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City proclaims Bicycle Safety Week; residents urge better bike routes and BMX support
Summary
Mayor Bill Young proclaimed Bicycle Safety Week and National Police Week. During public comment residents advocated for expanded bike routes, bike donations and BMX track support; city staff said a Safe Streets for All safety plan will prioritize bike and pedestrian networks.
The City Commission proclaimed May 12–18 as Bicycle Safety Week and the meeting included public comments urging the city to expand bike infrastructure and support local BMX programming.
Mayor Bill Young read the bicycle-safety proclamation during the meeting and said the city is committed to "ensuring the safety of all who share our roadways, whether on bicycles, in vehicles, or on foot." The mayor also proclaimed May 11–17 as National Police Week and recognized public servants during opening remarks.
During the public-comment period, Tom Hermerich, a longtime El Dorado resident, described donating refurbished helmets and helping children with bicycles: "I help kids out in the neighborhood with their bikes, give them helmets, flashing lights," he said, and urged the commission to "take this opportunity for cycling and and blow it up." Hermerich suggested marking bicycle routes on streets and connecting routes to regional trails and nearby destinations to bring more riders downtown.
Another speaker representing local BMX activity said the community’s BMX track and young riders are active and traveling to competition; the speaker said the local track produced podium finishes and noted USA BMX livestream coverage for an upcoming national event. That speaker also described efforts to refurbish donated bikes and asked whether the city could divert some confiscated or auctioned bikes to local youth programs instead of disposal.
City staff told commissioners the city is preparing a Safe Streets for All (SS4A) safety action planning effort, a federal program that proceeds in two phases: planning and then project identification for federal implementation grants. The city manager said the SS4A work "will be looking solely at safety and how do we make our system safer" and confirmed that bike and pedestrian networks will be one focus. The manager said the transportation master plan completed recently will shorten the SS4A process because some information and public input already exist.
No formal action was taken on public comments. Staff said they will include bicycle and pedestrian questions in the upcoming safety-plan public outreach and continue coordination with community groups.
