Bicycling

From childhood, we are constantly being taught the rules of the road. We’ve seen siblings get speeding tickets, heard parents honk at discourteous drivers, and read about tragedies caused by drunk and distracted driving. By the time we are old enough to enroll in a driver’s education course and apply for a driver’s license, we are already familiar with driving laws, safe practices and etiquette.

It's been awhile since Los Angeles County has taken a serioous look at bikeways and bike planning.  The newly completed Bike Master Plan (BMP) for L.A. County Working will replace the County's 1975 Plan of Bikeways.  By my count, that's 37 years of working off the same plan.  You could say that a lot has changed since 1975, or I could just say that I wasn't born yet when the plan was passed.

SB 910 Veto Message

Over the past few months, we've checked in on the efforts of five communities in Los Angeles County to create more livable, walkable, bikeable and healthier communities through better transportation planning through the Los Angeles PLACE Grants.  However, Los Angeles County is home to 11 million residents, and less than 750,000 live in PLACE communities.

CicLAvia ride buddies Lance Armstrong and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have joined forces again.  Their target: Governor Jerry Brown.  Their message: sign S.B. 910, the state's three foot passing law that would protect cyclists from drivers who pass too close and too fast.

The California Bicycle Coalition is hearing that Governor Jerry Brown is getting pressure from the California Highway Patrol and AAA to veto SB 910, the safe passage bill for bicyclists. Known as the "Give Me 3" bill, it would require drivers to give people on bikes at least 3 feet of space when passing from behind. It cleared both houses of the Legislature with overwhelming support, and is awaiting the governor's signature.

(It's clear there were still some questions about the bicycling anti-harassment ordinance and the new law continues to provide fodder for a media that isn't interested in getting the facts straight.

I'd like to take a second to thank Howard Krepack, a principle of the firm of Gordon, Edlestein, Krepack, Grant, Felton & Goldstein (known as GEK-Law, after their website) for taking the time to answer our questions about bike safety, the law, and your legal rights.  After the jump are what will probably be the highlight for a lot of you, a series of questions and answers about the Bicycling Anti-Harassment Ordinance.

Earlier today, Hillie Talens, a Dutch Bicycle Engineer, kicked off the two-day "Think Bike" planning workshop in Downtown Los Angeles with an interesting presentation at City Hall. The bicycle planners, which are different than traditional transportation planners who are focused on the automobile, will lead three groups in redesign exercises for Van Nuys Boulevard in the Valley, Jefferson Boulevard in South L.A., and parts of Downtown Los Angeles. The innovative program is sponsored by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and the LADOT.