LAist: LA’s Bicycle Master Plan Workshops; Road Service or Lip Service?

ubrayj02

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:30:28 -0800

This is a pro forma series of public hearings. The staff at the LADOT who are drawing up these documents wouldn't dare put anything on the books (the Bicycle Plan doesn't have the force of law, but it's power is close) that would conflict with their prime directive: move cars. My opinion: council offices need to be alerted to the urgency of this matter and "DO SOMETHING". I don't care what they do - so long as they disrupt the process. It will be another 10 years before any money or staff time is set aside to create a bicycle plan. That will be in 2018 or 2019. I cannot wait that long. Going to these meetings is about as powerful as going to City Council and asking them to make your neighbor's dog to be quiet, or to have church bells stop ringing. As cyclists, we're really fighting for local interests - slower car traffic in our hoods, a better climate for local shops, less pollution, more walking, and a more responsive city government. Bicycle issues have a lot to do with basic quality of life issues - and this city has a culture of ignoring local interests.

Damien Newton

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:32:37 -0800

When I first got Garcetti's release, I thought it was lame...it wasn't until later that I realized what a bad job DOT did publicizing these hearings. I think the community did a good job picking up the slack. I saw notices on a lot of the BWC blogs, Metro Rider, Emerald City, etc.. But since I've gotten here, I've gotten the opinion that the public process in SoCal is broken. Since the start of February we've seen Metro hold public meetings on service cuts on Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day. We've seen the City Council over-riden on the Mayor's plan to turn Pico and Olympic Boulevards into more community-unfriendly and ped-unfriendly enviros than they already are. And now this...

Zach Behrens

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:49:25 -0800

DOT did not even send a press release out on these community meetings. However, Wendy's staff e-mailed citizens and neighborhood councils about the Valley workshop in late January and Eric Garcetti's office blasted their media list in early February. Here are the other three meetings: West Los Angeles Date: Wednesday February 20, 2008 Location: Felicia Mahood Multi Purpose Center Address: 11338 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90037 Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Valley Area Date: Wednesday February 27, 2008 Location: Marvin Braude-San Fernando Constituent Services Center, Conference Room 1B Address: 6262 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91401 Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Harbor Area Date: Saturday March 1, 2008 Location: Banning's Landing Community Center Address: 100 E. Water Street, Wilmington, CA 90744 Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Those who cannot attend a workshop, but would like to learn more about the Bicycle Master Plan can visit www.labikeplan.org.

Will Campbell

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:54:05 -0800

The further I get away from Saturday's first workshop the more I see it predominately as a bunch of smoke-blowing. That wasn't even a workshop. That was a Powerpoint presentation... with comment cards and crappy maps. What does the city possibly hope to gain I just don't see much action resulting from it. Not that I fault Mia Burk who led the presentation. They definitely got a person with the right cred, but she seems ultimately to be just a show pony who can only do so much in a city whose politicians and civic leaders -- with exceptions, of course -- see bikes as not worthy of consideration.

Zach Behrens

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:20:37 -0800

And I quote Councilmember Wendy Greuel, chair of the Transportation Committee, from last week's Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council meeting: "Process is important as product."