bike lanes

LADOT did significant bikeway mileage in FY20-21, but here are some missed opportunities where they could have done more, longer, and better bikeways.

It's the new L.A. City fiscal year, so time for Streetsblog L.A.'s annual look at the past year's bikeway implementation.

Westwood and Le Conte is sort of a magical intersection for me.

In March of 2011, then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed into law the city's Bicycle Plan, a list of some 1,600 miles of bicycle lanes, routes, friendly streets and paths scheduled for the next 30 years. In some ways, implementation is going exceedingly well. The pace at which new bicycle lanes are being added exceeds even that of New York City. In other ways, the plan seems stalled as many of the projects that make up the "Backbone Bicycling Network" connecting neighborhoods, are being delayed or canceled as nervous City Councilmembers put up roadblocks to bicycle progress.

It's been nearly four years since the "Streets Summit" called together many of the city and county's leading bicycling advocates to discuss advocacy, safety, and how the Livable Streets Community can move forward. While the movement has made great strides in this time, I miss the camaraderie and fun an event similar to the 2010 Street Summit and 2009 Bike Summit created.

On Saturday, Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell hosted a bike lane dedication for a half-mile of new north-south lanes on Virgil Avenue between Santa Monica Blvd. and Melrose. The project includes all new pavement, bike lane and Continental Crosswalk striping, as well as removal of peak hour parking restrictions.

Some time in the last couple of days, the 2nd Street protected bike lane was damaged when a car crashed through the pylons into the side of the 2nd Street Tunnel heading into Downtown Los Angeles. Sahra Sulaiman snapped this picture yesterday and reports that at least three of the barrier pylons were removed, a trail of debris was left behind, and even a tire can be seen in the picture.

Last night, Los Angeles got its first protected bike lane last night when a series of plastic dividers went up in the Second Street Tunnel between Figueroa and Hill Street.

Streetsblog received word last night from Jonathan Weiss that the proposed bicycle lanes on Westwood Boulevard between Pico Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard are opposed by local City Councilmember, Paul Koretz. Weiss serves as Koretz' appointee to the City of Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee.