructure (existing and planned)

As a guide for implementing the bikeway network, the

prioritized segments will help maintain progress according
to a schedule that the community endorses. The Bikeway
Network represents an ambitious goal considering the time
frame and the uncertainty regarding future resources. As with
many mid- and long-term plans, successful implementation
should not be defined simply by checking off segments within
each time period. Rather, it should be measured by a balanced
consideration for the number of segments built, growth in
community engagement, and the persistence of City
staff together with the community to work on
completing the Network.

16

For more information, please visit cityoffortwayne.org/bike-home

CHAPTER THREE:
Education & Outreach
City of Fort Wayne

Education programs should be expanded throughout the

community as a way of changing the behaviors of all road
users to improve safety. Existing bicycle education programs in
other cities are designed to improve cyclists ability to operate
with traffic, as well as improving the predictability of cyclists
and motorists. For bicycling to be seriously considered as a
transportation mode, the accessibility, feasibility and benefits
of cycling should be widely publicized. Outreach programs
can influence individuals to ride a bike instead of driving an
automobile.

Many short trips are made easier and more efficiently by

bicycle than automobile.

Bicycling is a big part of the future.

It has to be. Theres something
wrong with a society that drives a
car to workout in a gym.

Bill Nye, the Science Guy

17

The existing Indiana Code provides cyclists all of the same rights
and duties as motor vehicle operators. This means that not only
are cyclists permitted on roads, they must also abide by the same
rules and regulations as vehicles. Most conflicts between cyclists
and motorists on our roadways are caused by users that dont
understand, or do not follow the traffic rules and regulations set
forth by state and local laws. Bicyclists currently share the road
with vehicles; and as the City of Fort Wayne invests in bicycling
infrastructure, even more cyclists will be traveling alongside
motorists. The mindset of motorists and cyclists amicably sharing
the road will change over time; as more cyclists take to the
streets replacing their automobiles for shorter trips. Shifting the
behaviors of both motorists and cyclists will require education
tailored to the needs of all skill levels (Advanced, Basic, and
Children).

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It is important to recognize that there is substantial overlap

between bicycle education, and bicycle outreach. The primary
distinction is that bicycle outreach focuses on appealing
messages and incentives to attract people to the benefits
of bicycling. By contrast, the education element will provide
individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to safely
operate a bicycle on the road. Education programs will also
focus on changing behavior among motorists in order to
improve their ability to share the road. When bicyclists and
motorists understand that bicycling is welcome and encouraged
in our community, behaviors will change.

Objectives and Strategies

Objective 1:

Promote bicycling as a form of transportation

throughout the City of Fort Wayne, to increase the
number of bike commuters.
Bike Fort Wayne is a transportation initiative, so it makes sense
that the first objective for outreach is to initiate a campaign
that will change how people think of biking as a mode of
transportation. The task is to expand appreciation for bicycles
beyond the notion that they are exclusively for recreation.
As bicycles are increasingly perceived as an efficient form of
transportation, the number of commuting cyclists will rise.
Reminding motorists that their bicycles represent a good
transportation choice for relatively short trips (fewer than
three miles) is an important component of this objective. The
following strategies offer action steps to achieve this objective.
Strategy A: Develop an information campaign that promotes
bike-to-work, bike-to-shop, bike-to-school, and bike-to-fun. The
campaign should incorporate information about the efficiency,
and ease of commuting as well as the health and environmental
benefits of cycling.
Strategy B: Work with employers to implement incentive
programs, including the new federal tax credit, which
encourages employees to commute to work by bike.

Strategy D: Increase community awareness of reliable bike

security practices in order to increase commuter confidence
and reduce bicycle theft. This should coordinate with efforts to
expand the availability of permanent and temporary bike storage
facilities (racks, lockers, corrals etc.)
Strategy E: Develop and distribute a Bike Fort Wayne Map and
update it as routes are expanded and marked. Promote this maps
availability on the Citys web site.

Objective 2:

Develop and implement a communication strategy

that supports implementation of the Bike Fort
Wayne Plan.

bikecommutetips.blogspot.com

To increase the safety of, and expand support for

the growing number of cyclists in Fort Wayne by
providing education, outreach and the promotion of
the benefits of cycling.

Strategy C: Work with community partners and local media to

produce events throughout the riding season that encourage
first-time bike commuters and destinations that are accessible
by bike. Subsequently measure, track and promote increases in
bicycle commuting.

A marketing plan that provides a strategic approach for reaching

targeted audiences with specific messages and information
will be a valuable tool for implementing the Bike Fort Wayne
initiative. The variety of educational efforts intended to ensure
that new bicycle facilities are used appropriately by cyclists
and respected by motorists are as important as the facilities
themselves. The strategy should include some fundamental
components that contribute consistency and brand recognition
to the Bike Fort Wayne initiative. There are generic but important
messages like share the road that should to be reinforced in a
communications strategy. However, the communication strategy
should not be a static document; rather it should be adjusted
as implementation moves forward. In order to reach the target
populations served, the strategy should identify many different
messaging outlets and include information in appropriate
languages.

We arent blocking traffic; we are traffic.

Bike safety and community education is

essential to the success of the plan.

Anonymous

Goal:

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Strategy A: Maintain and update the Bike Fort Wayne web site
as a clearinghouse for bicycle transportation information.
Strategy B: Create a distinct visual identity for Bike Fort Wayne
for use in print and online communication.
Strategy C: Communicate education and outreach messages
through the creative use of various resources including City utility
mailing, the Citys fleet of motor vehicles, public access television,
parks and recreation resources, and the City of Fort Wayne Public
Information Office.
Strategy D: Utilize radio, print, and television to increase
awareness of additional cyclists on all streets in Fort Wayne.

Objective 3:

Inform the driving public concerning the laws and

etiquette for sharing the road and train them to safely
interact with cyclists.

19

Decades of design that focused on the needs of motorist

without accommodation for other modes of transportation has
fostered a situation in which cyclists are too often treated like
unwelcome guests on our streets. This happens despite the fact
that bicycles have a right to be on the street as a matter of law.
The most frequently issued complaint of cyclists who ride on
local streets is the occasional mistreatment by motorists. The
dangerous attitude of some drivers combined with the confusion
on the part of others is a situation that needs to be reversed. An
aggressive and well coordinated campaign that explains the
rights of motorists and cyclists is necessary in order to change
the behavior of the driving public.

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Strategy A: Work with cycling and automobile organizations to

develop publications that detail cyclists and drivers rights and
responsibilities for sharing the road effectively. Initiate efforts to
have additional Share the Road information for drivers in the
Bureau of Motor Vehicles Indiana Drivers Handbook.
Strategy B: Develop a marketing campaign to specifically
inform all users, including commercial vehicle drivers (i.e. delivery
trucks, buses) about sharing the road with cyclists. Include
language about not parking in bike lanes also. Recommend
messaging program aimed at areas where motor vehicles
assemble (i.e. gas stations, parking garages) to remind drivers
about cyclists on the roads.
Strategy C: Update and train public safety personnel from City/
County agencies regarding future updates to local and state
ordinances to ensure consistent interpretation and enforcement
of bike laws; and employ comprehensive periods of enforcement
to complement marketing efforts.
Strategy D: Enlist a campaign using signage with Share the
Road messaging and support Share the Road events to increase
awareness; and teach drivers how to interact with cyclists and
bicycle infrastructure.
Strategy E: Work with traffic courts and driver education
organizations (public and private) to inform the need for sharing
the road with cyclists.

Objective 5:

Promote the use of helmets and other specialized

equipment to improve safety and visibility.

Bicycle safety information should be provided at our area

schools, as well as implementing bike-safety instruction at local
public safety agencies. Simply knowing how to ride a bike is not
the same as knowing how to bike safely and legally.
Having an established relationship with law enforcement, area
stakeholders, and the general public will ensure that established
rules and safe methods of riding a bike will be promoted
throughout the community.

Despite the clear and what should be convincing data regarding

the effectiveness of bicycle helmets, many people across the
United States (children included) do not wear bicycle helmets.
There are several health and educational programs that provide
affordable helmets and fitting assistance as a way to promote
safe bicycling. These programs should be expanded to include
a focus on improving visibility of cyclists by motorists. Visibility
is an important safety consideration for daytime and nighttime
cycling. Bright, reflective clothing and lights make it easier for
motorists to see cyclists.

Strategy A: The City should work with community partners

such as schools, local bicycling advocacy groups, service clubs
and others, to support implementation of bicycle education
programs.
Strategy B: The City of Fort Wayne Police Department should
partner with community service organizations to continue to
support Safety Village, Bike Rodeos, and other initiatives which
educate children and youth about bike safety and etiquette.
Strategy C: The City should continue to host the annual
Bike Summit to promote cycling as an alternative mode of
transportation that has enumerable benefits.
Strategy D: Bicycle training instruction certification classes
should be promoted.

crime-prevention.icreate3.esolutionsgroup.ca

Strategy A: Expand on existing helmet programs to include

lights, reflectors and other basic safety equipment and promote
the use of reflective clothing for cycling at all times.
Strategy B: Create ways to increase helmet use that will target
specific audiences, especially children and evaluate the current
effectiveness of programming and helmet campaigns.
Strategy C: Explore policy and legislation revisions regarding
existing helmet laws. Review existing bicycle-related crash data.

City of Fort Wayne

Objective 4:

Improve and expand educational programs

for cyclists safety.

Strategy D: Work with parents and schools in the community to

influence school-aged children to wear helmets at all times.

Collaboration between public safety personnel, public

officials, and the public will increase education and safety
awareness for cyclists of all ages and abilities.

The advantages? Exercise, no parking problems, gas prices, its

fun. An automobile is expensive. You have to find a place to park
and its not fun. So why not ride a bicycle? I recommend it.
Stephen G. Breyer, U.S. Supreme Court Justice when ask why he rides a bike.

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CHAPTER FOUR: Legislation

Local, State and Federal policies provide a framework for creating

a safe transportation system that accommodates multiple mode
options. These policies define how thoroughfares should be
designed and they establish priorities for funding improvements
that can accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. When local
laws and policies do not support the vision of the community,
the laws should be changed. And when they do support
the vision, those laws and policies must be enforced and
implemented. At the local level, the Mayor, Fort Wayne Common
Council and the local Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
are the prominent government entities that establish policy
recommendations and approve budgets that can include bike
infrastructure improvements. This chapter identifies several
policy changes that local leaders should pursue as a way to
further support the use of bicycles as a mode of transportation.

City of Fort Wayne

Funding the physical and programmatic recommendations

in this plan will largely be a function of two things: access to
transportation resources created by federal legislation, and the
will to include recommendations from this plan in local budget
decisions. Federal legislation is increasingly focused on multimodal transportation. This federal emphasis on balancing
transportation options is, to varying degrees embraced at
the state and local level. The degree to which transportation
planners and engineers are familiar with the intent of various
federal transportation funding streams will dictate their success
with implementing this plan. The Transportation Enhancement
program (TE) the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
improvement program (CMAQ) are examples of two federal
programs that align closely with the goals and objectives of
Bike Fort Wayne. In addition to these specific programs and
the funding they provide, the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) issued the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Guidance
which clearly supports Bike Fort Wayne:

A pair of cyclists stop for rest at Lakeside Park, Fort Wayne. The
plan is intended to link street routes with popular destinations
and the Rivergreenway.

When I see an adult on a bicycle,

I do not despair or the future of
the human race.

21

H.G. Wells

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1. C
 ongress clearly intends for bicyclists and pedestrians
to have safe, convenient access to the transportation
system and sees every transportation improvement as an
opportunity to enhance the safety and convenience of
the two modes.

2.  Due consideration of bicycle and pedestrian needs

should include, at a minimum, a presumption that
bicyclists and pedestrians will be accommodated in the
design of new and improved transportation facilities.

3. T o varying extents, bicyclists and pedestrians will be

present on all highways and transportation facilities
where they are permitted and it is clearly the intent of
TEA-21 that all new and improved transportation facilities
be planned, designed and constructed with this fact in
mind.
4. The decision not to accommodate (bicyclists and
pedestrians) should be the exception rather than the rule.
There must be exceptional circumstances for denying
bicycle and pedestrian access either by prohibition or
by designing highways that are incompatible with safe,
convenient walking and bicycling.

Goal:

To encourage and support legislation and policy

adoption at state and local levels that supports
bicycles as a form of transportation in cooperation
with vehicular infrastructure.

Objectives and Strategies

Objective 1:

Encourage updates to existing Indiana Code and

encourage state and regional support in alignment
with the Goals and Objectives of the Bike Fort
Wayne Plan.

Without dedicated state support, many of the recommendations

in this plan will be difficult to achieve. Lobbying for state and
regional funding is essential to meeting the goals in this plan.
Strategy A: Monitor and provide input regarding legislation on
the state and local levels as it pertains to the Bike Fort Wayne Plan.
Strategy B: Advocate apportioning funds for current and
future transportation projects that include non-motorized
vehicle transportation infrastructure to the Indiana Department
of Transportation and the Northeastern Indiana Regional
Coordinating Council.

Making it easier for

children to walk and bike
to school safely plays an
important role in helping
them lead healthier lives.

Strategy C: Urge State of Indiana elected and appointed

officials to promote revisions to Indiana Code in alignment with
the Bike Fort Wayne Plan.

Jamie Bussel
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Objective 2:

Encourage the development and adoption of local

bicycle laws and policies that address the rights and
responsibilities of bicyclists, incorporate current
best practices and support bicycling as a form of
transportation.
The current Fort Wayne City Code that addresses cycling is
somewhat outdated and obsolete. A comprehensive review and
update of the ordinances as they pertain to bicycling should be
undertaken by City Departments, including but not limited to
Transportation Engineering, Planning and Zoning, Public Safety
and Right of Way. The focus should be to encourage cycling and
ensure cyclists safety on our roadways.

David Hembrow

Incorporating bicycle infrastructure and facility into

neighborhoods and business districts, particularly with
relationship to popular destinations, is a core element
of the plan.

Specific laws should address the rights and responsibilities of

cyclists and motor vehicles, for specific legislation can ensure
safer accommodations for cyclists. An example of legislation that
has been touted by sixteen states and many cities is the
three foot law which asserts that vehicles, which have the room
in the-right-of-way, are required to have three (3) feet between
themselves and the bicycle(s) they are passing.

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22

Strategy A: Encourage local trail organizations to explore the

feasibility of walk on left policies including signage for shared
use paths.

Organizations & Associations that

support Complete Streets include:
AARP
Active Transportation Alliance
America Bikes
America Walks
American College of Sports Medicine
American Council of the Blind
American Institute of Architects
American Planning Association
American Public Health Association
Association of Pedestrian and
Bicycle Professionals
Bikes Belong
Campaign to End Obesity
City of Boulder
Healthcare Leadership Council
Environmental Defense Fund
Friends of the Earth
Humana League of American Bicyclists
National Association of City and
County Health Officials
National Association of REALTORS
National Coalition for Promoting
Physical Activity
National Recreation and Parks Association
Natural Resources Defense Council
Paralyzed Veterans of America
Partnership for Prevention
Prevention Institute
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Sacramento Air Quality
Management District
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Smart Growth America
Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity
Environments
Transportation For America
Trust for Americas Health
U.S. Conference of Mayors
YMCA of the USA

Strategy B: Create a study committee to review Chapter 74

(Bicycles; Toy Vehicles) of Fort Waynes City Code and recommend
deletions, additions and modifications including a sunset
provision to encourage regular updates.
Strategy C: Create a study committee to explore the feasibility
of alternative traffic regulations such as rolling stops for cyclists.

Any time vehicles share the road with bicycles, or pedestrians for
that matter, there has to be a reasonable amount of compromise.
Having specific laws for those who indeed share the road must
be honored by all users. Cyclists must abide by, and practice the
same rules of the road as motor vehicles.
Strategy A: Include law enforcement representatives on all
study committees.
Strategy B: Include enforcement provisions in all regulations,
laws, standards, and policies that affect cycling.

Courtesy of www.completestreets.org

Billboard from 2010 Bike Safety campaign,

sponsored by Parkview Trauma Center and
the Ronald G. Repka Foundation.

23

Objective 3:

Ensure enforcement of laws and regulations related to

bicycles and bicycle safety, so that both vehicles and
cyclists continue to make sharing the road safer.

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Objective 4:

Promote the development and adoption of a

Complete Streets policy. Complete streets are
designed and operated to enable safe access for all
users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit
riders of all ages and abilities must be able to safely
move along and across a complete street.
Bicycle and pedestrian ways should be given full consideration
in the planning and development of transportation facilities,
including the incorporation of such ways into state, regional,
and local transportation plans and programs. A complete streets
policy can ensure this consideration. Not only will a complete
streets policy make non-vehicular transportation safer, it will also
compliment existing infrastructure to be more user-friendly.
Strategy A: Gather input from the community and area
stakeholders, including residential and commercial developers
and bicyclists, to ensure that infrastructure safely connects users
with destinations.
Strategy B: Coordinate with the City of Fort Waynes
Comprehensive Sidewalk Connectivity Plan in the development
and adoption of a Complete Streets policy.

Objective 5:

Ensure the Citys development regulations

incorporate and expand requirements and incentives
for the inclusion of bicycle infrastructure and
facilities.
While Objective 4 points out that cyclists needs should be
considered in transportation projects, bike infrastructure and
amenities should also be integrated into the City of Fort Waynes
Zoning Code. Incorporation of bike facilities in development and
site plans will not only provide accessibility and connectivity to
current bike infrastructure, but will strengthen the entire bike
network.
Strategy A: Recommend amendments to the City of Fort
Waynes Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 157 of City Code) to
introduce requirements for on-site bicycle parking and the
provision of bicycle infrastructure on roadways and driving lanes
for new commercial and residential development projects.

Objective 6:

Incorporate bicycle infrastructure and facility needs

into neighborhood and other sub area plans.
Neighborhood and corridor plans are among the plans that
the Department of Planning and Policy develops to enhance
economic development and build strong neighborhoods.
Planners should ensure the recommendations in Bike Fort
Wayne align with the goals and objectives in future planning
documents.
Strategy A: Review neighborhood plans to include possible
connectivity between schools, retail centers, employment
centers, and other neighborhoods.
Strategy B: Review existing and proposed corridor plans to
determine if bike infrastructure is needed, or can be developed
during the construction phase.

City of Fort Wayne

Strategy B: Recommend amendments to the City of Fort

Waynes Subdivision Control Ordinance (Chapter 155 of City
Code) to introduce requirements for bicycle infrastructure on
roadways in and adjacent to new subdivisions in accordance
with an adopted complete streets policy.

One component of the Bike Fort Wayne plan incorporates

sufficient bike racks for security and support of cycling as a
routine form of transportation.

City of Fort Wayne

Strategy C: Incentivize development of public bikeways on or

through private residential and commercial developments.

Bikes tethered at designated racks at Parkview Field in

downtown Fort Wayne.

I suppose that was what attracted me to the bicycle right from the start.
It is not so much a way of getting somewhere as it is a setting for
randomness; it makes every journey an unorganized tour.

Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles

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CHAPTER FIVE:
Implementation
Nothing compares to
the simple pleasure of
a bike ride.

25

John F. Kennedy

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The coordinated and persistent actions of the City and its

partners are vital to the Bike Fort Wayne initiative. The plan can
deliver a bicycle friendly city only if the community implements
its recommendations. The approach to implementing this
plan includes four basic components; a commitment of staff
time; interdepartmental coordination; public engagement; and
funding. The City is going to lead implementation by dedicating
human and financial resources to the strategies laid-out in the
plan. Staff assignments will reflect the priority of the plan and
will ensure that the strategies are acted on deliberately rather
than time permitting. Despite the fact that the City does not
have a bicycle program manager, the commitment of staff
time to implementing the plans strategies will represent the
equivalent of a single person working on the plan full-time. Staff
assignments will also be distributed across departments of the
city in order to increase impact by utilizing a variety of skill sets
and experience. Just as the plan emerged through a coordinated
effort among city and county departments, implementation
will reflect active involvement across departments. The Bike
Fort Wayne plan reflects a great deal of public involvement; it
is the peoples plan and successful implementation depends,
in-part, on continued community engagement and support
from the private sector. The citys partner organizations and the
public have important roles in assuming responsibility for some
strategies, as well as advocating for continuous investment in
the plan. Finally, the priority to implement the plan must be
reflected in the Citys budget for capital improvements. The city
and its partners will most successfully secure funding for the plan
if local resources are dedicated to its implementation. The final
chapter of this plan outlines specific implementation strategies,
assignments and schedules.

 Bicycle and pedestrian projects are broadly eligible for

funding from almost all the major Federal-aid highway,
transit, safety, and other programs. Bicycle projects must
be principally for transportation, rather than recreation,
purposes and must be designed and located pursuant to
the transportation plans required of States and Metropolitan
Planning Organizations.

National Highway System funds may be used to construct
bicycle transportation facilities and pedestrian walkways
on land adjacent to any highway on the National Highway
System, including Interstate highways. 23 USC Section 217
(b)

Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds may be
used for either the construction of bicycle transportation
facilities and pedestrian walkways, or non-construction
projects (such as maps, brochures, and public service
announcements) related to safe bicycle use and walking.
TEA-21 added the modification of public sidewalks to
comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act as an
activity that is specifically eligible for the use of these funds.
23 USC Section 217 (a)

Begin with the end in mind.

City of Fort Wayne

The following narrative has been reproduced directly from The

United States Code on the Federal Highway Administrations web
site. The sections are noted at the end of the paragraphs from
where they originated.

Ten percent of each States annual STP funds are set-aside

for Transportation Enhancement Activities (TEAs). The law
provides a specific list of activities that are eligible TEAs
and this includes provision of facilities for pedestrians
and bicycles, provision of safety and educational activities
for pedestrians and bicyclists, and the preservation of
abandoned railway corridors (including the conversion and
use thereof for pedestrian and bicycle trails). 23 USC Section
109 (a)(35)

Another 10 percent of each States STP funds is set-aside
for the Hazard Elimination and Railway-Highway Crossing
programs, which address bicycle and pedestrian safety
issues. Each State is required to implement a Hazard
Elimination Program to identify and correct locations
which may constitute a danger to motorists, bicyclists, and
pedestrians. Funds may be used for activities including
a survey of hazardous locations and for projects on any
publicly owned bicycle or pedestrian pathway or trail, or any
safety-related traffic calming measure. Improvements to
railway-highway crossings shall take into account bicycle
safety. 23 USC Section 152

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement
Program funds may be used for either the construction of
bicycle transportation facilities and pedestrian walkways,
or non-construction projects (such as maps, brochures, and
public service announcements) related to safe bicycle use. 23
USC Section 217 (a)

A key element for success is corporate buy-in to provide

employees with adequate, well-maintained, accessible, and
safe bike facilities.

Stephen R. Covey

Funding For Projects

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 Recreational Trails Program funds may be used for all kinds

of trail projects. Of the funds apportioned to a State, 30
percent must be used for motorized trail uses, 30 percent for
non-motorized trail uses, and 40 percent for diverse trail uses
(any combination). 23 USC Section 206

Provisions for pedestrians and bicyclists are eligible under
the various categories of the Federal Lands Highway
Program in conjunction with roads, highways, and
parkways. Priority for funding projects is determined by the
appropriate Federal Land Agency or Tribal government. 23
USC Section 204

City of Fort Wayne

National Scenic Byways Program funds may be used

for construction along a scenic byway of a facility for
pedestrians and bicyclists. 23 USC Section 162 (c)(4)
Job Access and Reverse Commute Grants are available to
support projects, including bicycle-related services, designed
to transport welfare recipients and eligible low-income
individuals to and from employment. TEA-21 Section 3037

High Priority Projects and Designated Transportation
Enhancement Activities identified by Section 1602 of TEA-21
include numerous bicycle, pedestrian, trail, and traffic calming
projects in communities throughout the country.

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Bike lanes in the street near the Allen County Public Library
in downtown Fort Wayne.

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Title 49 U.S.C. (as amended by TEA-21) allows the Urbanized

Area Formula Grants, Capital Investment Grants and Loans,
and Formula Program for Other than Urbanized Area transit
funds to be used for improving bicycle and pedestrian
access to transit facilities and vehicles. Eligible activities
include investments in pedestrian and bicycle access to a
mass transportation facility that establishes or enhances
coordination between mass transportation and other
transportation. 49 USC Section 5307
TEA-21 also created a Transit Enhancement Activity program
with a one percent set-aside of Urbanized Area Formula
Grant funds designated for, among other things, pedestrian
access and walkways, and bicycle access, including bicycle
storage facilities and installing equipment for transporting
bicycles on mass transportation vehicles. 49 USC Section
5307(k)
Pedestrian and bicyclist safety remain priority areas for
State and Community Highway Safety Grants funded by the
Section 402 formula grant program. A State is eligible for
these grants by submitting a Performance plan (establishing
goals and performance measures for improving highway
safety) and a Highway Safety Plan (describing activities to
achieve those goals). 23 USC Section 402

Research, development, demonstrations and training to
improve highway safety (including bicycle and pedestrian
safety) is carried out under the Highway Safety Research and
Development (Section 403) program. 23 USC Section 403

In general, the Federal share of the costs of transportation

projects is 80 percent with a 20 percent State or local match.
However, there are a number of exceptions to this rule.

F ederal Lands Highway projects and Section 402 Highway

Safety funds are 100 percent Federally funded.
Bicycle-related Transit Enhancement Activities are 95
percent Federally funded.
Hazard elimination projects are 90 percent Federally
funded. Bicycle-related transit projects (other than
Transit Enhancement Activities) may be up to 90 percent
Federally funded.
Individual Transportation Enhancement Activity projects
under the STP can have a match higher or lower than
80 percent. However, the overall Federal share of each
States Transportation Enhancement Program must be 80
percent.
States with higher percentages of Federal Lands have
higher Federal shares calculated in proportion to their
percentage of Federal lands.
The State and/or local funds used to match Federal-aid
highway projects may include in-kind contributions (such
as donations). Funds from other Federal programs may
also be used to match Transportation Enhancement,
Scenic Byways, and Recreational Trails program funds. A
Federal agency project sponsor may provide matching
funds to Recreational Trails funds provided the Federal
share does not exceed 95 percent.

Bicycling and walking are important elements of an integrated,

intermodal transportation system. Constructing sidewalks,
installing bicycle parking at transit, teaching children to ride
and walk safely, installing curb cuts and ramps for wheelchairs,
striping bike lanes and building trails all contribute to the
national transportation goals of safety, mobility, economic
growth and trade, enhancement of communities and the natural
environment.
All of these activities and many more are eligible for funding
as part of the Federal-aid Highway Program. Federal legislation
clearly confirms the place of bicycling and walking in the
mainstream of transportation decision-making at the State and
local level and enables communities to encourage more people
to bicycle and walk safely.

The plans includes the installation of clearly identifiable bike

security racks utilizing existing parking meters to encourage
biking as viable, safe transportation.

The State of Indiana has also received Transportation Investment

Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants as part of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). There are also
private foundations and individuals across the state that may
provide funding for a variety of projects relating to bicycling.
On a local level, financing for bicycle (and pedestrian)
infrastructure may be available through property taxes, local
income taxes (CEDIT, COIT), in-kind donations, and private
funding through matching grants with assistance from both the
federal and state levels.

If constellations had been named in the 20th century,

I suppose we would see bicycles.
Carl Sagan

Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) can also be used

to refurbish sidewalks in a pedestrian or bikeway, install bike
lanes, and develop cultural bike paths and pedestrian ways.

City of Fort Wayne

Federal/State Matching Requirements

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29

30

For more information, please visit cityoffortwayne.org/bike-home

31

Amount of space required to transport the same number of passengers by car, bus, or bicycle.
(Poster in City of Muenster Planning Office, August 2001)

For more information, please visit

cityoffortwayne.org/bike-home

If 78 individuals each drove separately, the combined congestion and environmental impact is far greater than if they collectively travel by mass transit;
yet by comparison, the same group of individuals can travel by bicycle to their specific destinations with greater ease and substantially less carbon footprint!

Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.

Charles M. Schulz

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Bike Fort Wayne Timeline

March 2007
City of Fort Wayne Common Council adopts Plan-it Allen!!!
Comprehensive Plan. Need for bike infrastructure projected.

APPENDIX

February 2008
Fort Wayne Trails is formed to expand existing off-road trail
system in Fort Wayne.
May 2008
Dan Burden, the nations most recognized expert on alternative
transportation methods visits Fort Wayne.
June 2008
Internal Bike Group formed with City staff and area MPO
representative. This group met weekly.
August 2008
Internal group formulated survey instrument to collect data from
residents regarding bicycle use.
October 2008
Online surveys as well as utility bill inserts were collected with
over 4,000 responses.
November 2008
Mayor Henry proposes a Bike Fort Wayne Task Force be formed
due to overwhelming response of surveys.
December 2008
Internal group interviews six U.S. cities that have bike
plans/infrastructure in place. Citywide bike summit in the
spring is planned.

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March 2009
Bike Summit held at Allen County Public Library, over 200 attend.
Mayor announces bike lane pilot projects downtown.

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Resources & Acknowledgements

May 2009
Bike to Work Day is sponsored by the City.
June 2009
Bike Rack Grant Program is explored. Signs and way-finding
designs are considered for bike routes.
July 2009
Summit data is produced, web site design underway.
September to October 2009
Downtown bike lanes construction begins. Bike Rack Grant
Program begins; over 100 racks installed.
December 2009
Final elements of Bike Fort Wayne collected with support
from Task Force.
March 2010
Seven-mile Reed Road Bike Route completed.
April 2010
Bike Brochure produced with safety, benefits, and tips
for commuting.
May 2010
Bike To Work event held again, as was Second Annual
Bike Summit.
June 2010
Bike Fort Wayne Plan completed, introduced to legislative
bodies and adopted.

The following municipalities were vital in the preparation of

this plan. We recognize them, and their employees for assisting
us in the process:
City of South Bend, Indiana
City of Madison, Wisconsin
City of Bloomington, Indiana
City of West Lafayette, Indiana
City of Lansing, Michigan
City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
City of Charlotte, North Carolina
City of Chicago, Illinois
City of Indianapolis, Indiana
City of Austin, Texas
City of Portland, Oregon
City of San Francisco, California
City of Seattle, Washington
City of Davis, California
City of Cambridge, Massachusetts
City of Boulder, Colorado

crime-prevention.icreate3.esolutionsgroup.ca

April 2009
Task Force meets for the first time, and continues to meet
on monthly basis.

The following organizations web sites were helpful in the

preparation of this plan with open information, models, ideas,
and suggestions:
Planetizen
planetizen.com
The Walkable and Livable Communities Institute walklive.org
Active Living Resource Center
activelivingresources.org
Street Films
streetfilms.org
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center pedbikeinfo.org
Active Transportation Alliance
activetrans.org
Bike For All
bikeforall.net
bikewalk.org
National Center For Bicycling & Walking
Alliance For Biking & Walking peoplepoweredmovement.org
Congress For The New Urbanism
cnu.org
Bikes Belong
bikesbelong.org
International Bicycle Fund
bike.org
Community Safety Series
be-safe.org

December 2010
Bike Fort Wayne Plan published as one section of the City of Fort
Waynes Active Transportation Initiative.

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The following federal, state, and local agencies, the

documents they have produced, and employees affiliated with
them, have significantly assisted us in the technical aspects of
our planning process:
United States Department of Transportation (USDOT)
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA)
Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council (NIRCC)
Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC)
American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO)
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUCTD)
Allen County, Indiana, Department of Health
Allen County, Indiana, Highway Department
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

35

The following non-profits and bicycle, transportation,

planning, and health-related organizations that kept us
committed and focused:
Bicycle Indiana
The Ronald G. Repka Foundation
Transportation Alternatives, New York City
Bike Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
League of American Bicyclists
National Bike League
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
Journal of the American Medical Association
American Planning Association
Indiana Planning Association
National Complete Streets Coalition
Parkview Hospital Trauma Center

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Bicycling Laws
INDIANA CODE
IC 9-21-11-1 Parents and guardians; authorizing or
permitting violation of chapter; bicycles; application of
chapter
Sec. 1.  (a) The parent of a child and the guardian of a
protected person may not authorize or knowingly
permit the child or protected person to violate this
chapter.
(b) Subject to the exceptions stated, the provisions
of this chapter applicable to bicycles apply
whenever a bicycle is operated upon a highway or
a path set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. As
added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.
IC 9-21-11-2 Roadways; rights and duties
Sec. 2. A person riding a bicycle upon a roadway has all
the rights and duties under this article that are
applicable to a person who drives a vehicle, except
the following:

(1) Special regulations of this article.
(2) Those provisions of this article that by their
nature have no application.

As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.
IC 9-21-11-3 Operation; seats; passengers
Sec. 3. (a) A person propelling a bicycle may not:
(1) ride other than upon the permanent and
regular seat attached to the bicycle; or
 (2) carry any other person upon the bicycle who
is not seated upon a firmly attached and regular
seat on the bicycle.
(b) A person may not ride upon a bicycle unless
seated under this section.

As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.
IC 9-21-11-4 Number of passengers
Sec. 4. A bicycle may not be used to carry more persons at
one (1) time than the number for which the bicycle
is designed and equipped. As added by P.L.2-1991,
SEC.9.

iStock.com

IC 9-21-11-10 Brakes
Sec. 10. A bicycle must be equipped with a brake that will
enable the person who operates the bicycle to
make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean
pavement. As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.
IC 9-21-11-11 Highways; regulations and requirements
Sec. 11. A person who operates a bicycle upon a highway
shall observe the regulations and requirements of
this article. As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.
IC 9-21-11-12 Motorized bicycles; prohibitions on
operation; conditions
Sec. 12.  A motorized bicycle may not be operated under
any of the following conditions:
(1) By a person less than fifteen (15) years of
age.
(2) By a person who has not obtained an
identification card under IC 9-24, a permit
under IC 9-24, an operators license under IC
9-24, a chauffeurs license under IC 9-24, or a
public passenger chauffeurs license under IC
9-24.

(3) On an interstate highway or a sidewalk.
(4) At a speed greater than twenty-five (25)
miles per hour. As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9
IC 9-21-11-13 Persons under 18 years of age; operation of
motorized bicycle; safety equipment
Sec. 13. A person less than eighteen (18) years of age who
operates or rides a motorized bicycle on a street or
highway shall do the following:
(1) Wear protective headgear meeting the
minimum standards set by the bureau or a helmet
that meets the standards established by the
United States Department of Transportation under
49 CFR 571.218 in effect January 1, 1979.
(2) Wear protective glasses, goggles, or a
transparent face shield.
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.
IC 9-21-11-14 Violations; Class C infraction
Sec. 14. A person who violates this chapter commits a Class
C infraction.

As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.

IC 9-21-11-5 Attachment to street car or vehicle;

prohibition
Sec. 5. A person upon a bicycle, a coaster, roller skates, or a
toy vehicle may not attach the bicycle, coaster, roller
skates, or toy vehicle or the person to a street car
or vehicle upon a roadway. As added by P.L.2-1991,
SEC.9.
IC 9-21-11-6 Lane use restrictions; riding two abreast
Sec. 6. A person riding a bicycle upon a roadway may not
ride more than two (2) abreast except on paths or
parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of
bicycles. As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.
IC 9-21-11-7 Packages, bundles, or other articles
preventing proper use of handlebars
Sec. 7. A person who rides a bicycle may not carry a
package, a bundle, or an article that prevents
the person from keeping both hands upon the
handlebars.
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.
IC 9-21-11-8 Bell or other audible signaling devices; sirens;
whistles
Sec. 8. A person may not ride a bicycle unless the bicycle
is equipped with a bell or other device capable of
giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one
hundred (100) feet. A bicycle may not be equipped
with and a person may not use upon a bicycle a
siren or whistle. As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.
IC 9-21-11-9 Lamps and reflectors
Sec. 9. A bicycle operated on a highway from one-half (1/2)
hour after sunset until one-half (1/2) hour before
sunrise must be equipped with the following:
(1) A lamp on the front exhibiting a white
light visible from a distance of at least five
hundred (500) feet to the front.
(2) A lamp on the rear exhibiting a red light
visible from a distance of five hundred (500)
feet to the rear or a red reflector visible from
a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the
rear. As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.

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FORT WAYNE ORDINANCE (CODE)

GENERAL PROVISIONS
74.01 EDUCATION CAMPAIGN FOR BICYCLE RIDERS.
The Chief of Police, or an officer assigned such responsibility,
shall develop and supervise activities designed to promote
better bicycle riding habits, knowledge and observance of traffic
regulations by bicycle riders and other activities which increase
the safe operation of bicycles on the city streets.
(74 Code, 17-109) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85)
74.02 ALTERATION OF MANUFACTURERS SERIAL
NUMBERS.
It shall be unlawful to destroy, remove, alter, cover or deface the
manufacturers serial number of any bicycle. It shall be unlawful
for any person to own or have custody of a bicycle, the original
manufacturers serial number of which has been destroyed,
removed, altered, covered or defaced.
(74 Code, 17-109) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85)

LICENSING

37

74.15 LICENSE ENCOURAGED.

The City Board of Public Safety encourages residents to license
their bicycles with the city.
Many bicycles are stolen each year. Many of the unrecovered
bicycles are auctioned off because the Police Department is
unable to identify the owners. The licensing of bicycles will
provide a data base that will help identify the owners of the
bicycles so that they may be returned to their owner.
(Ord. G-02-99, passed 1-26-99)

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74.16 APPLICATION FOR LICENSE.

(A) Application for a bicycle license and license plate or decal
shall be made upon a form provided by the city, shall be
accompanied by reasonable proof of ownership and shall be
made to the Fire or Police Departments.
(B) The fee for a bicycle license and license plate or decal shall be
$2, of which $1 will be deposited in the City General Fund and $1
will be deposited in the Fort Wayne Safety Village/Survive Alive
House General Trust Fund account. If the Safety Village/Survive
Alive account is no longer in existence that portion shall be
deposited in the City General Fund.
(74 Code, 17-103) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85; Am. Ord.
G-02-99, passed 1-26-99)
74.17 ISSUANCE OF LICENSE; RECORDS.
(A) The Fire or Police Departments, upon receiving proper
application therefore, is
authorized to issue a bicycle license. If physical proof of
ownership is not available, the application must indicate so.
(B) The Fire or Police Departments shall not issue a license for
any bicycle when they know or have reasonable grounds to
believe that the applicant is not the owner of or entitled to the
possession of such bicycle.
(C) The Police Department shall keep a record of the number
of each license, the date issued, the name and address of the
person to whom issued and the number on the frame of the
bicycle for which issued, and shall provide a copy thereof to the
Chief of Police.
(74 Code, 17-104) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85; Am. Ord.
G-02-99, passed 1-26-99)
74.18 RENEWAL OF LICENSES.
Renewal of licenses is not required. If a license is destroyed, the
same may be renewed upon application for the same as the
original application.
(74 Code, 17-106) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85; Am. Ord.
G-02-99, passed 1-26-99)

OPERATION OF BICYCLES
74.35 SPEED TO BE REASONABLE AND PRUDENT TO
SURROUNDING CONDITIONS.
No person shall operate a bicycle at a speed greater than is
reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing.
(74 Code, 17-112) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85)
74.36 EMERGING FROM ALLEYS OR DRIVEWAYS.
The operator of a bicycle emerging from an alley, driveway or
building shall, upon approaching a sidewalk or the sidewalk
area extending across any alleyway, yield the right-of way to all
pedestrians approaching on such sidewalk or sidewalk area, and
upon entering the roadway shall yield the right-of-way to all
vehicles approaching on such roadway.
(74 Code, 17-113) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85)

74.37 PARKING OF BICYCLES.

No person shall park a bicycle upon the traveled portion of the
street. Bicycles may be parked only upon the sidewalk area in a
rack provided to support the bicycle, against a building or in such
manner as to afford the least obstruction to pedestrian traffic.
(74 Code, 17-114) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85)
74.38 RIDING ON SIDEWALKS.
(A) No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a
business district.
(B) Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk,
such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and
shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing such
pedestrian.
(C) No person shall operate a moped or motorized bicycle on any
sidewalk or other path designed for the primary use of bicycles.
(74 Code, 17-111) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85)

TOY VEHICLES
74.50 USE OF COASTERS, ROLLER SKATES AND SIMILAR
DEVICES RESTRICTED.
No person upon roller skates, riding in or by means of any
coaster or toy vehicle, except licensed bicycles when operated
in accordance with this chapter, or similar devices, shall go upon
any roadway except while crossing a street or a crosswalk, and
when so crossing, such person shall be granted all of the rights
and shall be subject to all the duties applicable to pedestrians.
This section shall not apply upon any street while set aside as a
play street as authorized by this chapter.
(74 Code, 17-17) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85)
74.99 PENALTY.
(A) Every person convicted of a violation of any provision of this
chapter, where another penalty is not expressly provided, shall be
punished by a fine of not less than $5 and not more than $100.
(74 Code, 17-116) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85)
(B) Every person convicted of a violation of 74.50 shall be guilty
of a class C infraction.

74.19 TRANSFERENCE OF LICENSES.

Upon the sale or other transfer of a licensed bicycle, the licensee
shall remove the license plate or decal.
(74 Code, 17-107) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85)
74.20 INSPECTION OF BICYCLE.
The Chief of Police, or officers of the police department assigned
such responsibility by him, shall inspect each bicycle before
the same is licensed; the City Police shall refuse a license for
any bicycle which the Chief of Police determines is in unsafe
mechanical condition or not equipped in accordance with this
chapter.
(74 Code, 17-108) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85)
74.21 LICENSE PLATE OR DECAL TO BE ATTACHED TO
BICYCLE.
(A) The Fire or Police Departments, upon issuing a bicycle license,
also shall issue a license plate or decal bearing the license
number assigned to the bicycle, and the name of the city.
(B) The Fire or Police Departments shall cause such license plate
or decal to be attached to the bicycle in such position as to be
plainly visible.
(C) No person shall remove a license plate or decal from a bicycle
during the period for which issued, except upon a transfer of
ownership or in the event the bicycle is dismantled and no
longer operated upon any street in this city.
(74 Code, 17-105) (Ord. S-185-85, passed 10-8-85; Am. Ord.
G-02-99, passed 1-26-99)

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Glossary of Terms

39

labreform.org

Accessibility: The quality of providing access and capability to

people with physical limitations, incorporating the Accessibility
Guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADAAG).
Active Transportation Initiative: A comprehensive city
initiative that embodies the Bike Fort Wayne, Walk Fort Wayne
and Fort Wayne Trails plans, which promote sustainable forms
of transportation through bicycling, walking and convenient
accessibility to public transportation.
American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO): A national non-profit and nonpartisan
association, responsible for developing and publishing
recognized transportation-related standards and guidelines
and best practices, used on the national, state and local levels.
Its Mission is to advocate transportation-related policies and to
provide technical services to support states in their efforts to
efficiently and safely move people and goods. Its primary goal
is to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an
integrated national transportation system.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Civil rights legislation,
effective in July 1992, covering accessibility for individuals with
physical limitations in public places, especially as it relates to
community transportation infrastructure, including crosswalks,
signalization, sidewalks, intersection ramps, etc.
Best Practices: The procedures, policies, methods, or guidelines
that have been analyzed and shown in practice, to be effective.
Bicycle or Bike: Every vehicle propelled solely by human power
upon which any person may ride, having two tandem wheels,
except scooters and similar devices. The term bicycle also
includes three and four-wheeled human-powered vehicles, but
not tricycles for children.
Bicycle Lane or Bike Lane: A portion of a roadway which has
been designated by striping, signing and pavement markings for
the preferential or exclusive use of bicyclists.
Bicycle Facilities-A general term denoting improvements
and provisions made by public agencies to accommodate or
encourage bicycling, including parking and storage facilities, and

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shared roadways not specifically designated for bicycle use.

Bike Fort Wayne: A ten year, action-oriented plan that promotes
a safe and bikable community by producing policies, projects
and programs that support bicycling as a form of active
transportation.
Bicycle Path or Bike Path: See Shared Use Path.
Bike Parking/Storage: Racks, lockers, or other ways to store or
park bicycles for short or long term that is secure and convenient.
Bicycle Route System: A system of bikeways designated by the
jurisdiction having authority with appropriate directional and
informational route markers, with or without specific bicycle
route numbers. Bike routes should establish a continuous
routing, but may be a combination of any and all types of
bikeways.
Bikeway: A generic term for any road, street, path or way
which in some manner is specifically designated for bicycle
travel, regardless of whether such facilities are designated for
the exclusive use of bicycles or are to be shared with other
transportation modes.
City of Fort Wayne Capital Improvement Program (CIP):
A five year plan, updated annually, which identifies capital
improvement projects and equipment purchases for the City,
and provides planning schedules, including the identification of
options for financing the plan.
Complete Streets: Highways, streets or roads that are designed
and operated to enable safe, comfortable and convenient access
along and across the traveled way for all users, including, but not
limited to, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit users of all
ages and abilities
Comprehensive Plan: A document that guides the way an
area should be developed. It includes a compilation of policy
statements, goals, standards, maps and pertinent data relative
to the past, present, and future trends of a particular area
of the County including, but not limited to, its population,
housing, economics, social patterns, land use, water resources,
transportation facilities, and public facilities. Plan-it Allen!, drafted

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD):

A national standard, approved by the Federal Highway
Administration, for placement and selection of all traffic control
devices on or adjacent to all streets and highways open to public
travel.
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO): A federally
required intergovernmental transportation body, established
in all metropolitan areas with a population greater than 50,000.
The MPO is responsible for the Regional Transportation Program
(RTP) and the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), which are
necessary prerequisites for the receipt of federal transportation
funding. In Fort Wayne, the Northeastern Indiana Regional
Coordinating Council serves as the MPO.
Mid-block Crosswalks: The portion of a roadway, designated
for pedestrian crossing, which is located in the middle of a block
where no intersecting streets occur; depending on site location
and conditions, mid-block crossings should include appropriate
traffic control devices, such as signs, signals, refuge islands or
pavement markings.
Mobility: The ability to move people, including those with
physical limitations, from place to place.
Mode of Transportation: A general term for various types
and means of moving people and goods from one place to
another. (Via automobiles, walking, biking, trains, buses, planes,
wheelchairs, watercraft, etc.)
Multi-modal: An environment or system which has a variety of
transportation options available for any trip, such as being able to
walk, ride a bicycle, take a bus, or drive to a certain destination.
Multi-use Trail/Path: A trail that is physically separated from
motorized vehicular traffic by an open space or barrier. It is either
within a public thoroughfare or within an independent right of
way. It permits more than one user group at a time (hiker, runner,
bicyclist, etc.). May also be referred to as a multi-purpose trail/
path.
Northeast Indiana Regional Coordinating Council (NIRCC):
Fort Waynes regional MPO.

and approved under the 500 series of IC 36-7-4, serves as the

Allen County / Fort Wayne Comprehensive Plan.
Connectivity: Within the urban and suburban transportation
fabric, the ability to easily and efficiently link all modes of
transportation, including pedestrian, to one another; the ability
to access necessary and desirable destinations via various modes
of transport.
Crosswalk: Portion of a roadway designated for pedestrian
crossing, marked or unmarked. At an intersection, unmarked
crosswalks are the natural extension of the shoulder, curb line or
sidewalk.
Easement: Authorization by a property owner for the use by
another, and for a specified purpose, of a designated part of his
or her property
Fort Wayne Trails: The designated active, non-motorized
transportation system in Fort Wayne, Indiana consisting of trails,
paths, multi-use trails, shared-use paths, greenways and rails-totrails.
Geographic Information System (GIS): An organized collection
of computer hardware, software and geographic data designed
to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze
and digitally display all forms of geographically referenced
information.
Greenway: A trail within a linear open space established
along a natural corridor, such as a river, stream, ridgeline,
former transportation corridor, or other route for conservation,
recreation, and/or active transportation purposes. Greenways can
connect parks, nature preserves, cultural facilities, and historic
sites with business and residential areas.
Infrastructure: The utilities and basic services, such as roads,
signs, street lights and sewers, essential for the development,
operation, and growth of a city. In context, it may mean, bike
lanes, bike racks, signage, etc.
Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE): Founded in
1930, an international educational and scientific association of
transportation professionals, responsible for addressing and
meeting mobility and safety needs.

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Path (Pathway): A temporary or permanent area typically

indicating the common route taken by pedestrians either within
or between locations; also commonly considered a soft surface,
low-use intensity pedestrian facility.
Pedestrian: A person traveling on foot, in a wheelchair, on
skates, skateboard, or walking a bicycle.
Pedestrian Safety Facilities: Designed and built infrastructure
provided for the benefit and encouragement of pedestrian travel,
including walkways, crosswalks, signs, signals, illumination and
benches.
Rails-to-Trails: A method of converting former railroad rightsof-way to trails. Trails resulting from this conversion tend to be
relatively straight and flat with gentle grades and very gradual
turns (if any), and often result in some very long point-to-point
trails.
Right-of-Way: A general term denoting land, property or
interest therein, dedicated for public use, usually in a strip of land
acquired for or devoted to the construction of a highway, road,
street or alley that typically includes the travelled way, shoulders,
roadsides, auxiliary lanes, medians, border areas, park strips,
sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and frontage roads.
Right of Way: The right of a vehicle or pedestrian to proceed in a
lawful manner in preference to another vehicle or pedestrian.
Roadway: The portion of the thoroughfare, including shoulders,
intended primarily for vehicular use.
Rural Designed Thoroughfare: A thoroughfare that is generally
uncurbed, has side drainage swales and has wide safety clear
zones along its length. In addition to their rural locations, rural
designed thoroughfares can occur in urban and suburban areas
and often serve as arterial, collector and local streets with speed
limits well under the 50+ mph design speeds of true rural roads.
They are referred to as Rural Roads in this report.
Shared-Use Path: A trail that is physically separated from
motorized vehicular traffic by an open space or barrier and is
within a public thoroughfare. Shared-use paths may be used
by pedestrians, skaters, wheelchair users, joggers, bicyclists,
skateboarders and other non-motorized users.

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Shared Roadway: A roadway which is open to both bicycle and

motor vehicle travel. This may be an existing roadway, street with
wide curb lanes, or road with paved shoulders.
Sharrow: In Shared Roadway, the lanes have special arrow
markings within to help alert cars to take caution and allow
cyclists to safely travel in these lanes when striping is not
possible.
Shoulder: The portion of the roadway contiguous with the
traveled way for accommodation of stopped vehicles, for
emergency use and for lateral support of sub-base, base and
surface courses.
Sidewalk: The portion of the thoroughfare right-of-way,
designed for and used primarily by pedestrians, typically
constructed of a five foot wide concrete passageway.
Signed Shared Roadway: (Signed Bike Route) A shared roadway
which has been designated by signing as a preferred route for
bicycle use.
Street, Arterial: A public street that provides high volume travel
between major destination points or serves the major centers of
activity. An arterial street primarily serves through traffic, as well
as carries most of the trips entering and leaving an urban area.
As a secondary function, an arterial street provides access to
abutting properties.
Street, Collector: A public street that provides moderate volume
traffic circulation and property access. The street distributes
trips from arterials through the area to local streets or final
destinations. The system also links neighborhoods or other areas
of land use with arterials.
Street, Local: A public street which provides for low volume
traffic circulation and direct access to abutting properties. Local
streets are intended for short trips which feed collector and
arterial streets and make through traffic movement inconvenient.
Street, Private: An improved area other than a driveway or
public alley, which is located on private property, used primarily
for purposes of vehicular travel, which has not been legally
dedicated or otherwise accepted as a public right-of-way by an
appropriate governmental entity.

Urban Transportation Advisory Boards (UTAB): An

intergovernmental policy board, established and administered by
the Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council (NIRCC),
which reviews, makes recommendations, and makes decisions
on transportation plans, projects and issues within the Fort
Wayne-New Haven-Allen County Metropolitan Planning Area,
with a membership composed of representatives from State and
local governments involved with, and responsible for various
transportation activities.
Vehicle: Any physical device in which, or upon or by which any
person or property is or may be transported or drawn along a
roadway, including vehicles that are self-propelled or powered by
any means.
Walk Fort Wayne: A ten year, action-oriented plan that
promotes a safe and walkable community by providing policy
direction to decision makers and prioritizing the installation of
new pedestrian facilities along major roadways that provide
connectivity to key destinations.

labreform.org

Thoroughfare: A general term denoting a public way for

purposes of vehicular travel, including the entire area within the
right-of-way.
Trail: A designated route on land with public access for
recreation and/or active transportation purposes such as
walking, jogging, hiking, skating and/or bicycling. Unless
otherwise identified by signage, equestrian and motorized
use is prohibited on the trail and adjacent to the trail, with the
exception of motorized wheelchairs, maintenance vehicles and
emergency vehicles. Trails are generally designed to incorporate
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility guidelines.
Traveled Way: The portion of the roadway for the movement of
vehicles, exclusive of shoulders.
Trails Fort Wayne: A ten year, action-oriented plan that serves
as a guide for enhancing non-motorized transportation facilities
and preserving the natural, cultural and historic resources within
the city of Fort Wayne. The purpose of this plan is to develop an
interconnected system of greenway/trail corridors throughout
Allen County.
Urban Designed Thoroughfare: A thoroughfare that occurs in
urban areas and towns where development patterns demand
dense urban development adjacent to the thoroughfare. Such
conditions are generally characterized as having curbs, storm
drainage managed into inlets and pipes, sidewalks, landscape
(tree) strips, street lighting and other amenities to accommodate
adjacent dense human activity. These conditions are more often
understood as city or town streets with design speeds less than
45 mph. They are referred to as Urban Roads in the Walk Fort
Wayne plan.

Bicycles are almost as good as guitars for meeting girls.

Bob Weir, Grateful Dead

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FORT WAYNE
ORDINANCE

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COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
AMENDMENT

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For more information, please visit cityoffortwayne.org/bike-home

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2010 City of Fort Wayne, Indiana