SBAC_Bike_Plan_Funding — File 208542

Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee June 15, 2019 Subject: Support for Bike Network Plan funding in FY20 Budget Councilors, I'm writing on behalf of the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee in support of funding for a Bike Master Plan and for Vision Zero implementation as part of OSPCD Mobility's budget. Having a Bike Master Plan has been a priority for the Bike Committee for a long time, and we appreciate City Council’s recent resolution in support of establishing a comprehensive city-wide bicycle plan. A comprehensive bicycle plan is also a goal of the draft Vision Zero Plan, and has been proposed as a goal during Somervision 2040 Steering Committee process. Therefore, we were pleased to vote unanimously at the June 6 Bike Committee to support the proposed funding. Specifically, we support fully maintaining the proposed funding for OSPCD Mobility, including the funding for Professional & Technical Services. We believe that people of all ages and abilities should have safe bike routes connecting to every square, to every school, and to every job center. Over the years, we've been able to build out significant individual pieces of bike infrastructure ad hoc, by taking advantage of repaving projects and building bike lanes where convenient. However, having a comprehensive plan is a necessary step towards have a continuous network of low-stress bike routes. We expect a Bike Network Plan to: • Enhance coordination between adjacent projects, so that safe bike infrastructure doesn’t abruptly end at a project boundary • Guide our infrastructural investments over the next decade or longer, while also identifying short- term targets • Make the most of planned improvements like the Community Path Extension by ensuring safe connections to access the Path • Coordinate with resurfacing and capital projects schedules, to identify which projects can be built as part of routine resurfacing and which will require targeted investments. This is the beginning of the process around a bike network plan, and we look forward to continuing to work with the City and participate in the public process around developing the plan. Thank you for your continued efforts to make biking a safe option for all Somervillians. Tom Lamar Chair, Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee