Get yourself to those boring city hall meetings
Get yourself to those boring city hall meetings
Here are five reasons you and I should probably be listening & commenting at those public engagement sessions. Planning commission, project meetings, and the like.
5 reasons you should participate in community engagement meetings
There are local government plans and projects under development right now that have a direct impact on your health and happiness. That’s wonderful if you’re involved, and risky if you’re unaware. If you think bicycling infrastructure is important, here are a basketful of reasons to get yourself down to city hall when the doors open for public comment.
1. Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan
Master plans are funded because walking and bicycling are fundamental modes of transportation. Local and state governments are required to accommodate bicycling. But without good advocacy, “accommodation” is often defined as “ride in the drainage area along the curb.”
2. Comprehensive Plan
Local governments regularly update plans that encompass land use, housing, transportation, and more. This is a great time to make sure that their efforts serve the public interest. Your participation can help make sure future development projects support and even promote bicycling.
3. Bike Share Program
Bike share is a friend of the bicycling community. It's one of several ways to get more people riding bikes. Your city probably owns and maintains the public street network. Establishing bike share programs and mobility hub locations is part of their job, and they’re always looking for ideas.
4. Development/Redevelopment Site Plans
These will probably be the most boring meetings to attend, and they might also be the most important. That new townhouse development or neighborhood grocery store – they had to submit a traffic study proposing street modifications like turn lanes and connections to side streets. Or they could improve the street by extending the bike lane network.
5. Capital Improvement Plan
The better the infrastructure, the more people ride bikes. The more people ride bikes, the more culture shifts to a mobility paradise. Budget season comes around every year, and this is your opportunity to advocate for protected bike lanes, better bike parking, connections to parks and trails, and more. Bike infrastructure has a benefit-cost ratio that’s off the charts. You can be the advocate that helped save the city millions while improving the quality of life!