Small Victories Update: City Closer to Legally Allowing Front Mounted Bike Seats

“That was the easiest hearing I’ve ever been to,” joked Alexis Lantz of the Bike Coalition as the two of us packed to leave hearing room 1010 in City Hall.  Five minutes earlier, Transportation Committee Chair Bill Rosendahl opened the City Council Transportation Committee meeting with a ten second vote approving some parking districts followed by a hearing on doing away with Los Angeles Municipal Code 80.27, a law banning front mounted bicycle seats.  Two of those five minutes were taken up by me, as I explained the process of mounting a baby seat (commonly known as a car seat) in to a European style bucket bike.

After Lantz and I left the witness table, Rosendahl explained that the current Municipal Code actually runs afoul of the state law on front mounted bike seats.  Debate consisted of Tom LaBonge agreeing, Paul Koretz waving off comment and Bernard Parks joking that he’s glad his son is already 37 years old.  Councilman, that just means you need a really big bucket bike to get him around.

There is no date for a final hearing on the law change at the Full Council, but it’s unlikely that the change will even be debated before being passed.  While bringing 80.27 into compliance with state law and removing restrictions on front mounted bicycle passenger seats is hardly a major piece of news on its own, taken with the rest of the changes we’re seeing in City Hall it’s another sign that when it comes to bicycles, it’s morning in Los Angeles.