Active Erie

Transportation plays a critical role in every community. It connects people to places they need to go and people they need to see. Everyone has a right to get to their destination safely, whether traveling by foot, bicycle, bus, or car. Active forms of transportation like walking and biking provide a convenient, healthy, and affordable way to get around Erie.

We envision a network of streets that are beautiful, comfortable, and safe community spaces where people want to be, whether they are walking, riding a bike, taking transit, or driving a motor vehicle.

The City is working on an Active Transportation Plan to improve conditions for people walking and bicycling in the City, but we cannot do it without your help!

This ArcGIS StoryMap includes information about Erie’s transportation network, especially as it relates to walking and biking. After you review the StoryMap, you will have the opportunity to  provide us with feedback  on how we can make walking and biking safer for you and your family.

Every time you leave your home, your journey starts on foot. Depending on how far you have to travel, you may decide to walk or bike to your destination. If the destination is further away, you may rely on using a motor vehicle – either public transportation or a personal vehicle.

Everyone in Erie relies on active transportation infrastructure like sidewalks and crosswalks. Erie is built on a street grid that has sidewalks in most locations.

The City’s Public Works Department has been working to fill gaps in the sidewalk network and install Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps across the City. However, there are still some gaps in the sidewalk network. The Active Transportation Plan will identify areas that still need improvement and make suggestions for how to fix them.

The map below shows existing sidewalks in grey, and signalized intersections in yellow. Areas that are missing sidewalks are highlighted in red.

Bikes are a great way to get around Erie, whether for transportation or recreation. Erie already has over 10 miles of paved multi-use pathways, including the Bayfront Connector Trail. In the map below, the multi-use pathway network is shown in green.

Biking around the City for transportation often requires biking on the street with cars and trucks. There are some bike lanes in place around the city, but they do not yet connect to create a complete bike network. Existing bike lanes are shown below in pink.

One goal of the Active Transportation Plan is to develop a low-stress bike network. A low-stress bike network is a connected system of on- and off-road bikeways that are comfortable enough for most people to use.

We will use these maps and feedback from you to determine places where new bike infrastructure can be used to create a low-stress bike network.

We know there are gaps in the walking and bicycling network that we don’t know about. Please click the below button to take a survey that will help us improve transportation for walkers and people who ride bikes in Erie. At the end of the survey you will have the opportunity to enter a drawing to receive one of five $100 gift cards to a local Erie store.

Together, we can shape the future of walking and biking in Erie. Encourage your friends and family to check out this StoryMap and take the Active Erie Survey.