Southern California saw a huge jump in significant local government commitment to bicycling.
The city of Los Angeles, with the enthusiastic support of the mayor, approved a plan that envisions 1,680 miles of bike ways in the large, sprawling city. This means that the city will be building 40 miles of bikeways each year, about four times the current rate.
“We have roughly $3.7 million a year to work with that’s committed to this,” L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl told the local ABC News affiliate. “We got money out of Measure R and we have a commitment to spend it on doing this.” There is a total of about $50 million set aside to implement the plan.
To see the LA plan in all it’s detail, click here.
Not to be outdone, it appears that governments in the San Diego area are going even further. The association of governments has approved a plan to allocate $2.58 billion over 30 years for bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
It’s not altogether clear whether the council of governments’ plan guarantees the spending, or whether it is simply a guideline for the constituent local governments to follow.
Nonetheless, the actions in both LA and SD have greatly encouraged local advocates of alternative transportation and appear to be a major step in the direction of giving real muscle to bicyclists and pedestrians in the motor vehicle clogged Southland.
