City of Gastonia Comprehensive Bicycle Plan
The Gastonia City Council approved a Comprehensive Bicycle Plan presented at its June 20 meeting. The Comprehensive Bicycle Plan will be funded through a NCDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning Initiatives grant received in 2020. The Plan was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was put back on track for completion this year. It will build on the City’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan and will identify and prioritize projects, policies and programs that will improve biking in the City.
A substantial portion of Gastonia residents lack transportation access. Strategic planning and prioritizing bicycle infrastructure and programming will help the City meet that critical need. Citywide, around 7% of households in Gastonia do not have a vehicle.
A public survey asked community members about their biking behavior, where they like to bike, and what barriers keep them from biking. The survey also asked about biking destinations in Gastonia and what bicycle facility types the City should prioritize. The survey had 137 respondents and was open for comment from May 6 to June 7, 2021.
This plan provides support for these City’s goals:
- Support future redevelopment areas with quality bicycle infrastructure.
- Increase connectivity in the greenway system.
- Provide safe and comfortable non-automobile transportation options between and within neighborhoods.
Some key highlights of the plan:
- Expands existing greenway networks and current bike lanes.
- Provides roadway connections to greenways.
- Converting roads or adding new roads to adequately and safely accommodate riders.
- Revising and updating a myriad of policies, ordinances, and procedures related to biking accommodations, traffic and biker awareness.
View the full plan here.
