With roads on the northern and western edges of the City of Powell becoming more popular places to walk and bike, the Park County government is studying whether to create some new trails around the city. And the engineers now drafting a plan are looking for some input from the public.

“If you live in the City of Powell and surrounding areas we need your assistance,” Park County public works officials say. Local residents are being asked to fill out an online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/PGNFQYW.

Concern about the growing number of pedestrians and cyclists recreating on Lane 8 — alongside significant truck traffic — spurred county commissioners to launch the planning effort. Park County Commissioner Lloyd Thiel said last year that it is a safety issue; under the current mixture of vehicles and pedestrians, it’s “only a matter of time before somebody gets killed,” he said.

Engineering Associates is studying route options and gathering public input, with a final master plan expected by this summer.

One of the six questions on the “North Powell Pathway Survey” asks runners, walkers and bikers to list any locations or intersections that they think are unsafe. Others ask where people start and stop their exercise routes and what areas and destinations they travel to and through.

The city already has a biking/walking trail that runs north from Homesteader Park along some agricultural fields and a city stormwater collection area before hitting Lane 8 and continuing west to the Park County Annex. The route then doubles back to Northwest College along Absaroka Street.

County officials initially suggested that the path could be extended to the west along parts of Lane 8 and Seventh Street, eventually reaching NWC’s Trapper Village West. 

However, the survey seeks input about a broader range of routes, including Road 10/Tower Boulevard, Road 8, Absaroka Street/Wyo. Highway 295, Seventh Street, Road 9H. Respondents can also plug in their regular routes as well.

Producing the master plan is expected to cost $50,000, with $10,000 coming from the county’s own coffers and $40,000 from a planning grant awarded by the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

Amid a tight budget last year, commissioners discussed possibly postponing the planning effort, but they ultimately decided to move forward. The public works department said the information collected in the ongoing survey will be used to help guide future infrastructure improvements on Powell area county roads north of U.S. Highway 14-A.

County officials said they’ll be well-positioned to receive additional WYDOT grant funding to help construct whatever trails are proposed in the master plan.