TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to conduct community meetings to discuss ways that residents can become involved in making Long Beach a more livable, mobile and desirable place to live.
DISCUSSION
Long Beach has made considerable progress over the last five years to implement its Bicycle Master Plan. What had been largely a staff initiative relegated to more modest projects received greater attention following a study session in 2006, and ensuing council motions calling for bolder infrastructure and programs setting a vision that would propel the City to the forefront of urban cycling. Projects such as green sharrow lanes, citywide wayfinding signage, bike racks, bike boulevards, bike corrals and the most recent development - separated bike lanes, all came to Long Beach with the award of approximately $18 million in transportation grants fostered by political and community will and a cultural shift in City Hall.
Avid cyclists and progressive local urban planners knew all too well that Long Beach was the prime location for a bicycle makeover given its topography, weather and residents with active lifestyles interested in riding beyond the beach bike path and exploring the multitude of unique neighborhoods and destinations throughout the city. They also knew that cities that embraced bicycle and pedestrian centered planning experienced increases in their quality of life, home values, small business development and public safety. Early partnerships between our diverse bicycling community, council offices and city departments provided much-needed guidance to municipal projects from the perspective of the end-user. However, out of our success and much to everyone’s delight there is a growing interest among residents who are occasional bike riders, pedestrians, skateboarders and even roller skaters to become involved in the next phase of planning or even help the City re-envision existing infrastructure for a broader group of users.
From its sharr...
Click here for full text