Eamon Murphy | The Acorn
Agoura Hills’ Bicycle Master Plan is rolling ahead with additional funding in place that will make the city a more bike-friendly destination for users who hit the pavement daily for school, work and recreation.
U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley came to town July 16 to present city leaders with a check for $1.6 million in funding for the project, aimed at improving transportation choices and making cycling in Agoura Hills the safest and most accessible it has ever been.
Brownley presented the check at one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares for cyclists, Agoura Road, near the intersection with Liberty Canyon, where bright green markings on the asphalt indicate an existing class II bikeway—an on-roadway, dedicated lane for bicycles. On hand to accept the symbolic check were Mayor Illece Buckley Weber, City Councilmembers Deborah Klein Lopez and Jeremy Wolf, and City Manager Nathan Hamburger.
Drawn up in 2022, the city’s bicycle master plan lays out a vision for more than 20 miles of bikeways and bikeway safety enhancements, a step up from the nine miles of class II lanes currently in existence, mostly on Kanan, Agoura and Reyes Adobe roads and Thousand Oaks Boulevard.
“It will help identify some of the most dangerous places and put in the infrastructure so that non-motorized (bikes) can navigate the city,” Wolf said.
The broader goal is to further connect Agoura Hills to surrounding communities in both Los Angeles and Ventura counties, while enhancing the safety, efficiency and enjoyability of the cycling experience for commuters and recreational riders alike.
Officials say the project will help the city reduce vehicle emissions and achieve its climate goals as well.
Better bike lakes also will encourage more young people to ride to school, Wolf said, further cutting back on traffic and pollution.
Several workshops were held at the Agoura Hills Recreation and Event Center beginning in 2022 to gauge public opinion about bicycling in the city. A consultant’s survey indicated almost half of the respondents didn’t ride bikes because of safety concerns.
This story was originally published by The Acorn on July 26, 2024.
Issues: 118th Congress, Local Issues, Transportation and Infrastructure