• Includes Grover, Fairview and Osmond

Work continues on a Lincoln County Transportation plan with the latest meeting focused on walking and bicycle routes for the Upper Valley area in Star Valley.

Thomas McMurtry, from Avenue Consultants has been hosting a series of meetings in the county, all focused on developing an overall transportation plan.

“We’ve been working on the Upper Valley Transportation Alternative  Plan,” he said of the latest work with the plan. “We’ve  been looking at how to accommodate bicycles and pedestrians better throughout the Star Valley area. It includes Grover, Fairview and Osmond, and the areas down to Smoot.”

This part of the plan calls for a trail system. “The things that we’ve been looking at is where we need trails and some sidewalks or some crossings — things to make pedestrians and bicyclists feel safer when they’re getting around the community, as well as to provide kind of these key connections,” McMurtry explained. “Some of the routes that we’ve been looking at is to include a trail all along west of the airport, as well as connecting the schools, specifically, the high school that’s on Swift Creek and the middle school.”

He added, “All of those corridors, we’ve identified for new trails. And the trails that we’re planning are about a 10 or 12-foot paved paths next to the road; similar to what we already have in a couple of places, like on 89, from the Kodiak.”

He also referenced a paved walking and bike route leading to Afton Elementary as another example.

“It’s just a paved trail adjacent to the roadway where people can walk and bike safely,” he said.

McMurty noted the creation of similar trails recently in Pinedale, Rock Springs and Casper.

“They’re putting more of these off-road corridors, separated, safe, comfortable trails that families can walk on, parents can push strollers and walk dogs, and really, you know, get out there and enjoy the outdoors within their community,” he said.

McMurtry advised the communities and counties will decide how the routes are maintained with each season.

Summarizing the focus on trails, he said, “We identified 81 miles of potential trails, and then 16 miles of that was prioritized as, having the best benefit and the most urgent.”

McMurty indicated the new housing development in the area of the Star Valley Middle School and High School will include plans for pathways.

He directed people to review the work at: www.uppervalleytap.com/