January – Metro places the final environmental documents for the regional connector out for public comment.  Eli Broad does not submit any comments.

February – Nearing LASB’s 4th Birthday, we launch our first expansion project.  Readership doubles in the first month and triples by the end of the year.

March - In an effort to reach the Mayor’s promise of 40 miles of new bike projects in the 2011 fiscal year, the LADOT buys the rights to several miles of protected bike lanes already on the ground in Long Beach.

April – Due to an April Fool’s Joke gone awry, Stephen Box replaces Jose Huizar on the Metro Board of Directors for a month.

Fearless prediction: Sometime in 2012 Phase I of the Expo Line will open.

May – Responding to criticism that “Metro Board Members don’t ride Metro transit service,” Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky answers that, “I’ve been taking the Expo Line downtown for six weeks.”  This serves as the first credible announcement of when the Expo Line opens.

June – The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition sets records at the River Ride after announcing Richard Hammond will serve as ride marshal.

July – Carmageddon II turns out to be as big a bust as Carmageddon I with two major differences.  This time there’s some corporate sponsorship of a “Flight V Bike” race and  I don’t get to go on television and be right right right.

August –  The Los Angeles Dodgers finally get a new owner who immediately ponies up money for free regular bus service to Dodger games and a study of building a separated bike and bus lane with direct access to the stadium.

September – After a spectacular crash at the intersection of Wilbur and Myra Avenue in the Valley, the City closes Wilbur Avenue to car traffic in Northridge.  Residents of Porter Ranch begin the drive for construction of a flyover.

October – In an effort to outshine Los Angeles on the day of CicLAvia VI, the City of Santa Monica closes its entire city to cars for an entire day.

November – Governor Jerry Brown decides to go for a bike ride and after he looses control of his bicycle because of a car passing him to closely begins a campaign for mandatory helmet wearing for cyclists of all ages.

December – The Obama “Transition Team” selects Antonio Villaraigosa to replace Ray LaHood as Secretary of Transportation.  The outgoing Mayor takes Jaime De La Vega and Borja Leon with him.  Interim Mayor Herb Wesson promotes John Fisher to serve as General Manager of LADOT.

I just bring up NFSR so that I can use my pictures of these signs.

Friends,

For the first time ever, last week we took a breather to collect our breath and do some planning for 2012.  Even though the week between Christmas and the New Year is supposed to be a slow one, we saw a lot of news break last week and our work cut out for us in the early week of 2012.  Coming later this week:

• An update of how, if at all, the FTA’s approval of environmental documents for the Crenshaw/LAX corridor changes the debate between Metro and the Crenshaw Subway Coalition going forward.
• A look at the Southern California Association of Government’s pedestrian plan for the next couple of decades.
• An update on Neighbors for Smart Rail’s appeal of a decision to toss their lawsuit against Expo Phase II.
• A strong preference for bike lanes in a poll asking residents their opinion of a Slausson Street redesign in South L.A.
• A quick case study of how a toll road plan behind the Orange Curtain is a case study in how road planning just moves forward, roadblocks be dammed.

One of the benefits of using this format is that you can tell me what, if anything, I’m missing.  If there’s a big story from the end of 2011 or the start of 2012 I’ll do my best to do some research and get back to you.  Maybe we’ll do a story, maybe it will just be a reply in the comments section.  Either way, leave your thoughts and questions below.

Before I get to that, congratulations to the winner of last week’s prize: Long-time Streetsblog reader Marc Agger will be taking home a Zero Tweed bag from Rickshaw Bags.

This week’s prize comes courtesy of Levi’s. Make a one-time or monthly gift by Friday at midnight and you could win a jacket and jeans from Levi’s new Commuter line, designed specifically for cyclists.

The jeans

The jacket

I have the Commuter jacket and it’s great for riding in the spring or fall, even in the rain.

Thanks again to all our dedicated supporters. If you haven’t donated yet, please pitch in and help make 2012 a great year for livable streets coverage.

Let’s be honest.  Without the support of Streetsblog’s readers, there would not be a Los Angeles Streetsblog.

The generous support of Mark Gorton launched the website, and the generous support of the David Bohnett Foundation, California Endowment and our monthly advertisers Flying Pigeon Los Angeles and GEK-Law allowed us to keep up our outstanding reporting, but half of our budget comes from reader donations.  And as the 2011 calendar year draws to a close, I’m asking for your support one more time.

The Streetsblogs in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Capitol Hill, the Streetsblog Network and Streetfilms (NYC and worldwide) have a goal of raising $25,000 between now and December 31.  Help Los Angeles represent by making a donation of $50, $100, $250 or more today.  Some of you have already donated — last week’s fundraiser was a complete success! – but we need one more push to get over the hump for the rest of the year.  When you make your gift, be sure to select “Los Angeles” in the “Direct Your Donation…” drop down menu to your donation helps us expand our coverage locally.

2011 was a landmark year for transportation reform in Los Angeles.  Instead of “playing defense” against the Car Culture Warriors or local NIMBY group, advocates were finally able to go on offense boldly making the case for new bike projects, better transit projects and a bus system that works for users of all income levels.  In some cases, the local blowback against LADOT proposed projects were that the project wasn’t progressive enough.

But we also learned that change is hard, and the proponents of the gridlocked status-quo are everywhere and in many cases they are better funded than our side.  The words “bike lobby” have started to appear in publications as a smear against advocates fighting for safer streets and the places where misinformation has been used to battle against a transit improvement are almost too numerous to list.  As Los Angeles struggles to free itself from a car-clogged future, the need for a clear voice for change is never greater than it is right now.

But if that’s not enough motivation to consider donating today, here’s another reason to help us out right now: bribery.  For every $5 donated, we will add a ticket to our raffle pool of end of the year goodies.  Included in our raffle are a signed “Caution, Pass With Care” poster from 2010, LACBC River Ride Jersies from 2010 and 2011, new Streetsblog bags and t-shirts and a copy of “Car Free Travel Guide to Los Angeles.” In addition, the national Streetsblog movement is offering a chance to win some pretty hot rickshaw bags from Rickshaw Bagworks for the back of your bike.

Of course, every donation made to any of the Streetsblogs and Streetfilms is 100% tax deductible. Make your donation today, and when you do, select “Los Angeles” in the drop down menu. Your donation will be spent on projects right here in the Southland.

Thanks for reading and for all your support,
Damien

Suggested donation is $25, but everything is on a sliding scale. For more information, check out the “top ten reasons” to party with Streetsblog we published earlier or sign up for the event on Facebook.

With all of the news surrounding the location change, we’ve neglected to thank our sponsors in our last posts.

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is donating jersies, socks and a year membership to our auction and deserve a huge round of thanks.  CICLE, CicLAvia and Clif Bar have also thrown some great items into the mix for another fun set of prizes.

Thanks again!

On the food side of things, the event will be catered by Earl’s Gourmet Grub.  If you like beer, another 120 bottles of New Belgium Brewing’s finest were donated by the most bicycle friendly brewing company in the world.

And of course we’ll have entertainment with a Streetfilm provided by Social | Impact Consulting, LLC and an awards ceremony honoring the rest of the Streetsblog team and our Streetsie winners.

See you tonight, we’ll be partying from 6:30 until 9:30.

The party begins at 6:30 at Earl’s Gourmet Grub, 12226 Venice Boulevard between Grand View Boulevard and Ocean View Avenue (or between Inglewood and Centinella for those using larger streets.)

Suggested donation is $25, but everything is on a sliding scale. For more information, check out the “top ten reasons” to party with Streetsblog we published earlier or sign up for the event on Facebook.  You might have noticed that the Streetsblogs are holding an end of the year fundraising drive, if you use that link you can donate ahead of time, but make sure that you specify that you want your donation to go to Los Angeles.

While Streetsblog has prospered, the City of Los Angeles has begun to move towards livability itself.  In the past year, ground broke on Expo Phase II in Santa Monica, the Gold Line Foothill Extension continued into the suburbs, Los Angeles embraced a Bus Only Lanes proposal for Downtown to Beverly Hills and a portion of the Westside, and implementation of the surprisingly-progressive Bike Plan has begun.  We’ve been there to cover it all, and we’ll be there into next year as debate on the Crenshaw Line and Westside Subway stays hot, new Bus Only Lane plans move forward, the City continues to figure out how to do bike planning and other stories break around the city.

But for a couple hours this Thursday, let’s celebrate how far we’ve come, and how much farther we’re going to go.  Join L.A. Streetsblog, our Streetsie Award winners Colin Bogart, Sunyoung Yang, Rye Baerg, Dana Gabbard and Brigham Yen (what’s-his-name is going to be in Asia) and many of the people that make Livable Streets advocacy so successful and so fun.  We’ll have food, New Belgium Beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks and the premier of our Spanish Language Streetfilms by Social | Impact Consulting, LLC.

Spokesmodel

Replacing the dark gray shirts (dubbed by S.S. Sam Taylor the “grayshirts”) that debuted in August of 2010 are a lighter colored shirt (which I dub “the silvershirt.”) Prices remain the same for a t-shirt and with the proud and bright orange L.A. Streetsblog logo. Each t-shirt is $20.

We also have something new to offer, Streetsblog shoulder bags! These orange bags have the logo in black and are sized to be a perfect bag to take to work or class. These bags sell online for $10 each. The bags are cloth bags, made of similar material as a lot of the cloth grocery store bags.

Of course, all prices include shipping and handling. If you want to get the items at a discount, you should come to our December 8th End of the Year Party. Disoucnted schwag is reason #2 why you should join us.  For up to date party information, join us on Facebook.

1) Streetsies – We’ll be handing out Streetsies to those people that really made 2011 a special and unique year for transportation in L.A. County. Spoiler alert: we have winners from the Bus Riders Union and Southern California Transit Advocates…

2) New Schwag – That’s right, we’re giving you new ways to spend money and show your love of Streetsblog. The fundraiser will also be the public debut of new t-shirts and shoulder bags that tell the world where you get your news and information.

3) New Belgium Brewing – Of course, we’ll have 120 bottles of Colorado’s finest beer. New Belgium Brewing and the Eco-Village split the honor of being our longest-running sponsors and we are grateful for their support.

4) Charity – For those people that can’t join the 12/9/11 Midnight Ridazz All-City Toy Ride, we’ll be taking donations.  Bring a toy in its package and we’ll bike it to the Alliance for Children’s Rights donation center the next night.  Regardless of your feelings of the late night bike ride culture in L.A., Midnight Ridazz has collected tens of thousands of toys over the years for children in need.  And of course, Streetsblog is a 501c(3) public charity, so your tax deductible donations go to a good cause.

5) Money Talks Voting – Following the lead of the U.S. Supreme Court, which recently ruled that money counts as speech, we’ll be letting you vote on a “People’s Choice Streetsie” for “Worst Media Coverage of the year” with your change purse.  Empty your pocket change into the container in front of the media outlet of your choosing.  The outlet with the most cash in front of it wins (or loses).  We won’t accept votes of more than twenty five cents.

6) Raffles – We always have the best auctions, and this time around is no exception. For cyclists, we have donated items from the LACBC, Midnight Ridazz, CICLE, CicLAvia and even the Box 4 CC Campaign. Two books were donated by the authors, L.A. in Maps and Car-Free Los Angeles and Southern California. There are more donations coming everyday, so stay tuned for more items as we get closer to the event. If you have something you want to donate, please contact me at damien@streetsblog.org

7) Food – We’ll have some delicious catered food, most of which will be vegetarian. I know how Streetsbloggers love their veggies.

8) Symmetry – It’s no mistake that we’re holding our 2011 End of Year party at the same place as our 2010 relaunch party. They give us the hall for free!  I mean, we’re all about the symmetry!

One year and three months ago...

9) Sammy will be there – Who doesn’t love small children? Everyone I know is smart enough to at least pretend they do these days. Streetsblog’s favorite two-year-old (as voted on by the L.A. Staff) will add his star power to the event. I wonder if he’s still afraid of Alex Thompson.

10 ) Transit accessible – Big Blue Bus #8 has a stop right outside the door and there will be a “bike room” inside so your bikes don’t get cold.

So we’ll see you on 12/8 in West L.A….

Who will win this year's coveted Streetsie Awards?

If you want to host Streetsblog at your house, we’re always looking for new places to party.  Drop me an email at damien at streetsblog dot org.

But our last event for the year will be back at the place where we celebrated our re-launch fifteen months ago.  On December 8th, we’ll be hosting our first ever end of the year party at St. Andrew’s West L.A., 11555 National Boulevard.  In addition to the normal munchies, New Belgium Brewing Beer, and raffle; we’ll have a brief awards ceremony honoring and celebrating the year that was.  Details are still being worked out, but check back here for more later this week.   Big Blue Bus #8 has a stop right outside the door and there will be a “bike room” inside so your bikes don’t get cold.  The location of the fundraiser has moved to Earl’s Gourmet Grub, 12226 Venice Boulevard.  For more information on the move, click here

We also have a Facebook page set up for the event to collect RSVP’s and release more details.

I hope to see you there.  I promise it’s going to be a great time.

I’m going to be honest.  These positions are going to require a lot of work and, at least in the short term, we’re not going to be able to pay the writers everything that they deserve.  However, if we form a good partnership finding new advertisers and programming new events, we hope to grow these positions into full time jobs.  But in the meantime, I hope that if you’re interested in working with us, that you’ll get an application in soon.  Very soon.

Our help wanted ads on the jobs board expired yesterday, so I’m re-posting both job positions after the jump.

Streetsblog Boyle Heights

Streetsblog Los Angeles is looking for an experienced journalist to work with our executive editor as head writer of our new Boyle Heights L.A. Bureau.  The position can grow as large as our fundraising efforts afford, but thanks to a grant from the California Endowment, we can offer a minimum of $1250 per month for writing 12 Impact Journalism stories about transportation issues in Boyle Heights.  Stories can cover new transportation projects, political and community leaders in the area, transit oriented development, open space and parks and other issues that impact the public health and access to public space in Boyle Heights.

As our fundraising efforts grow, so can the position.  In time we hope to raise funds for a small series of films, stories by a Spanish language writer and an increased amount of English language stories.  Whether we’ll bring on other freelancers or will increase the story load of the Boyle Heights LA Head Writer will be at the discretion of the executive editor in consultation with the Head Writer and LA Streetsblog Editorial Board.

Job Responsibilities:

• Write 12 or more original stories per week (do we need to say how long the stories should be?)
• Maintain the “Boyle Heights Streetsblog” twitter feed and community page
• Help oversee production of local Streetfilms (about how many?)
• Help provide content for larger city-wide stories as needed
• Help plan two events (one a fundraiser, one free)
• Help raise money for position expansion

Job Requirements:

• 1 to 3 years journalism experience or experience with advocacy group with some writing background
• Basic Belief that roads aren’t just for cars
• High School Diploma required, some college experience preferred
• Bi-Lingual preferred
• Residency or some connection to Boyle Heights preferred

Compensation:

A minimum of $1250 a month, salary will grow over time as duties and fundraising increase.  .

Time Frame:

Position doesn’t have an “hours per week” requirement, but writer will be expected to produce content and manage social media.  We understand some weeks will have a “full time” feel to them and others will require a lesser commitment. The position is funded for at least one year, but we hope it will go on for much longer than that.

How to Apply

Please email a resume and 2 writing samples to Damien Newton at Damien@streetsblog.org if you are interested.  Applications are due by November 5 and the job begins in Mid-January.  We will contact you for an interview if appropriate.

South L.A. Streetsblog

Streetsblog Los Angeles is looking for an experienced journalist to work with our executive editor as head writer of our new South L.A. Bureau.  The position can grow as large as our fundraising efforts afford, but thanks to a grant from the California Endowment, we can offer a minimum of $1250 per month for writing 12 Impact Journalism stories about transportation issues in South L.A.  Stories can cover new transportation projects, political and community leaders in the area, transit oriented development, open space and parks and other issues that impact the public health and access to public space in Boyle Heights.

As our fundraising efforts grow, so can the position.  In time we hope to raise funds for a small series of films, stories by a Spanish language writer and an increased amount of English language stories.  Whether we’ll bring on other freelancers or will increase the story load of the South LA Head Writer will be at the discretion of the executive editor in consultation with the Head Writer and LA Streetsblog Editorial Board.

Job Responsibilities:

• Write 12 or more original stories per week (do we need to say how long the stories should be?)
• Maintain the “South L.A. Streetsblog” twitter feed and community page
• Help oversee production of local Streetfilms (about how many?)
• Help provide content for larger city-wide stories as needed
• Help plan two events (one a fundraiser, one free)
• Help raise money for position expansion

Job Requirements:

• 1 to 3 years journalism experience or experience with advocacy group with some writing background
• Basic Belief that roads aren’t just for cars
• High School Diploma required, some college experience preferred
• Bi-Lingual preferred
• Residency or some connection to Boyle Heights preferred

Compensation:

A minimum of $1250 a month, salary will grow over time as duties and fundraising increase.  .

Time Frame:

Position doesn’t have an “hours per week” requirement, but writer will be expected to produce content and manage social media.  We understand some weeks will have a “full time” feel to them and others will require a lesser commitment. The position is funded for at least one year, but we hope it will go on for much longer than that.

How to Apply

Please email a resume and 2 writing samples to Damien Newton at Damien@streetsblog.org if you are interested.  Applications are due by November 5 and the job begins in Mid-January.  We will contact you for an interview if appropriate.

The first is another installment in the Streetsblog house party series.  Yes, we did get enough money to begin expanding the website with our “local bureau” model into South Los Angeles and to Boyle Heights, but that doesn’t cover many of our other expenses that we still need some help on before the end of the year.

So, Please join Joel Epstein, Karen Sarachik, Damien Newton, Councilman Bill Rosendahl, Friends 4 Expo Transit Founder Darrell Clarke and the Board of Los Angeles Streetsblog for a casual dinner reception in support of Los Angeles Streetsblog.  The event begins at 6:30 at Joel and Karen’s house (I’ll send you the address and transportation instructions to those that RSVP).  RSVP by emailing me: damien at streetsblog dot org.

Suggested contribution of $100 but even if you can’t donate or donate at that level, please attend to hear about the good work Los Angeles Streetsblog is doing to keep Angelenos abreast of critical developments in public transportation, biking and public space in Los Angeles.

All donations are tax deductible.  If you would prefer to donate online, you can do so at http://la.streetsblog.org/donate/.

Second, applications for our South L.A. and Boyle Heights writers are due on Saturday.  We’ve received a lot of great applications, but we’d love to hear from you.  You can read more about the positions at these links:  Boyle Heights and South L.A.

Pablo kicks off the night at the Echo Park Film Center. Thanks for hosting, see you next year!

Last night, 20 Streetsbloggers gathered at the Echo Park Film Center to watch Streetfilms and share our experiences on the streets of L.A., Mexico City, San Francisco, and Medillin.  It was a great time and we look forward to holding more Streetfilms nights in 2012.

We’re rounding out our year of events with two different fundraisers, both on the Westside.  Yes, next year we’re going to spread out our fundraisers a little better on the calendar.

On Saturday, November 5th at 6:30 P.M., L.A. Streetsblog Board Member, Huffington Post Writer and Westside transit supporter extraordinaire Joel Epstein is hosting a reception to benefit L.A. Streetsblog at his Brentwood home.  Last year two dozen of us noshed on Indian food on a rainy December night and we hope to shatter that attendence record this time.  Suggested donation is $100, but if you can’t pay that much and still want to join us all are welcome.  Since we’re partying at someone’s house, email me (damien at streetsblog dot org) your RSVP and I’ll send you the rest of the details.

On Thursday, December 8th at 7:00 P.M., we’ll be hosting our first annual “end of the year” party at St. Andrew’s West L.A.  We’ll have lots of food, folks and fun.  We’ll also be handing out some of the 2011 Streetsie Awards for advocate of the year, elected official of the year and more….Suggested donation is $30, but like all Streetsblog events the price is on a sliding scale  Do you have an idea for who or what should win a Streetsie?  Leave your suggestions in the comments section.

Looking for a job? Here are this week’s listings:

Senior Director of Programs, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a national environmental nonprofit organization is seeking a Senior Director of Programs for the national office.

Executive Director, Transport for NOLA, New Orleans, LA
Transport for NOLA is the first alternative transportation education and advocacy group of its kind in the State of Louisiana. We seek to promote transit that is connected to New Orleanians’ daily lives and already have the largest online and Twitter followings around City transportation issues.

Active Transportation Planner, San Diego Association of Governments
The Active Transportation Planner will work with a broad cross-section of disciplines including transportation demand management (TDM) and engineering and construction teams to coordinate projects, programs, and studies related to the development and implementation of active transportation planning initiatives.

5298 Planner III-Environmental Project Manager, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
The Environmental Project Manager Planner III is responsible for environmental planning and review for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

But of course, we’re not going to be happy with just programming a day at the Alehouse.  We’re also planning a number of special events that day including a price-fixed lunch with a Santa Monica VIP for Streetsbloggers only (Hint: she couldn’t join us if the event were the last Thursday instead of the last Tuesday), a full day of Santa Monica stories on the Streetsblog itself, drink specials, and a heck of a raffle.

While we’re still soliciting more donations for the raffle, we have a handful of pretty awesome items already donated:

• A pair of year-long memberships, including stand time and tool rental, at the Bikerowave
• A month pass for the Big Blue Bus with a special lanyard and toy bus
• A one month supply of CLIF Bars for a family of three
• A Streetsblog schwag bag full of fun Streetsblog items

I’ll be at the Alehouse all day,  so mark your calendar now, swing on by and join the Streetsblog team for a 12 hour party in Santa Monica.

In particular, I’d like to thank two people who donated for the second time this year and are the top two individual donors to L.A. Streetsblog: Sara Roberson and Sharon Parzanese.  And where would we be without the ongoing support of Josef Bray-Ali and Flying Pigeon Bike Shop? Flying Pigeon isn’t just our first advertiser and the host of our June fundraiser, our second event of the year.

Josef and Valentine Bray-Ali give us a tour of the bike history of Northeast Los Angeles, presenting here in front of the Original Bike Oven.

But we still need more help going forward.  While there are some great things on tap for 2012, we still have to get through the fall and winter of 2011.  There’s a lot of ways you can help…

There’s a lot of ways you can show your support.  You can donate directly here, or buy a t-shirt here, or join us for one of our upcoming fundraisers (details coming…).  We can receive through PayPal sent to “damien@streetsblog.org.”  Last but not least, you can purchase an advertisement by emailing me directly.

Posting on Streetsblog gets the word out about your job opening to a national audience of professionals and advocates who are committed to moving cities toward a more sustainable future.

Each month, nearly 200,000 unique visitors come to Streetsblog, making us the most watched transportation and planning news source in America, according to the web analytics site Alexa.com. A job listing posted on Streetsblog will reach a targeted and educated audience:

• 41 percent of our readers have advanced degrees
• We have a strong following among professionals in the public and private sectors who specialize in bike and pedestrian planning, transit planning, urban design, parking management, and the intersection of transportation and technology
• We’re widely read by non-profits working for safer streets, smart growth, and more sustainable transportation
• Our readership ranges from students and professionals at the outset of their careers to top executives and experienced managers

The price for a job listing on Streetsblog, which will be highlighted on all of our sites, is $50. Early adopters get a 100 percent discount: Our first 40 listings are free.

If you’re searching for a job, it’s easy to browse our database for openings in your field. (We have ten listings in five cities — and counting — as we go to press.)

As an independent, not-for-profit news source, we’re also excited about the jobs board as one more way to diversify the way we fund Streetsblog and support the work we do. Try it out and if you have any feedback on how we can improve it, please drop us a line at tips@streetsblog.org.

Click on the image to donate...

Allison Mannos. Photo: KCRW/Flickr

Why give to Los Angeles Streetsblog? Exactly for the reason that LA Streetsblog has become a game changer in transportation in Los Angeles, even more so than the other cities it’s appeared in. Before Streetsblog hit the scene, in order to hold carcentric agencies accountable and know what developments were happening, you either had to be a total nerd or a government planner/engineer. I was the former, and Streetsblog gave me an informal and crucial crash course education during my years at UCLA in transportation politics.

On top of its amazing, high quality coverage of all things trains, buses, bikes, and pedestrians, LA Streetsblog has been on the cutting edge, for giving attention to underrepresented communities. This has included articles ranging from the Expo/Dorsey conflict, to City of Lights, to TOD’s and gentrification.

By tying together comprehensive, daily transportation news in LA, Streetsblog has helped inform our campaigns here at Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and also helped mobilize and unify our members and others in the bicycle advocate community. We all need to pitch in to support (I am a supporter of Streetsblog)  and continue to read the media we want to see. By extension, the diverse, progressive movement we want to build, that of a multi-modal, non-carcentric, equitable Los Angeles starts here!

A quick stop on the Arroyo Seco Bike Path.

Last Friday, Los Angeles Streetsblog and the Flying Pigeon Bike Shop rocked North Figueroa and NELA with our second annual bike ride/after party.  There were a lot of people who helped make the event happen, but we have to start with a huge thanks to Josef Bray-Ali, proprietor of Flying Pigeon, for everything they’ve done for us both Friday and beyond.  There’s a reason we announced on Friday that Flying Pigeon L.A. is now the Official Bike Shop of L.A. Streetsblog.

Thanks Josef!

In total over 40 people joined us, representing groups as diverse as the Midnight Ridazz, The Transit Coalition, Bikeside, Alhambra Beyond Cars, the Latino Urban Forum and the Bike Oven.  Even more impressive than the group of people that we know and love, is that the majority of the riders were first timers at a Streetsblog fundraiser.  So nice to meet new folks!

Our ride was only about five miles, but we visited the original Bike Oven, the current Bike Oven, the Arroyo Seco Trail, the original starting point for NELA Critical Mass before returning to Flying Pigeon for the party.  A five mile loop, and as good a trip through history as you can get without a TARDIS.

Thanks to all those who donated their time or effort to making this happen.  We had a great host committee with Alice Strong, Dan Dabek and Nick Richert, the host of Bike Talk and Mark Vallianatos all chipping in.  Strong and Dabek both earn double awards for their help, although it was a team effort to raise twice as much as we did last year.  Also, a thanks to Sharon Parzanese for donating the food and beer.

And last but not least, thanks to all of you that came out.  Friday was fun, Friday raised some dough, and it was a great night for a bike ride.  See you all in Santa Monica on August 30!  Details to come…

Unlike the People's Republic of China, we're not giving away a bike. But we do have a lot of great raffle prizes.

The ride will be a guided tour of the bike history of Northeast Los Angeles including the Bike Oven, Cafe de Leche (home of the first bike corral in Los Angeles) and the start point for Northeast L.A. Critical Mass. The after party will feature some Mexican food from a local eatery, Tecate, 2 Buck Chuck, and some lemonade from the Streetsblog back yard.

But enough about the ride and party, let’s talk about the raffle.  At the fundraiser we have a pretty diverse list of auction items.

• A Lovely Ladies WTB Leisure She Comp Blue Saddle
• A Certificate for a bike safety check/tune-up courtesy of master mechanic Harv Woien
• An autographed copy of Robert Gottlieb’s newest book, Food Justice
• A one month supply of CLIF Bars
• A vintage CICLE T-shirt
• A Streetsblog Schwag Bag filled with Streetsblog goodies.

We’ll announce winners at the after-party, so you should plan on staying all night.  See you in NELA, and bring your bike!

Click on the image to donate...

Why do I think Streetsblog is important?

The group that showed up to ride in last year's Flying Pigeon fundraiser for Streetsblog.

In LA, when you are walking on a sidewalk that abruptly terminates in a “No Ped Crossing”, or are sitting at a bus stop with only a bent and faded sign to its name, or riding a bike while insane “commuters” driving well over the speed limit past you, the school you just dropped your kid off at, and the local park – what are you supposed to do?

Talk to your neighbors? Hah! This town is built around social isolation.  Talk to your city councilman? Hah! That guy doesn’t care about you unless you’re funding his re-election bid.

Call some bureaucrat in City Hall? Hah! Even if they could help, most city departments on the frontlines of delivering services also have a built in culture of putting off the public and ignoring our needs to suit their internal power squabbles and managerial incompetence.

What recourse do we have? The local press is owned by a bunch of corporate conglomerates busy shoveling celebrity news at us.

The answer is the discussion and analysis that starts online at LA Streetsblog, and continues in the board meetings, town halls, bike rides, and protests to fix the problems we know our city has.

In an anti-human environment, it takes a little bit of cybernetics to connect people enough to organize for positive change – and that is what Streetsblog has done in LA. It has turned the one guy on the block angry about terrible bike lanes into an organizer of dozens of other people in the city – herding them downtown to make their voices heard. It has turned the lone female bus rider, pissed about incompetent management of the bus system into the voice a many others in board meetings and in print journalism. Streetsblog is the platform upon which a more livable Los Angeles is being built.