January 4, 2023 |
Photo – Saratoga Town Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
Maybe the streets in Saratoga are not as broken as some on the town’s transportation committee seem to think. Or the public doesn’t want to spend the money. Still, Saratoga officials continue to ask residents to participate in the town’s transportation alternatives master plan meetings.
In October of 2022, Saratoga Planning Commission Chairwoman McCall Burau secured a $200,000 Wyoming Department of Transportation grant. The grant is to be used to pay for a comprehensive study of the town’s sidewalks and trails and determine where improvements are needed.
Using the WYDOT grant money, with a 10% match from the town, Burau hired OV Consulting, out of Denver, Colorado to conduct the study.
This past September, OV Consulting held its first public meeting for the transportation alternatives master plan. Roughly 20 attendees gave their opinions on the project. Some residents said they don’t want the character of the town to change with the creation of new sidewalks. Others expressed interest in seeing a walkway from the town’s elementary and high school to the library on Elm Street.
At Tuesday’s town council meeting, Public Works Director Emery Penner said he has been trying to get more public participation in the study. Penner asked residents to attend the next TAPS public meeting on January 17th.
Penner said he believes there is a misconception about what the transportation alternatives master plan entails. The public works director said the project does not include new construction of any kind. Penner said the TAPS is simply a study to see if the town can benefit from new or upgraded paths.
Penner said despite the $20,000 grant match, the transportation alternatives master plan may save the town money by preventing the construction of unwanted walkways. Again, the public works director asked residents to come to the next public meeting.
Mayor Chuck Davis said he’s met with Saratoga volunteer groups who’ve expressed interest in meeting with OV Consulting owner Chris Vogelsang. Mayor Davis said he is not the person to speak to about the walkway study. The mayor said he instructs people to save their comments for the next transportation alternatives master plan public meeting.
Penner said OV Consulting needs to narrow down the list of potential walkway projects to a manageable number. Councilwoman Kathy Beck said the public meeting is a way for OV Consulting to show residents what projects they will focus on.
Mayor Davis said more public comment will make it easier for OV Consulting to prioritize the list of potential projects. Public Works Director Penner said the consulting firm will spend the majority of the study figuring out which walkway upgrades the public truly wants.
The next Saratoga transportation alternatives master plan public meeting is Wednesday, January 17th, at 5:30 pm in the Platte Valley Community Center. Penner said OV Consulting can’t take people’s comments into consideration if they don’t come.
