The city’s Bike Task Force is looking for input from the community to help make Springfield more bicycle-friendly.

The Springfield Cycling Design Charrette is being held from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday at the National Trail Parks and Recreation Department’s Chiller Ice Arena, 301 W. Main St. The event is free and open to the public.

The meeting is designed so community members can share their ideas to improve bicycle infrastructure within the community, said Bryan Heck, the city’s planning and zoning administrator.

“It’s a great opportunity for them to provide input into the process,” Heck said. “We want this to be a community-oriented process. We want to receive input from the community on how they feel cycling can be improved.”

Representatives from Bike Springfield, Bike Miami Valley, Changing Gears and other stakeholders will also attend.

The task force will also have breakout sessions to discuss the elements communities need to become bicycle-friendly, as suggested by the League of American Cyclists, including engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation and planning.

The first phase of the Springfield Bike Plan showed a large inventory of cycling assets, including trails and bike racks. The city’s existing infrastructure includes road and trail networks, including 94.5 miles on three different trail systems, as well as 78 different bike racks throughout the city.

Later this year, Center City Association is expected to install two bike repair stations along the trail — near the Heritage Center and the Springfield Museum of Art — as well as 21 additional bike racks downtown.

“We have a great foundation in Springfield for cycling,” Heck said. “It’s now building upon what we have and expanding that and making it a mode of transportation.”

The task force has been working since February to examine ways the city can become more bicycle-friendly in order to increase economic development, recreation and transportation opportunities. It is about one-third through the 18-month process, Heck said. After the meeting, they’ll review the ideas to continue to develop the bike plan.

“In the next six to nine months, we’ll start to put the meat and bones together of the plan itself,” Heck said.

The bike task force will finalize the bike plan in July of 2015 when it will be presented to city commissioners.

If community members cannot attend and want to provide input, they’re asked to submit suggestions to Heck at 937-324-7674 or bheck@ci.springfield.oh.us.