Month: June 2010

Saturday two transit events will be occurring that may be of interest, and by coincidence both commence at 9:30 a.m.

In the somewhat turbulent world of bicycle advocacy, there are only two high-profile advocates in Los Angeles that I've never heard a bad word spoken of: Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange's Shay Sanchez and Liz Elliott. However, for a variety of reasons C.I.C.L.E.'s founder and executive director have decided to take a step back, not away, from their rolls to let new leaders step forward. A copy of the letter that the CICLEistas sent out is available after the jump.

Federal funding for pedestrian and bicycle projects reached a new high last year, according to a report released yesterday by the Federal Highway Administration. In terms of dollars, federal investment in walking and biking more than doubled compared to the previous high, set in 2007, thanks largely to an infusion of $400 million in stimulus funds.

Life Cycle finishes their 545 mile trip in L.A. Photo: Mischa Hedges Eco-Village Maps Where Sharrows Are Coming Will the LAPD Presence Turn Critical Mass Into an Ad-Hoc Rolling CicLAvia? (LAist) 30/10 the a Chance to Change the Way People Think About Infrastructure Projects (Next American City) Report: HSR Will Dump $4.3 Billion Into L.A.’s … Continued

In what has to be a double victory for the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition, reports are coming in that Sharrows are appearing on 4th Street in the Mid-Wilshire and Koreatown areas.  The LACBC hasn't just been the leader in pushing for Sharrows on the street, but also in turning 4th Street, a popular bike route, into something resembling the Bike Boulevards of Portland and Berkeley.

Traditionally, small groups of bike riders from around the city gather together on the fourth Friday of the month and head to the Wilshire/Western Red Line Station to gather for Los Angeles Critical Mass.  This month, following what Streetsblog is calling the "Critical Mass Attack," a new group of riders will be joining the mass: the LAPD.

Sometimes I enjoy having dinner at the Wilshire/Western Denny's for the opportunity it affords to watch the amazing dynamic transit action occurring at that intersection. This includes frequent and very busy bus lines (local and Rapid) along both streets plus hoards of people entering and exiting the rail station. It reminds me how tremendously heavy transit use in the Wilshire corridor is. And partially explains why a Wilshire Bus Rapid Transit Project has been in gestation and has now reached the draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment stage.

In a letter to friends and supporters posted on the Latino Urban Forum (LUF) listserve, one of Metro's most progressive planners, James Rojas, announced that he will be leaving the transit agency to create an urban planning high school in East L.A. Rojas may be best known to Streetsblog readers for his "interactive planning models" that have traveled around the world from Site L.A. to the United Nations' World Urban Forum in Brazil.  Ironically, Rojas announced his departure the same day I received a press advisory that Metro will feature one of his interactive models as the show piece of their "Dump the Pump Day" media conference tomorrow.