Keeping our community active
Members of Allen County have been working to create a safer place for pedestrians and bicyclists, so we can keep our residents active and healthy, and create a better environment.
On January 30, 2013, the county commissioners passed a resolution endorsing the creation of the Allen County Bicycle/Pedestrian Task Force. This is large task force with approximately 40 members who represent many of Allen County’s geographic areas and different points of view.
We want to promote the availability and support those who walk and bicycle in Allen County. This will will help benefit our local economy by boosting the real estate market, supporting local economic development, and creating more consumer spending.
Be creating bicycle lanes and safe walking paths we can help our youth stay active! As a community that is able to let youth safely walk or ride their bikes to school and in their neighborhoods, we are enabling them to have an active and healthy childhood.
When we walk or ride our bikes, we are also making our air more breathable. In neighborhoods with unsafe sidewalks or biking lanes, people often choose to take their cars for even short trips, which increase vehicle emissions and makes our air more polluted.
The Task Force meets quarterly and has four subcommittees: Public Education and Outreach, Marketing and Promotion, Pedestrian Work Group, and the Bicycle Work Group.
Bike Paths
Download Lima, Bluffton, Spencerville and Allen County maps at: Activate-Bike-Map-Foldout 2022 copy (4).
Active Transportation
The purpose of Active Transportation is to provide a county-wide framework to improve infrastructure and provide the supporting policies and programs that encourage active transportation and help revitalize the economy.
The plan began in August of 2013 and completed work with Greenway in July 2014.
The project management is headed by Activate Allen County
- Josh Unterbrink, Active Living Team Lead, Small Communities Transformation Grant
- Cheri Mitchell, Project Director, Small Communities Transformation Grant
Consultant Team:
The Greenway Collaborative, Inc.
- Norm Cox, PLA, ASLA
- Carolyn Prudhomme, ASLA
- Randy Mielnik, AICP, LEED-AP
- Paulette Huber
Allen County’s Active Transportation Plan
The complete Allen County Active Transportation Plan can be found at http://www.lacrpc.com/pdfs/Active%20Transportation%20Plan–COMPLETE.pdf.
The Allen County Active Transportation Plan enters the Implementation Phase:
Click on the link above to open the PNP in a new window. Once you are viewing the plan you can click on a line to get a general idea of what is proposed. Use the check boxes in the legend to turn on and off layers to view specific area recommendations. Many of the recommendations have links to additional resources. You can zoom in, change the background to a satellite image and even look at the area in street view.
Web Survey Results
Please take a few minutes to review the results from our Web Survey by clicking here.
Implementation Plan
The Implementation Plan is available upon request. Please contact Josh Unterbrink at [email protected] or 419-303-3387 for additional information.
Volunteer Opportunities
If you would like to stay informed of the Task Force activities join a subcommittee, or add your name to the newsletter email list, contact Monica Harnish at [email protected]
2022 Bike & Pedestrian Task Force Events & Volunteer Opportunities
October 2022- Organize your school’s Walk to School Day
Spring Bike & Pedestrian Count Project – May 2022
Follow this link to volunteer for counts: https://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/23677df05afcbecc42-spring
Bike To School Day – May 2022
Bike to Work Day – May 2022
Bike Rodeo 2022 – TBD
Family Fun Bike Ride – TBD
Fall Bike & Pedestrian Count Project – September 2020
Bike Races/Rides, Walks, Runs & 5ks
Click here for a list of upcoming regional Races, Runs, Walks & Rides for 2022:
Walk-Run-Ride 2022 as of 5-6-22
To get involved or for more information:
Contact Josh Unterbrink at 419-303-3387 or [email protected].
