From LAWeekly
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced on Tuesday that his aforementioned “Bike Summit” would happen Aug. 16 (from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the board room of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, One Gateway Plaza, downtown).
Bike activists, city officials, transportation planners and police will discuss a 1,600-mile city bike path plan, police enforcement of traffic laws as it concerns cyclists and integration of “bike ways” with the area’s bus and rail network, according to the mayor’s office. Mountain biking is illegal on unpaved roads and trails in all LA City parks.
“Let’s get together and talk about what we need to do to make the streets safer for cyclists,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “Whether you depend on your bike for commuting or just take it out for fun, I invite you to come to the Bike Summit to talk about your experiences and learn about what we’re doing in Los Angeles to make streets safer for everyone.
Mayor Villaraigosa first announced his plans for the Bike Summit in July.
Villaraigosa was famously involved in a bike-versus-cab accident earlier this month that left him with a broken elbow and newfound respect for cyclists’ rights.
I would like to go to this event, even though it will likely focus on the road cycling issues. It may be our only chance to alert the Mayor about the disparity between the city’s new-found outreach to cyclists and it’s continuing ostracizing of mountain bikers.
William, I will try to go too. We should show up on mountain bikes in mountain biking gear, and publicly demonstrate that mountain bikers are a part of the Los Angeles cycling community, whether they like it or not!