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Bicycling Advisory Board
Aug 30, 2012 Gene H2 Forwarded to PlanPHX Leadership Committee and appropriate city department
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Forwarded to PlanPHX Leadership Committee and appropriate city department
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I believe the City of Phoenix needs a Bicycling Advisory Committee. There are currently several groups that play a roll in achieving the goal of Phoenix being a safe, fun and desired location for our favorite mode of recreation and transportation. But, first some background.

There is the Bicycle Initiatives Sub-Committee of the Environmental Quality Commission. It is led by Jeremy Stapleton and has two more sitting members. They promote a strategic plan and the meetings, when they do occur, have become the closest we have to an advisory committee. The few regular attendees from the public are listened to.

Joseph Perez is the Transportation Departments Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator, full time for about a year now. He reports to Kerry Wilcoxon. They have a budget for five miles of Bike Lanes to be added per year. I will point out that Phoenix is way too large and has too many bicyclists for that level of staffing, despite the good they have accomplished.

Various cycling groups have, on occasion, voiced support or opposition to projects. The most notable was regarding the multi-use bridge over 19th Avenue near Greenway Road. Arizona Bicycle Club has a committee known as Phoenix Political Pedal Power, “P4” for short, that is a voice for that large group of cyclists. P4 members usually are the largest group at Mr. Stapelton's meetings. The Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists is involved in MAG planning and is about to do safety education for MAG. Not One More has lobbied for improvements in State laws. Several people provide the Traffic Skills 101 cycling safety classes under the League of American Bicyclists here in the Valley.

The groups I mentioned, while supportive of cycling in general, are not cohesive when it comes to the continuous effort needed to make judgments for the scope of roads and cyclists in Phoenix. [truncated. The full text can be seen in FaceBook at http://tinyurl.com/7dwdpgm posted Aug 28]

4 Comments
  • comment icon

    by Gene H2 [the rest] This is what I am proposing, but in a pro-active fashion. Reviews of designs by an advisory board before they are literally cast in concrete is the best approach.

    Sep 03, 2012 at 12:41 PM  
  • comment icon

    by Gene H2 {Continued} For example, with the problems we had with the Bike Lanes adjacent to Light-Rail, east of 7th Street, when the subject of the northwest extension to Light-Rail came up in the last Bicycle Initiatives meeting, I specifically asked to see engineering drawings before concrete is laid. Two more cases I have reported that are not bicycling specific, but the results are quite poor for cyclists, and have both were planned and constructed since we have had a full-time coordinator. The intersections of 16th Street and South Mountain Avenue and of 24th Street and Old Tower Road (immediately north of I-17 freeway). These, I submit, are the result of not enough staff and/or oversight that an advisory committee could provide.

    The reworked road markings now along Washington and Jefferson Streets are the result of a collaboration between City Traffic Engineers and knowledgeable cyclists, most of whom have engineering credentials. [truncated]

    Sep 03, 2012 at 12:40 PM  
  • Erika K

    by Erika K I think this would be a great place to begin to evaluate many of the ideas posted here that pertain to cycling.

    My son and I bicycle to his school every morning. I'm amazed by the kids and parents who don't wear helmets and who don't know the rules of the road. As we (hopefully) move toward a more bike friendly city, I would like to see more campaigns around bike safety.

    Aug 30, 2012 at 7:13 AM  
  • comment icon

    by Gene H2 Erika, I am one of several instructors that present material from the League of American Bicyclists, but here in the Valley. Soon, the Maricopa Association of Governments will be presenting condensed forms of these classes throughout the County. Stay tuned.

    Sep 03, 2012 at 12:44 PM  
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