What a shame! In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Pasadena City Council passed a motion prohibiting “bicyclists from riding more than two abreast in any public street…”

The night was long, starting at 6:30 in the evening on Monday, and the agenda was heavy with tedious items that resulted in long discussions about ending the discussion and moving the discussion and confusion of what was being discussed and questions about other discussions.

Some in the audience were convinced that the Council’s behavior was a ploy to push the Cycling community to abandon the public comment. As silly as that may seem and with midnight approaching, the Mayor confirmed the conspiracy theorists suspicions by attempting to move reports from the end of the agenda before calling the item that 75 patient cyclists were waiting to address.

The Council then broke out into a discussion of the large number of speaker cards in the Mayor’s hand (45) and how much time should be allotted to each speaker. The Council chose to reduce the amount of time from 3 minutes to 60 seconds!

Then…the Mayor asked the City Attorney what would happen to public comment if they moved the Agenda item to another meeting. The City Attorney advised the Council to take the Public Comment, that the item was on the agenda and regardless of the Council Action or Inaction, the public had a right to speak!

Five and half hours had now passed, time which had been used by the public to prepare, practice and coordinate their 3 minute speeches. Tired, frustrated, low-blood sugared cyclists began editing their comments to 60 seconds in preparation for the big moment!

At last, the public spoke and it was inspirational.

Cyclists gave personal accounts of their cycling experience, the impact of cycling on their lives and the impact this ill-advised Ordinance would have on them and the community.

They all spoke in passion about the tradition, about the health and social benefits of cycling. There were lawyers, commuters, a cardiologist, a cancer survivor, an ex gang-banger, two national cycling champions, artists and many more speaking, cheering, threatening and begging the Council to oppose this ordinance. Chris Ziegler stood with a letter from the California Association of Bicycle Organizations (CABO) in one hand and a letter from the California Bicycle Coalition (CBC) in the other and informed the Council that he was prepared to litigate!

We counted 19 cyclists in our group, including Over The Hill, Sexy, Uncle Nick and Jane from the San Fernando Valley. Josef, Harv, Eddie Boy, Luis, and Angle rode with us from NELA while Alex, Adam, Linda, Colin and Marco and several others rode in from all directions.

Sometime in the late evening Veronica took a look at the hungry crew practicing their speeches in the hallway outside the Council chambers and made a phone call. Just before public comment began at midnight, DJ Chicken Leather showed up with Thai Food and announced that we would be feasting under the stars and on the lawn of City Hall!

Even though the motion passed, it was on the condition that no enforcement take place until November which gives the leaders of the cycling community time to resolve any conflict issues the City has with the cyclists. This was a small compromise and a small victory.

Ultimately the evening was a success because we met new people, we made new friends and we grew stronger as a cycling community.

At the least we can thank the City of Pasadena for bringing together Team Stretchy Pants, the Ridazz, the SFCMassers, Ride-Arcers, Echo Park hipsters and Silver Lake slackers and the Lone Wolf cyclists, all of whom ride more confidently knowing they’re not alone!

We will meet again next Monday at the 2nd Reading and we will continue the fight towards a bike and people friendly city, not just in Pasadena but all over Los Angeles County.

Here is what I said to the council:

I’m a pedestrian. Occasionally I’m a driver. But mostly I’m a cyclist. I ride my bike for transportation and I ride my bike to social events. I come to Pasadena frequently to visit friends, to come to the Boston Court Theatre, the Pasadena Playhouse, the Rose Parade and even to the little knitting store on Green street.

I haven’t brought my car into your city for about two years, but instead I brought with me my friends on bicycle and we spend our money here in “bike and pedestrian-friendly” Pasadena.

I came here to speak in opposition of item # 9.2 (A). If you approve this proposed ordinance, I won’t be able to visit Pasadena with my friends without a permit.

If there has been a conflict between some of the user groups at the Rose Bowl, it can be addressed with the current law…

To view the meeting go to http://pasadena.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=13 . Click on August6, 2007 meeting and then forward to 05:04:30. This is where the agenda is first addressed. At 05:17:30 is the first public comment.