City Council Unanimously Supports Bike Share

Bike share was back on the City Council's agenda today:

16B.      1.   Discussion and action on requesting a letter of support from the Metropolitan Planning Organization to transfer CMAQ funds from the proposed bike share to the P3 Program on the bridge as the bridge proposal will provide a more significant impact on air quality than the proposed bike share.
[Representative Michiel R. Noe, (915) 541-4701]
[Representative Cortney Niland, (915) 541-4123]
[POSTPONED FROM 10-01-2013]

2.   Discussion and action on developing a bike share program.
[Representative Michiel R. Noe, (915) 541-4701]
[Representative Cortney Niland, (915) 541-4123]

[POSTPONED FROM 10-01-2013]

Apparently something occurred between now and past meetings at the MPO and with the City Council to lead to a deletion of 16B at today's meeting. It is becoming clear that taking CMAQ money for the P3 Program on the bridge is a No-No. Instead, a motion was unanimously passed to fund a bike share program with whatever funds available.

There is a planned meeting in Austin among the Federal Highway Administration, the MPO and TxDOT regarding CMAQ funds that have been designated for El Paso's bike share being used instead for the P3 Program. One can only hope that TxDOT will finally be persuaded to do the right thing especially as they see public support gaining traction among elected representatives and legal experts.