Bicycling

14 squad cars and 37 people searched for $5 of allegedly shoplifted beer from LAPD illegallysearches on Vimeo.

Since Streetsblog first broke the news that another cyclist was assaulted on the Ballona Creek Bike Path last month, people have been asking what we can do to make the trail a more safe place.  While I have some ideas, as someone who has never actually taken a ride along the trail I would be an odd choice to tell interested users what "they should be doing."  But do you know who would be a better choice?  Streetsblog readers.

Cyclists hoping to open the Griffith Park Holiday Lights Festival to bikes were disappointed on Wednesday when new access was provided for equestrians and canines but bikes were banned except for the special “bike night” on November 28th.  Cyclists have insisted that not allowing them to bike the light festival is a violation of state … Continued

This Picture Isn't from LA County, It's from Our Sister City, Vancouver

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Yesterday, I got an email forwarded to me about a cyclist being attacked, beaten and mugged on the Ballona Creek Bike Trail.  You may remember that there has been some controversy about gang activity around one of the entrances and whether or not it is safe for entrances to exist in communities.  The LAPD, favoring gate closure, has protested that they don't have the manpower to properly police the trail and entrances.  This email shows that the problem is worse than we feared, it seems some police in the area don't seem to know that the trail exists.

A recent poll conducted by AARP finds that Americans over the age of 50 are cutting down on car trips due to rising gas prices, but are finding public infrastructure, or lack thereof, to be an obstacle.