Streetsblog Los Angeles

Back in the day, I used to occasionally write "Bike Weekend" posts when there were multiple great events going on at the same time. Ever since I started writing "The Week in Livable Streets Events" on Monday, I've stopped doing those. However, this weekend there are three events going on across the city, at nearly the same time, each of which is a worthy undertaking in its own right. Evert weekend is a bike weekend in a city with the vibrant bike culture that we have, if you can't find a group ride, you're not really trying, but this Saturday is special because it has some great ways to have some fun and help make Los Angeles better.

5 Years on Hel-Mel Anniversary Bike Ride for the Bicycle Kitchen

We've written about this already in the Streetsblog calendar section and Monday's Week in Livable Streets post so I'll spare you all a long repeat.  Let's just say that the party starts at 1:00 P.M. at the Bicycle Kitchen and you can get the rest of the information, here.

Bike Working Group FiVVVVVe

At two in the afternoon, the Bike Working Group is meeting at Hollywood Adventist Church, 1711 N. Van Ness Ave, to finalize the Backbone Bikeway Network. In the words of the Facebook invitation, "bring your suggestions and bring your enthusiasm for the Backbone!"

For anyone who missed the excitement last month, the Bike Working Group released the Backbone, which is a series of major streets that cyclists can use to move through the city.  In the words of the Working Group:

Fundamentally it's an idea - these streets should be safe, convenient and welcoming to cyclists. To achieve that, we suggest not just infrastructure changes, but changes in other policies. Law enforcement, signage, inclusion on maps, prioritizing street resurfacing - these are other factors that can make these streets better for us!

You can read about the Backbone here and comments on the plan from some of L.A.'s activists who aren't affiliated with the Working Group here.

CICLE's NELA Campaign: 4 Corners Recon

Recently, our friends at Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange launched a campaign aimed at bringing the bicycling infrastructure to Northeast Los Angeles...an area so neglected by LADOT Bikeways that advocates have begun painting their own Sharrows on the streets.  This Saturday at 4:00 P.M., cyclists will depart from Cafe de Leche, 5000 York Boulevard, measure section York Blvd, Figueroa St, Colorado Blvd, and Eagle Rock Blvd to show the LADOT and the world that these streets have the space for bike lanes.  If the weather looks bad, the group might be meeting on Sunday instead.  Stay tuned to their Facebook page for updates.