Santa Monica, Bike Center:

The outside of Bike Center. Photo via The Source

We start with today’s opening of what might be the largest bike parking facility in all of the United States of America.  The mammoth $2 million full-service “Santa Monica Bike Center,” is a joint product of the People’s Republic and Metro.  Bike Center is actually two locations (Parking Structure 7 at 320 Broadway and Parking Structure 8 at 215 Colorado) in the center of downtown with a combined 5,300 square-feet of space and nearly 360 secure bicycle parking spaces.  To the best of my research, the next largest bike parking facility, Chicago’s McDonald’s Cycle Center, has “only” 300 spaces.

The Center will provide secure bike parking, retail, bike repair, bike rental, attended bike parking, and could serve as a center for other bicycle related activity in the same way Long Beach’s Bike Station hosts classes and is the starting point for bike stores. For more information, check out the Bike Center web site.

Anticipating the light rail that is on it’s way, Bike Center is also built close to the future terminus of Phase II of the Expo Line.  Metro staff talks about riders being able to bike to their closest Expo stop, take the bike with them on the train, and then having a safe and convenient place to park if their plans don’t include taking their bike with them when the line is completed.

A grand opening event is scheduled for later today and will be followed by an all-weekend open house featuring free bicycle parking, free bicycle rides and tours of the facility.  For more information on the events, click here.

Burbank, Bike Stop:

Bike Stop! Image via The Source, again.

Burbank’s Bike Stop doesn’t compete with the mammoth Bike Center in Santa Monica, but does provide a facility for 40 bicycles to park near Burbank’s Metrolink Station.  The Glendale News-Press outlines why the Stop is a leap forward:

The downtown Burbank Metrolink station is busy a hub for commuters from Antelope Valley and those working in Glendale and Los Angeles. The Bike Stop — partially funded by the California Department of Transportation — gives bicyclists a spot to park their bikes for free, instead of having to lug their equipment around from station to station.

Bike Stop doesn’t have a staffer on-hand all day, but does have a passcode protected security system and space for some bike classes that could be used to expand the parking if demand calls for it.

Culver City, …. :

Here’s something you probably won’t read in The Source.  The Culver City Bike Coalition (CCBC) is demanding to know what happened to their public cycling center?  While Phase II of the Expo Line is getting a Bike Center at its terminus.  The Phase I terminus is getting….nothing.

Which is a shame for two reasons.  First, Culver City has done an admirable job creating a “downtown connector” to provide an attractive way for cyclists to get to and from the station from Downtown Culver City and other points west.  Secondly, there was originally supposed to be a bike parking center that presumably would at least be similar in style to Burbank’s Bike Stop, but it was dropped from plans for the station.  CCBC blames the Expo Construction Authority for a lack of planning, foresight and funds in their weekly column in the Culver City News:

The Expo Authority has concluded that a partial solution to its notorious budget-overrun problems is to axe the Culver City bicycle facility. But why should cycling commuters and travelers take the hit for the Expo Authority’s issues? Especially when cycling is such an essential component of our transition to a less automobile-centric metropolis?

The CCBC plans to “make a little noise” in the coming weeks and months to try and get their Bike Station/Center/Stop.  If you want to help them make that noise, their piece in the Culver City News contains the contact information you need to get noisy.

Ed Reyes' PLUM Committee gave the first green light to an ordinance that changes bike parking requirements for new buildings, and the full Council jumped on board last week. Photo: LADOT Bike Blog

“When you get on that bicycle, you want to feel the same comfort that someone in a car feels,” explained Bill Rosendahl, the Chair of the Transportation Committee and a freshly re-trained bicyclist himself.  ”You want to know that when you park your bike is safe, and isn’t going to get vandalized.”

The City Council passed a “negative declaration” meaning that the final ordinance will not undergo a CEQA or environmental review and that city staff should draft the ordinance based on the principles outlined by Planning Department Intern Rye Baerg.

The ordinance, once signed by the Mayor, also includes a swap of car parking for bicycle parking at commercial and residential developments.  Up to 30% of auto parking can swapped for bicycle parking within a commercial nonresidential  project and 15% of auto parking can be swapped within a residential project that is near a major bus or transit station.  This could be particularly crucial for the transit oriented developments that pop up as a result of the new train lines that are coming online as a result of Measure R.

The ordinance also provides a mechanism to add more bike corrals to city streets.   These on-street public bicycle parking spaces offer an opportunity to provide ample bicycle parking without taking up pedestrian space on sidewalks. Bike corrals have been proven to increase bicycle usage in areas where they are installed, as they encourage residents to travel by bicycle around their neighborhoods to do their shopping and errands.  The corral at Cafe De Leche in Northeast L.A. was part of a pilot program that was succesful enough that the LADOT and City Planning are comfortable enough to let them flourish city-wide.

In related news, the city will receive funds from Metro’s Call for Projects to help fund more bike corrals as well as parking at Expo transit stations.  In a city where too-often the best place to park a bike is on a car parking meter, the tide might finally be turning towards more safe parking spaces available at more desirable places.

I see how this could be annoying to look at, but it's not illegal and the Bicycle Parking Ordinance is about reducing scenes such as this one. Photo:ehow

The current bicycle parking ordinance only applies to developments over 10,000 sq ft.  By eliminating this qualification new parking facilities will begin to sprout up throughout the city whenever new multi-family residential, commercial, and industrial developments are proposed.  Cycling advocates hope that more bicycle facilities will create a more visible and viable transportation alternative.

Alexis Lantz, programming director for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, made the case for change simply, “The ordinance that currently exists has failed to provide adequate bicycle parking.”

The proposed ordinance also includes a swap of car parking for bicycle parking for both commercial and residential uses.  Up to 30% of auto parking can swapped for bicycle parking within a commercial nonresidential  project and 15% of auto parking can be swapped within a residential project that is near a major bus or transit station.  This could be particularly crucial for the transit oriented developments that pop up as a result of the new train lines that are coming online as a result of Measure R.

The ordinance also provides a mechanism to add more bike corrals to city streets.   These on-street public bicycle parking spaces offer an opportunity to provide ample bicycle parking without taking up pedestrian space on sidewalks. Bike corrals have been proven to increase bicycle usage in areas where they are installed, as they encourage residents to travel by bicycle around their neighborhoods to do their shopping and errands.  The corral at Cafe De Leche in Northeast L.A. was part of a pilot program that was succesful enough that the LADOT and City Planning are comfortable enough to let them flourish city-wide.

The change in the parking requirements is part of the planning changes required by the Bike Plan which was signed into law earlier this year.  While the Bike Plan was approved by the City Council and Mayor’s Office, but individual policy changes need to be voted on individually.  This is the first policy change included in the plan to get serious consideration from the Council.  Glenn Bailey, the Vice-Chair of the City’s Bicycle Advisory Committee reported that the ordinance enjoyed the unanimous support of the city’s official Bicycle Advisory Committee.

None of these changes sparked much debate, in fact the only concern about the bike parking ordinance came from Studio City Neighborhood Council Member Barry Johnson who complained that bikes on the lawn of multi-family dwellings create clutter that is an eye sore for neighbors in single-family houses across the street who lived there for years. “Bike parking should not be allowed in the yards of the multi-family units…Adding clutter to the front yard is something we shouldn’t be doing.”

Councilman Paul Krekorian echoed Johnson’s concerns, and called for City Planning, who moved that City Staff report back on the issue of front lawn bicycle parking.  Let’s go easy on Krekorian, who  is representing his constituents and didn’t actually hold up the ordinance in any way, but let’s hope that city staff provides a concise and factual defense of locating bike parking in the front of multi-family dwellings or any other buildings.  For the sake of civility, let’s avoid pointing out that there are few things that provide as much clutter in a public space as free curbside parking for cars.

Whoops.

Putting bike parking in front of a building is often the place that makes the most sense from a safety standpoint.  The bikes are clearly visible making them harder to steal than a bike chained up in a dark corner in a garage.  Also, the cyclist doesn’t have to enter uncontrolled secluded places to lock up his or her bicycle.  Last, a parking lot is one of the most dangerous places to be a cyclist or pedestrian because drivers are often distracted and backing out without a clear line of site.

From a convenience standpoint, there is nothing more convenient than getting to park a bicycle by the front door of a building.  It creates a welcome place for people to store their bicycles and sends a clear message that bikes belong.  Even if homeowners in Studio City don’t think that they do.

And last but not least, people should be allowed to do what they wish on public property, even if the Studio City Neighborhood Council disagrees.

The ordinance still needs to be passed by the full City Council before moving to the Mayor’s Desk for final approval.

I rode my bike over to US Bank, located at Colorado and Oak Knoll, the other day and found myself scrambling to find a place to lock my bike as there were no bike racks on the block. I wasn’t alone. There were numerous other bikes haphazardly locked against anything resembling something solid, such as tree trunks and lamp posts. I assume most of these bikes belonged to people who were patronizing Sabor² Cafe adjacent to US Bank.

Because there are few places to lock one's bike on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena, this person locked his/her bike to a tree. Photo: Brigham Yen

I eventually found a bike rack inconveniently around the corner in the back on Oak Knoll (by the entrance to a parking garage) and had to walk back to the bank, which made me wonder why there weren’t bike racks in front of the building to begin with (where the businesses were located).

Supply for bike racks along Colorado Blvd have obviously not caught up with demand in Pasadena as you can see from the bikes locked against trees and posts. Photo: Brigham Yen

Obviously as you can see from the pictures I took that there is definitely a demand for bike racks to be installed. Pasadena prides itself on being a place that is forward thinking (relative to the rest of the San Gabriel Valley) when it comes to serving alternative modes of transit (anything that isn’t driving basically). I would like to see Pasadena do what the City of LA has done in Highland Park by installing “bike corrals” in busy commercial districts to promote bike usage.

L.A.'s first bike corral opens at Cafe de Leche. Photo via Orange 20 Bikes. Incidently, I agree that Pure Luck in Hel-Mel would be a great place for the next corral.

The City of Los Angeles is pushing ahead with a pair of hearings on the progressive “draft parking ordinance” that would change the landscape when it comes to providing ways for people to safely and quickly store their bikes.  Streetsblog reported on an earlier draft of the ordinance back in early February, but as the city moves forward, it seems likely that were going to see more bike parking at businesses, residential buildings and just on the street in the near future.  Details on the meetings can be found at the end of this article.

There are several ways the proposed ordinance is an improvement over the city’s current bicycle parking requirements.  Currently, there is no requirement to provide bike parking when creating a residential development less than 10,000 square feet and the bike parking for commercial developments is basically one space per 25,000 square feet.  The ordinance only applies to new developments.

The proposed ordinance is an improvement in several ways.  Most obviously, it will increase the level of bicycle parking required for new developments to bring the number of spaces per development in line with those of New York and Portland.  It also expands bicycle parking requirements to multifamily residential buildings.  Residents of apartment buildings need long term storage for their bicycles that is easily accessible and provides a secure place to store their bicycles.  Residents should not be expected to store their bicycles in their apartments or leave them locked in places where they can be vandalized.

Alexis Lantz, the Planning and Policy Director for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, points out that while the proposed changes are good, this is not a “bikes v cars” debate.  “it’s important for folks to understand that this ordinance is about increasing bike parking not decreasing car parking. This does incentive developers to swap out car parking for bike parking but if we want to have a parking maximum instead of parking minimum this isn’t the ordinance for that.”

In fact, the proposed ordinance provides strict limits on the amount of car parking that can be replaced by bicycle parking and increases the number of bicycle parking spaces that must be installed in order to replace a car parking space.

In addition to just requiring more bike parking, it also requires that bicycle parking will be placed in easily accessible and visible locations.  Short-term parking must be located above ground and shall be visible from the main entrance of a building.  Long-term parking shall have signage that shows the location of the parking and must be easily accessible.

The proposed ordinance allows businesses to apply for permits to install short-term bicycle parking within the public right-of-way.  Following the A new definition for bicycle corrals has been introduced along with a provision that allows businesses to count already existing bicycle racks within the public right-of-way towards their requirements.

“This is just one step toward reforming parking in Los Angeles and increasing both short and long term parking as well as providing bike corrals.” said Lantz, “I think it’s great to see bike corrals go from just a pipe dream, to one in Highland Park, to being included in a new bicycle parking ordinance.”

The City will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 1:00 PM in room 1010 of City Hall.  A presentation will also be made to the Bicycle Advisory Committee on Tuesday, April 5^th, 2011 at the Hollywood Neighborhood City Hall Community Room, at 6501 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles, 90028.

Photo:Fernie 805

Currently, the City only requires bicycle parking for commercial and industrial buildings over 10,000 square foot at a rate.  For most commercial uses this results in one space being provided per 25,000 square feet.  For many cyclists, this requirement leads to chaining a bicycle to the closest parking meter while out and locking it on the balcony or backyard at home.

The City Planning Department is drafting an ordinance  which, if approved by the Planning Commission, City Council and Mayor’s Office, would change how developments create parking for bicycles.  Their proposal would raise the minimum parking requirement, require both short and long-term parking, and create standards for design, signage, lighting and access.  In addition, the requirement would also apply to residential developments, not just commercial and industrial.

At this point, cautious optimism is called for.  Planning is hesitant to release any hard numbers until running the ordinance by other departments, including Building and Safety and the LADOT.  Of course, either of those departments could also water down the ordinance or even kill it altogether.

If it survives inter-departmental review, the ordinance will be available for public comment in March as part of a CEQA review.  Planning will hold public hearings, and the ordinance would be heard by the Planning Commission, Planning and Land Use Committee of the City Council and Full Council.  In the meantime, if anyone has any suggestions or concerns about the proposed ordinance, leave them in the comments section and I’ll pass them on to staff at City Planning.

If Downtowners want to see a Regional Connector Station at 5th and Flower, they're going to have to find the money themselves. Photo:Clovis Bouhier/PBase

Here’s a quick rundown of the major votes by today’s Metro Board. Each of these five motions were discussed at Streetsblog over the last couple of weeks, and links to those stories can be found at the end of each summary.  Streetsblog will have links to all news reports on today’s meeting tomorrow.

Westside Subway Locally Preferred Alternative/Environmental Studies
As expected, the Metro Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve the Westside Subway “Locally Preferred Alternative” as the 9 1/2-mile route to the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Brentwood from the current end of the Purple Line at Wilshire/Western in Koreatown.  Despite over an hour of public comment from the Beverly Hills’ NUMBY’s, there was no decision made on whether the subway should have a stop on Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City or Constellation Avenue.

Yaroslavsky’s motion, which seemed to place the concerns of Beverly Hills regarding the Constellation Avenue/Santa Monica Boulevard debate ahead of those of other communities, was amended by the author to urge the staff to provide a detailed account of the impacts of both alternatives through the Westside.  This would have happened regardless under the Final Environmental Impact Statement that the Board approved funding for today.  For background on this motion, read yesterday’s Streetsblog story or an update on today’s vote from LA_Now.

Regional Connector Locally Preferred Alternative/Environmental Studies
The Metro Board also approved the “Locally Preferred Alternative” and funding for the environmental studies needed for the Regional Connector.  The debate was dominated by Little Tokyo business groups concerned that “cut and cover” subway construction would disrupt the community and cost them business. Downtown interests and LA City Councilwoman Jan Perry also expressed concerns about the exclusion of the 5th and Flower stop from the LPA.  The Board narrowly voted to exclude the 5th and Flower for now, but left the door open to include it in the environmental studies, if local businesses raise the roughly $2 million needed for that part of the study.  For more background, read this story at Streetsblog or an update on today’s vote from Blog Downtown.

“BikeWood” Hub at Hollywood and Vine
The motion allowing the creation of a street level, highly visible Bike Hub a the Hollywood and Vine Transit Oriented Development passed without much discussion.  Streetsblog provided the background for this motion on Monday.

Ridley-Thomas Grade-Crossing Motion

Good use of everyone's time, Supervisors. Photo: Los Angeles County

The Metro Board quickly passed County Superviser Mark Ridley-Thomas’ controversial grade crossing motion that appeared to introduce a more “subjective” tone into the analysis of whether light rail should run at-grade or grade-separated at major street crossings.  Board Member O’Conner asked that the motion be tabled for a month so Board Members could have more time to analyze the motion.  But, after Metro staff argued that the motion was just a re-emphasis on community concerns from the current grade-crossing policy and that it would have no impact on how these decisions are actually reached, the Board voted to accept Ridley-Thomas’ motion.

During a public discussion segment, Southern California Transit Advocates’ policy director, Kymberleigh Richards, warned that the changes would lead to “days of public comment” over controversial crossings when communities felt their concerns weren’t being addressed.  We’ll have to wait and see if that prediction holds true once debate on specifics of the Crenshaw Line reach the Board in 2011.  For background on this motion, click here.

710 Tunnel Cost Estimate
Ha!  Najarian was listening to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, siting his “wisdom” as a reason to get a new cost estimate.  The official estimate was based on figures from 2006.  While Najarian was able to read his motion into the record, the motion won’t have a full hearing until the next Board Meeting.  For background on this motion, click here.

How long does it take to install a bicycle rack?  Once you have a place selected, all the tools, and funding to install it, installing a bicycle rack takes about 5 minutes.  Of course, getting all of those things can take well over a year.

Earlier toady, the LACBC’S Award Winning City of Lights program, the office of Councilman Ed Reyes and the LADOT celebrated the installation of four bicycle racks at the CARECEN Day Laborer Center in the Pico-Union District of Los Angeles.  City of Lights began working to empower immigrant communities to advocate for bicycling infrastructure and help them learn how to ride safely just over a year and a half ago.  One of their projects was to bring better bicycling infrastructure to the community and today’s installation of safe bike parking at CARECEN was the first victory in the quest for better infrastructure for the day laborer community.

Before the location for these racks was selected, City of Lights worked with the immigrant community in Pico-Union to walk the streets and select the places most in need of bicycle parking.  They presented their findings to the LADOT who checked the recommended areas to make sure they met city criteria.  LADOT Assistant Bicycle Coordinator Chris Kidd estimated that dozens of more racks would be going in the area surrounding CARECEN.  LADOT is  ratcheting up its bike parking program and has the goal of installing 100 new racks around the city every month.

Reyes addressed the importance of bike parking to the day laborer community during the press event.  You can watch Reyes deliver his bi-lingual statement by clicking here.

This is one of those events that speaks to how this city is changing its culture…It might seem rather simple and insignificant, but for folks like day laborers, folks who are working, this is very important.  Now they have the means to secure their bicycles, their only means of transportation.

Before the event I took a brief tour of the CARECEN center and counter ten bicycles scattered in the area around the center.  Most of them were hastily chained to parking meters, the center itself or even trash cans.

City of Lights has also created Spanish language educational workshops and materials,  and worked with the Bicycle Kitchen to open a bike repair space.  To learn more about City of Lights, visit their website at http://www.la-bike.org/cityoflights\

Last month I wrote an article about how important bike parking is in our urban environment. As long as there is no standard in bike parking in our city, riding a bike will continue to be considered a sport not a transportation solution.

Since there are so many varieties in bike rack designs and so many ways that bikes can be locked up, I thought it might be a good idea to address the how-to's of bike parking. These tips might not only help those who consider installing racks, but also cyclists, who don't want to take a chance on their bike being stolen or damaged.

Locking up your bike:

When you arrive at your destination, you will need to lock up your bike. Very few places in Los Angeles have bike parking so sometimes we have to be creative if there are no inverted U-racks.  Instead, find a rail, a pole or a tree that is stationary.  Make sure that whatever you choose is high enough that your bike can’t be slipped off (parking meters are not ideal unless you have a U-Lock).  If possible, find a place to lock your bike where the frame and the front wheel are both protected.

Location:

Always important, select a location that is visible to the public, that is open and allows "eyes on the street" to serve as a deterrant. Avoid locations that are hidden, tucked away, discrete and remember that it's not just the bike that is vulnerable, that you also need to avoid locations that prevent you from being aware and in control of your personal safety.

How to lock up your bike

I didn't include the comb or toast bike racks because you shouldn't lock up to those if you care about your bike. I have a bike that has no kickstand, so it can't be locked to a toast rack nor to a comb. The fenders on my bike prevent the tire to even fit into the comb and I can't keep the frame secure at all. So bike racks that are just not safe to lock to, I didn't list.

If there is no bike parking or no safe bike parking at your destination, take your bike inside. It is not worth taking a chance if you care about your transportation. There are bike standards that developers need to adhere to. Putting up with bad bike parking just reinforces those responsible that cyclists don't matter and that the laws and municipalities can be bent and ignored. Don't let developers get away with it. You have a voice and have it be heard, just like we let our voices be heard at the Trader Joe's on Hollywood & Vine.

For a comprehensive guide on locking up your bike, visit my friends at cicle.org, check out the Kryptonite site or find tips on National Bike Registry.

Bike Rack Guidelines (recommendations from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals):

The Rack element should:

• Support the bicycle upright by its frame in two places
• Prevent the wheel of the bicycle from tipping over
  
• Enable the frame and one or both wheels to be secured
  
• Support bicycles without a diamond-shaped frame with a horizontal top tube (e.g. a mixte frame)
  
• Allow front-in parking: a U-lock should be able to lock the front wheel and the down tube of an upright bicycle
  
• Allow back-in parking: a U-lock should be able to lock the rear wheel and seat tube of the bicycle
  

Comb, toast, school-yard, and other wheel-bending racks that provide no support for the bicycle frame are NOT recommended.

The rack element should resist being cut or detached using common hand tools, especially those that can be concealed in a backpack. Such tools include bolt cutters, pipe cutters, wrenches, and pry bars.

The rack should consist of a grouping of rack element. The rack elements may be attached to a single frame or remain single elements mounted within close proximity to each other. The rack elements should not be easily detachable from the rack frame or easily removed from the mounting surface. The rack should be anchored so that it cannot be stolen with the bikes attached—vandal-resistant fasteners can be used to anchor a rack in the ground. An exception is a rack that is so large and heavy that it cannot be easily moved or lifted with the bicycles attached.

The rack should provide easy, independent bike access. Inverted “U” rack elements mounted in a row should be placed on 30” centers. This allows enough room for two bicycles to be secured to each rack element. Normally, the handlebar and seat heights will allow two bicycles to line up side-by-side if one of them is reversed. When there is a conflict, the bikes can be placed slightly offset from one another as shown. If the elements are placed too close together, it becomes difficult to attach two bikes to the same element. If it is too inconvenient and time consuming to squeeze the bikes into the space and attach a lock, cyclists will look for an alternative place to park or use one rack element per bike and reduce the projected parking capacity by 50 percent.

Wave style racks are not recommended. Bicyclists commonly use a “wave” rack as if it were a single inverted “U.” This limits the actual capacity of the rack to two bikes regardless of the potential or stated capacity. Bicycles parked perpendicular to a wave rack (as intended by the manufacturer) are not supported in two places and are more likely to fall over in the rack. The advertised capacity of a wave rack is usually much higher than the practical capacity.

An empty rack should not create a tripping hazard for visually impaired individuals.

The Bike Rack Area:

A rack area or “bicycle parking lot” is an area where more than one rack is installed. Aisles separate the racks. The aisle is measured from tip to tip of bike tires across the space between racks. The minimum separation between aisles should be 48 inches. This provides enough space for one person to walk one bike.

In high traffic areas where many users park or retrieve bikes at the same time, such as a college classroom, the recommended minimum aisle width is 72 inches.

72 inches (six feet) of depth should be allowed for each row of parked bicycles. Conventional upright bicycles are just less than 72 inches long and can easily be accommodated in that space. Some rack types will allow the racks to be mounted closer to the wall. This will not change the space required by the bicycles or the aisles.

Large rack areas with a high turnover rate should have more than one entrance. This will help facilitate the arriving and departing of cyclists and pedestrians.

If possible, the rack area should be protected from the elements. Racks along building walls can be sheltered by an awning. Even though cyclists are exposed to sun, rain, and snow while en route, covering the rack area keeps the cyclist more comfortable while parking, locking the bike, and loading or unloading cargo. An awning will also help keep the bicycle dry, especially the saddle.

The Bike Rack Area Site:

The location of a rack area in relationship to the building it serves is very important. The best location for a rack area is immediately adjacent to the entrance it serves. Racks should not be placed so that they block the entrance or inhibit pedestrian flow in or out of the building. Racks that are far from the entrance, hard to find, or perceived to be vulnerable to vandalism will not be used by most cyclists.

It is important to understand the transition a cyclist makes from vehicle to pedestrian. The cyclist approaches the building mounted on the bicycle.

At some point, the cyclist stops, dismounts, and walks the bike to a rack. The bicycle is attached to the rack and any cargo is removed. The cyclist now walks into the building carrying the cargo. Adequate space must be provided to allow for this transition. The rack area should be located along a major building approach line and clearly visible from the approach. The rack area should be no more than a 30-second walk (120 feet) from the entrance it serves and should preferably be within 50 feet.

A rack area should be as close or closer than the nearest car parking space. A rack area should be clearly visible from the entrance it serves. A rack area should be provided near each actively used entrance. In general, multiple buildings should not be served with a combined, distant rack area. It is preferred to place smaller rack areas in locations that are more convenient.

You can download the Guidelines with more information here. You can also check out the Bikeoff guidelines online.

When I get to my destination, oftentimes all that feeling turns into frustration. Frustration because of parking.

Motorists are quite vocal about their rights to a parking space, be it free or cheap, and it is the rule to accommodate motorists in communities, in developments, at businesses and on the street. It's normal to provide parking facilities to those who arrive in a motor vehicle. I think motorists take it for granted. I don't think they realize how great they're actually having it. Drivers can find parking at any major destination without any problem since LA's building codes specify how much parking is needed for each planned land use, from barber to butcher, from motel to mortuary. There is also a municipal code for bike parking and what the bike parking must look like, where it needs to be located and how it needs to protect the bike and how it needs to be installed, but that is overlooked and not adhered to, so cyclists are typically an afterthought, an intrusion, an unwelcome guest with an inconvenient parking problem - a bike!

So this is why when I get to my destinations, I usually feel frustration and anger and sadness because I'm always being inconvenienced and then treated as if I am the problem.

Parking at Ralph's

When I ride to the grocery store, to the theatre, to pick up some movies or to the book store, or to get some coffee or to go out to dinner with friends, I typically struggle to find the bike parking, if it exists. I usually look around and I have to scan the place, the street, the parking lot, usually finding lots of parking for motor vehicles but not much of a welcome for the cyclists. I look at what is the most sturdy location that can hold my bike frame and that will accept both my U-lock and my cable. I prefer the U-lock for the frame and wheel and the cable as a back-up and for the front wheel, both locks connected to whatever fixed pole, rack, tree, handrail, sign, or other improvised bike rack I can create. I also look for a well lit location and also to make sure that it is visible to a passersby and that it is not blocking a walkway or in a position that will allow it to get bumped or hit by motor vehicles jockeying for position. Typically I get two or three but rarely all of my bike parking preferences.

When I find that perfect spot for my bike, I also have to consider what is safe for me as a person. Is the place safe enough for me, so I can bend down over my bike to remove the lock when I leave the venue? Is there space for me to fumble with my bike lock without having to either step off the curb into a traffic lane, or are there other bikes locked so tight to mine that I would rip my stockings or my skirt will get grease on it from another chain.

There are many ideas of how to lock up a bike and most ideas that come from cyclists have a valid point. All worries need to be taken into consideration but unfortunately I don't see any consideration from the various departments which includes the Department of Transportation, who don't have a standard in installing racks, the Metro, who don't even bother installing racks at their transit oriented development and if they do, it's so badly installed and out of sight that I wouldn't even put a shopping cart to it, and even City Hall, who can't talk to their own departments to install racks that are visible to security or to the public.

Private developers are known for hiding bike parking as if it is a dirty little secret, putting bike racks behind walls in enclosed areas that are popular with the people who are looking for a secluded area for their business, whatever it is that they need seclusion to do. These shortcut developers also tend to favor "toaster" bike racks that only accept the front wheel, making it easy to bend the wheel and tough to lock the frame. Most of all, they put bike parking where it fits, not where it's needed, demonstrating that cyclists are an afterthought.

The frustration has caused many of my cycling friends to abandon their bikes and either get back in their car or take public transit. The frustration has gotten me into yelling matches with security guards like the ones who threw a chain over my bike to punish me for locking up somewhere where I thought I would be safer than what they provided.

Bike racks seem so simple and so miniscule compared to all the other problems that business owners face but that simple solution is quite complex if you look at basic needs for those who ride. We ride dressed up and dressed down. Some of us ride for sport, some for work like the messengers, some for recreation and fun, and some of us ride as a main means of transportation.

I belong to those people whose bike is their main transportation solutions. I ride dressed up and down. When I dress up, I want my dress and shoes and my stockings to stay clean. Even when I ride dressed down, I don't want to walk into my meeting with grease all over my hands because I had to maneuver my bike into some tight parking quarters. When I go somewhere on my bike, I want the same respect towards my mode as motor vehicle drivers do. I need space, a well lit area, eyes on the parking area, and I want the parking attendant to be as friendly and accommodating to me as s/he was with the motor vehicle driver in front of me.

Michelle Mowery from DOT hands out her misguided bike rack installation guide.

Parking is one of the basic elements that would make cycling more enjoyable because when I arrive on a bike and find great bike parking, I relax and enjoy myself. On the other hand, when I have to lock my bike up in a bad place, when I get yelled at by security guards, when I worry that my bike will be damaged or stolen or "booted" I have a hard time paying attention at my meeting, or enjoying my meal, or spending my money. It's my first impression and it's either good or bad, but it has an impact on my entire experience.

Cyclists shouldn't have to fight to be treated like motorists, to have accommodations waiting for them when they arrive, to be supported with the same consideration and respect as others who require lots of space. Nobody should be mistreated, pushed, scolded, lectured, and given a long list of "No!" responses to the simple request for bike parking. Why does it happen? Because we allow it to happen and we fail to demand the simplest of accommodations, safe and efficient bike parking.

It took us 6 months to get bike racks installed at the new downtown LAPD headquarters across the street from City Hall. 6 months after the grand opening, the DOT finally installed racks on the street, out of sight of the LAPD officers stationed in the lobby and short of their own meager bike parking standards. Even when they finally comply, the LADOT falls short. (bolts missing, distance to each other varies, location is abainst code, etc.)

For 3 years I've tried to get good bike racks at the Museum Square properties but have been dissed by the property managers assistant many times, and have never been put in touch with the manager until 3 weeks ago when Stephen called him because my bike got booted again. I had parked it where it was safe, not in the wheel crowded wheel benders that I always pass up. When did security guards get the right to seize personal property? When did the Museum Square get a variance that relieved them of their obligation to provide bike parking?

The Hollywood & Vine Metro station still has no bike parking, in spite of the fact that it's was in development and construction for over a decade. The ribbon cutting came and went three months later, no bike parking. Again, cyclists are not important to bother with.

Bike Parking at Tom LaBonge's field office in Hollywood.

It would be funny if it weren't so sad but the City Council offices that finally installed bike parking did it so poorly, they are not usable. The Hollywood City Hall bike parking is an example of what not to do. It's hidden from the street by large palm trees. It is accessible only by stairs. It is packed so tightly that the three racks look great when empty, but if bikes were loaded to capacity, it demonstrates that the person who installed them has never ridden a bike, or even simply attempted to lock one up. The end rack works only if the back of the bike is lifted into the planter. Best part is, they ran out of bolts and failed to complete installation, something that the Councilman, the LADOT, the City staff, the contractor all failed to notice. But I did!

For two years I have attended the Artios Awards Ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, arriving on my bike and then wasting time looking for bike parking. When I finally give up and lock up to a rail or a pole, I end up incurring the wrath of a valet who somehow feels comfortable yelling at me for daring to lock my bike up on their property. So both times I gave in and locked up on the street, one time to a light pole in the rain.

I frequent local theatre companies and I typically call or email ahead to ask about bike parking but rarely do the theatre managers respond. The Fake gallery was the only theatre in East Hollywood, who said, if you ride, bring your bike in, and we place the bikes in our little storage room. That gallery has no space at all and yet they shared with us cyclists that little room to make us feel welcomed and enjoy our stay.

Great bike parking is such a small gesture in the grand scheme of things but a good, safe and effective bike parking is such a loud and clear message that getting out of the car and onto a bike was a good choice.

By arriving on a bike, I am not giving valets and security guards and property managers permission to push me around, to scold me, to lecture me, or to insult me. I am not a child, I am not a vandal, I am not a problem, I am a cyclist. I fully expect to be treated with respect. To threaten my property is to threaten me. It is unacceptable.

We, the people, some on foot, some on bikes, others in cars or in buses, are all guaranteed certain inalienable rights. I'm sick of being treated like a second class citizen just because I ride a bike. I want to be treated with respect and if there are in fact codes for bike parking then the businesses and property owners need to adhere to it. If they don't, I expect the city to fine these developers and make sure that the code is enforced and not excused. To make our streets bike friendly, we need to provide bike parking that is secure for the bike riders personal safety as well as for the safety of the bike.

For all the talk of bike friendly streets and for all the debate of our place on the road, the simplest and cheapest thing our city leadership can do to support cyclists is to make safe and efficient bike parking the standard and not the exception. Help us achieve that by asking all your local businesses that you visit to provide bike racks at their stores. Give them a printout of the national standards for bike parking instructions and let's make Los Angeles a bike friendly city.

Last week, Metro Chair Ara Najarian penned a piece for The Source announcing that bicycle parking is coming to the Westlake/MacArthur Park T.O.D. at some point in the future.  It's not everyday that the Metro Board Chair responds to something written on Streetsblog (although Stephen Box and I are debating which one of us he actually responded to); so Streetsblog owes a response.

First, The Source, had previously understated Streetsblog's position on the MacArthur Park Development.  In their April 15 transportation headlines, it summarizes the complaints with Westlake/MacArthur Park by only mentioning one complaint: the total lack of bike parking.

The lack of bicycle parking is one issue, but Streetsblog also raised red flags about the large amount of car parking and the lack of promotion of the sites eight bus stops surrounding the development in favor of the train station.

Najarian's piece did little to debunk the non-bicycle related concerns.  Even though it spends a lot of time on the bike parking issue, it still doesn't do much to clear up that picture.  Najarian writes:

Contrary to some blog reports, the fact is that bicycle parking will be included in this development and implemented in a manner that is most convenient and accessible to our bicycle customers.

That's great!  It would have been nice if Metro had put that in any of their press releases on the development, but nobody's perfect.  I guess we'll just pat Metro on the back and go our separate ways. But...

MTA staff reports that bicycle facilities for the public were always intended at the development. Bicycle parking for the public already exists on the portal.  This project will be built in two phases, however.  The first phase is planned one block east of the Westlake/MacArthur Park Red/Purple Line Station. The first phase of the project was not chosen as the preferred site for bicycle parking because it will be located one block away from the portal, which is not convenient for bicyclists who use the Metro system.

Oh, wow.  Is it too late to take back everything i typed two minutes ago?  There's a couple of big issues with what Najarian wrote here.

The most obvious one, and one already hammered and hammered by Box, is that we're not just talking about bike commuters who are going to use the train station; but also the residents who will live, and the shoppers who will shop, at the development.  Metro and the City of Los Angeles have a duty to make certain that developments that happen on government-controlled land provide access for all users and residents.

The second issue is that there's no real timeline for Phase II of the project.  Najarian might as well have said that, "Metro is going to insure that parking goes in as part of Metro's 30/10 Plan." And is this Phase II parking supposed to work for the residents and shoppers for "Phase I?" What are they supposed to do in the meantime?  Take their bikes into the store?

As Najarian is wrapping up his piece, he throws this bone to the bicycling community:

I’m personally heartened that MTA has now established a quarterly series of Bicycle Roundtable meetings that provide the forum for public input on these and other bicycle-related issues within the agency’s purview. In fact, the next roundtable coming up May 12 will discuss bicycle parking issues.

No offense to the roundtable, but Los Angeles' cycling community deserves transportation agencies that know how to do proper bicycle planning.  A roundtable should be addressing special amenities, not spend their time telling professionals "don't forget to require bike parking as part of your "T.O.D.'"  But I guess relying on volunteers is better than relying on magic.

Yesterday, the City Council Transportation Committee decided to send a motion to the full City Council stating:

I THEREFORE MOVE that the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Department of City Planning, be requested to work with Council District 14 on implementing a Bike Corral pilot program along York Blvd between Avenue 50 and Avenue 56.

Just about everyone in the room, local businessmen, bike activists, even the Council Members, spoke overwhelmingly in favor of the project. The owners of Cafe de Leche', the business that has been pushing the corral for months, showed that the corral would be "good for business," while the cyclists note that it would be "good for bikes."

But, then, it was the LADOT's turn to talk.  Rather than paraphrasing the LADOT's "concerns," I'll let the LADOT Bike Blog state their case.

It was recommended that the corral itself be shifted from York Boulevard to the red-zone along Avenue 50, as Bikeways has plans to include a bike lane along York Boulevard.  The corrals would also need to resolve a conflict with the Bureau of Street Services, which is responsible for street sweeping.  Another reservation focused on the ability of the city to properly staff maintenance for the corral.  In order to avoid conflict over staffing concerns, it was recommended that the business, Cafe de Leche, get permitted to install the bike corral themselves.  This would be the fastest method of getting the corral installed and would require the business to be financially responsible for the project.

Let's try to sift through the smokescreen here.

The first bike corral in L.A. County, hidden away on Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica Photo: Gary Kavanaugh/Flickr

First, putting a corral in the red zone places it out of the main street, which as Joe Linton notes is going to make the parking less safe for cyclists and make the bikes themselves more likely to get vandalized or stolen.  Also, the motion is pretty clear that the Council Members want the Corral right on York Ave.

as Bikeways has plans to include a bike lane along York Boulevard.

There is no conflict here.  The space for a bike lane and the space for bike parking aren't in conflict unless the city was planning on removing car parking for the bike lane.  They're not.

The corrals would also need to resolve a conflict with the Bureau of Street Services, which is responsible for street sweeping.

Fair enough, but this shouldn't be a major concern.  Have the business be responsible for cleaning this area and have the trucks turn off their cleaning stuff when they pass.  This should take about ten seconds.

Another reservation focused on the ability of the city to properly staff maintenance for the corral.  In order to avoid conflict over staffing concerns, it was recommended that the business, Cafe de Leche, get permitted to install the bike corral themselves.  This would be the fastest method of getting the corral installed and would require the business to be financially responsible for the project.

To me, this seems somewhat insulting.  During his testimony, Stephen Box noted that just about everything in the world gets private parking areas on our streets, tour buses, UPS Trucks, Water delivery trucks, taxi stands, etc.  But setting aside street spaces for cyclists requires the local business owner to pay for it.  It seems as though the owners of Cafe de Leche are on board with the idea, but this just reinforces the idea that so many in our D.I.Y. community are pushing over and over.  If cyclists want the kind of amenities that other users are getting as common place, they have to do it themselves.

Before the matter was closed, Councilman LaBonge, noted that the cleaning issue would be a major one.  After its taken two years, and counting, for Sharrows to be put on the road for a myriad of bizarre reasons, some are already worried that LADOT is again going out of its way to gum up a pilot program for something that is common place in other cities around the world.

Washington, D.C.'s Bikestation is one of the sleeker and more fully-featured bike parking facilities that Streetfilms has ever seen. Located at Union Station, the Bikestation provides secure parking for more than a hundred bicycles, offers repair, rentals, lockers, and a changing room. Members get 24/7 access.

Have a look and see how D.C. has made their biggest transit hub even more multi-modal with top-notch bike parking.

The largest and most expensive police building in the United States is about to be dedicated and as the world watches, the LAPD's ignorance of basic Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) standards will be revealed. The new headquarters are located across the street from LA's City Hall and the 10-story, 500,000-square-foot building has a beautiful open plaza featuring drought resistant plants and a zen garden theme that creates a sense of calm in the middle of the busy and congested city center. It also features a bike parking area that violates basic CPTED standards as well as simple bike parking standards.

CPTED is the simple philosophy that crime can be prevented by designing an environment so that criminal behavior is not supported by hiding places, blocked vision and isolation. The LAPD headquarters have installed bike racks that are as far from the front door as possible, to the left and out of sight, around the corner and blocked by nine large planters and surrounded by a wall that would hide a bike thief who was working on the bikes. Topping off the poor design is the existence of a 8' by 8' setback in the wall, creating an ideal hiding place. As for the racks themselves, they are positioned so tightly that anybody parking a bike there has a ready alibi for handling other bikes because they simply don't fit, falling far short of the basic standards established by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals.

The ultimate irony in this is that the LADOT is also across the street and they, along with City Planning,  are in the process of developing the Draft Bike Plan for 2009 which would replace the 2002 Bike Plan. Both Bike Plans have bike parking standards and even go so far as to give the LADOT responsibility for communicating these standards to other city departments.

A simple visit to a park, to a library, to a fire station, to a regional City Hall, to Parker Center is enough to demonstrate that there is no citywide standard for something as simple as bike parking, all while the City has a person in charge of Bike Parking.

One might forgive some of the old wheel bender "toast" racks or the useless "wave" racks or the simple inverted U racks that get installed incorrectly, rendering them useless and serving only to remind cyclists that they simply don't belong. But as the City of Los Angeles prepares to hit the spotlight and to dedicate the most enormous and expensive monument to modern crime prevention, it seems sad that they forgot to consider CPTED.

The area just to the west of the plaza is the wrong location for the bike racks. They belong no more than 50' from the main entrance, they must be visible to those in the lobby, to those passing by and to the guests who visit the LAPD headquarters. They must be safe, convenient and secure. It's not just about bikes any more, it's about the LAPD's reputtion.

(update: The LA Bike Working Group event to review the Bike Plan has had to change time and venue.  The new location and time is Saturday, 2pm, at the Hollywood Adventist Church, 1711 N. Van Ness Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028.  We’ll be in the Fellowship Hall on the NW side of the parking lot.)

The Bike Writers Collective is calling up the LA Bike Working Group to take on LA's Draft Bike Plan, reviewing it, discussing it, and then working together to make it a powerful visionary document that supports the rights of cyclists on the streets of Los Angeles. All LA cyclists are invited to join in as the spirit of Government 2.0 takes over the Los Angeles City College Faculty Lounge at 1pm this Saturday, October 17, 2009.

The Draft Bike Plan was released on September 24th and the comment period is scheduled to close on November 6th, a window of 42 days for public participation. This is the first of many objectionable elements to the Draft Bike Plan and the City's idea of civic engagement. The LA Bicycle Advisory Committee voted unanimously to "demand" that the comment period be extended until Jan 8, 2010. The Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils also voted unanimously to support the fight for an extension of the comment period. Now it's up to the cycling community to prepare those comments.

Riding a bike in Los Angeles has always been a demonstration of self-sufficiency and independence. At first it simply meant carrying a spare tube, some tools and a pump. Somewhere along the way it grew to include carrying a pocket guide to the law, some key phone numbers and some bail money. Then the Department of DIY took things into their own hands and now the cycling community finds themselves confronted with the fact that if they want a decent Bike Plan, they're going to have to make it themselves.

Cyclists can take a look at the complaints and the criticism of the Draft Bike Plan, from LAStreetsBlog and again on LAStreetsblog to CityWatchLA to WestsideBikeSide to BikeGirl. But the most important thing they can do is to take a look at the Draft Bike Plan, (editor's note: If you want to compare the "original" maps from earlier this summer with the current ones that were quietly downgraded, you can find the original maps here.) download it to their laptop and then to ride over to the LA Bike Working Group and to dig in. We'll start as a group then we'll break into smaller groups and we'll work through the plan and create a vision for Los Angeles, by cyclists for cyclists.

Portland is currently going through the same Bike Plan update process as Los Angeles and they have 11 Working Groups, 1 Steering Committee and 1 Technical Advisory Committee, all working together to ensure that the Bike Plan is a robust document that represents the desires of the cycling community. Somehow the City of LA got consultants from Portland but not the spirit of community nor the commitment to an open and engaging process. Now is LA's chance to change that and to create a Bike Plan that truly supports cyclists and their rights on the streets of Los Angeles.

LA Bike Working Group, 1 pm on Saturday the 17th of October, 2009. LACC Faculty Lounge, right in the center of the campus which is right in the center of LA. To plan your visit via public transportation, go to metro.net. The Red Line drops you off right by the College at Santa Monica & Vermont.

(Update: We're getting word that these racks have also popped up on Flower Street and Ventura Boulevard.  One person was so excited he wants to know where to send a "thank you" note to LADOT.  If you're the first to send in a picture of meters in an area there's a Streetfilms T-Shirt in it for you.  We'll post a composite series on Friday)

In my first post of 2009, I asked readers what they wanted me to cover and discuss in the new year.  One reader pointed out that with the city's change to meterless parking, a lot of bike parking was removed.  It may have taken half a year, but the LADOT has installed fifty-two of what their calling "meter hitches" on former parking meter polls on Hollywood Boulevard between LaBrea and Vine to create new bike parking. 

These new "hitches" have been used in other cities as they modernize their street parking so cyclists have as many places to park their bikes as before.  LADOT implied at last week's Transportation Committee meeting that hundreds more of these "hitches" are just waiting to be put up.

A statement from Garcetti's office is available after the jump.  If you see more of these racks pop up around the city please, let us know.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT GARCETTI ANNOUNCES NEW BICYCLE PARKING IN HOLLYWOOD

HOLLYWOOD -- In an effort to help Angelenos choose alternative modes of
transportation, Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti today
announced the installation of more than 50 new bicycle racks on
Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea and Vine.  Working with the city’s
Department of Transportation, Garcetti developed a pilot program that
transformed into bicycle racks parking meters made obsolete by the
city’s new Park-and-Pay system.

“This new program will provide more bicycle parking to make it easier
for residents and visitors who want to use bikes to get around the
neighborhood,” said Council President Garcetti.  “We want to make it
as easy and attractive as possible for people to ride a bike rather than
drive a car, especially for short trips.”

To expand bicycle parking capacity, the Los Angeles Department of
Transportation is installing “meter hitches” that convert the poles
of former parking meters into bike racks.  The racks have a central
vertical pole with two half circles extending outward on either side so
that multiple bicycle locks can clasp to the pole. On top of the pole is
a small metal sign of a bicycle, denoting the pole as bicycle parking.
(See attached photo.)  Fifty-two meter hitches were installed last night
as part of the first phase of the program.

"LADOT is encouraging people to stay healthy, and reduce traffic
congestion along with pollution, by taking advantage of the new bicycle
racks in Hollywood. Be sure to ride safely" said Rita L. Robinson, LADOT
General Manager.

Back in February, we announced that Council President Eric Garcetti, the Bike Writer's Collective and the CRA were sponsoring a bike rack design contest.  Earlier today, Garcetti's office announced the winner, Forester Rudolph’s SpokesQuotes rack.

Ok, I'm going to admit it took me more than a minute to figure out the design before Garcetti's staff sent me a draft of the design.  I think the coolest part of it is that each rack will have a famous quotation or culutural truism to reflect the diversity of East Hollywood.  In the picture above, the words "Rice is not cooked with only words" are engraved on the rack.

So, where will the racks actually go?  Assuming they get approved by various city agencies, approximately two dozen bicycle racks will be constructed and installed on Hollywood Boulevard between Western and Vermont as part of the comprehensive East Hollywood Streetscape Plan scheduled to begin later this year

The problem of insufficient bike parking isn't a new one for Angelenos and isn't limited just to Los Angeles.  Even cities such as New York, which installed 1,377 new bike racks last year is struggling to find adequate bike parking as the replacement of old parking meters with meterless parking is removing thousands of unofficial parking spaces from city streets. Here in Los Angeles, the problem in finding enough places to safely park your bike is well-chronicled.

In another sign that Metro is really beginning to "get it" when it comes to the importance of providing options to multi-modal commuters, Metro is planning on installing hundreds of bike racks and bike lockers at stations along the Orange, Red and Blue Lines. From a report to the Metro Board:

In FY 09, this procurement would add 136 lockers to our system at the following 9 high demand stations: North Hollywood, Wilshire/Verrnont and Universal Metro Red Line stations; Balboa, Reseda, Woodley and Sepulveda Metro Orange Line stations; Norwalk Metro Green Line station; and Fillmore Metro Gold Line station. Also to be added are up to 150 bicycle racks at the Metro Blue Line Imperial-Wilmington Station, Metro Red Line Hollywood/Vine and other stations where rack usage is high. In FY 10, we would add 88 additional bicycle lockers to 4 stations: El Monte and Artesia Transit Centers, Memorial Park Metro Gold Line Station, and another rail station to be determined.

Of course, while I count thirteen stations that will see parking improvements in this plan, we shouldn't stop advocating for better bike parking at any Metro station that has overflowing bike racks or parking that is so far off the beaten path that it is unsafe. In the meantime, let's help Metro out with their planning for 2010: Does anyone have a suggestion for the other Metro station which will get a major boost in bike parking in 2010?