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Design Considerations for Master Plans <br />The 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan incorporates the policy direction provided by Thrive MSP 2040 to: <br />• Promote expanded multimodal access to regional parks, regional trails, and the transit network, <br />where appropriate <br />• Strengthen equitable usage of regional parks and trails by all our region's residents, such as <br />across age, race, ethnicity, income, national origin, and ability <br />To respond to these goals, regional park implementing agencies are encouraged to consider the <br />following design elements in a regional park or trail master plan. <br />Promote expanded multimodal access: <br />• Provide connections to transit stops or park- and -rides when designating the alignment of a <br />regional trail, where appropriate <br />• Provide bike racks and lockers located near activity areas in regional parks so visitors can <br />safely store their bikes as they recreate <br />• Design multiple entrance points to a regional park to make it easier for bicyclist or pedestrian to <br />access the park, where appropriate <br />Strengthening equitable usage: <br />• Provide amenities suited for the aging population and /or those with limited mobility, such as: <br />- Siting picnic areas or short, looped trails close to parking lots or points of access <br />- Providing benches as appropriate intervals along trails <br />• Designing non -fee picnic areas that accommodate mid -sized groups (for example, 15 -25 <br />people), which would allow for spontaneous gatherings: <br />- Does not need to be a formal picnic shelter - could be a number of picnic tables grouped <br />together <br />- Would not require an advance reservation <br />- Does not replace picnic areas that require reservations - both options may be offered <br />• Clustering of amenities for multigenerational family gatherings, such as picnic areas near <br />playgrounds and open ball fields <br />Funding Process for Capital Projects <br />With regard to financing the construction of recreation and visitor support facilities proposed in a master <br />plan, it is important that there is sufficient detail about the facility in the master plan and that the <br />regional park implementing agency is ready to construct the facility when funds become available. As a <br />condition for requesting Regional Parks System development funds in the first biennium of the regional <br />parks capital improvement program (CIP), the Council will require regional park implementing agencies <br />