HomeMy WebLinkAboutemial from Berry on processMalone, Walter
From: Craig Berry <caberry1955@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2014 10:49 AM
To: Bozynski, Tony; Stodola, Mark; Malone, Walter; Keith,Fountain@regions.com; City
Manager; lanskygould@comcast.net
Subject: Public Participation Process for New/Proposed Bike Lanes
All,
As a Planning Commissioner who has been heavily involved this last year on bike lane amendements to the
Master Street Plan, I couldn't help but react to the news items over last couple of weeks regarding the new bike
lane design/striping of Louisiana and counter some untruthful claims.
1. It is fully innacurate c that public input was not solicited. Several public meetings were organized
city-wide and neighborhoods noticed in different parts of town, downtown included. I attended a couple
of those. The Downtown meeting last year was poorly attended; the meeting for the bike connector to
Foxcroft was quite lively and well attended, and as a result, an adjustment was made in the proposed
bike lanes in that part of Little Rock.
2. Planniny Staff did conductspecific outreach to business regarding the proposed bike lines on
Louisiana, particularly for that segment which is closest into the business -densest part of downtown.
Stephens Inc. can attest to the fact that city staff reached out to affected business.
3. Planning Commission conducted fullaublic hearin s on the bike lane amendments at its formal
meetings last September, We established a record presenting the bike lane admendments and for those
who attended and spoke... Stephens Inc. rep. did show up.
Mainly, my point is that we didn't think retro -fitting of bike lines in downtown, well -trafficked streets, or in
minority neighborhoods was going to be easy. This challenges and issues we encounter in Little Rock are
replicated in other cities doing the same.
So, this is still an evolving process and human nature doesn't change. People don't react until they start seeing
the new stripes on the road, despite having the opportunity to attend meetings for which they have been noticed,
Going to win some and lose some on bike plans. But we need to learn from this experience to find other ways
to solicit public input through means other than the traditional ones, such as noticed meetings where folks are
asked to show up. This is a modern challenge for all city planning projects and public participation venues.
Staff established a good foundation and public process for identifying and incorporating potential bike
lanes/standards into the current master street plan. We can always improve on that process and make
adjustments to proposed bike lane design, but we don't need to act ashamed and buckle under false claims.
Hope you share my constancy of purpose in continuing this thoughtful public process for implementing the new
"Complete Streets" policy that the city adopted.
Best Regards
Craig Berry