Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/791958
Introduc on to the 5 E's Cary has been recognized as a Bronze level Walk Friendly Community (WFC) for its staff resources devoted to non-motorized travel, extensive trails system, downtown streetscape project, connec vity ordinance, and sidewalk request program. The WFC program is a na onal ini a ve intended to encourage communi es across the country to improve the local pedestrian environment and to recognize communi es who are successfully doing this. A WFC provides safe accommoda on for walking and encourages its residents to walk for transporta on and recrea on. The WFC program is administered by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Informa on Center (PBIC). Cary has also been recognized as a Bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) for its policies to engineer streets with the considera on of bicyclists, educa on classes and campaigns, enforcement efforts for bicycle-related laws, and bicycle planning. The BFC campaign is an award program that recognizes municipali es that ac vely support bicycling ac vi es and safety. A BFC provides safe accommoda on for bicycling and encourages its residents to bicycle for transporta on and recrea on. The program is administered through the League of American Bicyclists. The WFC and BFC programs recommend a mul faceted approach to bicycle and pedestrian planning based on five categories o en referred to as the Five E's: Engineering, Educa on, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evalua on & Planning. The Engineering category refers to infrastructure-related elements, such as sidewalks, ADA accommoda ons, pedestrian ameni es, etc. The other four E's refer to non-infrastructure efforts, such as pedestrian safety campaigns, walking events, media campaigns, etc. Research has shown that a comprehensive approach to non-motorized modes of travel is more effec ve than a singular approach that would address infrastructure issues only. Cary uses the 5 E's framework for bicycle and pedestrian planning. A snapshot of the non-infrastructure four E's is provided below: • Educa on – Distribu ng informa on about exis ng facili es and rules of the road, and building skills and confidence for alterna ve modes • Encouragement – Crea ng a strong bicycling and pedestrian culture that welcomes and supports these modes • Enforcement – Encouraging cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians to recognize and respect each other's rights on the roadway • Evalua on & Planning – Planning for walking and biking modes as safe and viable transporta on op ons and tracking progress against this goal Specific recommenda ons, within all 5 E's, to further promote walking and bicycling in Cary in the short and long term, are provided in the Act chapter. Programs Sidewalks Sidewalks are facili es designed primarily for pedestrians and located adjacent to the roadway. Sidewalks are typically concrete and should be 5 feet in width at minimum and wider in areas with higher user volume. Grass buffers and trees between the sidewalk and street offer addi onal protec on and comfort to pedestrians on higher order roadways. The Town of Cary's Land Use Plan provides detailed guidance for sidewalk placement based on development context and roadway characteris cs. CHAPTER 7:MOVE 232