By Ian Scharine
In yet another progressive and groundbreaking move by the Salt Lake County Bicycle Advisory Committee, April’s meeting hosted the yearly executive committee elections. Kate Sturgeon served as the board’s first female chairperson through the 2015 year and she announced that she would step down from that position in May. The committee was asked to elect a successor and it wisely chose Betsy Byrne to serve as the 2016-17 chair. The committee now has elected women to lead it in consecutive years!
SLCBAC operates with a generous annual budget from the county and uses this funding to support improvements and outreach concerning bicycle development in the county. Measures to assist the County Mayor’s objectives of increasing ridership, safety, education and providing better facilities are considered in use of these funds. By sending board members to events such as the National Bicycle Convention in Washington D.C. and the Utah Bike Summit, the committee develops valuable networking with other organizations as well as gains experience and perspectives on other cities’ approaches to integrating bicycles as a part of their communities. Results of these conferences benefit County development of a master plan that includes biking and walking as integral parts of how the future of Salt Lake County will accommodate population growth and use of transportation networks.
The county is engaging in an ambitious and vital segment of its development which will determine how its cities will handle growth during the next 10-15 years. Several public meetings will be held to collect input and ideas that will guide neighborhoods to better commuting paths and safer roads and streets. By participation in these sessions, SLCO citizens can provide vital input on how they want their communities to develop for future generations. Please consider attending meetings by joining the SLCBAC and MBAC mailing lists and social media channels where announcements and locations will be made. Salt Lake County is already a great place for bicycles but that doesn’t mean that it can’t become better! Listed below are the remaining dates and times for our meetings in 2016:
Wed. May 11, 2016– 2nd Weds in May
Wed. Jun. 8, 2016– 2nd Weds in June
Wed. Jul. 13, 2016– 2nd Weds in July
Wed. Aug. 10, 2016– 2nd Weds in Aug
Wed. Sep. 14, 2016– 2nd Weds in Sept
Wed. Oct. 12, 2016– 2nd Weds in Oct
Wed. Nov. 9, 2016– 2nd Weds in Nov
Wed. Dec. 14, 2016– 2nd Weds in Dec
Location: County Government Complex at 2001 South State Street, North Building room N2-800, 5:30pm.
For more information, visit bicycle.slco.org
