On Facebook, I posted the following:

Major oops. I had bike activist and former Belmont Planning commissioner, Gladwyn d’Souza, confused with Akos Szoboszlay when I wrote what I did last August (noted below), Akos and I just reconnected. And indeed Akos was an unsung, yet major powerhouse, upon whose shoulders many of today’s bike activists stand – read about some of his achievements at http://akos.us. We have light rail in Santa Clara County (very bike accessible) and bikes on expressways, including the major popular Foothill Expwy that had to supercharge Dick Powell‘s Bicycle Outfitters back when he owned it, along with a host of other bike friendly transit ordinances largely because of Akos. Here, is the expressway story http://moderntransit.org/about.html

————————-

Here is what I wrote on August 19, 2014:

So awesome to see you in here Gladwyn d’Souza. I wonder how many people know about all the heavy lifting you did for Silicon Valley cycling, well before the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition became a force? Was it not you who built the will to make the Central Expwy bikeable? Were there not other expressways? Seems I also remember a south county bike bike map that you made a reality? U were a Powerhouse Bike Activist long before it became fashionable. THX 4 your work – THX 4 U!!

And here are some of the replies:

Dick Powell – I don’t know if you knew but I was very active with the Los altos City Council and getting them and the PTA to support opening foothill to bike traffice. It took a couple presentations to the city council and a Gas Crunch in the late 70’s to make it happen. You will note that from 280 to the Palo alto border, it is not a bike lane officially. They just covered up the word No “Bicyclists” and stopped enforcing it with county approval. The Bike Lane signs do not start until after downtown Los altos going North. Now a real bicycle expressway and yes, it did help business. I was just there Sunday and could not believe how many bikes there were on Foothill..

Gladwyn d’Souza Akos is the man. If it wasn’t for Mr. Murder, no pun, real name, a manager or director in the county roads program who effectively stymied much of the advocacy work with expressways for bikes and pedestrians eventually resorting to midnight legislation to block his  efforts, Akos would have had safe and connected pedestrian facilities everywhere. He put in two decades on the issue with the county. Dick- was Ellen Fletcher also involved with opening Foothill? Bill Bliss used to talk about the history of the expressways opening up to bicycles.

Martin Krieg indeed Ellen’s involvement goes without saying if Palo Alto was in the equation. HERE, in case any of you missed it, is the podcast I did with her –