Westside Kids “Testify” on Bike Plan and Are Heard Across the Country

9:08 AM PST on November 6, 2009

Today on the Streetsblog Network,
a story about some kids in Los Angeles who did their research and came
up with several good ideas about improving conditions for bicycle
commuters. Then they ran up against the reality that the public forums
on the city's bike plan weren't so public. But they didn't let that
stop them.

Stephen Box at SoapBox LA reports:

The FIRSTteamWestside (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science andTechnology) is a group of kids who prepared a presentation that theyintended to give at the Bike Plan (draft) workshops.
Theirmission was to develop a plan to improve local transportation. They didthe research and they prepared and they discovered that the publicworkshops were not the robust public arena they desired, so they adapted.
Theircoach reports, "The kids were hoping to give a presentation at one ofthe "public forums" but were badly disappointed when they found outthat members of the public would not be allowed to speak so they postedit on YouTube and submitted the link at labikeplan.org."

The
kids give an amazingly articulate and informed statement, recommending
additional bike cars for the region's commuter rail system. The future
is coming.

More from the network: The Transport Politic looks at the importance of aligning transitways with walkable neighborhoods. On Transport
discusses the concept of "lifestyle centers" and their aspirations to
create a sense of community in a suburban mall setting. And Intersection 911 reports on the 38 percent bump in Philadelphia bike commuting during the SEPTA strike.

Sarah Goodyear

Westside Kids “Testify” on Bike Plan and Are Heard Across the Country

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