Month: October 2010

Saturday night saw Streetsblog's fourth fundraiser of the year and another stunning success.  This time, thirty of Los Angeles' leading lights joined myself and a host committee at the Silver Lake home of Deborah Murphy for an amazing evening of food, drink and company.  In addition to raising some funds to keep Streetsblog going into the winter, I also had a chance to speak with several people on some intriguing plans to expand our coverage areas and our coverage topics.  I don't want to jinx anything, but I suspect that 2011 is going to be a truly groundbreaking year.

Ok, it's been a busy couple of weeks.  Take the day off, and get back to work on Tomorrow.

Upcoming Meetings

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Opponents of bike infrastructure say some bicyclists flout traffic laws, therefore developing a legal and physical infrastructure for their safety isn't worthwhile.

Bike the Beach is an exciting get-out-the-vote (GOTV) bike ride from Torrance Beach to Venice Beach celebrating two of the greatest and most important things we can do: BIKE and VOTE! We kickoff at Torrance Beach, with rally stops featuring food, information and fun at Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Playa del Rey and Venice. At the ride’s culmination in Venice, there’s an awesome party at sculptor Guy Dill’s art studio - with lots of food, mariachi, margaritas…and some feel good political speeches to get you fired up and ready to go! For people that need a ride back to the South Bay from Venice, we’ll have vans and trucks ready to take you and your bikes. Its free and fun for the whole family! Please register to help us get an accurate head count for catering purposes.

A proposal by County Supervisor and Metro Board Member Mark Ridley-Thomas could create major changes in how Metro decides which grade-crossings are designed at-grade and which will have grade separation.  Ridley-Thomas represents the communities fighting for a grade-separated Expo Line in South L.A. and much of the area that will be covered by a rail line for the Crenshaw Line.  The proposal would greatly increase the power of neighborhoods in deciding the design of grade-crossings in their community.  Some rail advocates worry that the motion would effectively derail the Measure R light rail projects.

If you're a fan on road signage as traffic calming, then 2011 is shaping up to be quite a year for you!  First the Department of D.I.Y. rolled out some signage attached to power boxes around the city asking drivers to "Please pass with care."  Later in the summer, the collaborative efforts of the Bike Coalition, Midnight Ridazz, Mayor's Office and LAPD came the "Give Me 3" Poster Campaign.  In the Fall, just in time for Back to School, the LADOT's Watch the Road Campaign placed advertisement's on billboard that encourage people to both "Watch the Road" and "Be safe.  Be healthy.  Walk or Bike to School."