In a unanimous vote last night the Santa Monica City Council approved adoption of a Bike Master Plan that will accelerate the introduction of a Bike Share program as part of the City’s overall plan to reduce car congestion and develop cleaner greener transportation options

Global Green USA, a national environmental organization with headquarters in Santa Monica has championed the idea of “bike sharing” in the City for close to year as a way to address key environmental priorities including climate change and local air quality by encouraging less polluting transportation alternatives.

Global Green Policy Associate Gina Goodhill who represented the organization at the Council meeting last night argued that bike sharing warrants a high priority in order to get the City’s Bike Master Plan and a comprehensive network of bicycle lanes in place.

The Council approved the acceleration and also voted to allocate funds to create a Bike Share Task Force that will spearhead development of a bike sharing plan. The plan will need to identify locations for bike share stations as well as explore options for raising the upfront capital needed to launch the program.

Matt Peterson, President and CEO of Global Green and also a Member of the City’s Environmental Task Force commented,

We applaud the Council for their support on this issue and will work hand in hand with them to ensure that a viable altnerative to driving a car is an option for all residents, workers, and visitors in Santa Monica.

Green Jar will keep you posted on this exciting to development!