City Seeks Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Group

A press release a week and a half ago wasn’t exactly what the rogue painters of guerrilla crosswalks​ and bike lanes or their supporters were hoping to hear from the city.

Then last Friday the City released this:

Tacoma Seeks Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisors

The City of Tacoma Transportation Commission is looking for informed residents to help the City as it keeps moving on bicycle and pedestrian matters. 

A Bicycle and Pedestrian Technical Advisory Group (BPTAG) will advise the newly created Transportation Commission on active transportation issues, such as bicycle and pedestrian planning, transportation regulation compliance, project prioritization, and implementing the City’s Mobility Master Plan including wayfinding, project design, connectivity and citizen encouragement. Meetings will be held 5 to 7 p.m. the third Monday of each month. 

The City Manager will appoint 11 City residents living throughout each of the City’s five Council Districts to BPTAG to ensure a range of perspectives and expertise. Residents with knowledge or first-hand experience about pedestrian, bicycle, health, parks and American with Disabilities Act issues are particularly encouraged to apply. In addition, the City is seeking a youth representative, between the ages of 16 and 18, to serve as part of the group. 

Applications should be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office by Friday, June 28, 2013. To apply, please visit cityoftacoma.org/cbcapplication or contact April Larsen at (253) 591-5167, City Clerk’s Office, Room 220, Municipal Building, 747 Market St., Tacoma, WA 98402.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Technical Advisory Group was created in May, when the City restructured its committees, boards, and commissions, creating a Transportation Commission, and making the existing Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Committee into an advisory group to the Transportation Commission. So the BPTAG had already been created on paper, but has not yet been filled with citizens. 

So here’s your chance for those with “knowledge or first-hand experience” to get involved in the official processes of planning for pedestrian and bicycle improvements. However, you may not want to mention any knowledge or first-hand experience with the recent crosswalk controversy; after all, the panel will be appointed by the City Manager - who has promised to “pursue legal action against those engaged in this kind of illegal activity.” 

This looks like the officially sanctioned outlet for the channeling of crosswalk frustrations. Is it enough?