I went to this meeting/workshop tonight. It was very interesting. It overall had a positive effect. Of course it hard to see from the community perspective how something like this will change anything on the bureaucratic side, but the beauty of tonight was that the point was to talk. And that we did! I know it helped on both sides of the table. The answers are all there. We just have to ask the right questions. And then we have to listen to the answers. No one is trying to make this not work. We all want this master plan to be perfect. It's the mayor and the 10 others that need to get on board...
Many thanks to Linda, Jacquie, Roy, Debs PAB members and everyone who came to the Bike Plan Workshop at Ramona Hall last night. It was a huge success. The room was full of bike helmeted street cyclists for the full two hours. Planning got to hear from the real people affected at ground level.
Everyone's support has made a major impact. As you know, Ed Reyes's office scheduled this meeting AFTER all the outreach was supposedly set. Our protests about being excluded were heard! The Councilman made a point of saying he wanted Northeast LA included in the process. We appreciate that Ed Reyes responded to us.
Debby Rolland, Rec & Parks Superintendent for our region, was present to hear input about the mountain bike issue in Debs Park. We were assured that the Debs Park Framework Plan as a city ordinance protects the park from any such change. However, there continues to be pressure from the mountain bike companies and lobbyists. We can't let up as long as that language remains in the Plan.
The Planning representative Helene explained at the end of the meeting that a revised Bike Plan will be presented in January with more outreach workshops planned at that time. Ed Reyes himself assured the crowd that they need to hear what people want and that this is just the beginning of the planning process. This was a very different message than what was originally announced. We've made the difference.
More to come next year.
Thanks to everyone who emailed their comments. You may still put in your two cents. Email jordann.turner@lacity.org. You may access the PDF files of the plan, chapter by chapter, here:
http://www.labikeplan.org/bikeway_maps
Martha Benedict Chair, Debs Park Advisory Board ASNC Recreation, Culture & Arts
I went to this meeting/workshop tonight. It was very interesting. It overall had a positive effect. Of course it hard to see from the community perspective how something like this will change anything on the bureaucratic side, but the beauty of tonight was that the point was to talk. And that we did! I know it helped on both sides of the table. The answers are all there. We just have to ask the right questions. And then we have to listen to the answers. No one is trying to make this not work. We all want this master plan to be perfect. It's the mayor and the 10 others that need to get on board...
ReplyDeletePosted by: "ASNC" asncalert@yahoo.com asncalert
ReplyDeleteFri Nov 6, 2009 10:04 pm (PST)
Many thanks to Linda, Jacquie, Roy, Debs PAB members and everyone who
came to the Bike Plan Workshop at Ramona Hall last night. It was a
huge success. The room was full of bike helmeted street cyclists for
the full two hours. Planning got to hear from the real people
affected at ground level.
Everyone's support has made a major impact. As you know, Ed Reyes's
office scheduled this meeting AFTER all the outreach was supposedly
set. Our protests about being excluded were heard! The Councilman
made a point of saying he wanted Northeast LA included in the
process. We appreciate that Ed Reyes responded to us.
Debby Rolland, Rec & Parks Superintendent for our region, was present
to hear input about the mountain bike issue in Debs Park. We were
assured that the Debs Park Framework Plan as a city ordinance
protects the park from any such change. However, there continues to
be pressure from the mountain bike companies and lobbyists. We can't
let up as long as that language remains in the Plan.
The Planning representative Helene explained at the end of the
meeting that a revised Bike Plan will be presented in January with
more outreach workshops planned at that time. Ed Reyes himself
assured the crowd that they need to hear what people want and that
this is just the beginning of the planning process. This was a very
different message than what was originally announced. We've made the
difference.
More to come next year.
Thanks to everyone who emailed their comments. You may still put in
your two cents. Email jordann.turner@lacity.org. You may access the
PDF files of the plan, chapter by chapter, here:
http://www.labikeplan.org/bikeway_maps
Martha Benedict
Chair, Debs Park Advisory Board
ASNC Recreation, Culture & Arts