Starting this Thursday, the city of Los Angeles is hosting a series of five public meetings to get input on its draft of the update to its Bicycle Master Plan.

Published October 20, 2009 by C.I.C.L.E. : By Joe Linton

Starting this Thursday, the city of Los Angeles is hosting a series of five public meetings to get input on its draft of the update to its Bicycle Master Plan. The city's bike plan sets bicycle policies and other specifics, but most critically it designates where future bike lanes, bike paths and bike routes will be implemented.

The city's most recent Bicycle Master Plan dates back to 1996. That plan was the basis for the bikeways that the city has implemented, including facilities on Silver Lake Boulevard, Reseda Boulevard and along the L.A.River.

The new bike plan is problematic. Though it adds worthwhile bike boulevards/routes (which it calls “bike friendly streets,”) the current draft removes about 100 miles of previously designated bike lanes. For additional background information/analysis/criticism on the current draft, readers might be interested in these two articles I wrote for L.A. Streetsblog – last June and earlier this month.   The draft plan itself is online at the city's website.

It's important that bicyclists show up, become more familiar with the proposed plan, and let the city know that we think it's critical for the city to become safe and convenient for bicycling. If you don't have time to come to a meeting, then please review the plan online and email your comments to the contact listed. C.I.C.L.E. will be working with our contacts and coming up with an organizational letter critiquing the plan and asking for changes we think are important. We'll post that letter here – but it's still important that the city hear from lots of us cyclists!

The upcoming meetings are listed at the city website, and below.

Note that there are other bike plans underway too. The cities of Burbank and Pasadena plans are underway, and the County of Los Angeles is about to kick off their bike planning process, too. Get involved where you live and where you bike!

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Harbor Area

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2009

Location: Peck Park

Address: 560 North Western Avenue, San Pedro, CA 90732

Time: 5:00pm-7:00pm

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Central/South Los Angeles

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009

Location: Exposition Park - Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Library

Address: 3900 S. Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90062

Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

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San Fernando Valley

Date: Monday, October 26, 2009

Location: Marvin Braude-San Fernando Valley Constituent Services Center, Conference Room 1B

Address: 6262 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91401

Time: 5:00pm-7:00pm

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West Los Angeles

Date: Wednesday October 28, 2009

Location: Felicia Mahood Multi Purpose Center

Address: 11338 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90037

Time: 5:00pm-7:00pm

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Northeast Los Angeles

Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Location: Ramona Hall

Address: 4580 N Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90042

Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm