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Coalition Receives Positive Response From Urban Development
Committee, City Staff
On August 20, 2001Ron Jones and John Lotze presented several Coalition projects to the Bakersfield Urban Development Committee, seeking their support. Our presentation was well received and we are very pleased with the beginning of a positive working relationship with city staff and officials.
To see a copy of our presentation handout to the committee, click here
Here is a summary of key points:
The City Wants to Hear From Us
That's right. We haven't gotten better facilities in the past because
we haven't made our voices heard. City staff want cyclists to be their
eyes and ears out on the roads. They can't fix problems they don't hear
about. They seem willing to work together to find solutions. It's time
for all of us who are cyclists to do our part. Look for phone numbers
and links on our "contact government" page.
Signal Timing
Our proposal was well received. Special thanks to city traffic engineer
Bruce Deeter, who has ridden many of the intersections and is already
fixing the problem at many intersections. Thanks also to Bruce's boss,
traffic engineer Steve Walker, for his ongoing commitment to bicycle facilities
in Bakersfield! The first signals have already been changed - they are
some of the signals we have listed on our site. So keep sending us your
input as cyclists. It really does make a difference.
Signs
We received a positive response and great support for this. Some signs
are already up! Pedestrian signs are up around the downtown school, and
the first Share The Road signs went up August 22 on Fairfax Road where
our friend and fellow cyclist Norm Hoffman was killed. We look forward
to more signs around schools and on routes commonly used by bicyclists.
Hageman Road flyover bicycle
access
We received a positive reception to this idea as well. In fact, as we
left, the committee and staff were discussing how this might be possible.
Because there are so few good east-west routes, we are committed to working
with the city to make this happen.
Wider Bike Lanes
Though we hadn't planned on tackling this until later, the committee was
interested enough that this issue was brought up by city staff and committee
members. Looks like we'll get another foot or two of bike lane width wherever
the City can manage it. This is something we've needed for a long time
and is great news for average bicyclists and younger riders, especially
on high-speed arterials. We'll be watching for - and using - those wider
lanes!
We also plan to look for sources of funding (such as TEA 21) so that we can widen lanes in even more locations. We'll need help from our members on this one. If you want to help, e-mail us or come to our next meeting.
Proper resurfacing in bike lanes
after Utilities dig
We learned the city has an agreement with utilities so that after they
dig they are required to resurface the road to the same high standard
as the rest of the roadway! And we have learned that this agreement is
retroactive, meaning they can be required to re-surface if they didn't
do it right the first time. This is good news indeed for bicyclists. E-mail
us with info on bike lanes that are roughly resurfaced and we'll let
the city know. Or go to our Contact Government
page and contact them directly.
Better Bike Path Access at Mohawk
and Truxtun
We learned a lot about this one. A good example of how taking the time
to communicate with city staff can help resolve a problem. The city designed
the intersection primarily for pedestrians. They knew bicyclists would
have to walk it. However, it's nor cost-effective to fix it now because
in four years Mohawk will be continued up and over the river. When the
city does that, we're told we'll get good bike path access (probably similar
to what is at Coffee Road now) . Meantime, we're considering some signs
advising bicyclists to walk their bikes at this intersection.
Street Sweeping
The committee is aware of the problem. If there are problem areas, they
want to hear about them. In general, sweeping probably doesn't happen
as frequently as anyone would like, mainly because of cost. However, we
can get results if we make our voices heard. See the Contact
Government link for more info.
Our thanks
to the Bakersfield City Urban Development Committee for listening carefully
and supporting many of our projects on August 20, 2001.
