Cycling enthusiasts lobbied Laguna Beach’s Arts Commission to consider adding an artist designed bike rack competition to its portfolio of publicly funded projects during a meeting on Monday, April 22.
Under state mandates to create streets accessible to bicyclists, pedestrians and autos, Laguna is moving towards designating bike routes through town and have added painted “sharrows”, indicating shared lanes, on some streets.
Transition Laguna Beach members took advantage of last Saturday’s Earth Day celebration to circulate a petition requesting the Arts Commission consider commissioning artists to design functional as well as artistic bike racks.
Six people spoke at the meeting and others sent support by email, according to advocate Billy Fried.
“Since the item was not on the agenda, the commission could not consider it but we listened,” said Arts Commissioner Nick Hernandez, who intends to officially bring the matter to the commission, though no date has been selected.
“I am a strong advocate of replacing regular bike racks with artist designed ones and to add more,” said Hernandez.
