The Portsmouth Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update establishes a ten‑year roadmap for improving walking and biking conditions Citywide. Accepted by the City Council in August 2025, the plan updates the City’s 2014 Bike and Pedestrian Plan to reflect current best practices, changing community needs, and progress made over the past decade. The plan is intended to guide capital investments, policy decisions, and program development that support safe, comfortable, and connected active transportation for all ages and abilities.

Vision and Goals

Community Engagement

The plan was developed through an extensive public engagement process conducted between April 2024 and April 2025. Outreach included public meetings, focus groups, pop‑up events, an online survey with more than 440 responses, and an interactive mapping tool that generated over 300 location‑specific comments. Community input consistently emphasized the need for safer crossings, separated bicycle facilities on high‑speed corridors, continuous and well‑maintained sidewalks, better wayfinding, and year‑round maintenance

Existing Conditions and Challenges

While Portsmouth has made notable progress since 2014, including increased biking and walking volumes and expansion of trails and facilities, significant gaps remain. Key challenges include fast‑moving traffic on major corridors, inconsistent sidewalk conditions, limited north‑south connections, constrained rights‑of‑way, and safety concerns at intersections and crossings. The plan uses data analysis, crash history, and land‑use review to target these issues.

Recommendations and Implementation

The plan includes a prioritized set of infrastructure and non‑infrastructure recommendations, supported by a facilities design toolkit and clear project evaluation criteria. Recommendations range from separated bike lanes and shared‑use paths to policy changes, education, wayfinding, and quick‑build projects that can deliver near‑term safety improvements. An implementation framework outlines performance metrics, funding opportunities, and a project development process to help integrate bike and pedestrian improvements into capital planning and ongoing City work.

Outcome

Together, these strategies position Portsmouth to continue building a safer, more connected, and more sustainable transportation network that enhances quality of life, supports economic vitality, and reinforces the City’s identity as a healthy and vibrant coastal community.

Learn more about the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan (2025)