SM Cyclists Organizing for Better Bike Planning

Cyclist on Montana Ave. in Santa Monica

Tonight, the Santa Monica City Council will continue a discussion on the City’s “Shape the Future 2025" Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE).  Thanks to some organizing efforts by Alex Thompson and other Westside Cyclists, you can be sure that Santa Monica will be hearing plenty about bikes.  The meeting begins at 645 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 1685 Main Street.

Over at Westside BikeSIDE, Thompson discusses both the large and small changes that can take place that can be broken down into four points that every cyclist should ask for at the meeting.  Because of the low cost of many bike projects, the city can, and should, move on these suggestions before the LUCE is completed.

Thompson’s suggested outline include:

• Painted bike lanes and Sharrows should be common throughout the city.  The city can test the effectiveness of new bike facilities by piloting the project on Main Street.
• There are many places where it is difficult to lock up a bike.  Everyone should mention a favorite place where there is no place to safely and legally lock up.
• The LUCE does not address enforcement of laws upon motorists endangering cyclists.
• The LUCE recommends completing the unfinished bike network, and the city should begin as soon as possible by picking a part of the city with unfinished bike lanes and get to work immediately.

Photo: Ikurnarsky/Flickr