Eyes on the Street: Parking Protected Bike Lanes on Variel
Last year, the city of L.A. Transportation Department (LADOT) added parking-protected bike lanes on Variel Avenue in the southwest San Fernando Valley community of Woodland Hills, represented by City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. The bikeway connects an emerging residential area to the existing G Line bike path.
LADOT announced the new lanes in an August 31 email blast. The lanes extend one long block, 0.4 mile, from Erwin Street to Victory Boulevard.
That block of Variel is seeing a significant shift in uses. A little over a decade ago is was all single-story industrial, with a Home Depot. Now the southern half of the street is lined with residential (6-8 story apartments/condominiums) and several of the industrial buildings are boarded up. The Home Depot remains busy.
In keeping with the increasingly residential nature of the street, LADOT did a road diet, reducing four driving lanes to two. This freed space to add the protected bikeway.
In a tweet, LADOT Engineer Tim Fremaux noted that the city plans to extend the Variel facility further south when the street is resurfaced.
More pictures below.
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