Susan Tellem’s recent letter is a dismal display of attitude and ignorance. Rather than embrace a culture in our community through education of both motorists and cyclists our “Public Safety Commissioner” has decided that attacking a group rather than including them is a wise public safety agenda.
The vehicle code in California (which I have read) affords the same rights and responsibilities to cyclists that it does to motor vehicles. The city council needs to quiet this lost city official. We need to find a way to embrace and include cyclists in Malibu.
A council meeting devoted to setting a plan in place that will educate and invite cyclists to help guide policy rather than threaten them is more informed and wise. The roads of Malibu are not owned by one group or another. Having a city official come out against non-polluting, revenue enhancing, healthy active life stylists is backwards, uneducated, and divisive. A few years ago, two cyclists were killed directly across from my home on PCH due to concrete barriers that were set up for a landscaping project that forced cyclists into traffic. If our Public Safety Commissioner has real safety concerns, she should focus on policy and process that raises safety not on creating division.
I have lived in Malibu for 30 years and this is the lowest point I have seen from a city official who is supposed to enlarge and enlighten the community. We can do better.
Michael Johnson