Bicycling

In the Netherlands, 30 percent of trips under five miles are by bike.

Thanksgiving Day is only a week away and already I have been contemplating the many things I have to be thankful for.  Earlier this year, on January 6th, I was involved in a hit-and-run while cycling to work.  As I was being strapped to a stretcher and taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, I was unaware that the events of the morning were being shared rapidly through Twitter, email, phone calls, and later that day through blogs.  Thanks to these communications my wife and family were able to meet me at the hospital well before I would have been able to contact them myself.

(Beatty is a self professed graphic design/cycling addict based in Burbank, CA. She is the creative workhorse behind Bandwagon Graphiks, designing anything for print and web with a vengeance. Cycling is her drug of choice and is known by her clients as the designer on a bike. Long difficult commutes and centuries are her passion)

The surprise appearance of a Road Diet and new bike lanes on Wilbur Ave earlier this year caused quite a stir.  In addition to the roar from local drivers, the LADOT's outreach process has come under such fire from the local Councilman, that he proposed new laws that would require the neighborhood approval before any transportation project was completed on a local street.

We knew it wouldn't last forever, but making it to Thanksgiving would have been nice.

An internet search didn't find any other accounts of the proposed bike plan update turning Los Angeles into a world-class bike city. Critiques of the plan have been considerably less effusive than the staff report, calling it "an entertaining and inspiring experience that bears no connection to reality" (Bikeside) and "a bunch of phoney bloney jargon to hide the fact that there are no real plans [for bike lanes on major streets]" (Brayj Against the Machine.) Even supportive articles include qualifications "... a step in the right direction ... we are requesting that Planning and DOT ... show further commitment" (LACBC) and "I like a lot of what I see in the draft plan, though." (Biking in LA)

Big Ticket

Any cyclist who has ridden the streets of Los Angeles with any regularity has a horror story.  Sometimes the story is because of negligence, such as a driver who passes too close or a taxi that pulls out of a parking space without looking.  Sometimes the story is caused by maliciousness, such as a hummer that drives through a group of cyclists or some kids in a truck that throw things.  These stories almost always end with the no consequences for the aggressor, because the police don't like to file reports without witnessing the act.  No report, no legal recourse.

Here's a quick rundown of the major votes by today's Metro Board. Each of these five motions were discussed at Streetsblog over the last couple of weeks, and links to those stories can be found at the end of each summary.  Streetsblog will have links to all news reports on today's meeting tomorrow.