LACBC
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter

August 16, 2012 

In this issue
ACTION ITEM: Expo Phase II Bikeway at Risk of Serious Compromise
Bike Infrastructure and Policy Updates from Around the County
Kick-Off Meetings for Neighborhood Bike Ambassador Program Scheduled
The Sunday Fungay Ride: A Celebration of Bikes and Gay LA
Welcome to Our New Development Manager, Kelly Martin!
LACBC Members Save at DTLA Bikes
Join LACBC's Ride Marshal Team
Ride Your Bike to Grand Performances, Park It at LACBC Bike Valet
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Walk Bike Glendale & Safe Routes to School Featured on KABC News Segment
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities
ACTION ITEM: Expo Phase II Bikeway at Risk of Serious Compromise
TdF
For years LA cyclists have been providing enthusiastic support for the Expo Bikeway, looking forward to the day when we'll have a high-quality, safe bikeway from Downtown LA to Santa Monica once Phase II of the Expo Line is completed. For years, we have been urging Expo and Metro to integrate the bikeway at the earliest stages to avoid conflicts with the light rail facilities.

Unfortunately, this project is moving so fast now that numerous opportunities for better integrating the bikeway are at risk of being lost as highly compromised bikeway plans are being rushed to construction (see below). We need to get the attention of the Expo Board of Directors so that better solutions are found and implemented before it is too late!


Please email the Expo Directors by Tuesday, August 21st, using this letter or your own words:

Sample letter:

Dear Expo Directors,

For years cyclists have been looking forward to the Expo Bikeway giving us a safe, convenient bikeway from Downtown to Santa Monica. This facility will be a key feature of the system for bringing riders to the Expo train without creating car trips. And for years we have been providing input on this project, stressing the need to integrate the bikeway at the earliest stages so that it is not compromised by missed opportunities.

Now we are learning that current plans for the Expo Bikeway will create unacceptable conditions at several locations if steps are not taken immediately to find better solutions. Routing cyclists into the crowded plaza at Westwood will most certainly create conflicts with the high volume of pedestrians that are expected at this station. At Centinela, a conflict with traffic has been created when a new driveway to the train maintenance yard was added right where cyclists are planned to cross the road. And Pico-Gateway needs carefully designed improvements to get cyclists across this complex intersection without creating unworkable bottlenecks and tedious diversions.

I am extremely concerned that these unacceptable plans are being rushed to construction. We must not waste this opportunity to create a high-quality bicycle facility that will benefit generations of community members. Please direct your very capable staff and consultants to immediately work on finding better solutions before it is too late!

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Send to:

Expo
And if you can make it (we know it's early!) please come to the next Expo Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting and ask to speak on these issues.

       When: Tuesday, August 21, 2012; 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Where: Skanska-Rados Joint Venture Field Office - 11390 W. Olympic Blvd., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Read more about the Expo Bikeway and some background information on the LACBC blog.
Bike Infrastructure and Policy Updates from Around the County


Marina del Rey: Bike lanes, including a a segment that will be buffered, are currently being installed on Fiji Way. Read more in the BikingInLA blog.

 

Alhambra 

Alhambra: The City of Alhambra has embarked on creating its first-ever Bike Master Plan! Come to this weekend's community meeting, and provide input on how to make Alhambra more bike-friendly. Come to the meeting on Saturday, August 18, from 4 PM to 8 PM, at Edwards Renaissance Courtyard at 1 East Main Street in Alhambra. See Facebook event.

 

Additionally, especially if you cannot make the meeting, take the online survey to provide feedback.

 

Culver City: Jefferson Blvd. will soon see some bike and ped improvements, including 0.8-mile bike lanes between Duquesne and Higuera, as part of the the Jefferson Blvd. Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Improvements Project. More info.

 

Culver City: The section of the Ballona Creek Bike Path that was previously under construction through Overland has been repaved and is now open and ready to ride! Thanks to Ken for the Tweet.

 

West LA: Preliminary bike lane markings have been marked on Ohio between Bundy and Centinela, where the street becomes Broadway as it crosses into Santa Monica. These lanes should connect with the Broadway bike lanes to downtown Santa Monica. Thanks to Niall Huffman for the Tweet.

 

Carson
Carson: The City of Carson has been awarded the 2012 Caltrans Community-Based Transportation Planning (CBTP) Grant to create the city's first Master Plan of Bikeways since 1978! The first community "ideas and suggestions" meeting for the Master Plan of Bikeways will be on Saturday, September 8 from 11 AM - 12:30 PM at the Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center, Multi-Purpose Room #111. Also, complete a short online survey to share your thoughts on bicycling in Carson. More info.
Kick-Off Meetings for Neighborhood Bike Ambassador Program Scheduled

If you want to make your City of Los Angeles neighborhood a better place to ride, join our Neighborhood Bike Ambassador program! The Neighborhood Bike Ambassador program is a new way for LACBC members & volunteers to work on neighborhood-scale projects and organize local support for bike projects and LACBC campaigns in the City of Los Angeles. 

  

We have scheduled kick-off meetings for 5 different regions in the City of Los Angeles: Eastside/Northeast LA, Central LA, South LA, the Westside, and the Valley. Here are the following meetings for your region:

 

Valley Meeting

When: Monday, August 20; 7 PM  

Where: 6150 Van Nuys Blvd., 91411 

(enter the building off of Calvert St. and look for the auditorium) 

    

West Meeting    

When: Monday, August 27; 7 PM
Where: UCLA's School of Public Affairs (Faculty Lounge Room 5391) - 651 Charles E. Young Drive, 90095  

(enter at the Wyton/Hilgard intersection)     

  

South  Meeting    
When: Wednesday, August 29; 7 PM

Where: USC's Gerontolgy (GER) Building Room 230 - 3715 McClintock Avenue, 90089
(the GER building is one building directly above the corner building on Exposition and S. Vermont)  

 

Central Meeting*   

When: Tuesday, September 4; 7 PM (if you want to meet at 6:30 we can take a ride up to Yucca Street!)
Where: Hollywood Field Office, Hollywood Community Room - 6501 Fountain Avenue, 90028 

  

East Meeting*
When: Thursday, September 20; 7 PM
Where: The Flying Pigeon - 3404 N. Figueroa St., 90065

   

*Some of you asked for some clarity over the East and Central regions for the program.  To help, here is a breakdown by neighborhood - not all are mentioned of course but this gives you an idea.

  

East - Northeast LA, Boyle Heights, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Elysian Valley, Atwater Village 

Central - Downtown, Mid-City, Hollywood, La Brea

 

  We hope to see you there!

The Sunday FunGay Ride: A Celebration of Bikes and Gay LA Fungay

Take a bike tour of gay LA led by LACBC Board Member Herbie Huff! This ride begins in Pershing Square in downtown LA and ends in West Hollywood, where we'll see if we can handle the infamous Hamburger Mary's Drag Queen Brunch. We'll take brief stops along the way to hear about 1) local queer history and 2) bike advocacy in West Hollywood with local chapter West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition. Ride will be relaxed and roughly 12-15 miles in length from Downtown LA to West Hollywood. Riders afterwards can ride with the group, ride back on their own, or take the Metro #4 bus back to downtown LA.
 
When: Sunday, September 2; Meet at 10:00 AM; Ride at 10:30 AM
Where: northeast corner of Pershing Square (near the intersection of 5th and Hill)

 

RSVP: To RSVP or volunteer as ride support, please contact Carol Feucht, Membership & Communications Manager, 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.

Welcome to Our New Development Manager, Kelly Martin!

Bienvenidos to our new Development Manager, Kelly Martin! Kelly has worked with LACBC on projects like La Bici Digna, Bici Libre and the River Ride through the Bicycle Kitchen as a longtime volunteer (Cook) and first-ever paid employee. There, in the role of Operations Facilitator, she did all kinds of tasks on behalf of the Cooks, including grant-writing, fundraising and events. Before switching gears to nonprofit work she spent almost ten years as a freelance visual researcher and graphic designer.

 

Kelly has been a commuting cyclist all her life. Growing up her family was car-free until her father got his driver's license when she was 16. It wasn't until re-locating to Southern California for graduate school (she holds an MFA in Studio Art) that she purchased her first car. But she did not feel truly at home here or find her people until she got back on a bike. By night Kelly turns into an old time zombie, playing guitar in the trio, Triple Chicken Foot.

LACBC Members Save at DTLA Bikes

Welcome to LACBC's newest Business Partner, DTLA Bikes! LACBC members now save 10% off all accessories at their store at 425 S. Broadway in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

If you've signed up recently for LACBC membership at an event and received a set of bike lights with your membership, DTLA Bikes having been providing the lights to LACBC at wholesale price.

Check out more LACBC member discounts at la-bike.org/discounts.

Over the past year we've been developing our Marshal Team, starting with Tour de Taste and the LA River Ride. We want it to grow into a force to be reckoned with, made up of strong riders with marshaling, bike mechanic, and first-aid skills. We will be hosting training rides, providing bike maintenance classes, first aid courses, and outfitting you with an official team jersey and all the bike tools you'll need along the way.  

Please join us for our final orientation ride on either September 8th, where we will be joining the East LA community ride. Please RSVP to [email protected]

 

When: Friday and Saturday Evenings June-August   
Where: Grand Performances at California Plaza - 350 S. Grand, Los Angeles, 90071
  
LACBC has partnered with Grand Performances for a sweet series of bike valets this summer! Every Friday and Saturday night from now until the end of August, Grand Performances will be hosting FREE concerts, film screenings, dance performances, etc. at the outdoor California Plaza in Downtown LA, and we'll be providing the bike valet! 

To find our bike valet, enter California Plaza off of Grand Ave., walk up the steps south of Blue Cow, and find us in front of the Deloitte Building.

Check out the schedule of Grand Performances with bike valet below and head over to their website for more info: GrandPerformances.org.

         

  

Volunteer for Bike Valet! In order to offer bike valet, we'll need your help! We have two shifts for each valet: 7-9 PM and 9-11 PM. Email [email protected] to sign up! 
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Walk Bike Glendale & Safe Routes to School Featured on KABC7 News Segment

This month, kids will be returning back to school (if they haven't already), we'll be reminded of this fact due to traffic congestion around schools at peak hours. This week, KABC7 highlighted the efforts to make biking and walking to school safer in Glendale, citing the efforts of local LACBC chapter Walk Bike Glendale and the Safe Routes to School Program. In the segment, local Glendale leader and parent Kara Sergile (whose Glendale community-organizing has previously been covered in Sunset Magazine) talks about how she got started in making conditions safer for her kids to walk and bike to school. 

R.D. White Elementary School in Glendale has walking school bus trains every Friday with over 100 participants, and some families even organize bike trains. Check out the video
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

  

Alhambra Bike Master Plan Community Meeting
When:
Saturday, August 18; 4 PM to 8 PM 
See more info in newsletter.


Cause for Creativity: Tour da Arts, Vol. 4

When: Sunday, August 19; 12 PM to 6 PM
Where: Santa Monica Museum of Art - 
Beat the pump, cycle the town, and enjoy Santa Monica's sights and sounds with Cause for Creativity: Tour da Arts. The Santa Monica Museum of Art's fourth annual event underscores the creative side of bike culture and takes you on a ride filled with music, dance, and art. Register here and find more info. 


Expo Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting

When: Tuesday, August 21; 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM 

More info in newsletter.


Safer, Kinder Silver Lake Streets Design Charrette
  

When:
Saturday, August 25; 10 AM to 1 PM 

Where:
Silver Lake Public Library, Plaza and Community Room - 2411 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, 90039
Join Los Angeles Walks and the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council for a "meet the candidates" session and what city council candidates have to say about making our streets safer of people walking, biking, taking transit and driving.  After the session, participate in a for a Safer, Kinder Streets Design Presentation and Charrette. More info

Cycle City at Fiesta la Ballona
When: Saturday, August 25; 12 PM to 6 PM
Where: Veteran's Park, 4117 Overland Avenue, Culver City 
Join local chapter Culver City Bicycle Coalition and other local bike organizations and shops for the "Pedal in the Park" as part of Fiesta la Ballona! You can ride, park, decorate, attend workshops, and more! All activities are FREE! For a complete schedule, visit the 
Fiesta website. Check out the CCBC website for info on feeder rides and bike activities. CCBc is also looking for volunteers to help run its booth on Sunday, so if you'd like to volunteer, email [email protected].

Bike-In Movie Screening of "To Live and Ride in LA"
When: Saturday, August 25; 6 PM to 10 PM
Where: Palomares Park (northwest corner of the park, just south of the tennis courts) - Pomona
Ride your bikes to an outdoor movie screening hosted by local chapter Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition. Bring yourself, your bike, your friends, a blanket to sit on, and money for snacks, raffle and donations. Secure Bike Valet will be available. See Facebook event.

The Sunday Fungay Ride: A Celebration of Bikes and Gay LA

When: Sunday, September 2; Meet at 10 AM, Ride at 10:30 AM
More info in newsletter.

LACBC Board Meeting
When:
Wednesday, September 5; 6:45 PM

Where: LACBC Headquarters, Mezzanine Level - 634 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, 90014 
Mark your calendars! September's LACBC Board Meeting has been re-scheduled for September 5.


Carson Bike Master Plan Community Meeting
When: Saturday, September 8; 11 AM to 12:30 PM
More info in newsletter.

National Women's Bicycling Summit
When: Thursday, September 13; 2:30 PM
Where: Long Beach Convention Center - 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, 90802 
This half-day event will be hosted by the League of American Bicyclists and APBP, in partnership with
 Women on Bikes SoCal and Pro Walk/Pro Bike. It will feature targeted break-out sessions and a keynote address. It will bridge the worlds of style and advocacy with the Cycle Chic Fashion Show and give participants the chance to network at a post-show after party. Register here.

Tour de Fat Los Angeles
When: Saturday, September 15; 10 AM to 5 PM
Where: Los Angeles Historic State Park
Bikes, beers, and costumes! Enjoy New Belgium's bike party that benefits LACBC, CICLE, and the Bicycle Kitchen. More info.

CicLAvia 10.07.12
When: Sunday, October 7; 10 AM to 3 PM
Where: Downtown LA, South LA, MacArthur Park, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights
LA's biggest block party just moved up a week and features a modified route that hits South LA and explores more of Boyle Heights. Visit CicLAvia.org for more info.
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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