Bicycling

Central City Critical Mass, February 2008

On their way to class, Brooks High students brave the shoulder along route 72.

Editor's note: I'll be away from the computer for a couple of days.  LA Streetsblog will still publish, but will be on a sparse schedule until next Thursday.  In the meantime, enjoy the third (and at this point, last) installment of the SOCAL Voices Series I ran last December.  This piece seemed appropriate coming the week after Bike to Work Week.  Pastor Joshua Elliott McGuffie of St. Andrew's West Los Angeles writes about his experiences as a bike commuter.  This essay first appeared on Street Heat on December 26, 2007.

On Tuesday, voters in Portland, Oregon elected Sam Adams as their next mayor. A former Congressional staffer and current Portland city commissioner, Adams -- who is a cyclist -- ran on a platform that emphasized environmental and progressive growth initiatives, including, in the words of the Oregonian, "use [of] the Portland Streetcar and better planning to spur urban renewal." Adams received strong support from the livable streets community, which helped earn him a 52-34 percent margin of victory.

A reader suggested that I write about the differences in the many different Critical Mass rides that happen around Los Angeles. It seemed like a good idea, and since I could double up on last weekend by doing the ride and visit the Commuter Bike Expo, this weekend I bring you the first in a … Continued

Charming.