Photo: Joe LintonNew bike lanes are in use on Reseda Boulevard. L.A. StreetsBlog readers will remember that these lanes were
approved in the city of Los Angeles' 1996 bike plan,
but weren't implemented due to conflicting Department of Transportation
(LADOT) plans for additional peak-hour car lanes. When the peak-hour lanes plan faced opposition, LADOT pledged to implement a mile of bike lanes on Reseda Blvd from Devonshire Street to San Fernando Mission Road.
On Sunday September 20th, LADOT striped
the northern half of their 1-mile project. New bike lanes were striped
on Reseda Boulevard from Chatsworth Street to San Fernando
Mission Road. In addition, the LADOT took this opportunity to stripe
some of the stretch north of SF Mission Rd, most of the way up to the
118 Freeway. Unfortunately, they left a short gap at the 118 Freeway
on-ramps and bridge, so the new lanes don't quite connect with the
existing bike lanes on Rinaldi Street or the Reseda Blvd lanes north of
Rinaldi.
The second (southern) half of the promised lanes - on Reseda Blvd
from Chatsworth Street to Devonshire Street - are scheduled to be
completed this Sunday October 3rd.
These new lanes are a great step
forward for the community and for safer more complete streets, but
there's still a lot of work to do. Even after the new mile is done,
there will still be an approximately 4-mile gap, between Devonshire and
Vanowen
Street, remaining before the project is complete.
