THOUSAND OAKS : City Acts to Improve Bike Path System

The days when bikers dubbed themselves “the suicide squad” for daring to pedal through Thousand Oaks’ congested roads may soon end, following the City Council’s unanimous decision to hire a consultant to design safe bicycle routes.

Working with local cyclists, the consultant will draft a comprehensive plan for improving the city’s bike routes, from creating new bike lanes to installing additional storage facilities to placing bike racks on city buses, said John Hellwell of the city’s public works department.

Several cyclists pleaded with the council at Tuesday’s meeting to upgrade bike paths so they would no longer have to refer to themselves by the nickname “suicide squad.”

The plan, approved Tuesday, will emphasize commuter routes and connections to city buses.

The consultant’s salary, as yet undetermined, will be paid from the air quality impact fees the city collects from developers.

To encourage cycling before the consultant is hired, the council voted to establish a scenic bike route with special bike lanes. The 15.2-mile loop stretches along Moorpark, Olsen and Erbes roads, down Avenida de Los Arboles to Westlake Boulevard, and then across to Hillcrest Drive and Hodencamp Road.

The Citizen Traffic Committee, chaired by Councilman Frank Schillo, has been studying cycling concerns for the past two years and will soon begin reviewing specific routes in Newbury Park, with an eye toward connecting existing paths to major office complexes.

Schillo said he plans to hold open meetings in April and May to discuss upgrading the Newbury Park bike facilities.