This is starting to get ridiculous.
After all these years of being ignored, suddenly everyone wants to talk bikes. From the Council and police, to the L.A. Times, which just can’t seem to get enough of us.
I feel like the latest Hollywood starlet du jour. Last year, we couldn’t get arrested in this town; although some of us came close. Now we’re having scripts thrust in our face, chased by paparazzi and rumored to be dating every up-and-comer and semi-has-been this side of the ‘Bu.
Latest in line is Metro, the friendly people who specialize in getting you from here to there by bus or rail.
As part of a planned series of Bicycle Roundtables, they’re inviting cyclists and other interested parties to sit down with them on Friday the 19th to “initiate a dialogue and identify issues of importance to cyclists.”
Not getting run off the road by buses would be a good start. Followed by allowing a few more bikes per train car than Noah did. Or would, anyway.
And how about not leaving cyclists on the side of the road at 4 in the morning?
This is your chance to voice your own opinion. But you have to RSVP by this Friday:
Metro is convening a series of Bicycle Roundtable meetings in 2010, and we welcome your participation! Doug Failing, Metro’s Executive Director of Highway Programs and Interim Chief Planning Officer, was active in the Caltrans Bicycle Advisory Committee. He will kick-off the first Metro Bicycle Roundtable meeting.
The purpose of the first meeting is to initiate a dialogue and identify issues of importance to cyclists in Los Angeles County. This will lead to a vision for enhancing Metro’s current program. The outcome of the first meeting will determine the frequency, next steps, and agendas of future meetings.
The first Metro Bicycle Roundtable meeting is scheduled for:
Friday, February 19, 2010
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Metro
One Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Windsor Conference Room, 15th Floor
Light refreshments will be served.
Sign-in and receive a visitor badge at the 3rd Floor security desk.
Please be on time. This meeting will start promptly at 2:00 pm.
Please RSVP by Friday, February 12, 2010 to Jennifer Gill at (213) 922-4224 or gillj@metro.net.
I’ve already made my reservation. Then again, I’m a sucker for free food.
And I promise I won’t be late.
Unless maybe my bus is.
Meanwhile, you’re also invited to the second meeting of the County Bicycle Advisory Committee on Wednesday the 17th to discuss preparations for the public meetings and outreach for the upcoming L.A. County bike plan:
This is to inform you that the next Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting for the County’s Bikeway Master Plan (Plan) has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 17th. The meeting details are as follows:
Time & Date: 02/17/2010; 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Board Overflow Room (across from Cafeteria)
3rd Floor, Metro Headquarters
1 Gateway Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952
Contact: Abu Yusuf, ayusuf@dpw.lacounty.gov, (626) 458-3940
Directions: Click here for directions to the Metro Headquarters Building.
Purpose: The materials to be presented at the first round of community meetings and suggestions for improving the public outreach strategy for the Plan. Please visit lacountybikeplan.org for more information on the Plan. The final meeting agenda will be sent out by February 12th. A draft agenda is included for your reference. Please let us know if you have any recommendation for topics to discuss at the meeting by February 10th.
DRAFT Agenda
Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting #2
County of Los Angeles Bicycle Master Plan
Board Overflow Room; 3rd Floor, Metro Headquarters;
1 Gateway Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952
February 17, 2010
7:00PM – 8:30pm
Introductions (5 min)
Minutes from January Meeting (15 min)
Public Workshop Schedule and Locations (20 minutes)
Workshop Format and Presentation Materials (20 minutes)
Outreach and Promotion of Workshops (20 minutes)
Next Steps (10 minutes)
And to top things off, the County also invites you to join them to discuss the Arroyo Seco Bike Trail:
Thank you for your continued support for the Arroyo Seco Bike Trail project. This is to inform you that the first Arroyo Seco Bike Trail working group meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, February 18th. The meeting details are as follows:
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Los Angeles River Center and Gardens
Los Feliz Room
(323) 221-9939
570 West Avenue 26, Los Angeles, CA 90065
For a map click here
Purpose: Discuss the progress to date and review the attached project concept report, including the project costs and trail alignment.
Maybe this really is the year of the bike.
………
Damien Newton continues his usual excellent work with an in-depth examination of the proposed Backbone Network, while the Times offers a summary of the comments. Stephen Box suggests L.A. should learn from Long Beach’s example. Will Campbell’s 8 Presidents Ride this weekend just happens to end near the first L.A. Street Food Fest, complete with bike valet. Coincidence? Meanwhile, Green LA Girl calls your attention to a beginner’s Mountain Bike Ride for happily single people on Valentines Day, and reminds us about the LACBC’s L.A. River Ride. Cynergy offers their latest lecture on cycling for health and performance Wednesday at 7p. A San Diego cyclist was killed trying to pass a city-owned dump truck on the right; seldom a good idea. Riverside considers an update to that city’s Bicycle Master Plan at tonight’s City Council meeting. Eight ways to stop killing cyclists in America. Does true democracy demand lower speed limits? A Wichita councilman says he doesn’t know anyone who bikes to work; a local blogger suggests he look out his City Hall window. An Austin physician pushing for a mandatory helmet law is undone by his own study, which shows helmets don’t make a difference — but drinking does. A London rider files a formal complaint against an abusive cabbie, and just hopes he doesn’t have a dog. Summer’s here and the time is right for riding in the streets — in New Zealand, anyway. Team New Zealand’s GM says bike racing is now as aerodynamic as Formula 1. Finally, it has nothing to do with bikes, but a group Oak Park high school students held a bake sale yesterday to raise money to help Boeing clean up the nuclear-contaminated Santa Susana Field Laboratory. They raised $99.31; Boeing reportedly declined to accept the donation.
I promise I’m working on my letter regarding the 4am no-bus ride!
Just a quick note to thank you for noticing my post and for the plug. It’s much appreciated.
No problem, John. You’ve got a great site — and the coolest blog header on the planet.