Bicycling

At yesterday's Metro Board Meeting, directors approved a handful of initiatives that have great implications for the future livability of the Los Angeles Region. Here is the re-cap:

A couple weeks ago, I was asked to sit in on a panel reviewing and critiquing undergraduate design students' visions for the future of Los Angeles transportation. The location was Otis College of Art and Design, located near LAX. Lecturer and Architect Matt Gagnon had given his product design students a simple, but far reaching, assignment: design for the future of mobility in L.A.

The San Gabriel Valley's Temple City opened its excellent new Rosemead Boulevard Project on May 10, 2014. I didn't make it out to the grand opening festivities, but I recently got a chance to bicycle there and experience the new Rosemead Blvd first hand. It's great. All Southern California cyclists should make pilgrimages -- and spend money while you're there.

It's Bike Week Los Angeles! May 12th-18th, 2014. Already there has been a lot going on: a press conference, a new report, the annual Blessing of the Bicycles, and a guided ride this morning. Tomorrow will be Los Angeles County's Bike to Work Day, which includes pit stops and free rides on Metro and various other transit systems. Friday night will be Metro Bike Night at Union Station, which looks to be a lot of fun.

Los Angeles' Bike Week 2014 kicked off at a press event this morning at Union Station. Metro Deputy Chief Executive Officer Lindy Lee welcomed assembled cyclists and media. Lee expressed enthusiasm about Los Angeles' bikeway facilities, now with "more miles than ever before." She invited cyclists to take advantage of free rides on Metro bus and rail for this Thursday's Bike to Work Day. There are also free rides on Metrolink and various local transit providers; see Metro's the Source for free ride instructions. Metro is hosting and co-hosting numerous Bike Week events, including a Wednesday ride and Bike Night at Union Station this Friday.

At its April 2014 meeting, the Metro board approved its First Last Mile Strategic Plan & Planning Guidelines. For readers unfamiliar with "first last mile" terminology, it's planner-speak for looking at the portion of a transit trip between a transit stop and one's final destination, most often a home or work place. Generally every transit trip includes some non-transit at each end. This last mile can include: walk, bicycle, skate, scooter, transit, taxi, carpool, driving, etc., or some combination of those. First last mile planning looks at the infrastructure that makes it safer and easier for riders to get to transit stops.

This morning, Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell opened a new public bike repair stand. The repair stand is located at the Sunset Triangle Park Plaza.

At yesterday's Metro Board meeting, bike and walk activists won a small victory to ensure a fair process for projects seeking state funding.