Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee seeks new members

A major opportunity to make an impact on bicycling in Oregon has just been announced. Learn more below (I’ve been in touch with the outgoing Chair of this committee and will have a story on the Front Page later today)…

Bike/Ped Advisory Committee seeks new members

SALEM – The Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is seeking new members. The committee was first formed by Oregon Statute 366.112, a bill passed in the 1973 Oregon Legislature. In 1995, the Oregon Transportation Commission officially recognized the committee’s additional role in pedestrian issues, and the group became the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, or OBPAC.

The eight-member committee, appointed by the governor, acts as a liaison between the public and ODOT. It advises ODOT in the regulation of bicycle and pedestrian traffic and the establishment of bikeways and walkways. Members serve four-year terms, and the makeup of the group must include:

• An employee of a unit of local government employed in land-use planning
• A representative of a recognized environmental group
• A person engaged in the business of selling or repairing bicycles
• A member designated by the Oregon Recreation Trails Advisory Council
• At least one member under the age of 21 at the time of appointment
• Three members at large.

The committee meets up to six times per year, with several of those meetings in locations outside of the Salem area. Throughout the year, the committee gathers input from residents, officials and ODOT Region staff as it considers bicycle and pedestrian transportation-related issues. Travel expenses are reimbursed and non-public employees qualify for a modest stipend. Upcoming work items include input on development of the new Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Modal Plan, ODOT’s new Active Transportation Section, and the department’s new intermodal policies. Interest forms are available at: http://www.oregon.gov/gov/Pages/boards.aspx.

For questions about the appointment process, contact Kendal Clawson, (503) 978-3123, kendall.clawson@state.or.us. For questions about the committee contact Sheila Lyons, ODOT Bicycle & Pedestrian Program manager, (503) 986-3555, sheila.a.lyons@odot.state.or.us.