1972 Bicycle Path Plan

The 1970 Campus Development Plan called for developing and maintaining green space while simplifying vehicle and pedestrian circulation patterns at Western Michigan University. Tied into this was the need to deal with bicycle traffic on the campus roads and sidewalks.

Before the 1990s and the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, few roadways were equipped with curb cuts or bicycle-friendly berms. When road travel is inconvenient or unavailable, bicycle traffic usually winds up on sidewalks, with an obvious potential for collisions and ill-will.

The Preliminary Bicycle Path Study by Robert O'Boyle and Associates lays out parameters for dealing with bicycle and pedestrian safety and describes bicycle-friendly road improvements.