LACBC
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter

April 26, 2012 

In this issue
70-Mile "Reverse Ride" from Long Beach Added to 12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride on June 10th
Celebrate Bike Month in May
Welcome to the Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition, LACBC's Newest Local Chapter
Bike Infrastructure & Policy Updates From Around the County
All Aboard Sunday Funday Ride
ACTION ALERT: We Need Triple Bike Racks
Making Our Streets Safer - Addressing Hit & Runs
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Where to Bike Los Angeles
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

70-Mile "Reverse Ride" from Long Beach Added to 12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride on June 10th

  

Well you asked for it, now you have it! Ride the River Ride in Reverse! Start and finish in beautiful Shoreline Aquatic Park in Long Beach. You will turn around at the Autry National Center. This ride is perfect for those of you living in the southern part of the County. You can sign up for the reverse ride by clicking the Active link below or just download the PDF and mark the 70-mile Reverse option. Registration will open at 6:30 AM and the ride will begin at 7:30 AM. Advance registration is HIGHLY recommended.

 

Join us for LACBC's biggest fundraiser and biggest ride of the year! The Los Angeles River Ride is:

  • 7 great rides now! Choose from a 100-mile, 70-mile, 70-mile reverse, 50-mile, 36-mile, and 15-mile rides, as well as a kids' safety rodeo. Kids 12 and under ride for free!
  • A new way to explore the LA River! Spot a heron. Discover a new park. Learn where the LA River Bike Path will take you.
  • A way to to support LACBC and help build a better, more bike-able LA County! Your River Ride registration fees, LACBC membership dues, and donations help support LACBC and make your ride safer and more enjoyable.
RiverRide12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride
When: Sunday, June 10th, 2012
Where: start at Autry National Center, Griffith Park (map) or Shorline Aquatic Park for 70-mile Reverse Ride (map)
Register by May 15th and save $10.
LACBC members save an additional $10.

  

How to sign up now:

  

1.  Register online at Active.com

 

2.  Download the River Ride Registration Form (PDF).

  • Fax it to 213-629-2259 if paying by credit card.
  • Or, mail it to:

LACBC

Attn: River Ride

634 S. Spring Street, Suite 821

Los Angeles, CA 90014

 

If you have general questions, contact our River Ride Director JJ Hoffman at [email protected].

Celebrate Bike Month in May
 
May has been designated as National Bike Month. We'll be adding to the Bike Month calendar in the coming weeks, but here are a few already scheduled events to look forward to:

 

LACBC Events Around the County
 
  • Bici Libre Bike Maintenance Offerings
Bici Libre is a program of LACBC that offers bike repair education and volunteer opportunities to the community. Located at 1205 W. 6th St. in Westlake, we are open 6 days a week, 12 - 7 PM every weekday and 12 - 5 PM on Saturday. You can learn to fix your own bike with the help of volunteers in the shop for a reasonable donation. Learn more at la-bike.org/bicilibre

 

For Bike Month in May, LACBC and Bici Libre are working together to bring you more educational opportunities:

Blessing of the Bikes Safety Checks and Bici Libre Open House - Tuesday, May 15
 
Bici Libre volunteers will be at the Blessing of the Bikes at Good Samaritan Hospital doing free safety checks on bikes and showing a few simple tune-up tricks. Immediately following the Blessing at 9:30 AM, Bici Libre will have an open house, and those needing more bike repair will be free to use our shop. Seem more information about Blessing of the Bikes.

  

Bike Maintenance Workshops
 
When: Sunday, May 6; 11 AM to 1 PM
Where: Bici Libre - 1205 W. 6th St., Westlake

  

When: Wednesday, May 9; 7 PM to 9 PM
Where: Bici Libre - 205 W. 6th St., Westlake

  

LACBC and Bici Libre will also be offering two workshops to help folks get their bikes tuned up for bike to work month, week, and day. This will be a 2-hour class that goes over the fundamentals of bike maintenance and repair. Learn to fix a flat tire, and adjust your brakes and derailleurs, and more. Bring your own bike to tune up or work on one of ours!

 

RSVP is required for the classes and space is limited. Please RSVP with your name, phone number, and date of the class you'd like to take to Bobby Gadda at [email protected].
  • Bike from Work After Parties - Thursday, May 17
In addition to celebrating biking TO work on May 17th with morning pit stops, let's celebrate biking FROM work. We'll have gathering areas all across the County so that you can gather with your local chapter and hang out with your fellow cyclists in the afternoon/evening over food and drink. We'll have more information in the coming e-newsletters, but mark your calendars now!
  • LACBC Member Appreciation Raffle All Month Long
We want to say thanks to all our members out there. If you're an LACBC member, not only are you helping to make LA County a more bike-able place and gaining discounts at local bike shops, but in the month of May, you'll automatically be entered to win great prizes.
 
Metro Bike Week LA 2012 Events
  • Monday, May 14: Metro's Kick-off Event at Expo Park/USC Station, 10 AM
  • Tuesday, May 15: Metro's 9th Annual Blessing of the Bicycles at Good Samaritan Hospital, 8 AM
  • Wednesday, May 16: Metro's Expo/Mid-City Bike Ride starts at Expo Park/USC Station, 8 AM
  • Thursday, May 17: Metro's Bike to Work Day - Free rides for cyclists on Metro, pit stops, and more!
  • Friday, May 18: Metro's Bike to School Day - Support your local school! 

Bike to Work Day - Host a Pit Stop!

Register your school, workplace, or organization to host a bicycle pit stop on Bike to Work day! You provide the space, and Metro will send you a pit stop kit with Clif bars, patch kits, bike maps, and more. For more information, visit www.metro.net/bikes/bike-week, or contact Sarah Tseng at [email protected] or (213) 922-5634.

  

Also check out Bike Week Pasadena presented by C.I.C.L.E. and the City of Pasadena.

Welcome to the Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition, LACBC's Newest Local Chapter

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A few months ago we put out a call to those living in the Pomona Valley to help form an LACBC chapter for the area. Well we're proud to announce that PVBC is officially LACBC's 10th chapter.

 

Learn more about PVBC on the PVBC Facebook Page and contact them at [email protected].

Bike Infrastructure & Policy Updates From Around the County

 

Expo Line: The long-awaited opening of the Expo Line is this Saturday, April 28! Celebrate with fare-free rides and festivities all weekend! As you enjoy the 5.9 miles of new bike lanes from 7th Street / Metro Center to La Cienega / Jefferson, please remember to ride safely since the trains will be running. Read this safety brochure from Metro.

 

Beverly Hills: Beverly Hills is holding a third public outreach meeting Wednesday, May 9th at 7 PM to solicit input on the city's first-ever cycling-friendly improvement program. Better Bike Beverly Hills welcomes your attendance and especially your written comments to remind the city that safe streets for cycling matters. On the agenda: the four routes identified for possible improvements that will be of interest to Westside cyclists. They are: Charleyville Drive, the most direct connection between La Cienega and Century City; Beverly Drive, the city's commercial spine; and Crescent and Carmelita drives (the latter are the city's preferred routes).

Should the city move forward on all four routes, we'll have the kernel of a bike network. Want to comment? Please review the PowerPoint presentation, map of routes, and the Pilot program feasibility study at the city's website.

This Pilot needs all the community boost it can get. Read a recap of the last meeting at the Better Bike website. Forward comments to the city at [email protected] and to Better Bike at [email protected].

 

Elysian Valley: Councilmember Tom LaBonge will host a 5K Fun Run on Sunday, May 6, in celebration of the Los Angeles River. The running route stretches from Los Feliz in Atwater Village along the Los Angeles River bike path before turning around at Marsh Park at 2960 Marsh Street. Cyclists should note the closure of the Los Angeles River bike path from 4 AM until 11 AM on Sunday, May 6. More info.

All Aboard Sunday Funday Ride SundayFunday
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Explore some local train history during the Sunday Funday Ride. Led by board member Greg Laemmle, this ride will explore Los Angeles' train stations and historic trains. Meet at Union Station, and we'll head over through Lincoln Heights, Glassel Park, etc. en route to Glendale. From there, we'll head to Travel Town in Griffith Park. After our return, we'll grab some lunch at Philippe's and check out the train display in the backroom.

 

When: Sunday, May 6; Meet at 10 AM, ride at 10:30 AM

Where: Meet at Union Station courtyard - 800 N. Alameda, Los Angeles

 

Ride Details: Roughly 25 miles total; allow 4 hours or more; moderate pace; mostly flat with a few hills

 

RSVP: Please RSVP to Carol Feucht at [email protected].

 

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.

ACTION ALERT: We Need Triple Bike Racks

In February we included an Action Alert in this newsletter regarding getting legislation introduced in Sacramento to make it possible for transit agencies across the state to install triple bike racks on buses of all sizes. Unfortunately legislation was not introduced, but we are not giving up hope. We are working with the Transit Coalition to draw attention to how important this issue to people who bicycle and use transit in Los Angeles County. 

We need your help! Please email Assemblymembers Bonnie Lowenthal and Bob Blumenfield with this simple form. They both represent communities is LA County and are on the Assembly Transportation Committee. Take a moment to contact them today and let's increase bike capacity on our buses!

Background: Bike racks on buses are filling up, but current state law prohibits objects that extend too far from the front of a bus. Although several bus agencies already have triple bike racks, these are technically in violation of the law. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and the California Highway Patrol have come up with a legislative solution that would maintain safety while allowing triple bike racks on buses. Now is the time our elected representatives need to step up and introduce Metro's bill so that stakeholders can discuss it, perhaps tweak it, and enable it to get passed.
Making Our Streets Safer - Addressing Hit & Runs

All to often, we hear about a person biking or walking in Los Angeles who has been injured or worse, killed by a car that fled the scene of the crash. Hit-and-runs make up roughly a 1/3 of all traffic collisions in Los Angeles and affect all Angelenos no matter what mode of transportation we use. In 2011 alone, there were over 18,800 hit-and-run collisions in the city. Five hundred and fourteen involved a person riding a bicycle, and another 759 involved pedestrians; over 12,880 involved another motor vehicle. Hit-and-run collisions resulted in the deaths of 36 Angelenos in 2011; 72% of those were people who were walking or riding their bicycles on the streets of Los Angeles at the moment they were hit. Hit-and-runs destroy peoples' lives and property. Currently the LAPD does not know how many of those 18,800+ hit-and-run collisions were solved or how many were prosecuted. (all statistics from LAPD)
 
We are working with others in the bicycle community, most notably Don "Roadblock" Ward and partner organizations like Los Angeles Walks, to call attention to this issue. And we want to work with you to share your stories with LAPD leadership and city leadership. We've created a form to collect your hit and run experience and how it was handled.
 
Help us make sure LAPD and the City of Los Angeles respond to and fully investigate all cases where a person walking or bicycling is hit no matter the type or severity of injury, collect data and report on the number of investigations leading to the identification of a driver and the number of cases that lead to legal action, and introduce legislation in Sacramento that will strengthen penalties for people caught committing a hit-and-run. We'll help keep you posted about upcoming Police Commission, City Council, and other meetings where you can share your experience. Together we can help curb the hit-and-run epidemic in the City of Los Angeles.
There are a few reasons we're excited for the new book Where to Bike Los Angeles. First of all, it's a book about doing one of our favorite activities in our favorite city. Secondly, it's written by two of our own LACBC members and super volunteers: Sarah Amelar and Jon Riddle. Third, you may recognize those two good-looking cover models. If you squint really hard, you'll notice LACBC's own Volunteer Coordinator Martin Lopez-Iu and LACBC member and volunteer Kelli Bachmann standing in front of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The book is aimed at recreational cyclists of all types of abilities and is available online or and at select bike shops near you. And the next time you're at an LACBC event, you may be able to ask Sarah, Jon, Martin, or Kelli to sign your copy!
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

  

23rd Annual La Gran Limpieza: The Great Los Angeles River Cleanup
When: Saturday, April 28; 9 AM to 12 PM
Where: along the LA River
Friends of the Los Angeles River will host The 23rd Annual La Gran Limpieza: The Great Los Angeles River CleanupThere are four river cleanup sites that take place along the river bike path: Balboa Blvd in Sepulveda Basin, and in Elysian Valley there is Marsh Street, Knox Avenue and Oros Street. Bicyclists, expect trash volunteers at those river sites! Also, FOLAR is seeking 2 volunteers per site to act as flaggers to alert bicyclists and to help keep the bike path clear of volunteers. Call 323-223-0585, if you're interested in volunteering.

  

Expo Line Opening and Group Ride with CCBC
When: Saturday, April 28; Meet at 9:30 AM
Where: Meet at the Ballona Creek entrance to Culver City High School
Join local chapter Culver City Bicycle Coalition for a ride to the new Expo Line Grand Opening! The route to the La Cienega/Jefferson station is entirely off-street via Ballona Creek and the new Expo Bike Path. Bring a bike lock so that you will be able to secure your bike at the station while you ride the train! See more planned activities along the Expo Line this Saturday at The Source.

  

City of Manhattan Beach's 20th Annual Earth Day Celebration Bike Parade
When: Saturday, April 28; bike parade leaves at 10:30 AM
Where: bike parade meets at Marine Park
Join the City of Manhattan Beach for the 20th Annual Earth Day Celebration and Concert at Polliwog Park this Saturday, April 28th. There will also be a half-mile bike parade ride that leaves at 10:30 AM. The South Bay Bicycle Coalition and Beach Cities Cycling Club will be hosting a bike valet. More info. 
 
Square Is How We Roll' Fundraiser for the Bicycle Kitchen
When: Saturday, April 28; 9 PM to 12 PM
Where: Nomad Studios - 1993 Blake Avenue, Los Angeles, 90039 (Frogtown)
Join the Bicycle Kitchen for a big ol' FUNdraising square dance! Tunes furnished by Triple Chicken Foot and The Stoney Point Sword Swallowers. Dances will be called by Susan Michaels. A $10 donation will be requested at the door. All the money will go towards helping the Bicycle Kitchen buy its very own building! See Facebook event.
 
All Aboard Sunday Funday Ride
When: Sunday, May 6; Meet at 10 AM, Ride at 10:30 AM
More info in newsletter.

  

3rd Annual Eco-Village Fundraiser Benefitting L.A. Streetsblog 
When: Friday, May 11; 6 PM
Where: Los Angeles Eco Village - 116 Bimini Place, Los Angeles
Support LA Streetsblog and enjoy food and drinks, the debut of a new Streetfilm, a raffle, and the best darned company and conversation that can be found anywhere! Tickets are $30 per head on a sliding scale. More info.

  

Montrose Historical Bike Ride
When: Saturday, May 12; Meet at 10 AM, ride at 10:30 AM
Where: Meet at Montrose Bike Shop - 2501 Honolulu Avenue, Montrose
Join Walk Bike Glendale, Montrose Patch, Montrose Bike Shop, Glendale Historical Society, Glendale Community Services & Parks, and Glendale Public Works Department for a family friendly bike ride in Montrose as we make stops at historical landmarks along the way. The ride will go at an easy pace and be fun for all ages and skill levels! Roughly 7-10miles. See Facebook event.

  

Bike to/from Work Day
When: Thursday, May 17
Where: LA County
Celebrate commuting to and from work with morning pit stops and after parties all around the County!

  

Museums of the Arroyo Day
When: Sunday, May 20; 12 PM to 5 PM
Where: throughout Northeast Los Angeles

Experience life in the past lane! MOTA Day features five museums located along the celebrated Arroyo Seco in Los Angeles and Pasadena that open their doors for a free day of music, storytelling, art, crafts and entertainment. Gain free admission to the Gamble House, the Heritage Square Museum, the Los Angeles Police Museum, the Lummis Home & Garden, and the Pasadena Museum of History. Getting from place to place by riding your bike or walking is highly encouraged! More info.

  

12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride
When: Sunday, June 10
More info in newsletter.
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]

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