Eyes on the Street: the Ongoing Humiliation of the Spring Street Bike Lanes

As we reported last week, the dangerousification of Spring Street is in full swing these days. With the City Council mandated water blasting of the Green Buffered Bike Lane completed, advocates wait for the city to install its completely untested, but less expensive, new paint design.

But while we wait for the city to make good its pledge, the Spring Street Green Buffered Bike Lane has actually become one of the more dangerous places in the city to bicycle.

Anecdotally, cyclists have complained that the lane is rough, gravelly in places, because of the water blasting. A city employee, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, recounted via email that a driver cut him off. When he complained was told by the person behind the wheel that the city removed the bike lane.

And of course, the Green Buffered Bike Lane is now being used as a parking lane as shown in the pictures to the right. After all, if the city doesn’t respect the lane, despite its safety and economic benefits, why should anyone else?

If anyone wants to thank city leadership for their role in helping L.A. become the first city in the country to un-paint a green bike lane, or maybe encourage them to get serious about putting down the unproven design they approved, contact the Film and Television Industry’s City Council Member and Mayor at tom.labonge@lacity.org and mayor.garcetti@lacity.org.