Tom LaBonge

Yesterday, the City Council Transportation Committee met to discuss, once again, what the heck is taking so long to bring a Sharrows program to Los Angeles.  For over two years, the program has been a top priority for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, and funding has been in place for a pilot program for over six months.  Conversely, the above painted-lane Sharrows program in Long Beach took four months to move from Mobility Coordinator Charles Gandy's head to the street.

Some ideas just refuse to die.  Less than a year after the City of Los Angeles moved to end it's free-meter parking for hybrids program, a new proposal to allow only the highest tech and cleanest cars to park for free has resurfaced.  The Council resolution asking LADOT to study the program was introduced by Council President Eric Garcetti and sponsored by Downtown Council Woman Eric Garcetti and "Tom LaBonge for Bill Rosendahl."  Despite the presence of LaBonge and Rosendahl as sponsors of the legislation, they led Transportation Committee in expressing concerns with the newest free-parking for expensive, high-tech, cars scheme.

This morning Good Samaritan Hospital held one of the most popular events of Bike to Work Week, the Blessing of the Bicycles.  This marks the sixth year that Good Sam's has held this event to celebrate cycling, mourn the cyclists lost since last year's blessing and bring together some communities that don't often interact, communities of faith and the cycling community, at least once a year.  The event was co-sponsored by the LADOT, Los Angeles County Bike Coalition, Metro, REI and the Bike Kitchen.