Last Wednesday, the City of Pomona hosted its 2nd community meeting for Pomona’s first ever Bicycle Master Plan. The Bicycle Master Plan is part of an Active Transportation Plan that includes pedestrian plans as well. Members of the community were able to comment and give feedback on a number of suggested lanes, paths, and bike friendly routes being considered for the city. The meeting also previewed other suggested programs and policies including the installation of bike parking, bike-related education and safety programs, and the proper maintenance of bike facilities. If you missed the meeting yourself but would still like to give comments or suggestions the following webpage has been set up.

Community members discuss potential bikeways

Public Comment

The meeting had a strong turnout with a number of attendees with suggestions for the new bike plan. Several key issues were discussed including the need for direct routes to and from local schools (Western Medical University and Cal Poly Pomona) as well as the best placement for bike lanes within the city in general. There was some debate regarding whether Holt should be included in the bike plan. This busy corridor is already frequently used by cyclists, despite high levels of car traffic. Currently the bike plan includes no major facilities for this route and instead directs cyclists elsewhere. The tentative bike plan includes plans for a bike path that would travel along the San Jose Creek, a tributary to the San Gabriel River. The inclusion of this path is important because paths are generally considered safer and encourage cycling among all age groups and experience levels. The importance of connecting to other bike lanes in nearby cities such as Claremont was also stressed.

Stickers were used to rank the importance of suggested routes

Programs and policies to support walking and biking

What’s Next

While all of these plans are great, perhaps the best part about creating a bike plan is that Pomona will now have the green light to start pursuing funding for the installation of bicycle facilities. The policy section of the tentative bike plan includes a recommendation for allotting a portion of a city employee’s time to applying for the grants and funding that make these projects come to life.