Bicycling's Big Friday: USDOT's Outreach Tour and Metro's Bike Roundtable

February 18, 2010 at 3:42 pm | Posted in Bike News | 1 Comment
Tags: Metro, US DOT

USDOT Secretary Ray La Hood with President Obama

Tomorrow is a big day for bicyclists working with the large organizations that manage our region’s transportation policies and priorities. Both the US DOT and LA County MTA are holding events that LACBC is excited to be a part of. Below you’ll find info we’ve been circulating on both meetings.

The DOT morning event is closed to the public, but a great rally and press event has been put together with other transit and livability advocates that all bicyclists should be a part of.  The Metro event had a request for RSVP, so hopefully everyone has done so already. If you can’t make either of these happenings and you have comments or ideas for the USDOT or Metro, email, Tweet, or Facebook them to us all day today and tomorrow morning in person.  Oh yeah, and both events will apparently have a free bike valet run by Metro!

The US Department of Transportation, Ray LaHood (Secretary of Transportation), and Senator Barbara Boxer are holding a hearing about their priorities for the National Transportation Bill, which funds all the transportation projects in the U.S.  They will only have ONE California-wide meeting and it’s going to be right here in Los Angeles!

Prior to the meeting, along with LACBC, labor, public health, environmental, and transit advocates are holding a rally and press conference. Press conference speakers will discuss opportunities to complete visionary Los Angeles County transportation projects 20 years ahead of schedule and illustrate the critical implications of the next national transportation bill for the future of California. Los Angeles voters have stood up for reforming transportation, and now we need Congress to as well.

We as bicyclists need to take this opportunity to show that we want more funding and prioritization of bicycle, pedestrian and non-auto projects.

After the press conference and rally, the main meeting will begin in the Boardroom of the Los Angeles County MTA. Unfortunately, the meeting is not open to the public, but the LACBC will be collecting comments today and during the rally to make sure that your voices are heard. Please email comments to aurisha@la-bike.org.

Join us in a rally of support for bicycle prioritization in the next National Transportation Bill!

Hopefully, this symbol becomes a regular occurence around town

The Below message from the Bicycle Roundtable’s organizers about says it all.

Metro is convening a series of Bicycle Roundtable meetings in 2010, and we welcome your participation! Doug Failing, Metro’s Executive Director of Highway Programs and Interim Chief Planning Officer, was active in the Caltrans Bicycle Advisory Committee. He will kick-off the first Metro Bicycle Roundtable meeting.

The purpose of the first meeting is to initiate a dialogue and identifyissues of importance to cyclists in Los Angeles County. This will lead to avision for enhancing Metro’s current program. The outcome of the firstmeeting will determine the frequency, next steps, and agendas of futuremeetings.
The first Metro Bicycle Roundtable meeting is scheduled for:

Friday, February 19, 2010
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Metro
One Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Windsor Conference Room, 15th Floor
Sign-in and receive a visitor badge at the 3rd Floor security desk.

Please be on time. This meeting will start promptly at 2:00 pm.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Bronwen Trice
Metro Regional Communications
213.922.4465 office
triceb@metro.net

Directions and Parking Information

Served by: Metro Bus Lines 40, 42, 68, 70, 71, 78, 79, 333, 439,  445, 704,
728, 740, 745, 770, Metro Red, Purple and Gold Lines, Santa Monica Transit
10, Metrolink, and Amtrak

Bicycle parking is in Metro’s parking garage on the P1 level between the
fish tank/customer service center and Metro elevators. Please let Jennifer
Gill know if you plan to ride your bike so we can plan enough bicycle
parking.

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