Westside BikeSIDE!

Stephen Box speaks activist fire, so when he stands to deliver, I sit to listen. When he pitched me the idea of a Bicyclist Bill of Rights for Los Angeles County, he didn’t need his fire speak, the idea itself blazed.

(Midnight Rida “Sexy” speaks to the Santa Monica City Council in support of Santa Monica Critical Mass)

I’m convinced that we need a Bicyclist Bill of Rights (BBR), and I aim to convince you.

As abstract and lofty as a BBR seems, it is just a way for bikers to get what they want. A BBR works to our benefit in four ways. First, it documents the common needs of all cyclists. Second, it provides public officials a basic criteria for determining whether a program will benefit cyclists. Third, politicians will gladly commit to it now, enabling our community to hold them accountable later. Finally, it gives the community a rallying point that energizes other efforts.

These are complex points, so let’s flesh them out:

• Common Ground: Cyclists often get sidetracked arguing over methods. Arguments about bike lanes vs. vehicular cycling distract from the issue: cycling must be made easier and safer. Pernicious navel gazing within the LACBC board over Critical Mass wastes energy better spent on improving things for cyclists. A BBR focuses our community’s energy by identifying our commonality.

• Basic Criteria for Bike Programs: Imagine you are a councilwoman in Torrance CA, where the velorucíon hasn’t quite exploded yet. How are you to know what street improvements will assist cyclists? If you consult city engineers they’ll likely regurgitate cryptic street specifications. You need a basic idea of cyclist’s needs, and a BBR gives you a starting point.

• Accountability: At first glance a BBR is toothless. As an elected official, if you are pressured you can easily sign it and feel safe that you aren’t committing to much. However, it becomes a weapon for the bikers when we insist that officials follow through. When elected officials fail to effect real change, we can point to the BBR and whisper, gurgle, shout, or scream “you are not living up to your commitment.”

• Rallying Cry: Los Angeles County is a big place, and so bike efforts rightly take different focuses. A BBR is something we can all get behind, while not giving up our individual autonomy. It’s a collaborative opportunity to come together with a common goal, while strengthening our other efforts.

Of course there could be drawbacks to adoption of a BBR. If we do not assert control of the BBR’s interpretation, lazy politicians can do very little and then point to the BBR as validation of their sloth. In order for a BBR to work on our behalf we will need to continuously assert OUR ownership of the BBR.

I bike the idea a lot, but is it an idea whose time has come? Please post up comments, or discuss it in Midnight Ridazz. Keep your nose clean and eyes open, because I suspect Stephen Box and the Bike Writers Collective might already have something for us.

GET FIRED UP!!

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