Since my Let’s Get Down to Business post I’ve been thinking about why the Bike Plan is important. Five years ago I would not of cared nor thought it worth spending time on. You know what has changed? Us. Those who pedal in this city. We’ve come a long way. We have numbers and energy that I didn’t imagine possible in 2004, yet those outside of our circles don’t see it. They need to see us, hear from us and know what we are about.
Yes, I know the city doesn’t give a fuck about us. Special interests run government and we’re irrelevant to them. But you know what? We are motivated, passionate, loud and our cause is just. This is exceptional. The 2009 Bike Plan is actually less useful/relevant to cyclists than the 1996 one, but their cogs keep turning and doing what they do – nothing. If we don’t cause a ruckus and spell out why this is so fucking important to people – not just cyclists – those cogs will just continue spinning into oblivion and uselessness. Let’s put a wrench in it!
Joe Linton wrote that LA’s Bike Plan is a Step Backward on Bike Lanes from the 1996 plan. If you have not made a comment regarding the Bike Plan, what are you waiting for? Here is the real site and then a fun, mirrored one with a little more umph (where your comments still get submitted to the city): www.labikeplan.com. Alex Thompson gives a more thorough critique related to the Council District Transportation Advisory Committee with some great talking points. Enci discusses why non-cyclists should care about the Bike Plan.
Also LA’S BEST BIKE PLAN – BWG WORKSHOP:
Meeting at Santa Monica/Vermont Red Line Station at noon on Saturday the 31st and heading Downtown for the 1pm workshop. On facebook also.
Meet @ The Exchange at 1pm: 114 W. 5th St., Downtown LA, CA 90013
A new city meeting has been added in Northeast LA:
Wednesday, Nov 4
Ramona Hall
4580 N Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90042
6-8pm
so whats the deal with this? we dont like LADOTs bike plan because its less miles thank previous AND __fill in the blank___?so has someone proposed a revised bike plan map? maybe an ideal one where bikes can go on the hwys, and maybe another one, more restricted with similar mileage to the current one, then schedule a meeting with someone at LADOT. best of luck to all you cyclists out there. dont be fooled, with or without a "good" bike plan you can still go anywhere you want in LA by bike.