Columbia asks for feedback on bike/ped problem spots

Nice roadside hazard

Dan Smith won't complain about his daily commute.

He hops on his bike, travels north along West Boulevard and then heads east on Stewart Road toward Boone Hospital Center on East Broadway, where he works. The route is relatively bicycle-friendly, Smith said.

"The barrier" to bicycle travel "is the traffic," he said yesterday. "They don't see you."

Other Columbia thoroughfares, however, aren't so easy to navigate on a two-wheeler. Stormwater grates that run parallel to some roads can catch bicycle tires, and missing or cracked sidewalks sometimes can make pedestrian or pedal-powered travel difficult.

To find out just where the biggest problems are - and to solicit suggestions for fixing them - the city has launched a Web site where residents can tell officials about missing crosswalk markings, deteriorating sidewalks and other potential difficulties.

The Public Works Department will maintain the site as part of the city's Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program, which seeks to create an interconnected system of trails and walkways throughout the city