The South Bay Bicycle Coalition has hired a director to take its master plan to the next level.
Mike Don will be working closely with the seven cities—Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Lawndale, Gardena and El Segundo—that approved the plan last year, according to SBBC Vice President Jim Hannon. He is expected to start June 1.
"We expect Mike to take us into next phase," Hannon said. "His primary goal is to work with each one of the seven cities on their plan."
The Master Plan calls for adding 214 more bike routes in the South Bay, Hannon said. In Redondo Beach, that means adding a total of 36.7 miles of bikeways at a cost of $1,881,250. Approximately 27.4 miles will be added in Manhattan Beach for $1,089,350, while 8.3 miles are planned for Hermosa Beach for $256,850. The Redondo Beach City Council last October, and Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach approved them shortly after.
Don will be working to identify new opportunities for bike lanes that align with existing road repair plans.
"For example, if a community is going to resoil a road or repave a road, then it's a perfectly economical time to lay down new bike lanes," Hannon said. "And it's very inexpensive."
In addition, the new director will also be working to apply for grants and obtain money from other avenues, particularly for the more expensive projects like those in Redondo Beach that require more paving and concrete.
Hannon said that right now, Don's position will average about 30 hours per week.
