Editorial:

If recently released figures showing Glendale dead last in terms of bikeways weren’t enough to add significant momentum to plans to revamp this city’s pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, we don’t know what would be.

The Quality of Life Indicators report released in October found that Glendale had all of three miles of bikeways, a sorry number when compared to cities like Burbank and Pasadena, which have far fewer residents and yet offer 19.5 miles and 67 miles of bikeways, respectively.

Santa Monica, less than half the size of Glendale, has 35 miles of lanes and paths dedicated to bicyclists.

Given Glendale’s notorious distinction as one of the least safe cities in the nation to be a pedestrian, the lack of dedicated bike lanes is one more indication that for decades, too much ground has been ceded to the motor — and look at how that’s turned out.

There appears to be the political will, and necessary grant-funded manpower, in place now to truly start claiming some of that ground back.

More concessions to pedestrians and bicyclists would surely be a traffic-calming measure in its own right, not to mention cut down on Glendale’s obesity rates.