Committee Accomplishments

Baker Park Trail

This trail has been the vision of committee and riders for many years. the pedestrian and cycling trail enables transportation from one side of the Grants Pass Parkway to the other, thus avoiding dangerous vehicle traffic.

Gilbert Creek Park Trail

The City and Grants Pass School District 7 partnered to create a Safe Routes to School project to connect Gilbert Creek Park to Highland Elementary School and North Middle School. This trail allows parents to drop off students at Gilbert Creek Park and provides a safe walking trail to school.

Bike Racks

New bike racks are starting to show up throughout our community. Cyclists prefer to park close to their destination. These racks are small enough to fit almost anywhere. Bike racks offer protection from theft and from having to lay your bike down, possibly damaging it or having it be in the path of pedestrians. They also deter riders from chaining their bike to a tree or other object that is not intended for that purpose.

Many racks have been installed and more will be in the near future. If you know of a location that needs a rack, please let us know. Additionally, there are now some available for lease. If you are interested in leasing, at low cost, a bike rack at your location, please contact the City of Grants Pass for more information.

Sidewalk Installations

Sidewalks are very important to our community for the safety of pedestrians, those that use wheelchairs and children walking to school. Some new sidewalks sections that have been added are on Washington Boulevard, Hawthorne, Midland Avenue and the latest on G Street. We will be working with other neighborhoods for sidewalk installations in the future.

Multi-Purpose Pathways

Much work has been done over the years to complete multi-purpose paths around Grants Pass. They are a popular request in survey's of our citizens and can be used by any age group or fitness level. The Bikeways and Walkways Committee supports the creation and use of these paths where possible. However, it takes time. Some recent areas of work have been the Fruitdale Creek Trail with another section in the design phase, the Gilbert Creek Park trail connection with North Middle School, the Baker Park Trail which is just about complete, the Tom Pearce Park Trail, and new sections along Redwood Highway out to Rogue Community College.

Bike Lane Striping

The city streets department maintains bike lane striping after fading. As pavement markings wear, they need to be re-striped Baker Park Trail along the river to be effective. Thermoplastic striping is being applied in high traffic areas that continually see a great deal of wear. Thermoplastic paint is a high-performance, highly durable waterborne traffic marking material. The product lasts a great deal longer and is perfect for those high traffic zones.

Sharrows

The committee supports and encourages safe passing of bicyclists by motorists. To accomplish this, sharrows are street markings placed in the center of a travel lane indicating that a cyclist may use the full lane. They are often used on narrow streets or where no bike lanes exist. The committee is working with the City Engineering Department to place more sharrows in Grants Pass. New sharrows have been added recently on D and M Streets.

Safety Tips

There are many guidelines cyclists, walkers, and drivers need to be a aware of. Sharing the road encourages safety for everyone. The Biking, Driving, Walking, and Courtesy Guidelines and Safety Tips (PDF) brochure outlines some interesting and educational facts for everyone.