Speaking of Tom LaBonge...earlier in the month Streetsblog reported on the efforts to overturn the city's ban on bicycles during the Festival of Lights in Griffith Park. Tonight, activists will have another opportunity to urge the DWP to follow the state law prohibiting banning of bicycles from a public space at a meeting about the Festival. The full text of the DWP's invitation is below. Emphasis is the agency's.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) would like to invite you to a follow-up meeting to discuss the 2008 Holiday Light Festival. The meeting will be held as follows:
DATE:
Thursday, July 24, 2008
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Griffith Park Ranger Station-Crystal Springs Drive AuditoriumWe will be discussing the festival, as well the "walking only" nights and other enhancements to the festival. We hope you can join us. It would be greatly appreciated if you would respond as to who will be attending, so we can properly prepare seating, etc.We look forward to the discussion and in the meantime, should you have any questions or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to give me a call at (213) 367-4417.
As cyclists continue to push for their right to ride the festival anytime they choose, a chorus is already growing that it's "too late to make any changes this year." However, that argument falls flat on three fronts. First, the DWP didn't start holding public meetings on the Festival for this year until it was already summer. Second, it's not like cyclists' complaints are new, this is the third year they've protested the infringement on state law.
Third, it's clearly not too late to make these sorts of changes. A notice sent to the community in October of 2007 by the Griffith Park Neighborhood Community Council makes clear that changes were still being worked out weeks before the Festival actually begins.
It would be helpful if a DWP management level
staffer would attend the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council's
general meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday, October 16th at 7 p.m. to
answer questions about parking as well as any plans that exist to
publicize the pilot program. The meeting, which will be held at the Los
Feliz Community Police Center at 1965 Hillhurst Avenue, second floor
Citibank Building, always begins with announcements and information
from City officials.Since the window of time for planning is
rapidly closing, I have copied coalition members on this message to
expedite communication.Thank you again for the LADWP Commission's ongoing help and interest.
Photo: All Pop/Flickr
