SALISBURY — The Salisbury City Council approved the reception of a state grant on Tuesday to implement a new bicycle network plan, which would provide program and project ideas for improving the city’s bicycle infrastructure.

The city received a $49,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which includes a mandated $21,000 match from Salisbury, in order to update the city’s bicycle network plan. The current bicycle plan was funded by a separate NCDOT grant in 2006 and was officially approved by the city council in 2009.

“We had an opportunity arise to apply for a grant through our (metropolitan planning organization) to update our bicycle plan. So we submitted that application, DOT reviewed our application, came back and said ‘we really think you guys need a new plan instead of an upgraded plan,’” said Transportation Director Wendy Brindle.

Brindle said that the NCDOT recommended Alta Planning + Design to perform the study, and Alta provided a timeline that included public engagement sessions in the spring and summer of 2025 before finishing the project by November of that year.

The new plan will take a look at the city’s current bicycle infrastructure, programs and policies and provide recommendations on improvement methods as well as a prioritization plan. Brindle said that the study will also include performance measures so the city’s progress can be monitored.

The grant includes a clause that the project must be completed within two years of the effective agreement date. Additionally, the city would be responsible for any additional costs if the project were to go over the allotted $70,000, said Brindle.

After the presentation by Brindle, the city councilors voted unanimously to authorize City Manager Jim Greene Jr. to enter into an agreement with the NCDOT for the grant as well as budget the $21,000.