LACBC
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter

February 2, 2012 

In this issue
Sea to Towers Sunday Funday Ride with LA-area Bike Clubs this Weekend
CicLAvia Announces April 15th Route, Plus a Valentine's Party, Stakeholder Meetings, & ¡Viva CicLAvia!
Down But Not Out: Transportation Amendment Fails
Tour de Taste Rolls in with New Date on March 4th
Bike Infrastructure & Policy Updates from Around the County
Culver City Bicycle Coalition Fundraiser and Rides with the Mayor
Help Form a New Regional Chapter for the Pomona Valley Area
City of LA: Request a Bike Corral, Attend a Mobility Think Lab Workshop, & Prioritize Safer Streets in the Budget Survey
Register for the 34th Annual Chinatown Firecracker Ride/Run, Support LACBC
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Local Documentary Filmmaker Captures African-American Cyclists' Stories, Plus Sports Figures on Bicycles
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities
Sea to Towers Sunday Funday Ride with LA-Area Bike Clubs this Weekend

 SundayFunday

This month, we're going forces with some of our local bike clubs to ride to the Watts Towers! Organized by LACBC and LA Wheelmen member David Nakai, this ride will actually have three different rides for various abilities. You will be able to choose from a medium and moderately flat 37-mile ride (round trip), the LA Wheelmen's 49-mile hilly challenge ride (round trip) through the Baldwin Hills, and a short 10-mile ride (round trip) from Jesse Owens Park to the Towers and back.

 

All rides will reach the Watts Towers, where you'll get the chance to take a tour if you choose. Constructed by Simon Rodia over the span of 33 years, the Watts Towers is a National Historic Landmark that features 17 structures embedded with glass, tile, and porcelain. Other sites along the way of the longer rides include the Great Western Forum, Hollywood Park, Major Taylor Bicycle Route, and Ballona Creek Bike Trail.

 

So come join us and learn more about LACBC, your local bike clubs, and the LA region on this ride! More info.

SundayFunday

 

For the 49-mile ride and 37-mile ride: 

When: Sunday, February 5; Meet at 8 AM, Ride at 8:30 AM

Where: Meet at Dock 52 - 13555 Fiji Way, Marina del Rey, 90292 (map)
Ride Length & Difficulty: For 49-mile ride: difficult for the hilliness, for the 37-mile ride: moderate and mostly flat
Ride Duration: Allow approximately 6 hours of time to complete these rides, explore the Watts Towers, and possibly get some food.

 

For the 10-mile ride: 

When: Sunday, February 5; Meet at 10 AM; Ride at 10:30 AM

Where: Meet at Jesse Owens Park - 9651 South Western Avenue, 90047 (map)
Ride Length & Difficulty: 10 miles, easy
Ride Duration: Allow approximately 3 hours to ride, explore the Watts Towers, and possibly get some food.

 

RSVP: To RSVP or volunteer as ride support, please contact Carol Feucht, Membership & Communications Manager, at [email protected].

Learn more about this ride: On the LACBC website.  

About Sunday Fundays: Sunday Funday Rides are free and open to LACBC members plus one guest. Interested in becoming a member? Sign up for membership online or become a member at the ride at a discounted price.

CicLAvia Announces April 15th Route, Plus a Valentine's Party, Stakeholder Meetings, and �Viva CicLAvia!
Streetfilms Viva CicLAvia - With Subtitles
Viva CicLAvia - With Subtitles
CicLAvia 
April 15th 2012 Route Announced
The next CicLAvia will be Sunday, April 15th, 2012. April's CicLAvia will include the central Boyle Heights to East Hollywood route, plus the recent expansion spurs to the African American Firefighter Museum and to El Pueblo. See map and route announcement and RSVP/share via Facebook event
 
CicLAvia
When: Sunday, April 15; 10 AM - 3PM
Where: East Hollywood, MacArthur Park, Downtown LA, Boyle Heights, El Pueblo
CicLAviaValentines
Valentine's Party a Week from Friday!

CicLAvia is hosting a Valentine's party! Bring your Valentine - or meet a new Valentine there! Music by CicLAvia stars Alanna Lin/FASCINOMA, plus DJs and more. Admission is free, but bring money for drinks, eats, auction, swag, and more! There will be speed dating at 7 PM sharp - open to all orientations and genders! RSVP, share and more information at the Facebook event page
 
  CicLAvia Valentine's Party
When: Friday, February 10; 7 PM - 10 PM
Where: Atwater Crossing - 3245 Casitas Avenue, Los Angeles, 90039  
                
Meetings coming up: South Gate, Lynwood, and San Fernando

Under a grant from the L.A. County Public Health Department's RENEW initiative, CicLAvia is providing technical assistance to additional L.A. County cities to examine possibilities for hostingnew CicLAvia events, potentially as early as 2013. If you're interested in helping bring CicLAvia to Lynwood, Pomona, San Fernando, and South Gate, potentially also connecting with adjacent communities, come to a stakeholder meeting:
Spanish-language �Viva CicLAvia! StreetFilm Premieres
Today, StreetFilms debuted its first Spanish-language film, �Viva CicLAvia!, which captures the excitement that CicLAvia generates. Watch the film up above on the right, or read more at LA Streetsblog

Down, But Not Out: Transportation Amendment Fails

 

Thank you to everyone who responded to our Action Alert on Tuesday regarding the House Transportation Bill. Unfortunately, by a vote of 27 to 29, the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation & Infrastructure Committee this morning voted down the bipartisan amendment that would have fixed many of the deficiencies in the House transportation bill, particularly as they relate to the Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School programs, the funding sources that help make our communities more bike and walk-able.

 

We have three LA County congressional representatives on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Congresswomen Richardson & Napolitano voted in support, but Congressman Miller voted against the amendment. 

 

We're urging LACBC members and supporters who live in Miller's district (Whittier, Diamond Bar, La Habra Heights, and Rowland Heights) to contact him and express your disappointment in his vote. The best way to do this is with a phone call, but you can also send him an email

 

If you live in the Long Beach, Compton, Carson, or South LA area, please contact Congresswoman Laura Richardson to thank her for her vote. 

 

If you live in Industry, La Puente, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Norwalk, Pomona, Santa Fe Springs, or East Los Angeles, please contact Congresswoman Grace Napolitano and thank her for her vote. 

 

Over the next few weeks we'll likely be sending out additional federal and state Action Alerts. We're working in partnership with bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations across the state and the country to make sure funding for biking and walking is preserved.

Tour de Taste Rolls in on March 4th

TourDeTaste
Tour de Taste

 

Join us for Tour de Taste on Sunday, March 4th, as we explore Ballona Creek, Culver City and beyond -- the best way possible -- on two wheels and with our taste buds! Riders will take in all the environmental and aesthetic enhancements that have been made to the Ballona Creek bike and pedestrian path and enjoy delicacies from fine Los Angeles restaurants.

 

Tour de Taste   

When: Sunday, March 4th; tours begin at 10:00 AM, registration opens at 9

Where: Media Park near Culver City on the corner of Culver Blvd & Venice Blvd

Cost: $65 for LACBC members; $95 for non-members; $120 for Tour de Taste ticket & LACBC membership  

 

Each guided tour will take off from Media Park (Culver Boulevard & Venice Boulevard, near Culver City, 90232) in half-hour intervals, beginning at 10:00 AM on March 4th. Each tour is an easy 15 miles. We'll hit some restaurants on the way and then, after the tour, valets will watch your bike back at Media Park in Culver City, while you enjoy a selection of tasty treats and refreshing beverages.

 

So far we have Pete's Cafe & Bar, AMMO, Pace, Chipotle, Larchmont Grill, Rush Street, and New Belgium Brewing Co. on the menu with more on the way!

 

Since Tour de Taste happens to fall on the first Sunday of the month (our Sunday Funday Ride day), we'll also be organizing a short ride from Wilshire & Western in Koreatown over to Media Park to help usher cyclists over to the Westside. We'll update you with more details.

 

Register for Tour de Taste today!

 

Questions about Tour de Taste? Contact JJ Hoffman at [email protected].

Bike Infrastructure & Policy Updates from Around the County
Main St.
Venice: The Main St. bike lanes in Venice are here! These bike lanes extend 0.8 miles from Windward Circle to the Santa Monica city border, just northwest of Rose Avenue. Read more about it in a great write-up from Joe Linton on the LA Eco-Village blog.

Glendale, part 1: Last Tuesday night, the City Council approved a proposed road diet test case for Honolulu Ave. Following a staff presentation that offered seven different street options for a pilot road diet, local LACBC chapter Walk Bike Glendale and other community members spoke in favor of a road diet in general and advocated for Honolulu Ave specifically. City staff will now move forward on design of the road diet which will include buffered bike lanes that will stretch from the western entrance of the Montrose shopping park to as far west as the City's budget for the project will allow. Once installed, the City will study the corridor for 12 months and then decide if they will make the road diet permanent. Community outreach for the approved project is expected in the coming months and you can get involved by contacting Walk Bike Glendale. Read more about it on the Walk Bike Glendale blog.

 

Glendale, part 2: The City of Glendale Transportation and Parking Commission is expected to discuss the Draft Bicycle Transportation Plan during the meeting on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. This is a public meeting and we encourage anyone who rides in Glendale to attend and give your comments. The agenda for the meeting should be posted by Monday here.

Downtown LA: February will bring additional bike lane mileage to the growing Downtown LA bike network. New bike lanes will be installed on Main Street from 9th Street to 16th/Venice Blvd. on the weekends of February 11th and Feburary 18th. These new lanes will link to the buffered green lane on Spring Street and a future bike lane on Main Street headed north from 9th to Cesar Chavez. Also this month, LADOT crews will be testing various green paint & cement coloring materials on three blocks of Spring Street on Sunday, February 12th.  If you live or work in DTLA you may see work crews out the week before grinding off existing lane markings in preparation for installation. Read more about it on the Downtown LA Neighborhood Council website.
Culver City Bicycle Coalition Fundraiser and Rides with the Mayor
CCBC
CCBC

CCBC Fundraiser at Joxer's Daly Pub
Pull up a Pint for the CCBC! Join CCBC at Joxer Daly's Pub for their first Happy Hour Fundraiser. From 4 to 7 PM, Joxer's will donate 20% of their sales to CCBC to support our local advocacy efforts. Stop by, say hello and support your local LACBC chapter! 

When: Wednesday, February 15; 4 - 7 PM
Where: Joxer's Daly - 11168 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 90230 

Mondays with the Mayor
Join Culver City's Mayor as each Monday morning as we explore Culver City and beyond. Meet at Sid Kronenthal Park by the covered tables, near the community room. More info on the CCBC website.
 
When: Mondays at 8 AM
Where: Sid Kronenthal Park - 3459 McManus Ave., Culver City, 90232 (East end of the Ballona Bike Path)

Help Form a New Local Chapter for the Pomona Valley

Join 

The Pomona Valley and surrounding cities chapter will be having its first meeting on Monday, February 6th at 6:30 PM at Aladdin Jr. Restaurant & Cafe 2 on 296 2nd St. in downtown Pomona. This informal meeting will allow people to introduce ourselves to each other and discuss local needs and wants for this new LACBC local chapter.

PomonaValley 

Pomona Valley Local Chapter Formation Meeting

When: Monday, February 6; 6:30 PM

Where: Aladdin Jr. Restaurant & Cafe 2 - 296 2nd St., Pomona


If you have any questions or want more information, please contact Daniella Alcedo at [email protected].

Creating a new chapter is a very exciting process and it can not be possible without the help and input of the local community, so please come to the meeting. Let's make some change in the biking and walking community in the Pomona Valley area!     

City of LA: Request a Bike Corral, Attend a Mobility Think Lab Workshop, and Prioritize Safer Streets in Budget Survey

 

Bike Corral
Request a Bike Corral
Currently in the City of LA there is only one bike corral (has it really been a year since we celebrated that bike corral in front of Cafe de Leche in Highland Park?) - but we're hoping to see many more across the City in 2012! If you are interested in having a bike corral in your community, especially if you own and run a local business, fill out this form and let LADOT know where you'd like to see a bike corral.

 

Read more about the bike corral pilot expansion on the LADOT Bike Blog.

 LA2B

Help Solve LA's Transportation Challenges at Mobility Think Lab Workshops

Mark your calendars! The City of Los Angeles wants to hear your ideas for solving our transportation challenges! LA/2B and the City of Los Angeles are hosting four Mobility Think Lab Workshops and would love to hear from you!


When: Saturday, February 25; 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Where: Van Nuys City Hall - 14410 Sylvan St., Van Nuys, CA 90401

When: Saturday, February 25; 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Where: LACMA West - 6067 W. Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036

When: Saturday, March 3; 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Where: La Plaza de Cultura y Artes - 501 N. Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

When: Saturday, March 3; 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Where: Pacoima Neighborhood Constituent Services Center - 13520 W. Van Nuys Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331

Can't make it but want to make your voice heard? You can always drop a note at Ideas.LA2B.org or send a text to 213.935.0385

Calling Los Angelenos! Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants your input on the City of LA's budget! Weigh in on priorities and help shape the budget. Let's make sure funding is in the survey to make our streets safer.  


The online survey to the Mayor's 2012 Community Budget Survey is here.

 

A hardcopy of the survey can be found on the Mayor's budget website here.
Register for the 34th Annual Chinatown Firecracker Ride/Run, Support LACBC
Firecracker Ride & Run
Ring in the Lunar New Year by riding or running, and celebrate the Year of the Dragon! For the past few years, we've partnered with the excellent Chinatown Firecracker Ride & Run by providing bike valet for the event. And this year, just like last year, for each registrant who indicates that they were referred to the event by LACBC, the Firecracker organizers will donate $7 to LACBC!
Firecracker
34th Annual Chinatown Firecracker Ride & Run
When: Saturday, February 11 & Sunday, February 12
Where: Los Angeles Chinatown

The bike rides on Saturday, February 11th, feature both an easy 20-mile ride and a more challenging (and hillier) 30-mile ride. The runs on Sunday feature a 10K run and a 5K run/walk, plus a 1K kiddie run.

If you register, please remember to indicate that you heard about the ride through LACBC.

Register online through the website or print out a paper form to turn in.*

*Please note that registering through Active.com will not trigger the $7 donation to LACBC.
Sports Figures on Bicycles
 
This Sunday is the Super Bowl, but one of the other sports-related news items making the rounds this week is that basketball star LeBron James commuted by bike to American Airlines Arena in Miami before the Heat-Bulls game. Not only did James beat the traffic by riding his bike, but he scored 35 points in the Heat victory. Based on this small sample size of one, we're going to posit that biking leads to winning games (and winning at life).

 

Sports Illustrated has now put together a gallery of Sports Figure on Bicycles. Some of the highlights include: 
  • James all geared up on his bike
  • former Laker coach Phil Jackson wearing overalls and towering over his bike  
  • former Green Bay Packer defensive end Justin Harrell riding a kids' bike as part of the Packers' training tradition of riding local children's bikes to practice (Read more about it on CBS News)
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities
 
 
Sea to Towers Sunday Funday Ride with LA-Area Bike Clubs
When: Sunday, February 5
More info in newsletter.
 
Pomona Valley Local Chapter Formation Meeting
When: Monday, February 6
More info in newsletter.

  

Bike Up! LA - A Benefit for the California Bicycle Coalition
When: Wednesday, February 8; 7 - 9 PM
Where: The Living Room - 3531 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake
The theme of the night is making the City of LA (and the LA region) more bike-able by shaking things up in Sacramento. Special guests will include: CBC Executive Director Dave Snyder, LA City Council Member Tom LaBonge, the Office of Council Member Garcetti, and LACBC! Snacks and refreshements will be served. See Facebook event.
 
CicLAvia Valentine's Party
When: Friday, February 10; 7:00 PM
More info in newsletter.
 
LA Chinatown Firecracker Ride & Run
When: Saturday, February 11, & Sunday, February 12
More info in newsletter.
 
Culver City Bicycle Coalition Fundraiser at Joxer's Daly
When: Wednesday, February 15; 4 - 7 PM
More info in newsletter.
 
Mobility Think Lab Workshop
When: Saturday, February 25; 9:30 AM in Van Nuys & 1:30 PM in Los Angeles
More info in newsletter.
 
Mobilty Think Lab Workshop
When: Saturday, March 3; 9:30 AM in Los Angeles & 1:30 PM in Pacoima
More info in newsletter.

  

LACBC's Tour de Taste - NEW DATE

When: Sunday, March 4; Rides start at 10 AM

More info in newsletter.

 

CicLAvia 4.15.12

When: Sunday, April 15, 10 AM - 3 PM

More info in newsletter.

 
12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride
When: Sunday, June 10
Save the date! Many of you have been asking about this year's River Ride date, and we're happy to tell you that it's the second Sunday in June, on the 10th. We'll have more details in the coming weeks, but mark your calendars now, and start preparing for the 100-mile century bike ride (or half-century or family ride) you've always wanted to do now! The LA River Ride features 6 different rides for all abilities, brings you to new destinations in LA County, and is LACBC's biggest fundraiser!
Other Events Around Town

Join LACBC or Renew

 

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is a member-supported organization that works for you to build a better, more bike-able L.A. County. 

Members are the backbone of LACBC! Help keep LACBC strong by becoming an 
LACBC member (or renewing your membership) and be part of the change!
Contact Information

Carol Feucht
Membership & Communications Manager
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

[email protected]

Connect with LACBC: www.la-bike.org Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Visit our blog View our photos on flickr View our videos on YouTube