In a unanimous 4-0 vote, the City of Baldwin Park becomes the second city out of five to formally approve the San Gabriel Valley Bicycle Master Plan. Approximately 30 people arrived via bicycle to express support for a bike-friendly Baldwin Park. Supporters included residents, regional commuters, bike shop representatives, college professors, and public health professionals. Even Louie Aguiñaga, the City Mayor of South El Monte, stopped by to announce his support for the plan during public comment. The level of support was especially evident when the Cycledelics - a bicycle crew consisting of local high school youth - showed up in strong numbers to show support for the plan.
After local bicyclist shared their bicycling experiences within the City, the consensus was clear: Baldwin Park is simply unsafe due to inadequate infrastructure for bicyclists. The City Council was the first to agree that "the future of Baldwin Park is one that accommodates bicycling as a sustainable method to get from point A to point B." - Council Member Cruz Baca.
To date, only two cities have adopted the SGV Bike Plan. However, the fun continues in El Monte, which is the next city to consider the plan on Tuesday, November 25th. The council will also be voting on a Complete Streets policy along with a Memorandum of Understanding to enter into an agreement with BikeSGV to establish and manage the first bicycle cooperative and education center in the SGV. The Bike CoOp will be located at Fletcher Park immediately behind the Metro Bus Station and adjacent to the Rio Hondo bike path.