In the summer of 2008, when Streetsblog first announced its "1% for bikes, 1% for peds. campaign" in what would later be known as Measure R, we never thought that a year and a half later we would still be fighting that fight nor that we would be close to a partial victory.  

Tomorrow, the Los Angeles City Council Transportation Committee will be discussing how the city will program its share of the Local Return funds from Measure R.  Following the mayor's promise that Los Angeles would set aside a portion of its Measure R funds for non-motorized transportation; the LADOT and Council Members have been living up to Villaraigosa's promise by programming 10% of the city's Local Return funds for these modes in every version of the budget that has come to light.  Building on the campaign launched here last summer, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition has been organizing transportation, public health, and environmental groups to keep the 10% set-aside alive.

However, the process of actually allocating those funds has been a slow one.  It was back in May when Council Members Bernard Parks and Jose Huizar first proposed projects to be funded by Measure R and later in the month when then Transportation Committee Chair Wendy Greuel outline for the city's Measure R share.  Over the next six months, different reports from the Chief Legislative Office have arrived spelling out a dire economic climate and different proposals for the city's Measure R funds.  Tomorrow, the city departments working on the proposed budgets are asking for another sixty day extension.  A copy of the proposal, with a project list to be funded at the end, can be found here.

So what's the hold-up?  Unfortunately, the sad state of the city's finances have complicated the issue of what to do with a new funding source.  The CLO's report notes that the city is expecting shortfalls in various transportation funds and has to raise a "local match" for some Measure R projects within city limits.

When it comes to raising funds for "local match," the city has to raise 3% of funds for construction of:

• Crenshaw Transit Corridor
• Exposition Boulevard Light Rail Transit
• Green Line Extension to Los Angeles International Airport
• Regional Connector San Fernando Valley 1-405
• Corridor Connection San Fernando Valley
• North-South Rapidways (Canoga Corridor)
• San Fernando Valley East North-South Rapidways Westside Subway Extension

According to the CLO, that comes to a cool $200 million.  Given the mayor's stated goal of completing all transit projects within ten years, the LADOT and Council will be under pressure to front-load transit funding which could lead to a reduced ability to set aside bicycle and pedestrian funds.

In addition, the city is expecting shortfalls from the two transit taxes that make up the bulk of the city's transportation budget which could lead to a delayed time lime for some projects and a combination of fare hikes and service cuts for the D.A.S.H. buses.

On top of that, remember those first motions by Parks and Huizar mentioned above?  Each of those motions directs Measure R funds towards specific projects.  In Parks' case it would fund intersection improvements near the Foshay Learning Center.  Huizar wants further study for the Downtown Streetcar.

Despite all of these projects pulling what are quite honestly a limited amount of Measure R funds, just under $21 million dollars for the current fiscal year, it's honestly surprising that the bicycle/pedestrian set-aside has lasted this long.  Maybe the tide is turning when it comes to setting aside money for non-motorized transportation at 200 Spring Street?  I guess we'll have to wait another 60 days to find out for sure.

During our ride on Friday, Steven Frien wondered a couple of times why there wasn't talk of having a bicycle lane on 1st Street running parallel to the Gold Line on First Street .  Later in the day, during The Source's review of our review of the Gold Line, Steve Hymon upped the score by asking why there wasn't better bike planning along the entire route.  After all, we know how much bike parking there is at every station, wouldn't it be nice to have a bike network to keep those racks full?

A look at the Draft Bike Plan shows a lot of opportunities for the area around the lane.  Those yellow dotted lines are "potential bike lanes," the purple one is a "proposed bike route," and the blue dotted lines are for "potential bicycle friendly routes."  However, dotted lines on a map are just dotted lines on a map.  LADOT confirms there are no timelines for any of these street improvements in East, L.A.  Now, we can rely on LADOT to work with Metro to do the right thing, or we can put some pressure on the agencies ourselves.

The first thing we can do is to use the public comment function at the Official or Unofficial Bike Plan websites to let the city know that East L.A. deserves a transportation system that is truly multi-modal and that the plan should move from paper to pavement quickly surrounding the extension.  However, just sending comments to city staff isn't going to get the job done.

Fortunately, the Gold Line has two representatives on the Metro Board of Directors, Councilman Jose Huizar and Supervisor Gloria Molina.  A little pressure on their offices will lead to a little pressure on Metro to get more involved in providing funding for a bike network for the Eastside Extension.  You can find contact information for Huizar and Molina at their official websites.

Of course, L.A. County has its own Bike Plan and public process.  We'll be back with a look at that plan and what the next steps for the Eastside Extension should be.

The BikeStation in Washington D.C., which provides parking and services for bicyclists who use transit. (Photo: U.S. DOT)

The FTA's new rules, released for public comment on Friday, replace the previous definition of the so-called "structural envelope" surrounding a transit station.

In the past, regulators had tended to use 1,500 feet as the distance which "most people can be expected to safely and conveniently walk to use the transit service." But the Obama administration, stating plainly that the current radius is "too short," has proposed expanding it to a half-mile for pedestrian improvements and three miles for bicycle projects.

In its explanation of the new proposal, the FTA wrote:

The most successful and useful public transportation systems have safe and convenient pedestrian access and provide comfortable waiting areas, all of which encourage greater use.

Distances beyond the walkshed of public transportation stops and stations may in fact be within the range of a short bicycle trip. Providing secure parking and other amenities for bicycles and cyclists at public transportation stops or stations can be less expensive than providing parking for automobiles.

The proposed regulation also codifies a U.S. DOT definition of "livability" that Streetsblog Capitol Hill took note of when it was first mentioned by Transportation Secretary LaHood: "If people don't want an automobile, they don't have to have one."

This year the New York City Department of Transportation measured a 26 percent jump in commuter cycling. Coming on the heels of 2008's unprecedented 35 percent growth, that puts the total two-year increase at a whopping 66 percent.

Much of the growth in cycling can be attributed to the installation of 200 miles of bike routes in the past three years, including innovative facilities like the cycletracks on Eighth Avenue and Ninth Avenue, which separate car traffic from cyclists. Safer streets get more people to ride, who encourage their friends to ride, and more riders on the road means cyclists are more visible and safer. The virtuous circle is in effect here in New York.

With triple the number of cyclists on the road since 2000, we thought now would be a good time to get a reality check from riders: How's it going out there? Overwhelmingly, folks we interviewed said it is getting quite crowded on New York's streets and bridges. Good thing bikes aren't space hogs!

As we mentioned last week, there is reason for concern about the way the traditional media is covering the "bike v car" controversy in the wake of the verdict in the trial of Dr. Christopher Thompson.  Sometimes there is a soft bias, such as in the wording of the question in  today's "Question of the Day" by KABC and sometimes it is more pronounced on radio shows or other two-way communications.

The wording of ABC's question, "As a driver, do you feel safe when sharing the road with cyclists" implies both that cyclists are guests on the car's road and that cyclists pose a danger to people surrounded by several hundred pounds of metal.  In the wake of a jury trial where a driver was convicted of intentionally causing a crash that hospitalized two cyclists, this implication is especially insulting.  Considering that two of ABC 7's top six stories for today are of a driver killing a pedestrian in a crosswalk in Long Beach and of a driver crashing into a store front in Woodland Hills maiming a five year old girl; the question must come from someone who doesn't even watch ABC 7 to witness the devastation that out-of-control drivers, not cyclists, wreck on our streets.  Or maybe those crashes were just "accidents" unlike the intentionally unsafe conditions that cyclists bring every time they pedal onto car's streets?

Meanwhile, KPCC is giving cyclists a second chance to air our views on Larry Mantle's AirTalk show this Wednesday at 10:20.  Last week, Mantle tackled the Mandeville Canyon Crash, Trial and Verdict with a distinct pro-car bias.  You can read KPCC's announcement to their cyclists list after the jump.

Due to the intense interest in this topic and response to this week’s bicycle show, AirTalk with Larry Mantle will revisit the issue, this time with some expert guests. It’s set for 10:20 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11. You can listen live on the air at 89.3 FM or online at  kpcc.org. We’ll have an archive of the broadcast available online after the show, and places on the show website for simultaneous comments, and to continue the discussion afterward.

Please feel free to pass the word. I’ll be e-mailing cyclists who are in the Insight Network an alert to the follow-up show. Also, anybody who wants to add their bicycle story and photo to our Insight Network of news sources is welcome to do so at this link: www.scpr.org/in/questions/bike

Thanks very much for making your voice heard on this issue.

Today, the Los Angeles Times stepped into the fray with an op/ed by columnist Meghan Daum.  The piece is typical of the good and the bad of the coverage.  Daum seems to think that all cyclists are spandex wearing weekend warriors or communist hippies; but she also charectarizes many drivers as socially acceptable sociopaths.  Consider:

Obscene gestures, vanity plates -- it's all part of the romance of Southern California driving. Road rage? That's just the inflamed passion part of that romance. But anyone who's been paying attention to the road lately has probably noticed a marked, even dizzying -- increase in the number of bikes on U.S. streets.

Ugh.  Stererotypes on parade.  However, our car driving friends fare even worse:

Because there's a larger bone of contention here, which is that cyclists make a lot of us feel like lazy slobs. Whereas drivers sit in an air-conditioned bubble, expending only the energy required to press the gas pedal, tap the brake and change from a '70s classic rock radio station to an '80s classic rock station, cyclists are out in the actual elements doing actual exercise. Whereas drivers are consuming calories by eating an entire bucket of KFC over 10 blocks, cyclists are burning calories and consuming nothing but seaweed at home. Whereas drivers' carbon footprints grow more beast-like by the hour, cyclists create no exhaust other than the sweet fatigue they feel as they drift off to saintly sleep at night.

Of course, moral superiority is insufferable, but you still shouldn't try to run it off the road or teach it a lesson with the family car. You might win on the street, but in court, it's a different story.

While I applaud the general sentiment of her story, that drivers and cyclists need to co-exist and it's incumbent on drivers as the bigger road users to be the bigger people; I have to wonder whether painting with such broad brush strokes, "drivers are slobs" and "cyclists are insufferably smug," is the way to get the message across.

If you haven't checked out Daum's column yet, I would recommend you do so.  If nothing else, the comments section gives you a chance to interact with some of L.A.'s less sympathetic drivers in a forum where their two tons of body armor aren't a factor.  I would leave my own comment, but I have to finish my seaweed before grabbing my cloth bags and heading to a farmer's market.

Yesterday, cyclists concerned with the safety on their streets got a boost.  For many of us who have been harassed or threatened by uncaring and dangerous motorists, it was a relief to see that the system is capable of convicting one of the more outwardly-psychotic drivers out there.

But while the streets are safer without Dr. Thompson behind the wheel, they're far from safe.  Stephen Box noted in an article last month that Thompson's trial is far from the only one worth watching, and Box's article only touched on deaths involving cyclists.  There are dozens of other cases involving assaults on law-abiding pedestrians for every bike-related case.  Even with these cases moving, it's still more common for police to throw up their hands and say they can't do anything unless they witnessed the crash.  Or in some cases, they write a report without even looking at the physical evidence blaming the cyclist.

So even if these other court cases turn out well, there's still some education of law enforcement that is needed.

The other people that still need to be educated are the general public.  Scroll through any discussion of Christopher Thompson's assault on cyclists and you'll see a "blame the victim mentality."  They deserved it for shouting at the driver.  They deserved it for riding abreast.  They deserved it for being on a street built for cars.  These are all messages you'll read, even here, from Thompson's defenders.  That it's not illegal to shout, ride two abreast, take the lane or "bike on a street built for cars," doesn't seem to matter to these car-culture warriors.  All that matters is the couple of minutes of inconvenience these drivers have to suffer because of the cycling scourge.

Of course, this also needs to change.

So while we can relax a little that the deranged doctor is sitting behind bars, at least for now; there's still a lot of work to be done to educate law enforcement and drivers alike as to our rights and responsibilities on the road.  Yesterday was a good day, and not just because of the verdict. Tomorrow it's back to work.

A different picture from a different day.  Today Peterson is healthy and Thompson is facing jail time.

The jury brought back "guilty" verdicts for Dr. Christopher Thompson on six felonies, and one misdemeanor stemming from his July 4, 2008 assault on two cyclists riding down Mandeville Canyon.  Thompson's request that he be released on bail has been denied.  He was found guilty of 2 counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon (245a) 2 counts of Battery with Serious Bodily Injury (243d) reckless driving (23103a) and reckless driving causing specified injury (23105a) and Mayhem (203).  Thompson faces up to ten years in prison for the charges and will be sentenced on December 3.

In the meantime you can catch up on Streetsblog's complete coverage here, L.A. Now is reporting on the case here, and Velo News, who has taken the lead reporting on this case, has their analysis here.

Image by Ken Kwok/ Los Angeles Times

One thing that sticks out is that the Times completely ignores the alternative bike culture that is thriving here in Los Angeles.  There's no mention of the Midnight Ridazz, the Bicycle Co-Ops, Critical Mass or the Bike Working Group.  For the most part, the Times also stayed away from controversial issues within the community, such as the legality of riding two abreast or biking on the sidewalk, and stuck with the basics.

Cyclists have a lot riding on L.A. driver's trial

This piece by Jack Leonard takes an extremely even-handed look at the ongoing trial of Dr. Christopher Thompson, the "Road Rage Doctor" who maimed two cyclists on July 4, 2008 along Mandeville Canyon.  Leonard starts the piece by discussing the emotional involvement cyclists around Los Angeles in this trial.  For many, not only is Thompson on trial, but so is the entire justice system that portends to protect the most vulnerable road users.  After all, if a person can't get convicted when he basically brags to the L.A.P.D. that he "taught the cyclists a lesson," what chance do the rest of us have if we're not struck by a driver who acts insane in front of the police.

The other thing that sticks out about this story is that even when reading an even-handed, non-emotional account, of the crash and the trial; Dr. Thompson appears to be very, very, guilty. 

First, Thompson's account of a similar incident from the Spring of 2008 discusses how he was "scared" by the aggressive actions of the cyclists, so he stopped his car to get their names.  I know that when the actions of a group of people scare me, I don't stop what I'm doing to get their information so I can pass it on to my homeowner's group.  But, that's just me.

Second, assuming that the Times' account of Thompson's views are correct, Thompson agrees that he passed closely to Peterson and Stoehr which is a violation of laws requiring a safe passing distance.  Given that Peterson and Stoehr were traveling the speed limit, Thompson is passing them illegally according to speed limits and safe cycling laws.

Of course, the only opinions that really matter aren't mine but those of the jury.  They are deliberating as we speak.

Bikes and cars: Can we share the road?

This article, by Christine Aschwanden, looks at what can be done to make streets safe for cyclists and gives an overview of the debate between vehicular cyclists and those that want to see more facilities on the streets.  There is a strong contingent of cyclists that argue cities do more harm than good by painting lanes and creating special amenities such as cycle tracks.  instead, cyclists should be educated in cycling as though they were driving and they would earn the respect of the automobile drivers.  Countering that argument is a public health expert from Colorado that blames the city of Denver for a spike in crashes and fatalities by not building a proper bike network.

This article also mentions the city's efforts to develop a bike network through the hearings surrounding the Draft Bike Plan.  If you read between the lines, you can see the deep discontent about this plan in the bike community.  "Vehicular cyclists" won't like the city's efforts to move bikes off arteries on to "bike friendly streets" such as 4th Street.  Meanwhile, the views of those that support the creation of a network of bike facilities' views can be summed up by the harsh review given the plan by the Bike Coalition's Aurisha Smolarski.  Apparently the "Plan with No Teeth" doesn't pass muster with cyclists on its content either.

Bicyclists should stay on the defensive to stay safe

At first I was mildly annoyed at the title of this article, until it was pointed out to me that "driving defensively" is the advice that is often given to drivers during safety lessons.  To its credit, this article goes beyond the typical "wear a helmet" and "ride with a working light" advice that is too often the bedrock of safe cycling advice.  Advice on "taking the lane" and strategies to avoiding crashes with different types of unsafe drivers make up the bulk of the story.

How to minimize accidents between autos and bicycles

This article is basically tips for drivers to avoid crashing into cyclists.  Honestly?  I'm not sure that I have any better advice for drivers other than a reminder to follow all rules of the road at all times, as the Times does earlier to cyclists.

One example of a law I see violated with impunity:  Even if a driver doesn't have a lot of time to make a left-hand turn at a signalized intersection; it's not legal to start one after a traffic light turns red.

L.A.-area biking resources

The passage of Metro's Long Range Transportation Plan last week has helped heat up a national conversation about Los Angeles, how it grows, how it moves and the future of our Metropolis.  Of course, Diane Meyer's "World Without a Car" exhibit has people locally thinking outside the auto; but others are picking up the conversation such as the Transport Politic and Think Progress' Matt Yglessias. However, that debate shows us one critical missing link in our transportation planning.

We still don't know how Angelenos move from place to place.  For the most part, we're still reliant on census figures that only ask about commuting trends, traditionally under-count people of lesser means and definately under-count immigrants.  Recently, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, in their most recent report on how the city is going to spend its Measure R funds, reported that combined, 3.6% of Angelenos commute by bicycle or by walking in Los Angeles based on figures provided by the Southern California Association of Governments.  Outside of major projects or reports that require them, the city does not do bicycle or pedestrian counts leaving planners reliant on bad statistics or guesswork based on personal observations and biases.

When commenting to the Council on the report, I wondered how 96.4% of people commute without walking at all; but of course I realize that they are referring to the dominant mode in the commute.  However, that number shouldn't be used as an excuse to under-fund pedestrian improvements.  After all, the city worker that drives from the Valley to the large parking lot to the West of City Hall is reliant on safe crossings to get from his car to the office, just as the dedicated pedestrian is reliant on a series of safe crossings to get from place to place.

But if the city is reliant on census figures that over-count the number of car-reliant transportation trips, then advocates for car alternatives are always going to be behind the game.  For example, my wife is a car commuter when she's not on maternity leave, but I would estimate that less than half of her total trips involve getting in her car.  Trips to the store, park, Farmer's Market, gym, and around the neighborhood are done on foot or on bike.  The census, the data source relied on by the city, completely discounts those trips because it only measures commuter trips.

What do you see? A city transportation study would see one van. Photo: aisipos/Flickr

The situation has become so dire that the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition has begun measuring its own bike counts, and news organizations have begun running their own polls to try and get a picture of what's actually happening on the street.  While a recent poll by the LA Downtown News' results were similar to those completed by City Planning, the unscientific method of asking one's readers how they commute, will certainly lead to those results being dismissed.

Speaking of City Planning, the process that created the new Downtown Street Standards included bicycle and pedestrian counts and those standards are amongst the most progressive ones in the county.  The standards promote bike lanes, sidewalk widenings and open space.  When an agency bothers to actually check what's happening, the results are planning documents that favor "non-motorized transportation."  For more on the street standards, listen to Streetsblog interview the Urban Design Studio's Emily Gabel-Luddy.

As the city moves forward with it's Bike Plan and other community plans, it's past time that it begins gathering data on it's own about the effected areas.  Relying on the census and the guesswork of engineers who have looked at their job as finding the best way to move cars is only going to lead to wider roads, unhealthy communities and a rising Car Culture, even as that way of planning wanes in the major cities around the United States.

Bike lanes: In some cities people are literally dying to have them and some people go so far as to mark their own. Here in New York City, it feels like every time I get on my bike there is a new bike lane - sometimes on the left, sometimes buffered, and sometimes completely separated from automobile traffic.  To understand these lanes, I had the opportunity to go for a ride with the NYC DOT bicycle boys. They explained the classes of bike lanes and showed off some of these inventive facilities.  You can use Ride the City to find a safe bike route in New York City and watch this video to see what lanes are used on your route.

Just in case I thoroughly depressed our cyclist readers with the overview of the timeline for the Draft Bike Plan, I wanted to provide some inspiration in the form of some funny and inspiring bike commercials from the Netherlands.  H/t to Dave Feucht of the Streetsblog.net discussion group.

Fortunately, since I can't speak Dutch, the good people at Bike Forums are a couple of years ahead of me in translating.  What follows is the rough translation of the ad above.  After the jump are three more advertisements, two of them don't need a translation, but below the fourth advertisement is another translation.  All translations by Nicodemus at Bike Forums.

The translation from above:

(macho key posing)
announcement: attention: driver of a blue Saab... you forgot your parking brake.

(guy on left chuckles)

announcement: attention: the blue Saab went into the yellow Lotus

(guy on left cringes)

Cyclist at the back walks out smiling.

Zonder ongemakken? (without inconveniences?)
Pak de fiets! (take the bike!)

The first phase is understanding.

And then you must take the initiative yourself.

And if he can do it himself, we let him loose.

Autoslavery is a serious problem

We must help these people.

Yeah, someone has to sit in traffic

Bike lanes: In some cities people are so desperate for them they'll go so far as to mark their own. (Editor's note: We know.)  Here in New York City, it feels like every time I get on my bike there is a new bike lane -- sometimes on the left, sometimes buffered, and sometimes completely separated from automobile traffic.

While I was on paternity leave there were a lot of stories that I would have covered if I had been writing.   I didn't want to let them pass without any commentary or coverage beyond a sentence in Today's Headlines.  H

AnsaldoBreda

After half a year of debate, numerous reports from Metro's new CEO staff begging them not to continue the contract and one of the most ethically challenged public relations campaigns I've ever seen; the Metro Board of Directors decided to extend their exclusive contract with Italian Rail Car manufacturer AnsaldoBreda.  You may remember that the company "promised" to build a rail car manufacturing plant in Greater Los Angeles if they got the contract, a fact that couldn't legally be considered by the Metro Board.

However, every month that went by since the debate erupted last March brought more reasons to not trust the rail car company.  Board Members Zev Yaroslavsky, the Westside's representative to the County Board of Supervisors, and Santa Monica Council Member Pam O'Connor were among the rail car manufacturer's harshest critics, but that wasn't enough to stop Mayor Villaraigosa and his allies from pushing the contract extension through.

At least Villaraigosa, who bent over backwards to keep his union supporters happy, didn't insult our intelligence by pretending the decision was made in the best interest of Metro or its riders.  One day after they extended the contract, Villaraigosa held a press conference announcing all the new jobs coming to L.A. with the new factory.

For our full coverage of the AnsaldoBreda controversy, click here.  Note that the coverage started neutral and became more negative as time went on.

Alarcón, City Council Offer Reward for Information on Deadly Hit and Run.

Earlier this week, Councilman Richard Alarcón succeeded in getting the City Council to allocate $50,000 dollars for any information on the deadly Hit-and-Run that killed Judy Ramos on July 28.  In a city where too often there seems to be a lack of energy on finding Hit-and-Run drivers, this is an encouraging sign of elected officials and the LAPD taking this instance seriously.  What would be more encouraging would be harsher fines for Hit-and-Run Drivers.  Under current law, there are harsher fines for drunk driving than hit-and-run driving.  This encourages murderous drivers to flee the scene of the crime.

For more information on the crash and how to inform the LAPD, visit this article in the Daily News.

OCTA Wants Ideas on How to Improve Transportation

h/t to Spokker and Transit Rider OC

The Orange County Transportation Authority has an online survey to solicit feedback from residents on how to improve transportation behind the Orange Curtain.  Naturally, the majority of the questions are about freeways and capacity enhancement, but at least this time they mention buses several times.  You can take the survey here.

Mel Gibson Gets DUI Expunged

I was shocked to find out that Mel Gibson was able to get his 2006 DUI Conviction expunged from his record; but I was even more outraged to read that such an act is routine in California.  The Times reports:

As a first-time drunk-driving offender, Gibson was eligible to have the conviction removed from his record after completing the terms of his probation. The expunging request and procedure is routine and took place before Judge Lawrence J. Mira during a 90-second hearing.

I guess it's a good thing that you have to drunkenly hit people with your car twice before hurting them or else this law would make no sense.

A New Bike License Controversy Brewing in Santa Monica?

We have yet to hear a report for someone getting ticketed, but our friends the Santa Monica Police Department are at it again.  Blogger Gary Kavanaugh noted that the SMPD is flyering about the need to have your bike licensed before you can ride in Santa Monica.  Long-time readers may remember that the LAPD was taken to task for abusing a state law that allows police departments to create licensing programs to help cyclists recover stolen bicycles.  The LAPD had to back off after it came to light they were handing out illegally high fines and repeatedly running out of licenses when cyclists asked for them.

Is Santa Monica going to copy one of LAPD's less than inspiring attempts at law enforcement?  The city has somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde reputation with cyclists.  On one hand, the city has more and better bike facilities per capita than any city in the county save Long Beach.  On the other, the SMPD are known to harass group rides to the point of comically over-policing Santa Monica Critical Mass and of course became national laughing stocks for taking a principled stand against people who exercise in public spaces.

Controversial Bike Lane Stays in Santa Clarita

Way back in August we discussed the angry reaction of some in Santa Clarita to new bike lanes on Decoro Avenue.  The City Council eventually reached a compromise after lengthy debate.  The bike lanes stayed and the road was re-striped to increase automobile capacity.  Hooray?

More TAP Problems

On the Metro Rider discussion forums, writer J Marino writes about how he was falsely accused of trying to evade TAP fares because the TAP readers were broken:

Fare officers started checking tickets about 7 stops in. They check my TAP card and tell me that it hasn't been used since June, 2009! This is clearly not true, but I have no way to prove it. Officers march me through the train like a criminal and escort me off the train at Imperial station. This is in Compton. I will probably catch hell for this, but I should mention that I am a 5'1'', 100-pound girl. And I'm stranded, alone, in Compton. Awesome. I also hold in my hand a citation that will cost me several hundred dollars to correct.

I bought another day pass (paper this time, no way will I trust the TAP card again), and headed right back home. As soon as I could, I called the number on the TAP card and spoke to a wonderful customer service agent, Rita, who verified that I had indeed bought and used a day pass through TAP that morning. She had me send copies of my citation, bank statement showing the $5 deducted for the fare, and ID to TAP customer service, stating that she would have the citation voided. Super!

When reader Erik Griswold wrote to Cubic and Metro about the issue he was told that monthly pass holders can avoid these kinds of problems by carrying their receipt with them.  Uhm, wasn't the point of TAP cards that Metro would move to paperless ticketing?  Now we're supposed to carry around a paper receipt?  I think I'll stick to day passes, thanks all the same.

It's no wonder that Foothill Transit announced they were opting out of the TAP system.

Livable streets prodigy Elli Giammona. Photo: The Missoulian

Elli is a 9-year-old in Missoula, Montana who a couple of years ago began to question why she couldn't bike to school. When her mother explained that it wasn't safe because the road leading from their home to Hellgate Elementary -- a typical suburban arterial, from the looks of it -- didn't have a sidewalk, Elli took action.

With encouragement from her mom and the help of her younger sister and older brother, she petitioned Missoula County, gathering signatures and composing a letter explaining the benefits of a walkable Mullan Road. The Missoulian reports:

The letter is dated Jan. 14, 2009, around the time [county public works director Greg] Robertson was looking for a project eligible for American Reinvestment and Recovery Act dollars. Criteria? A quick turnaround, a project in the urban area, and one uncomplicated by problems like right-of-way negotiations and extra environmental reviews.

"Honestly, I didn't have any other projects for consideration at the time that would have met the criteria," he said.

Long story short: A new trail is expected to be finished in time for Elli to ride it to school next fall.

Not only has Elli made it safer for herself and her neighbors to ride a bike or take a walk, she's also made plain how completely the stars must align for something as simple as a car-free ribbon of asphalt to become reality. (Even now, the planned Missoula trail won't connect with the school because of right-of-way costs.) Just a few decades ago a kid riding or walking to school would be considered the epitome of American wholesomeness. Now it's a symptom of child neglect, in part because of infrastructure so obviously inhospitable that even a 7-year-old gets it.

In the last year and a half, there have been several drunk driving and road rage incidents that have shaken the cycling community, leaving a trail of dead and broken bodies behind along with a general feeling of frustration and despair for the friends and families of the victims.

Dr. Christopher T. Thompson is charged with 2 counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon (245a) 2 counts of Battery with Serious Bodily Injury (243d) reckless driving (23103a) and reckless driving causing specified injury (23105a) and Mayhem (203) all stemming from the Mandeville Canyon Road Rage incident that left two cyclists broken, bleeding and lying on the road. Thompson's case is slowly working itself through the system at the LAX Courthouse. Today, they will pick a judge to replace Judge Cynthia Reyvis and will then hear pre-trial motions. Tomorow, they start jury selection.

Alejandro Hidalgo is charged with vehicular manslaughter (191.5a) and DUI (23153a) (23153b) in the death of Jesus Castillo on Glendale Boulevard and his case is coming up in the Downtown Criminal Courthouse. The next hearing is on October 30 at 8:30 and no trial date has been set for this case.

Robert Sam Sanchez is charged with Vehicular Manslaughter (191.5a) and DUI (23153a) and Hit-and-Run with serious bodily injury (20001a) in the death of Rodrigo "Rod" Armas and the injury to his son, Christian Armas on PCH and that case is coming up in the Malibu Courthouse. The next hearing is on October 20 at 8:30 am and no trial date has been set.

Marco Antonio Valencia is charged with Vehicular Manslaughter (191.5a) and DUI (23153a) and Hit-and-Run with serious bodily injury (20001a) and in the death of Joe Novotny on Bouquet Canyon Road in Santa Clarita and that case is coming up in San Fernando Courthouse. The next hearing is on October 28 at 8:30 am and no trial date has been set.

Jim Azpilicueta is charged with two counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon (245a) and Hit-and-Run with serious bodily injury (20001a) in an incident that caused a cyclist to sustain significant injuries including severe damage to her face. The arraignment is set for October 14 at 8:30 am.

There is another case pending in the Hit-and-Run with Serious Bodily Injury (20001a) incident that left Roadblock lying on Glendale Boulevard after being hit from behind and flipped into the air, landing with just enough consciousness and awareness to catch a partial license plate of the car as it sped off into the distance. The arraignment is set for Nov. 2 at 8:30 am in Dept. 60 Metro Court.

Missing from the dockets of the Southland Courthouses is the infamous Hummer vs. Cyclists case. The LAPD response to the Hummer vs. Cyclists incident received much attention and resulted in a City Council motion directing an LAPD report on police activity and the resulting investigation. It also stirred a Storm the Bastille ride to City Hall, three visits to the Police Commission, and claims filed with the LAPD Inspector General. But it did not result in a court case.

This is why cyclists need the Cyclists' Bill of Rights. The CBR has picked up endorsements from the City Council, from the City's Bicycle Advisory Committee and from neighborhood councils around LA. The CBR claims as right #4 "Cyclists have the right to the full support of our judicial system and the right to expect that those who endanger, injure or kill cyclists be dealt with to the full extent of the law."

Now is the time for the cycling community to embrace the Cyclists' Bill of Rights
and to insist that it be included, as written, in LA's Draft Bike Plan, just released and already under attack for having a 42 day window for public participation and not using imperative language that will support the rights of cyclists on the streets of Los Angeles.

Pay close attention to what's happening in City Council, in the Courts and, most of all, on the Streets!

A few years ago when I was part of a theater production on Santa Monica Blvd. we worked hard to fill the seats and we advertised, we passed out flyers, we called the press, we sent out notices and we invited our friends and family, hoping to fill the house. Through it all we were always struggling with the fact that the streets are congested, traffic is miserable, parking is limited and our audience invariably showed up pissed off and frazzled by their journey, making for tough audiences!

Somewhere along the way I realized that we were going about it all wrong. Imagine if local theaters (there are over 100 in the Hollywood area alone) encouraged their audience members to walk, ride a bike or take the Metro. Imagine if local theaters promoted the local cafes, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants that surround them and encourage their audience to arrive early, stay late and spend lots of money in the local community. Imagine if local theaters encouraged their audience to come as a group, make an adventure out of the experience, make going to the theater a social experience rather than something you just Tweet about.

Inevitably, it always came back to parking. The Theaters promoted parking. They gave driving instructions. They promised secure parking. They promised valet parking. They promised parking validation. But as soon as the show ended, the cars had to go and there went the audience. No mingling, no socializing, no hanging out and spending lots of money in the neighborhood. They had to move that car to its next destination.

That was when I went on the warpath and started reaching out to the local community, starting with those who lived close enough to walk to the Theater. I was surprised to find that some of the neighbors didn't know about their local theater, some had never really paid attention, and nobody had ever reached out to them. We made some great friends.

Since I was often riding my bike to the theater, I started paying more attention to how we could accommodate cyclists. It was bad! When I rode my bike, I had to park it on the street, locking it to a pole and praying throughout the performance that my bike would still be there. I looked for ways to provide safe bike parking and to promote that rather than driving instructions.

Sometimes I took the bus or train to the theater and my experience there was sometimes quite bad, getting out of a show late at night only to find that the bus had stopped running.

There are two things we can do to change the world. The first is provide information and the second is to have fun.

I started calling theater companies to post transit information and bike parking map instruction to their websites. Sacred Fools Theatre, within 30 minutes posted public transportation info and bikemetro.com on their directions page. They became one of my favorite theater companies, still to this day. Within a week I organized a bike ride to their theater and 10 people joined me for La Bete, a production that garnered them quite a few awards.

The second company was the Santa Monica Playhouse, who got out into the street and looked up the various buses that passed by their venue and posted their information as well as the bikemetro link. The Boston Court in Pasadena, the Lillian Theatre and The SkyPilot Theatre followed their lead and I liked them so much, I ended up joining the SkyPilot company.

Since then, I have posted several requests for bus and metro directions and bikemetro posting on theater industry group websites and I've also sent emails to various theater companies who I like to visit.

I also started a tradition of having more fun. Some of my favorite theater events are the ones that were social and where I could hang out with my friends long after the play was over. Our first M.A.D. ride (Metro ADventure) was via the Red Line Station and to this day it is one of my favorite LA Theater memories.

The bike rides with friends to Sacred Fools and to the SkyPilot Theatre I treasure dearly because not only did I get to introduce some new audience members to LA Theater but also because the social element is just as important to me as being exposed to performance art. And we together, on our bikes or via the Metro, explored a bit of the neighborhood, its restaurants and its charm, that we could have never done would we have driven our cars to the show.

Two things happen when we choose alternative modes of travel. We tend to be more relaxed, we are in no rush to pick up our car from the lot that might be closing or charging and we are more likely to go out to eat afterward at a local restaurant, to end the evening together with our friends.

Ask your theater company to post public transportation information on their website and find out if they can provide secure bike parking. Just having this information on the website could encourage people to try something new because they are given an option. Invite your neighbors to see your shows. If they walk down the street to your venue, the streets are going to be safer because of it. Let your customers know about local restaurants so they can stick around afther the show. The businesses will be thankful for it!

As for me, I'm planning the next bike ride to the show The End of Civilization, from Hollywood to Toluca Lake, on November 14th. If you'd like to join me, keep an eye out for the post on illuminatela.com or email me at info@illuminatela.com.

Photo: Joe Linton

Long Beach's mobility coordinator Charlie Gandy has big plans. During L.A. Streetsblog's interview with Gandy, he mentioned a wide range of facilities and programs planned. These aren't far-off dreams. No. They're funded dreams, scheduled for implementation in 2010. Streetsblog will be there reporting on them.

The city has aggressively pursued bike funding, securing $15M in grants for bike programs and facilities. Highlights of these follow after the jump.

Photo: Joe Linton

Federal Stimulus Money for Bike Parking

Long Beach sought and was granted $248,000 in federal stimulus funding to install bike parking facilities. This will include 1,155 racks in all. The city isn't putting down a one-size-fits-all set of utilitarian staples, but is doubling up on functions - using bike racks secure bikes and also for celebratory place-making. There are coffee cup racks at coffee shops, pizza racks at Italian Restaurants, and various other whimsical functional designs.

The city is experimenting with a few fancy upright racks and taking away a few car parking spaces to put in bike corrals. No waves or pathetic front-wheel-only racks in the lot though. The project is already out to bid and expected to be completed in early 2010.

Additionally, Long Beach's more-than-just-parking BikeStation will be moving into their new and expanded facility in 2010.

Photo: Bikeportland.org

A Bike Boulevard Actually Called a Bike Boulevard

A few Southern California cities are planning bike boulevards, though neither Pasadena nor Los Angeles has the forthrightness to actually them bicycle boulevards. Each of these cities is instead using euphemisms. Pasadena's draft plan calls them Emphasized Bikeways; Los Angeles' draft plan calls them Bike Friendly Streets.

Long Beach is finalizing the designs for the Vista Street Bicycle Boulevard, which extends about two miles from Park Avenue to Temple Avenue. The city has been meeting with property owners and other stakeholders they're supportive of the project. It will include six new traffic circles, a new signal at Redondo Avenue, and removal and reorientation of various stop signs.

It's also planned for completion the first half of 2010.

Portland’s new (and first-ever) cycle track has been installed on SW Broadway near Portland State University. Long Beach's cycle track will have a 2-foot wide raised curb where this photo shows a striped area.

Following the innovative example of New York City and Portland, Long Beach has secured federal funding to build a protected bike facility - in essence a European-type cycletrack. They're actually doing a pair of one-way cycletracks on Broadway and Third Street in Downtown Long Beach. Each will extend slightly over a mile from Alamitos Avenue to the 710 Freeway.

To do this, Long Beach will remove a travel lane from each street. They'll build a 2-foot wide curb. Bicyclists will ride in their own protected roadway - located between car parking and the sidewalk. Bicycles will have their own bike traffic signals to prevent cars colliding with cyclists on turns.

This trailblazing project is beginning construction and expected to open in February 2010.

More to Come

The city is resurfacing the San Gabriel River Bike Path and connecting bike lanes across the northern part of the city. These combine with the beach bike path and the L.A. River bikeway to form a 22-mile loop around the city.

Long Beach is also doing new bike education programs in schools. They're hosting an annual April Bike festival. They're starting safe street handling courses targeted for fixed gear riders. They're developing bike training for Long Beach Police and Long Beach Transit Bus Drivers. They're even planning promotional campaigns aimed at teaching drivers how to safely interact with cyclists.

Streetsblog is looking forward to continuing to bring our readers news of Long Beach's successes.

Crowd shot from last Friday's panel discussion with David Byrne.

Where was the working class?

Where were the Latinos?

Where were the Asian-Americans?

Where were the black people?

Was I ever going to go to an alternative transit event in ethnically diverse Los Angeles that was racially diverse? I would think the alt-transit movement would be perfect to bring together the mosaic of cultures in Los Angeles, but it seems to always be the perfect storm that misses hitting the giant island of racial diversity.

One person that has an answer for a more inclusive cycling community is James Spooner, a former New Yorker who started the Afro-Punk movement with a little film called Afro-Punk.

James Spooner

I sat down and talked to James Spooner about the bicycle community and issues of diversity in Los Angeles. We discussed how to walk on the delicate tightrope of being inclusive to people of color and how to explain that to your friends who aren't of color.

"Say you're in your thirties, you've got a Mohawk. You're not a hipster. You're not a person who got a Mohawk yesterday because it's cool. You are a grimy fixed-gear rider who has had a Mohawk for 20 years. You know what it's like to feel ostracized. And you know what it's like when you go to a punk concert and for those two-to-four hours you feel free. You feel that everybody there understands you. You can be exactly who you want to be without feeling ridiculed or less than. Then you leave that place and you go back to being the grimy punk rocker that everyone looks down on. Well, that's how black people feel and there are not enough punk shows for us to go to. That's why I do the ride," James Spooner, recanting a story to me when he tried explaining to a friend the Freedom Ride. Unfortunately, the friend still didn't get it.

We talked about why women's rides were viewed as OK but the Freedom Ride was viewed as a problematic or divisive. "There is not a problem with the (women's rides.) Men are more comfortable with being called a sexist than being called a racist. If they support a women's ride they are being liberated, but to admit that black people need their own thing that would be admitting that there is still racism and they might be part of it. To think that their friends, which is the real hard thing for them to grasp, that their one black friend that this would appeal to that person, it would mean that their community is racist. Racism has a bitter, vile history that is in close proximity-if they acknowledge that we aren't equal than they'll have to do more work," said Spooner.

I believe that is the key to the alternative transit movement and the environmental movement in general. It is about putting in the work. James and I talked about if there was an actual bike culture in the Los Angeles or was it just a community. We agreed that there was a community and that it has the potential to become a culture, but it's not there yet. If the bike community wants to become a culture in Los Angeles then it is going to have to become more inclusive-not just racially, but also in regards to socio-economics and family status. The alt-transit community has to be about affordable housing and safe streets and it also has to be about gender and racially equality. In my opinion bike lanes alone will not build a bicycle culture in Los Angeles; they will certainly help, but bike lanes and bike boulevards are not the most important components in creating a bicycle culture in Los Angeles.

If we want to build a community that becomes a culture, something precious that has the ability to be passed down to our children and their children and not become the next hot thing marketers try to sell, we'll all have to work a little bit harder.

The Bike Writer's Collective huddles at last night's B.A.C Meeting. Photo: Stephen Box/Facebook

It may have been a few months late, but last night's review of the proposed new bike plan by the Bicycle Advisory Committee had enough fireworks for the fourth of July.

From BAC Chair Glenn Bailey to a small, but passionate group of audience members, a number of people expressed their anger about the plan - particularly about the short amount of time allowed for public review.

As a result, the committee voted to request an extension of the comment period to January 8, 2010, rather than the current deadline of November 6 of this year. The unanimous vote reflected unusual agreement between committee members who voiced support for the plan and those who expressed problems with significant parts of it.

However, all agreed that after the seemingly endless delays in releasing the plan, the public deserved more time to review the 212 page document. As Stephen Box put it, noting that L.A. allows more time to review new sanitation plans, it makes it appear that in the city's eyes, "Cyclists rate below trash."

While they said it might be possible to extend the deadline, none of the representatives of DOT in attendance claimed the authority to do so, nor did they explain the process required to get an extension.

A brief introduction to a very complex plan

The affable Jordann Turner from the Dept. of City Planning lead the council through a brief overview of the proposed bike plan, intended to replace the original 1996 bike plan that was reauthorized by the council in 2007 to remain eligible for federal funding.

As Turner noted, the goal of the plan is to create a continuous bicycle system that extends throughout the city, with a system of collector routes that would leave no resident more than a mile from the network. The plan also creates a technical design handbook that would provide design guidance for all bicycle types and roadway situations, and form a template for city agencies to follow.

He also touched on the conflicts inherent in off-road cycling within the city, as various groups, including cyclists, hikers and equestrians battle for limited trail space. Turner said the city had brought in a professional negotiator to try to develop recommendations that would accommodate all users.

In addition, the plan attempts to prioritize projects so they can be identified and move forward quickly as funding becomes available. And it was suggested that it's not difficult process to amend the plan, so if anyone thinks something was missed, they should offer suggestions on how it can be changed.

There was also talk that one more workshop may be scheduled for East L.A., though no details were available.

A mixed reaction from the committee

While a handful of committee members expressed satisfaction with the plan - and one member even suggested cyclists should be grateful for "what they have now" - several of the panel members expressed serious concerns.

Brad House, representing the 15th Council District, asked why the Cyclist's Bill of Rights wasn't included in the bike plan. Michele Mowery, Senior Bicycle Coordinator for LADOT, said that portions of the CBOR that the city has jurisdiction over were incorporated into the plan, while some parts that the city doesn't have jurisdiction over were left out.

That lead much eye rolling in the audience, particularly from Box, who later expressed amazement that any part of it would be "outside the city's jurisdiction," and questioned just what those parts could be.

Thirteenth District representative Joe Linton voiced his frustration that the current plan included 50 fewer miles of bikeways than the plan adopted 13 years earlier. "That seems like a retreat from the '96 plan, which was already a little whimpy." And he complained that streets that had formerly been listed as "designated" for bike lanes were now considered merely "proposed."

The real fireworks came from Chair Person Glenn Bailey, who showed visible anger as he complained about the short window for comments, noting that only a 6-day period was allotted for all four scheduled workshops. He went on to suggest that every Neighborhood Council in the city should receive the same bike plan CD that had been provided to the committee. "What would that cost? Twenty-five cents times 89? Let's get it out there."

And he drew a round of applause from the audience for insisting that the bike plan should have the rule of law if it's adopted by the council.

Police HQ bike parking, and other matters

While the bike plan took up most of the evening's discussion, more sparks flew when a motion was made to hold the next meeting at Deaton Auditorium in the new police headquarters downtown.

Box complained about inadequate bicycle parking at the new building, pointing out that the street level parking was at the far edge of the facility, behind nine planters and completely out of view from any watchful eyes. His wife Enci pointed out that no woman would feel comfortable leaving her bike there, especially after dark.

Bailey explained out that additional bike parking was included in the plans for the parking garage; however, he was not allowed access when he attempted to examine it. A motion was finally passed to hold the next meeting at Deaton, but to request that LAPD provide safe and secure bike parking prior to the meeting; Bailey also suggested that riders be allowed to bring their bikes inside the auditorium.

Other matters included requesting that space for bikes be maintained on Westwood Blvd during and after construction of the Expo line, and that bikes be accommodated in any redesign of Pico and Olympic Boulevards.

Tuesday night also marked the first meeting for Ramona Marks, the panel's newest member, and currently, the only woman on the panel, representing District 1. Marks is the current membership coordinator for the Friends of the Los Angeles River and has served as Treasurer for the Bicycle Kitchen.