Council Looks at Disbanding Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee

The Los Altos City Council will review a proposal to disband the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) at its meeting Tuesday night, a first step toward bringing the advisory group under the umbrella of the Los Altos Traffic Commission.

The move is being viewed with alarm by those believe it will reinforce the primacy of cars over bicycles and pedestrians in the city.

Tuesday's action will put the discussion on the consent calendar for next month, but it is a clear indication of the council's intent to bring up the matter when it meets with the traffic commission.

Also on the agenda are the proposals to discontinue providing service agencies with community development block grants, approving street-naming policies and identifying issues for the next joint city-schools meeting. But it is the future of BPAC that has grabbed attention from those who support stronger policies on bicycle and pedestrian issues.

Los Altos has a large community of bicyclists and walkers, who do both as a means of transportation and for pleasure. There is a bike- and walk-to-school program at the elementary schools and Egan Middle School.  

BPAC supporters fear that if the advisory group is absorbed by the traffic commission, the focus will be on motorized vehicle traffic, with little attention paid to the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians.

"Increasing bike and pedestrian access is one of the biggest opportunities we have for creating a more vibrant community while also reducing our greenhouse gases and traffic congestion," said Kacey Fitzpatrick, a Los Altos resident who is a strong supporter of BPAC and the founding executive director of GreenTown Los Altos. The organization's mission is to making the city more environmentally healthy.

BPAC has functioned independently for a number of years, actively seeking ways to make Los Altos more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.

The issue of bicycle and pedestrian safety has become more prominent in recent weeks after a pedestrian was killed and a bicyclist injured. 

Patricia Blankenberg, 76, a longstanding volunteer in the arts community, was killed last week when she was struck by a car while crossing Los Altos Avenue at Hacienda Way. Two days earlier, a 42-year-old woman was injured when her bicycle collided with a car at the intersection of Foothill Expressway and Main Street while she was out riding her bike.