Friday night, Juan and I ventured out to the Flying Pigeon, a bike shop owned by livable streets activist Josef Bray-Ali in Cypress Park, a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles. Josef and his friends graciously hosted a fundraiser in honor of Streetsblog.
About 15 people came out for a short tour on bikes of Highland Park, the neighborhood north of Cypress Park, led by Josef. This was a treat, as I have not spent much time in the greater Highland Park area since I was four years old, when I commuted by school bus to preschool at San Pascual Elementary in Garvanza. (And since I was four, the only thing I clearly remember was how the bus always turned left at Echo Park Avenue, past the former Pioneer Market, to go north into Northeast LA).
I got to ride in the pedicab with Josef’s kid and his kid’s friend – what a treat!
On our tour, we learned about Highland Park’s origins as a hub for rail-based surface transportation. It is equidistant from LA and Pasadena, and there were both heavy rail tracks for the transport of goods and rails for streetcars (to move humans). The legacy of rails still remains in bits and pieces throughout the streets of Highland Park.
Thanks to Josef and everyone for coming out on Friday! The next event for Streetsblog will likely be a summer party on our roof. We look forward to welcoming readers in the very near future.
It's a good time to take a peek at how sustainable transportation and related topics are showing up on legislators' priorities. Here's a very NON-comprehensive list.