Want more bike lanes and LEED retrofits in L.A.? Wondering what happened to all that money from Obama’s Stimulus Bill? Yes, Los Angeles did get some of that money — and the city now wants your opinion on how to spend it.

That’s right, the Stimulus Bill (a.k.a. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) allocated a $37 million grant (a.k.a. an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant) to the City of L.A. To get that grant money, L.A. needs to show it has a good plan (a.k.a. an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy) for spending that money. And to create that plan, L.A. needs your input — and will hold public Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy meetings (PDF) this and next week to get your 2 cents.

>> East L.A.: Tues., Sept. 22, 4 pm – 6 pm, Boyle Heights Technology Center, 1600 E. 4th St., Los Angeles

>> Central L.A.: Wed., Sept. 23, 11 am – 2 pm, Hollywood Neighborhood City Hall, 6501 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles.

>> South L.A.: Wed., Sept. 23, 5 pm – 7 pm, Expo Center, 3980 S. Menlo Ave., Los Angeles.

>> Harbor: Thurs., Sept. 24, 11 am – 2 pm, Bannings Landing Community Center, 100 E. Water St., Wilmington.

>> West L.A.: Sept. 24, 5 pm – 7 pm, Felicia Manhood Senior Center, 11338 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles.

>> East Valley: Tues., Sept. 29, 11 am – 2 pm. Marvin Braude Building, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys.

>> West Valley: Tues., Sept. 29, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Shepherd of the Hills Church, 19700 Rinaldi St., Porter Ranch.

What sort of projects are eligible for funding? As the city’s new website EnvironmentLA.org puts it:

The EECBG is intended to develop, promote, implement, and manage energy efficiency and conservation projects and programs designed to reduce fossil fuel emissions, reduce the total energy use of eligible entities, improve energy efficiency in the transportation, building, and other appropriate sectors, and that create and retain jobs.

That means everything from home energy retrofits to telecommuting programs to bike-and-ped infrastructure can get a piece of that $37 million pie. Read the DOE’s list of eligible activities to find out if projects you’d like the city to undertake could get some of that money.

Then get thee to one of the 7 meetings — or at least fill out the public survey to get your two cents in! If you choose to do nothing, then don’t whine a year from now about how the city never supports bike infrastructure — You have to speak up to be heard!

After the meetings, a strategy will be drafted and put through a review process in October, then presumably sent to the DOE by the November deadline.

Photo by Fire Monkey Fish

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