Please mark your calendars to attend this important event to help provide the city with essential input for the Bicycle Action Plan.

Santa Monica Spoke will hold an open meeting prior to the December 13th Community Meeting Open House held by the city to discuss priorities in regards to cycling and the Bicycle Action Plan for our city.  This meeting will be held this Sunday, December 5th – 502 Colorado Ave - 5 pm..
Please come by if you would like to share your input or hear what is on the table for discussion.

This December 13th Community Meeting hosted by the city should be considered very important and a first step to gather critical input that will shape the foundation for the City’s Bicycle Action Plan.  Your input will assist them in identifying policies, programs, allocating resources, and considering ordinances that will assist in implementing the LUCE bicycle elements.  This will include ways to assure that new development projects also support cycling.

The format for the meeting will be “open house style”, with stations around the room where participants provide their input.  Also being accepted will be written lists that you can bring with you.  In addition the city is in the process of putting together an online survey that is slated to be ready no later than the Dec.13th.   Information on the survey and the meeting can be found at smgov.net/bikesm

The city has stated that they want to create a strong and progressive Bicycle Action Plan – let’s help them make that happen!!

It is important that the cycling community demonstrate a large showing at this meeting.  It is our opportunity to provide insight based on our experience and expertise as cyclists on the street.  With the holidays upon us we know your schedules are tight, your presence and input are so important to the process, we urge you to attend this important meeting.  If you have any questions please let us know, contact@SMSpoke.org

An invitation from our city’s Senior Transportation Planner, Michelle Glickert.

December 13th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, Civic Center Auditorium

Bicycling is a critical issue in the City of Santa Monica right now because it helps us achieve goals in many critical areas: sustainable living, greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements, active living, open space/recreation, traffic & parking solutions and accommodating arts, cultural, commercial and civic activities without choking the City on cars.   It is the fastest growing transportation mode for our largest employers, the City’s own pool bicycle fleet is now larger than its auto fleet and interest is growing in cycling not only in Santa Monica, but in the region and the country.

LUCE, the recently adopted Land Use and Circulation Element, includes a future bicycle network with goals, policies, and actions for bicycling.   The Planning and Community Development Department is currently preparing a Bicycle Action Plan, which will set forth an implementation strategy for realizing the LUCE vision for bicycling.  We need your help in prioritizing and identifying programs like bike education, safe routes to school as well local and citywide bicycle improvements that need to be made so that we can create a place where everyone wants to ride and feels comfortable doing it.

Please join us from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday December 13, 2010 at the Civic Center Auditorium east wing for an open house style meeting to discuss bicycling and provide feedback on issues and priorities for the Bicycle Action Plan.  Feedback from this meeting, as well as a public survey, will be incorporated in the Bicycle Action Plan which will be issued next year.  The Civic Center is accessible by Big Blue Bus lines 1,2,3,4, 7, Rapid 7, and 8.  There will be additional bike parking for the event.  Please contact Michelle Glickert for special arrangements or questions 310.458.2204.