After nearly a year of public meetings, committee meetings, planning sessions and grant writings, a final draft of the Warsaw+Winona Lake Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan was presented for preliminary approval Monday night.

Warsaw Assistant Planner Tim Dombrosky gave the presentation about the master plan to the Warsaw City Plan Commission noting, “The biggest, most important part of it is our intent. This is going to be a guiding document for life; it outlines are goals and wishes for the future.”

The 60-page plan includes background of the bicycle and pedestrian plan; vision, goals and objectives; priority strategies; infrastructure ideas; maps and means of implementation. “The reality is the plan is a very long-term document,” said Dombrosky. “It’s flexible … it will look a lot different 15 years from now.”

The plan includes specific areas where bike/pedestrian lanes are proposed to be added and which of those can most easily be achieved. Among those noted as the least challenging to achieve are side paths along the southeast side of Pike Lake, Pierceton Road to St. Andrews Road West, and Logan Street from Winona Avenue to Rozella Road.

Among the most challenging projects will be adding bike lanes from 350 North to 200 North; adding greenways along the Tippecanoe River, Deeds Creek and Eagle Creek; and adding side paths along Winona Avenue from Smith Street to Park Avenue, along Parker Street and Husky Trail to 200 North, and along Buffalo Street, Ranch Road and County Farm Road.

The projects will all be dependent on funding so, when the master plan gets final approval from the Warsaw Common Council, applications for grants and other funding will begin.

Warsaw Plan Commission members gave a unanimous nod of approval to move the plan forward. The Warsaw Common Council will have the final vote at its regular meeting next week. Due to Martin Luther King Day on Monday, Jan. 21, the common council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22. The meeting will be held in the new city hall.