New Sharrows on Westwood Blvd.

Westwood may be home to the Stupidest Bike Lane in America, but it’s also home to some of the better bike facilities in Los Angeles and UCLA is a leader among American Universities in promoting alternative transportation.

This week, Westwood added some new bike markings and more could be on the way. As cyclists turned off of Le Conte Ave., an arterial street that had bike lanes onto Westwood Blvd., the main arterial road to the UCLA campus for people coming from south of the campus, the bike facilities vanished. But LA Streetsblog David P. noticed that Westwood is trying to make the area a little safer and added "Sharrows" (read: Share Arrows) to the road North of Le Conte in addition to the UCLA Bike route signs.

Honestly, Sharrows aren’t the greatest bike facilities. Some cyclists argue that they make the street less safe for bikers by making them feel safe when they aren’t. Others would argue that LADOT deserves some credit for adding any bike markings to a road that is regularly traveled by cyclists and motor vehicles to increase awareness among some drivers that may be unfamiliar with Westwood Blvd.

If you see any new bike or pedestrian markings or facilities as you move around the city, please drop streetsblog a line at tips-la@streetsblog.org.

Photo:Damien Newton