Notes from the MAG Bicycle Pedestrian Committee Meeting on 2/15

• The first annual City of Phoenix Bicycle Summit meeting will take place on Saturday, March 19, from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Burton Barr Library at 1221 N. Central Avenue. Phoenix advocates and those interested in bicycling in Phoenix are invited to attend. As the City of Phoenix has lagged behind other communities in the Valley in bicycling accommodation, it is important for advocates and bicyclists to participate in this summit and come prepared with priority projects, good ideas and positive/pragmatic solutions to help move Phoenix along.
• The Maricopa County Health Department is establishing an Office of Policy, which will include a staff position involved with bicycling and walking as a part of policy development and improving health in Maricopa County. This Office will become a new point of contact for the bicycling community, especially as relates to the health benefits of bicycling and garnering support for bicycling as transportation and recreation/exercise.
• MAG has initiated a study of Sustainable Transportation and Land Use "to define a coordinated, comprehensive approach for promoting sustainable transportation and transit supportive land use patterns in the region." The stakeholders will primarily be MAG member agencies, but organizations such as the Sonoran Institute (which the CAzB is preparing to join) are expected to have input, as well.
• The MAG Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee is addressing the issue of education projects versus infrastructure projects in the current "scoring" system for CMAQ funding. Possibly, a separate portion of funds may be carved out specifically for education projects as the scoring system seems to underweight those projects during the ranking process.

Bob Beane, President
Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists