By a 5-2 vote, the Santa Barbara City Council at a February meeting tentatively approved the new Bicycle Master Plan . Unfortunately, the public meetings, shouting, dueling letters to the editor, and divisive discourse are not over. On March 15, facing the threat of a lawsuit based on CEQA issues, council sent the plan back to the Transportation and Circulation Committee and the Planning Commission for further review before a final vote in the summer. [CEQA stands for the California Environmental Quality Act.]
Three interrelated thoughts have been on my mind during this yearlong process: who the new BMP is for, the public dialogue during the review process, and finally our resistance to change.
Two primary goals of the Bicycle Master Plan are to increase access and safety for Santa Barbara cyclists. No one supporting the BMP wants people who choose not to bike to become cyclists. Nor is the plan intended to increase the number of bike commuters between Lompoc and Santa Barbara or to require everyone to go shopping at Ralph’s and lug 10 bags of groceries home on their bike. The plan is for those Santa Barbara residents who choose to bike to work, school, recreation, and shop, or to visit friends.