Bicycle Plan Workshop to be Held on Saturday

The city of South Gate will host a community workshop at the South Gate Senior Center on Saturday morning to hear from residents as officials continue to prepare a bicycle transportation plan.

The event will serve as a public forum for residents to voice their opinions on how South Gate can become a safer and more bicycle-friendly city. City officials invite residents to attend and help create the most comprehensive plan for everyone.

“This master plan that we are trying to create is suppose to reflect the needs of the community,” said Paul Adams, director of parks and recreation. “The only way we can find this out is by getting the community to come and tell us what their needs are.”

The city needs to develop a solid plan before seeking financing for the project. How soon the city can obtain grants is directly tied to the participation of residents at the public meetings.

“In order to get the grants, we need to have a plan,” said Nellie Cobos, assistant to the city manager and public information officer. “In order to have a plan, we need the input of the community.”

The increasing popularity of biking led the city to develop a plan addressing safety issues.

Biking is very much in vogue today, said George Troxcil, city manager for South Gate. “We are seeing more and more bikes out there with kids, and there is a safety issue,” he said.

The workshop will include a map of potential areas where a bicycle lane or path could be placed. The city organizers said nothing has been written in stone and they encouraged residents to recommend other areas or voice their concerns.

“[Residents opinions are] going to make an impact on what the city does, and we want to make sure we get it right,” said Adams. “We really want a good turnout.”

The workshop will take place at the South Gate Senior Center at 4855 Tweedy Blvd. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call 323-563-5478.