At its meeting Thursday, Troy’s Planning Commission gave its blessing to the City’s proposed map of bike routes and signs encouraging drivers to share the road.
The Commission also recommended the adoption of a bicycle safety ordinance that mirrors the state’s.
The Commission’s approval was only a formality. Planning and Zoning Administrator Melissa Sanders introduced a draft of the city’s bike map to the commission at April’s meeting. But it was not required to move forward with the project.
“The reason I sent it through the Commission was for the public hearing,” Sanders said. “To get the public involved.”
Bike routes have been a goal of the city for a long time. The routes highlight points of interest in Troy and, once approved by City Council, will have “share the road” signs.
“The signs are to promote bicycling. But, it’s also to bring an awareness to the public that there may be bicyclers on city streets,” said commission member Bill Hopper.

• View the bike map approved by the Planning Commission

The Planning Commission had discussed age limits for the use of the routes and voiced concerns of liability. Before Thursday’s meeting, the commission received legal council on setting age limits.
“The bottom line is … there is no legal basis to make any determination on that,” Hopper said.
A request to change two plats of land on Highway 29 at the intersection of Green Drive from residential to commercial was not approved. Four members approved the request, two abstained.
“We have to have six votes, not a simple majority, to change any zoning,” said Hopper.
Property owner Burton Green asked which members had abstained. He was told it was Commission members Vaughn Daniels and Marcus Paramore.
Daniels said he abstained “just to get some clarification as to what he was really asking.”
Paramore said he wanted more information and moved to have the request introduced again at the next meeting.
The change in zoning had met resistance from homeowners who live on Green Drive. Hopper said the residences were not very close to the land in question and the zoning requested would limit Green’s options to small business offices or office parks.
“It’s the least disruptive kind,” he said.
General commercial (C-2) zoning also allows banks, automobile sales and services, restaurants, motels, funeral homes, package stores, parking lots, gas stations, parks and recreational facilities.