Bike Committee Hears OCTA Report, And More

A NEW, SMALLER, WARMER VENUE
Once again I attended the meeting of the Costa Mesa Bikeways and Walkability Committee last night.  This one was held at the Costa Mesa Senior Center, as usual, but this time in a smaller, warmer room.  What a nice change to, 1) be able to hear the participants from my position in the cheap seats and, 2) not have my teeth chattering throughout the meeting.  Nearly a dozen members of the public attended this meeting - a new record.

EXCELLENT OCTA PRESENTATION
The committee, which again failed to have all members present, but did have enough to form a quorum, heard a presentation from Paul Martin, Active Transportation Coordinator for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).  What follows is part of his slide presentation:

STANTEC SUMMARY OF 9/18/13 MEETING
Then Melissa Dugan from the consulting firm, Stantec, provided us with a brief presentation of the information gathered at a community meeting two years ago, September 18, 2013.  She showed us slides of four maps that were used to gather data, then showed us a combined map.  She also handed out a hard copy of that map for the committee members to use to doodle their own ideas on for a segment of their process later downstream.

ONCE AGAIN....
Then, guided by Chairman Ralph Taboada and Vice Chair Cynthia McDonald, the committee began the slog through the Goals and Objectives once again.  This is slow going, but essential because this process will form the foundation of their future activities and must be done so a proper set of recommendations can be presented to the City Council early next year.

GOOD PROGRESS, AND GOOD SUPPORT
Once again, this committee works very effectively together.  Discussions are respectful and none of the members seem impatient with the process.  The staff, headed by Director of Public Services Ernesto Munoz, continues to provide excellent professional support to the committee.  They will continue to meet twice a month through this year, hoping to complete the first segment of their assignment in time to have their handiwork included in the General Plan.  Their next meeting is on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Senior Center.