Bike LA (formerly LACBC)

Yesterday was the LACBC's 9th Annual River Ride, which doubles as a major fundraiser for the Bike Coalition and a heck of a bike party in Griffith Park.  As normal, a couple thousand people showed up ready and eager to pay $50 for some schwag and a chance to ride the streets and bike paths of L.A to show their support for the LACBC and better, safer cycling in Los Angeles.

Yesterday's e-blast from the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition contained the sad news that the city's ongoing study to think about installing Sharrows is going to be delayed yet again.  The LACBC tried to put a happy face on the announcement by focusing on their progress; but with cyclists already riled up by the Bike Master Plan maps it's hard to imagine that the LADOT's excuse for delay is going to go over well

This Sunday marks the 9th Annual L.A. River Ride, the premier fundraiser for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.  The River Ride has six rides, with six different start times, and six different distances for riders of all ages and skill levels.  Combining registration for the rides, the River Ride attracts thousands of riders every year.  To check out some images from last year's ride, visit the Streetsblog Flickr page.

This morning the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition rode their fourth monthly "Car-Free Friday."  The now-familiar trappings were there, a smattering of media showing up to catch an image of dozens of cyclists with the local City Councilmember, this time Ed Reyes.  However, as great as the Car-Free Friday progam is, this morning also marked the beginning of the LACBC's newest program, "City of Lights."

In a report to the City Council, Chief William Bratton of the LAPD recommends to the City Council the discontinuation of the wildly unpopular bicycle licensing programming and announces that the LAPD will no longer enforce bicycle licensing unless the Los Angeles City Council. That the Council would push for the implementation of this program seems unlikely as two councilmembers basically yelled at an LAPD representative to kill the program when the LAPD was still defending it.  The City Council Transportation Committee will hear the LAPD's reccomendations next Wednesday.

(It's certainly no surprise to anyone that reads this blog, or that lives in Southern California, that this area is hardly known as a haven for bicyclists.  But, that doesn't stop creative and dedicated cyclists from devising their own ways to make Los Angeles a bike town of our own.  This week we'll profile four unique bike events that will be happening on one day this Saturday, October 25.  For those that know where to look, every weekend is full of rides and events.)

A Complete Street in Portland