Walking

In 2008, then Metro Board Chair, and current Board Member and Santa Monica City Council Woman Pam O'Connor wrote during one of her online chats that,

And no, I don't mean the parade for the Lakers.

Good data.

The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council is holding a Town Hall Meeting this Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00 P.M. at the Silver Lake Recreation Center to discuss the proposed boardwalk that would run parallel to Tesla Boulevard at the northern end of the Silver Lake/Ivanhoe Reservoir.  The Boardwalk would both "complete the jogging trail" that was opened in 2008 and, as the LADWP told the Eastsider back in March, would "get pedestrians off the narrow street on Tesla, where there is two-way traffic and heavy pedestrian use."

Gresham, Oregon used to look like your typical suburb. Lots of lawns and lots of parking. When Portland’s MAX light-rail line expanded to Gresham, developers saw an opportunity to bring something different: walkable development. But a downturn in the local real estate market interceded. One developer trying to build a four-story condo project decided that … Continued

For those that have missed it GOOD Magazine is running a series by Ryan Bradley about walking in Los Angeles.  Bradley, a Brooklyn resident, basically sets down at LAX and heads out to conquer the city by foot.  Once you get past the idea that a progressive online publication can just drop a New Yorker off in L.A. and expect them to write intelligently about our transportation issues, you discover that Bradley has some interesting things to say.

Carter Rubin is a native Angelino and recent graduate of Pitzer College in Claremont, where he studied Global Politics.  It was then that he came to appreciate the Metrolink and its Red Line connection.  Nowadays, Carter can be seen riding his hand-me-down Nishiki 10-Speed up and down Pico Boulevard on the Westside, when he's not ogling Metro planning documents.

In my Tuesday review of Monday's City Council debate on whether or not the city should use it's Measure R Local Return to fund bicycle and pedestrian projects, I mocked a statement by Councilman Greig Smith that because 10% of trips aren't by bike, the City shouldn't fund bicycle projects with 10% of Measure R funds.  I argued that because the city doesn't do bike counts, it's not possible to know for sure how many trips are by bike, but since we're talking about bicycling and pedestrian spending together the argument is moot anyways.  After all, everyone is a pedestrian.

As someone who has been pushing hard for a "bicycling and pedestrian set aside" for Measure R funds from before it was called Measure R, I have mixed feelings about yesterday's City Council Joint Hearing with the Transportation and Budget & Finance Committees.