North State Public Radio Active Transportation Q&A

Q&A: Mt. Shasta exploring ‘transformative transportation change’

North State Public Radio | By Ken Devol

In the face of climate change many communities are exploring ways to lessen their dependence on cars. The city of Mt. Shasta is nearing completion of a plan that will reduce its carbon footprint and meet other needs of its 3,000 residents. It’s called the Walk Bike Ride Mt. Shasta Mobility Plan. NSPR’s Ken Devol recently spoke with Katie Selin, a planner with Alta Planning + Design, a consulting firm working with the city.

On the community’s involvement with the “Walk Bike Ride” plan 

We've been working with the city of Mt. Shasta, Siskiyou County, Siskiyou Outdoor Recreation Alliance, school districts, Mount Shasta Trail Association, many of the downtown businesses, and of course, the broader Mt. Shasta community. Overwhelmingly, we've heard from Mt. Shasta residents that people want to walk and bike more and drive less than they currently do. We've heard that infrastructure gaps are the biggest barrier and thing that's preventing people from being able to walk and bike more. We've also heard that safety is a top concern. And folks also want better access to transit.

“Overwhelmingly, we've heard from Mt. Shasta residents that people want to walk and bike more and drive less than they currently do. We've heard that infrastructure gaps are the biggest barrier and thing that's preventing people from being able to walk and bike more. We've also heard that safety is a top concern.”– Katie Selin, planner at Alta Planning + Design

Over 50% of trips in and around downtown Mt. Shasta are actually under three miles. We know that there's a lot of opportunity for improvement. Currently, only 1% of roads in the study area that we looked at have a bike facility, and only 12% have sidewalks.

Read the rest of the interview or listen in at the link below:

Reminder: we’re asking the public for one last round of feedback before the Mt. Shasta Mobility Plan Final Draft is submitted. Learn more here.