By Ian Scharine
A mild winter has meant that the Salt Lake County Bicycle Advisory Committee has a big year ahead of it early on. County Mayor Ben McAdams has repeatedly discussed Active Transportation as a part of his long term plans for the county and the 2015 budget is proof that he means what he says. In his recent state of the county address he said that his efforts to reduce pollution are to establish more “walkable, bikeable neighborhoods and community centers”. 300 South’s protected bicycle lanes are already seeing more attention from riders and if it’s any indication of things to come, it will not be alone for long.
2014 saw some changes with the committee, including the retirement of long-time member and community volunteer Louis Melini. Lou served for both the County and City bicycle committee for more than 10 years and is on to official retirement, which means plenty of miles on his bike around the rest of the country and world. SLCBAC presented him with a plaque for his years of outstanding service and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
After several months of recruiting, the Bicycle Advisory Board is now filled out with a diverse and dedicated group of involved County volunteers. We’re not finished however, as we are constantly supporting various projects that need not only our support but that of the cycling community as a whole. Our meetings are the first Wednesday of each month at the County Government Center which the public is always encouraged to attend and involve themselves in discussion and other opportunities. Head over to our website at www.slco.org/bicycle for more information and links to Salt Lake County planning and development. We know this will be a successful and important year and hope to get as many citizens involved as possible!
