Thanks to all of you who attended the Wayfinding Open House on December 12th, and/or made comments at the online Open Town Hall. Bicycling signage is now included in the Wayfinding System Design Work Plan! Read below for more details about how you made a difference. Bike Walnut Creek’s next big event: a proposal for Bike to Lunch, a joint event with Downtown Walnut Creek (the former WC Business Association) Our next regular group meeting is in one week on Thursday, March 14 from 7:00-8:30 pm at Sports Basement Walnut Creek.
If you cannot attend our next meeting in person, consider joining via Google Hangout. This online video phone service was used at our last BWC meeting with great success. Please send Bike Walnut Creek an email for details if you are interesting in using Google Hangout to attend. Our newest BWC member, Brock Tennessen, newborn son of Danny and Kristin, will be joining the meeting via Google Hangout. {C} Those of you who attended the Wayfinding Open House, which displayed proposals for new signage for motorists and pedestrians in downtown Walnut Creek, noticed there was no bicycle-specific signage.
Due to numerous comments from concerned bicyclists, In the section Community and Stakeholder Outreach of the Wayfinding Steering Commitee Final Report, “over 70 comments were received from the public, with several threads of reoccurring comments around the following design considerations:” The first listed is “Ensure bicycle wayfinding signs are part of the system”. BWCers, you made that happen! View the new signage and the final report here. This is a great example of why Bike Walnut Creek exists.
Organizing together, we can make changes to the city’s vehicle-centered planning philosophy! Last month, former mayor/current city council member Bob Simmons rode part of our Advocacy Ride route with two BWCers. (He couldn’t make the original date.) Mr. Simmons suggested partnering with Downtown Walnut Creek to plan a Bike to Lunch event. This event would take place on a Saturday, and encourage bicyclists from all over the city to bicycle to eat lunch downtown.
At our meeting on Thursday, we will talk about the proposal we will bring to the business association. I know many of you have talked about engaging local businesses into the bicycle movement. This is your opportunity to make it happen! Please attend the meeting, as we need your input to make the event a success. Here are some upcoming events to attend if you would like to be active in Walnut Creek’s bicycle movement:
- March 12 – Citizens Advisory Committee meeting 2.75 for the West Downtown Plan, 4-6pm Third Floor Conference Room, City Hall. This group is taking what was voiced during the last three community outreach meetings and designating 3 proposals to review in the next community outreach meeting.
- March 13 – Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting, 7:30-9pm, Third Floor Conference Room, City Hall
- March 14 – Bike Walnut Creek meeting, 7-9pm, Sports Basement
- March 20 – Deadline to submit a nomination for an EBBC Bike Friendly Business Award
- March 30 – Family Cycling Workshop, 11-1:30 at Cambridge Elementary School, Concord