LACBC
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter

May 17, 2012 

In this issue
Happy Bike to Work Day! Now Celebrate Biking from Work with Our After Parties Tonight
Enjoy Car-Free Streets this Sunday with Nissan Ride Before the Pros
More Bike Week and Bike Month Activities
12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride on June 10th: Become the Top Fundraiser and Win a Bicycling Tour of the Tuscan Coast
LACBC Is Hiring a Policy & Campaigns Manager
Bike Infrastructure & Policy Updates From Around the County
Bike Month Riding Tips: Parking Your Bike
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Los Angeles Gets the Star Treatment in Momentum Magazine
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities
Happy Bike to Work Day! Now Celebrate Biking from Work with Our After Parties Tonight
Title Banner
Today is Bike to Work Day! Thanks to all who are biking around, and congrats to those who have tried biking for transportation for the first time recently. LACBC hosted 3 pit stops: one downtown and two in Silver Lake. Thanks for stopping by. We have some photos up on our Facebook page of this morning's pit stops.

Are you hungry right now? Do you want to hang out with some fun bikey folks? Then come to one of our 6 Bike from Work After Parties happening this afternoon!

Bike from Work After Parties - Thursday, May 17
 
In addition to celebrating biking TO work today with morning pit stops, let's celebrate biking FROM work. We'll have gathering areas all across the County so that you can informally gather with your local chapter and hang out with your fellow cyclists in the afternoon/evening over food and drink.

 

Downtown LA - hosted by LACBC
When: Thursday, May 17; 5 PM to 9 PM
Where: Senor Fish422 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, 90012

 

Glendale - hosted by Walk Bike Glendale
When: Thursday, May 17; 5 PM to 8 PM
Where: Tavern on Brand - 208 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, 91203

 

Montebello - hosted by the Montebello Bicycle Coaltion
When: Thursday, May 17; 6 PM to 8 PM
Where: Alondra Hot Wings - 616 West Whittier Boulevard, Montebello, 90640

 

Claremont - hosted by the Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition
When: Thursday, May 17; 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Where: The Press - 124 N. Harvard St., Claremont

 

Culver City - hosted by the Culver City Bicycle Coalition
When: Thursday, May 17; 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Where: Joxer Daly's - 11168 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 90230
 

Santa Monica - hosted by Santa Monica Spoke
When: Thursday, May 17; 5:00 PM until whenever
Where: West 4th and Jane -  1432A 4th Street (between Broadway & Santa Monica Blvd), Santa Monica

Enjoy Car-Free Streets this Sunday with Nissan Ride Before the Pros

When: Sunday, May 20; 8 AM to 9:30 AM
Where: L.A. LIVE (Start Location)

 

The Nissan Ride Before the Pros, taking place in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, May 20, from 8:00-9:30 AM, will allow cyclists of all levels to ride on a 5-mile closed circuit course which will be part of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California's eighth and final stage taking place that same day. FREE to participants of all experience levels, the Nissan Ride Before the Pros will begin and end at the official finish line where the professional riders competing in the 2012 Amgen Tour of California will cross to complete the 42.6-mile stage they started in Beverly Hills on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills earlier that day.

Riders taking part in the event, which begins at L.A. LIVE at the foot of Staples Center, will head up Olive Street passing Pershing Square before a "sprint" past the historic Biltmore Hotel, up a challenging incline while heading towards Disney Hall and the Los Angeles County Music Center. The riders will ultimately reach City Hall and City Hall Park before making a loop back towards the iconic Jewelry District prior to arriving back at the L.A. LIVE district.

Along the way, riders will also pass hundreds of iconic downtown restaurants, businesses, museums and other landmarks with thousands of residents and fans lining the streets cheering them on while waiting for the best professional riders in the world to pass by shortly thereafter along the eight and final stage of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California.

 

To register, visit amgentourofcalifornia.com/nissan.

  

Additionally, LACBC will be hosting or co-hosting two bike valets during the event:

 

Stage 7 Bike Valet at Mt. Baldy on Saturday, May 19
Velo Club La Grange and LACBC will be running a donation-based bike valet at the finish line of Stage 7. Ride to the top and experience first hand the thrill of completing a mountain stage of the Amgen Tour of California. Join us at the Finish Line, where we'll be from 9 AM to around 5 PM! More info on the TOC Stage 7 and route.

Mt Baldy road from Baldy Village to the Ski Lift Parking Lot is the only access to the stage finish, there are no back roads or alternate access to the finish line. Get there early and ride your bike to the top we will save you a spot! The road will be shut down at different points making it difficult to drive by car. But your bike can go at anytime. As the peloton approaches you will be asked to clear the road but otherwise you will have unfettered access to the course.

 

Mt. Baldy will also be hosting a bike festival and debuting their new MTB and Cyclocross course. Make a day of it and join us!

On Sunday, May 20, LACBC will be hosting a bike valet for Stage 8, the final day of the race. Park your bike with us from 9 AM to 4 PM in front of Nokia Theatre at LA LIVE at 7777 Chick Hearn Court (in between Georgia St. and Figueroa St.). See the spectators' guide map for details. More info on the TOC Stage 8 and route.
More Bike Week and Bike Month Activities
  
It's Bike Week in Los Angeles and Bike Month everywhere! Live every week like it's Bike Week!

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 including beautiful, limited-edition screenprints of the "Tu Familia/Precaucion" PSA from Aaron Kuehn, copies of Where to Bike Los Angeles, and jerseys! All you have to do is make sure that your membership is current and that you're not an LACBC board or staff member. Our next winner could be you!
 
Our first winners for Thursday, May 17th, are:
  • Lindsay P.: winner of a limited-edition Tu Familia screenprint
  • Nisha N.: winner of a copy of Where to Bike Los Angeles
  • Ruben U.: winner of a 2011 LA River Ride jersey 
We'll have more winners next week!
 
Metro Bike Week LA 2012 Events
  • 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! 

For more information, visit www.metro.net/bikes/bike-week.

 

Also check out Bike Week Pasadena presented by C.I.C.L.E. and the City of Pasadena and Long Beach's Bike Month activities presented by Bike Long Beach.

12th Annual Los Angeles River Ride on June 10th: Become the Top Fundraiser and Win a Bicycling Tour of the Tuscan Coast

  

Become the Top Fundraiser & Win a Trip to Italy

 

Courtesy of VBT Walking and Biking Vacations, this year's highest fundraiser will enjoy a 10-day biking tour of Tuscany's spectacular coast, complete with 8 nights of accommodation in 3-to 4-star hotels and a country resort! This prize package includes airfare from New York, most meals, VBT bicycles and helmets, daily route maps and directions, and the assistance of two bilingual trip guides.

 

Set up your fundraising page when you register on Active.com. If you have already registered, but would like to be a fundraiser, click the link to register again and simply scroll down to the Become a Fundraiser category. Active will send you an email letting you know when your page is set up and giving you further instructions on fundraising.

 

Other high fundraisers will win prizes including a new set of DT Swiss wheels and our beautiful River Ride jerseys!

  

Register Today and Get $10 off!

 

In honor of Bike to Work Day, we're offering $10 off registration today! If signing up online, just use the code 10LACBC12.

 

 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)
Facebook Event: link
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].

LACBC Is Hiring a Policy & Campaigns Manager 

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is looking for an energetic and hard working Policy & Campaigns Manager. This person will primarily work on campaigns and community organizing in the City of Los Angeles. We are looking for someone passionate about working with the diverse communities that make up the City of Los Angeles, as well as city and county partners to continue LACBC's efforts to transform Los Angeles into a more bikeable and livable place. In addition, 15% of this position's efforts will be spent organizing outreach and community events in the City of Carson in support of the city's bicycle master plan. 

A detailed description of the position and responsibilities is available here. Please forward this job announcement far and wide!

To Apply:

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and three writing samples in one PDF file to: Alexis Lantz, Planning & Policy Director, at [email protected] and Jennifer Klausner, Executive Director, at [email protected]. The PDF file shall be named as follows: [LastName]_[FirstName]_PolicyCampaigns12.pdf.

 

Receipt of applications will be acknowledged with an email reply. Telephone inquiries are not accepted. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applications must be submitted in the format indicated in order to be considered. The positions will be open until filled, and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Visit www.la-bike.org for more information about the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is an equal opportunity employer, people of color, LGBT, and women applicants are highly encouraged.

Bike Infrastructure & Policy Updates From Around the County

 

South LA: A few weeks ago we reported on new bike lanes on Vermont and Main Streets in South LA. Well BIKAS Los Angeles has found another half mile of bike lanes on 120th Street from Main to Avalon. Read more at BIKAS LA

 

Beverly Hills: Thursday, May 24th the Beverly Hills Planning Commission will consider an overlay zone for the western portion of the former Pacific Electric railroad right-of-way (ROW) that spans Beverly Hills. The planning details are arcane, but it is our last opportunity to re-imagine Santa Monica Boulevard as something other than a freeway for motor traffic and land available for commercial development.

In Orange County, for example, the old West Santa Ana Branch of the Pacific Electric may well be repurposed as a rail-to-trail or even a bus rapid transit route. We would like to present to the Commission a vision of something better: integrated active transportation across the entire corridor, beginning with a demonstration project at thie Western Gateway.

In the last March 8th meeting, the commission was sensitive to preserving pedestrian and cycling uses at the Gateway, but that�s a far cry from vision, and in any case the commission was in flux about what to ask of applicants. We should see that cemented on May 24.

For more information see a Better Bike Beverly Hills post from last year.


This historic transportation corridor deserves better than to have history plowed under. Share your ideas about this key opportunity, if for no other reason than to give our Planning Commission something else to think about besides the applicant�s latest proposal.

Bike Month Riding Tips: Parking Your Bike

According to Bikelaw.com, each year, somewhere between 800,000 and 2 million bikes are stolen and valued at $50 millions dollars. Read up on our tips on parking your bike and how to prevent your bike from being stolen. See the LACBC Blog.

How do you experience Los Angeles on a bike? The most recent issue of Momentum Magazine offers a bicycling guide to Los Angeles penned by local bike blogger and advocate Rick Risemberg. LACBC, the Bicycle Kitchen, the Bike Oven, and CicLAvia all get namedropped as well as some bike-friendly places around LA. Cafe de Leche, Pete's Cafe, and the Library Alehouse all get the thumbs-up as places bicyclists frequent.

Read the article online or, better yet, kick up a copy of Momentum. The article is an even better read in print!
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

  

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

  

Culver City Bike Counts - Volunteers Needed
When: Saturday, May 19; 12 PM to 2 PM
Where: 20 locations across Culver City
Culver City's annual bike count is coming up on Saturday, May 19, and Wednesday, May 23, and volunteers are needed. Please e-mail Helen Kerstein with your availability at H[email protected]. 

  

Santa Monica Spoke Bike Exhibition at Santa Monica Festival 
When: Saturday, May 19; 11 AM to 6 PM
Where: Clover Park - 2600 Ocean Park BoulevardSanta Monica, CA 90405
Santa Monica Spoke will once again hosting a Bike Exhibition at the Santa Monica Festival. SM Spoke will cap off bike week with all kinds of bikey events, which will include a fun, music, workshops and so much more! More info.

  

Nissan Ride Before the Pros
When: Sunday, May 20; 8 AM to 9:30 AM
Where: L.A. LIVE (Start Location)

This event will allow cyclists of all levels to ride on a 5-mile closed circuit course which will be part of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California's eighth and final stage taking place that same day. FREE to participants of all experience levels, the Nissan Ride Before the Pros will begin and end at the official finish line where the professional riders competing in the 2012 Amgen Tour of California will cross to complete the 42.6-mile stage they started in Beverly Hills on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills earlier that day. More info and to register.

  

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.

 

Culver City Bike Counts - Volunteer Needed

When: Wednesday, May 23; 7 AM to 9 PM and 4 PM to 6 PM

Where: 20 locations across Culver City

Culver City's annual bike count is coming up on Saturday, May 19, and Wednesday, May 23, and volunteers are needed. Please e-mail Helen Kerstein with your availability at H[email protected]. 

  

(it) Magazine Presents Greening Your City: Biking Los Angeles

When: Saturday, May 26; 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM

Where: Lineage Performing Arts Center - 89 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, 91107

(it) Magazine invites you to join us at a special Bike Month wrap-up event celebrating LA and Pasadena's bike plans. With special guest moderator Ed Begley Jr., an exclusive (it) Magazine video screening and a public panel featuring Jennifer Klausner, LACBC Executive Director, and Gil Garcetti, former LA District Attorney and the photographer/author of Paris: Women & BicyclesThey will be joined by representatives from the city of Pasadena and local bike advocacy groups. Learn what's needed next to make our cities more bike friendly, and find out how you can be part of the solution! More info.

 

East Valley Hansen Dam Sunday Funday Ride

When: Sunday, June 3; Meet at 8:30 AM, ride at 9:00 AM

Where: Meet in front of the entrance to the North Hollywood Metro Station on Lankershim and Chandler in North Hollywood

Save the date for our next Sunday Funday Ride that will explore the San Fernando Valley over roughly 23 miles. We'll have more details in upcoming newsletters.

   

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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