Politics & Government

Residents Concerned About Bike Sharrows on Pacific Ave.

City Council will discuss bike sharrows on Pacific Ave. tonight and provide direction for staff.

With the idea of bike sharrows designations being painted onto Pacific Avenue, Manhattan Beach residents have come out to voice their opposition.

How far their concerns go will be decided, for now, at tonight's City Council meeting, set to begin at 6 p.m. in Council chambers, 1400 Highland Ave. 

"They're not a done deal at all," said City Councilwoman Amy Howorth Tuesday of the sharrows, adding that council members have heard from a lot of residents. "It seems to be that residents don't want it [sharrows] and the people who do overwhelmingly are not residents."

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Last December, the then-city council, consisting of current Mayor David Lesser, Howorth, council member Wayne Powell and former council members Nick Tell and Richard Montgomery, adopted the ambitious South Bay Master Bicycle Plan, the region's first multi-jurisdictional bike plan, which, among other things, identifies roads targeted for modifications to increase bicycle-friendly routes.

On Feb. 7, 2012, the same sitting council approved the designation of Pacific Ave. as a Bicycle Friendly Street, according to the SBMBP's wishes. "Bike Route" signs were installed on Pacific Ave. from 5th St. to Rosecrans Ave. in March last year.

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Leading up to tonight's meeting, some residents did voice support for the sharrows. Most of those who did not were not against the idea of bike-friendly routes, they simply think Pacific Ave. is not a safe street for sharrows or a bike route.

"If you're living there on Pacific, you don't want them, for compelling safety reasons," said Howorth. "I voted to approve the signs and am kind of wondering about the wisdom of that decision now when I look criticially at it," she said.

Bike sharrows can be seen on Hermosa Ave. in Hermosa Beach. Their intent is to direct bicyclists to what roads to ride on; slow drivers' speeds; encourage drivers to drive closer to center lines; increase passing space between bicyclists and drivers, and reduce the chances of bicyclists being hit when parked car doors are opened, according to a handout from the Blue Zones Project placed in residential mailboxes in the city Monday.

The Blue Zones Project supports the Pacific Ave. sharrows and asks people to sign an online petition. They believe the sharrows will make the street safer for children and bicyclists, according to their literature. 

Their handout asks people to attend tonight's city council meeting and to send questions or a letter of support to Nhung Madrid, city staffer.

Blue Zones touts itself as a "community-wide well-being improvement initiative" working to create a "Beach Cities community that is healtheir and more walkable, bikeable, and socially engaged," according to the handout.

Do you think sharrows make roads safer? Do you think Pacific Avenue from 5th St. to Rosecrans Ave. should have them? Why or why not?


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