(hope the links work)

Show yourself and the cycling community some respect and simply support the request for appropriate consideration.

The local Piggly Wiggly must go through a much longer process of public comment and civic engagement when it simply asks for a variance in order to move its awning closer to the sidewalk.

The Draft Bike Plan is a document of such potential significance, it deserves to be enhanced, not diluted.

But moving past the process, what’s it going to take to get something like the Long Beach standard into the LA Draft Bike Plan:

“Consider every street as a street that bicyclists will use.”

Let’s move from soft words and establish a baseline standard of absolute accommodation. It’s happening at the Federal level, it’s happening at the State level, why not here in Los Angeles?

We need specific types of data collection (on a calendar) mandated in the plan. We need full environmental review to allow staff to plan for bike lanes that negatively impact Level Of Service for cars. We need a set of ordinances drafted for the council to approve with this plan that will increase cycling and reduce automobile dependence.

Box isn’t wrong in his critiques. The process has been pretty awful to watch unfold and the substance of the plan is similarly flawed.

but sr. box, i’m confused by para 3 of the “content” section. with regards to colored bike lanes, the la plan is saying cars should watch out for cyclists in colored lanes. how is that different from the long beach colored sharrows? and no “local sensitivity?” i feel like i’ve seen this critique elsewhere in your posts. i asked around, and my friend said the consultants have an LA office with staff who bike all over los angeles. are you calling my friend a liar?

seriously, this is a draft plan. isn’t the whole idea for us to send in our comments and questions so they can be addressed? (by the way, you don’t need a $450k plan to answer the issues you raised in para 5. they are 1) duh: joggers and dog-walkers go wherever they want; 2) no: bike lanes are cool, mopeds are lame; 3) yes: the concept is valid, moreover, it happens in reality; and 4) crosswalks are like hot lava, touch them on a bike and die.)

i’m okay with critiquing process–for now. call your neighborhood council. call your community planning group. call your councilman! anyone who might have leverage. but please, PLEASE, do not go to my public meeting and complain further about process. i don’t want to hear it there. the fact that we have limited time for involvement makes all the time more valuable, and i, for one, want to use it to improve the plan.

(1) Prevent city council approval/adoption of this plan. Take dedicated bikeways money (not affected by slump in Genneral Funds due to budget crisis), fire a staffer or two, and run the Bike Plan through a full EIR and city-wide community outreach program. Build into the plan measures of roadway performance that will count bicycles (and pedestrians and transit users) and the regular collection of data regarding injuries, deaths, etc. on any of Los Angeles’ streets.

(2) Lobby the mayor’s office hard to wrestle some political focus on this, the greenest of transportation modes. With the mayor’s mandate, and a properly engaged Transportation Deputy, bicyclists can make changes in the LADOT without needing to jump through legislative hoops with the council. The mayor can, more or less, issue an executive order (or whatever it is called in the City) and have a DOT policy changed.

(3) MOVE BIKEWAYS MONEY OUT OF THE LADOT. The Bikeways Coordinator(s) need to be in the mayor’s office, or a deputy to the head of Planning – the only office(s) with overarching legal authority to make a decision like this: “This street’s quality of life is measurably worse with this volume of cars, we need to calm car traffic and increase other modes here.”

tl;dr: RRRRRAAAAAAGGGGGEEEE!!!!!

http://NCActionSummit.com

Right Now! We need your help! LA City College in East Hollywood @ 10:30 am for the Cyclists’ Bill of Rights and citywide action to make LA a great place to ride!