If you're still wondering when some Casper-area sidewalks will connect, the results are pending.

The city of Casper completed the first part of a $50,000 walkability study in October. LSA Associates, the Fort Collins, Colo. firm hired to complete the walkability study, asked Casperites for ideas on how to improve the city.

Leah Reeb, Metropolitan Planning Organization planner for Casper, said the firm took the community members' ideas and developed a plan for improvements.

The final results were finished earlier this year, but Reeb said there were several items that needed to be re-examined, such as inconsistencies in lengths of school zones.

The study identifies areas in Casper and the larger metropolitan planning area that need additional attention. First on the list is the area south of the Casper Events Center.

"You can walk around there, but there aren't any sidewalks that connect from the (baseball) fields and Crossroads Park," Reeb said. "You can't get up to the Events Center with ease or to the Trails Center with ease."

Another walkability problem area is the intersection of CY Avenue and Wyoming Boulevard, Reeb said. There's a large amount of development in that area as well as major roadways, and people are concerned about safety.

There were 22 areas in the Casper area researched using five criteria including street crossings and safety, how visually appealing the neighborhood is, security and continuity of sidewalks.

The study will also include recommendations on what works best for pedestrian signals at intersections. Reeb said the city hopes to work with the Department of Motor Vehicles to increase education about pedestrian-related ordinances, such as who has the right of way.

Lane Luckow, owner of the Flex Complex, said it's great anytime walkability can be improved and people are encouraged to walk or ride their bicycles.

This project gave the planning office a framework for what areas need improvement, in order of importance. If the results are passed by the planning office and accepted by the Casper City Council, large changes may begin to happen as money is available, Reed said.

"The plan is to use this as a building block to make some changes in these areas."

Reeb said some of the ideas are already being implemented by city staff.

Contact city reporter Christine Robinson at (307) 266-0639 or christine.robinson@trib.com

News tracker

Last we knew: The city of Casper spent nearly $50,000 on a walkability study to find out how to make Casper more walker-friendly.

The latest: City officials solicited information from Casper-area residents in October and preliminary results were given to the city earlier this year.

What's next: The final study will go through the Metropolitan Planning Office within a month, and then go to the Casper City Council for adoption.