LADOT THREATENS TO CUT THE ENTIRE BIKEWAYS DEPARTMENT!! BIKE PROJECTS WOULD BE CUT!!

        Los Angeles is facing a perilous budget crisis. All city departments are being asked to submit plans on how they will cut spending, and LADOT have proposed to eliminate the entire Bikeways staff. Not just lay off some people, but cut it altogether.

2 things one can do to save LA bike projects:


1) ATTEND MONDAYS COUNCIL MEETING
NEED CYCLISTS TO ATTEND AND GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT TO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY May 18, 10 am! Get there by 9:30am to sign up for public comment.

WHEN: Monday, May 18, 10:00AM
WHERE: City Hall Council Chambers. 200 N. Spring Street 90012, Room 340

2) WRITE EMAILS AND CALL- 1st THING MONDAY MORNING BEFORE THE MEETING to LADOT, the Budget and Finance Committee Members and to the Mayor.
see below for contact information

Background:
A May 4th Inter-departmental Correspondence titled Shared Responsibility and Sacrifice signed by LADOT General Manager Rita Robinson and addressed to the Budget and Finance Committee, contains the following text under the heading, Transit Capital Programming:

"Discontinue bikeways function, including bicycle path maintenance, bicycle programs, and school bicycle and transit education. Discontinue work on Safe Routes to School."

Numerous bicycle projects are underway which will be curtailed or compromised by this short-sighted move, including:

·    The update of the city's Bicycle Plan, already behind schedule.
·    Numerous bike lane projects.
· The Expo Bikeway, in which the city must complete its environmental review by the end of the year (to keep pace with the light rail project) or the bikeway may be delayed for years.
·    The Sharrows study, which should lead to an implementation plan for this much-needed bikeway enhancement.

Some talking points:
· With more people riding bikes than ever before, with a vibrant cycling culture developing and with congestion and climate change consequences screaming at us, this is exactly the wrong time to cut the entire bikeways staff.
· This city faces rising health problems, obesity and high pollution problems. Encouraging cycling is an easy and cost-effective way to start reducing these problems.
· Cycling is not being prioritized in Los Angeles, if there is no staff at all to work on more infrastructure to create safer streets for ALL users, more injury and deaths will occur.

ATTEND THE MEETING and/or WRITE EMAILS AND CALL IN ON MONDAY if you would like to participate

Contact info:

Mayor Villaraigosa
(213) 978-0600
mayor@lacity.org

Rita Robinson
Fax: 213 972-8410
rita.robinson@lacity.org


Budget and Finance Committee Members:

Councilmember Bernard C. Parks, Chair
(213)-473-7008
councilmember.parks@lacity.org

Councilmember Wendy Greuel
(213)-473-7002
councilmember.greuel@lacity.org

Councilmember Bill Rosendahl
(213)-473-7011
councilman.rosendahl@lacity.org

Councilmember Jose Huizar
(213)-473-7014
councilmember.huizar@lacity.org

Councilmember Greig Smith
(213)-473-7012
councilmember.smith@lacity.org