27-05-2025
Grand Jury calls Bakersfield's plan to reduce pollution by replacing cars with bicycles ‘nebulous'
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Kern County Grand Jury said trying to achieve reduced pollution in Bakersfield by getting more people to ride bikes instead of driving cars is 'nebulous,' according to a new report.
According to the grand jury report released on Tuesday, the city of Bakersfield received a $200,000 federal grant for widespread implementation of bike lanes. The main goal of this decision was to lessen pollution caused by automobiles on the roads.
However, the grand jury questioned the necessity of federal grant money, saying replacing one automobile with a bike would lead to a reduction of 0.00000119% of the Central Valley's annual CO2 production.
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The report also said the urban design consulting firm that drafted the 'Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety Plan' after it was approved in 2018 was biased towards bicycles over other automotive vehicles, as they reportedly expressed it on their website.
The grand jury also said the extreme weather and poor air quality in Bakersfield are not suitable for a shift from cars to bicycles.
The report also pointed out positives derived from the plan. For instance, the narrowing of automobile lanes to make space for bicycle lanes compels drivers to slow down, according to the report.
The grand jury also reported accidents involving a motor vehicle and a bicycle are reduced by about 53% and injuries are reduced by about 40% to 50% when bike lanes are installed on arterial roadways, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.
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For new road developments, the grand jury said bike lanes can be accommodated by being installed without inhibiting the flow of traffic.
The grand jury made three main recommendations to the city for this plan:
Consider revising the Request for Proposal material to better identify potential conflicts or biases regarding the proposals by July 1
Conduct automobile and bicycle traffic counts before installing new bicycle lanes on existing roadways, starting Sept. 1
Develop cost and benefit models before installing any bicycle lane by Sept. 1
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