Month: April 2013

Just a quick programming note. Damien Newton and Stephanie Wiggins, the woman overseeing Metro's ExpressLanes implementation, will be on KPFK 90.7 F.M. from 2:30 to 3:00 pm later today discussing how the ExpressLanes one-year pilot program is working. The duo were interviewed this morning by Laurie Kaufman and Howard Blume for Deadline L.A.

Leave your thoughts about yesterday's CicLAvia and links to your favorite social media in the comments section below. I'll throw my thoughts in after I finish a little work and dropping Sammy off at pre-school.

CicLAvia Headlines

The pomp and circumstance for the most recent effort to mandate a 3-feet passing distance for cars overtaking bicyclists is noticeably more quiet than the past two years. Whatever the reason, perhaps cyclists aren't willing to get their hopes up again after Governor Jerry Brown's two incoherent veto messages in 2012 and 2011, the statewide cycling movement doesn't seem as revved up this time around. Even the "Give Me 3" website created by the California Bike Coalition for the specific reason of passing such legislation has not been updated to mention 2013's AB 1371 by Assembly Member Steven Bradford (D-Gardena).

Santa Monica's first Kidical Mass (with support from Safe Routes to School grant funding) successfully drew in quite a a crowd of young kids, toddlers in seats or trailers, and their parents, for a distinctly different vibe than the typical social rides. I absolutely adore efforts like this because they renew my faith that perhaps all is not lost for the project of human civilization. Going back through the pictures for processing, seeing those smiling faces rolling through neighborhood streets, was exactly what I needed after such a crazy week.

If you're reading Streetsblog, you doubtless know that this weekend is CicLAvia VI, "CicLAvia to the Sea." Unlike many of the past CicLAvias, after CicLAvia I, most of the previews of this CicLAvia are of the exciting new route, and not of the many fun activities along the route. Streetsblog reached out to the CicLAvia team for some of the fun events along the route that are made possible by the opening of Los Angeles' streets to people. 

This is the third installment in Streetsblog’s series on transportation demand management at American colleges and universities. Part one gave an overview of TDM techniques that schools employ, and part two profiled Stanford's TDM programs.

Just a month ago, AAA released a heartwarming PSA reminding drivers that cyclists are people, before a crowd of hundreds of bike advocates at the National Bike Summit.