City officials are examining a long-term project to make bicycling a viable alternative to driving in Malibu.
By Knowles Adkisson / The Malibu Times
Planning could begin next year on an ambitious long-term effort to make bicycling a viable transportation alternative to cars in Malibu. The city’s public safety commission met with bicycle experts recently to hear a presentation on the virtues of becoming what is called a “Bicycle Friendly Community” (BFC).
The BFC designation is made by a national organization called the League of American Bicyclists.
Marissa Christiansen, an urban planner from the nonprofit Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, detailed a laundry list of changes needed to qualify Malibu for the designation. They include: a 10- to 20-year plan to develop a cohesive network of trails and roads accessible by bicycles that connects Malibu; plans for the development of bicycle parking and other infrastructure; safety courses and public service announcements to educate drivers on their legal responsibilities toward bicyclists; a commitment from law enforcement officials to rigorously enforce existing laws that prevent indimidation and harassment of bicyclists; and an implementation deadline for these measures.
Should it receive the “Bicycle Friendly Community” designation, Christiansen said Malibu would be eligible for grant money from the state and federal governments. Fellow bicycle advocate Eric Bruins said Malibu would also benefit from the emerging industry of bicycle tourism, which Bruins said measured in the billions of dollars.
“You guys have a natural market for it,” Bruins said. “You have the weather, you have the coast, you have all these things. How do you get more people to come spend money in Malibu without driving their cars? Bicycle tourism. And that means bicycle routes at hotels, campgrounds, it means a whole range of facilities.”
Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich, who has championed the idea, echoed Bruins’ advice.
“We have people biking here every weekend,” Ulich said. “Why are we not embracing this and taking advantage?”
However, several of the commissioners noted the numerous obstacles that could potentially prevent bicycling from becoming a viable transportation option in Malibu. For starters, unlike Glendale and Long Beach, Malibu’s main street is the narrow Pacific Coast Highway.
Commission chair Carol Randall noted that Pacific Coast Highway on the eastern side of Malibu was particularly narrow.
“I don’t want to make it less safe for the people that live [in eastern Malibu],” Randall said.
Christiansen acknowledged that “PCH is a tough nut to crack,” but said the city could start by focusing on making the many other roads in Malibu safer and more accessible for bicyclists. Bruins added that when bicycle infrastructure is installed, it makes it safer for everyone because motorists are aware of bicyclists and they slow down.
Commissioner Chris Frost said the issue of education works both ways. He said bicyclists must also be made to follow traffic laws in order for motorists to trust them.
“Right now you’ve got hordes of cyclists going through the red light at Kanan in the morning,” Frost said. “You’ve got a couple of [drivers] stopped there, and they see that and they say ‘Why don’t they have to stop?’ And they’re supposed to, obviously.”
Enforcement among bicyclists was problematic, Christiansen admitted. Dozens of different bike clubs with differing mentalities bicycle in Malibu, most of them from outside the city, and all of them have to buy into obeying traffic laws.
Local resident and bicyclist Merrill May suggested contacting influential bicycle stores in the San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica, to ask them to spread the word that Malibu is trying to become more bicycle-friendly and request that they ask their members to ride more courteously.
While Bruins said it would likely take one or two years of planning before Malibu could apply for grants, he said there were things the city could start doing immediately that would aid the process. The city’s public works department, when doing street improvements, could start by taking into account not just how many cars go through a traffic light, but how different modes of transportation-driving, bicycling and walking-interact with each other and keep each of those modes in mind.
Bruins said the city and private owners could also install more bicycle parking in shopping centers and public places. Another idea is to install signs showing how far it is to various locations. For instance, a sign showing that a school is one mile away can encourage residents that it is possible to do so.
May added that meticulously keeping road shoulders clear of brush and debris left after storms could be done easily and would improve safety for bicyclists in Malibu.
The public safety commission has requested authorization from the Malibu City Council to start developing a plan to make Malibu eligible for the designation. It is expected to be a multiyear process before Malibu is eligible for any grant funding to implement proposed changes.