Letter to Oxnard Public Works & Transportation Committee on bicycle infrastructure

We need protected bike lanes, not sharrows

Dear Chair Perello, Mayor Flynn, and Councilmember MacDonald,

Thank you for looking into bicycle infrastructure in tomorrow’s Public Works & Transportation Committee meeting. For a couple months after I moved to Oxnard, I didn’t have a car and relied on my bike, but ultimately felt too unsafe and got a car instead (the infrequent bus routes also contributed). While I appreciate the efforts here, I’m concerned that the proposals are too minor to promote bicycle usage and safety.

Studies show that the sharrows proposed in La Colonia would improve neither usage nor safety, and if anything may undermine these goals. Please instead consider a bike lane, ideally protected.

The class 2 bike lane proposed on Oxnard Blvd is also insufficient, given vehicles often drive 60mph or faster there. My rides on Victoria near the freeway, where speed limits are similarly high, felt extremely unsafe. We need protected bike lanes on roads like that.

Improving bike infrastructure is an opportunity to dramatically cut down on cycling injuries, reduce fatal crashes for all road users (even drivers), and generally improve public health in a cost-effective way, if we invest in protected lanes.

We could also reduce vehicle miles traveled, which UC Berkeley researchers find is the 2nd-most-effective tool for Oxnard to cut GHG emissions.

I’m personally producing more GHGs because of poor bike infrastructure. Please help me improve our environment.

Thank you,
Max Ghenis

Sent to perellobert@gmail.com, tim.flynn@oxnard.org, bryan.macdonald@oxnard.org