LACBC
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter

October 18, 2012 

In this issue
Los Angeles Receives Bronze-Level Distinction as a Bicycle Friendly Community, Claremont Moves Up to Silver
LACBC Calls for Bike Safety on Pacific Coast Highway
City of LA Bike Parking Ordinance Heads to City Council
Bike Updates from Around the County: New Green Bike Lane Installed at UCLA Campus
New Bike Crash Support Group to Start Meeting Soon, Call to Join
Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition on Bike Talk this Saturday
LACBC Members: Save on Portuguese and Italian Cuisine at Euro Cafe in Claremont
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: A Four-Year-Old's Unbridled Joy for Mountain Biking
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

Los Angeles Receives Bronze-Level Distinction as a Bicycle Friendly Community, Claremont Moves Up to Silver

 

Los Angeles Wins s Bronze

 

Today it was announced that the League of American Bicyclists has awarded Los Angeles Bronze-level distinction as a Bicycle Friendly Community. Last year, Los Angeles was awarded an honorable mention from the League.

 

This morning, the League and the City of Los Angeles held a press conference in MacArthur Park to celebrate the progress that has been made in Los Angeles over the years.

 

LACBC is proud of the City's accomplishments so far, but we're far from done. New bike projects are on their way, for the first time creating a connected citywide network of bikeways like we have started to see in downtown. This award is well deserved, but we must now take it to the next level using all "Five E's" outlined in the Bicycle Plan: Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Encouragement, and Evaluation. We thank the League of American Bicyclists for honoring the City's hard work and hope they'll be back in future years with another color of metal.

 

Check out our press release on the LACBC blog, and see photos of the press conference on the LACBC Facebook page.

 

If you'd like to help and speak up for the City of LA's progress, please join the Neighborhood Bike Ambassador program, which works to make sure that the 2010 Bike Plan is implemented, among many other things.

 

Claremont Improves to Silver

 

Congratulations are also in order to the City of Claremont, which moved up from a Bronze to a Silver! For years, Claremont has been creating a safer space to bike with improved bicycle facilities like LA County's first Bike Station.

 

If you'd like to help make Claremont an even better place to ride, join our local chapter Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition, which is working  in Claremont and surrounding cities to create a more bike-friendly region.

LACBC Calls for Bike Safety on Pacific Coast Highway

LACBC is deeply saddened by the fatal collision between a bicyclist and a Metro bus on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Malibu on Saturday. Preliminary reports indicate that triathlete Marisela Echeverria of Cypress Park was maneuvering around parked cars on the shoulder of the highway when her wheel was caught in a pavement seam and she was thrown toward the passing bus. We send our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and teammates.

 

Pacific Coast Highway is a notoriously dangerous street for all travelers, and particularly challenging for people on bicycles. Outdated road design, inconsistent shoulders, and high motor vehicle speeds are a perilous combination for people walking or riding along the highway. Since the 2005 deaths of Scott Bleifer and Stanislav Ionov, LACBC has worked with stakeholders to improve conditions for bicyclists on the highway. This week, LACBC renewed our call for safe, predictable, and continuous accommodation for bicyclists on PCH.

 

For our complete statement, please see the LACBC blog . If you would like to help our campaign to improve safety on Pacific Coast Highway, please email [email protected].

City of LA Bike Parking Ordinance Heads to City Council

We have been following and advocating for the Bicycle Parking Ordinance for quite some time, and we are glad that this week the ordinance was approved by the City of LA Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee. Last week, it was approved by the Transportation Committee.

The next stop is City Council! We'll keep you updated as to when it will be presented to City Council.

Bike Updates from Around the County: New Green Bike Lane Installed at UCLA Campus

UCLA Campus: Last week, a green bike lane and box were installed on the UCLA campus on the eastbound side of Strathmore Place between Charles E. Young Drive and Westwood Plaza. The road is one of the most used entrances to campus and crosses through the Strathmore Tunnel. Read more in the Daily Bruin.
 
Carson 
Carson: The Carson Master Plan of Bikeways is currently underway and the city is continually looking for your participation.  This month, Carson will be conducting bicycle counts to gather existing bicycling and pedestrian information. Volunteers are needed to capture this data and that is where you come in! Counts will be held on Wednesday, October 24 from 7 AM to 9 AM and 3 PM to 6 PM, and Saturday, October 27 from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. To Volunteer, sign up on our VolunteerSpot page. Questions? Please email Alek at [email protected] or call him at the office at (213) 629-2142.
 

LynwoodCount
Lynwood: LACBC, the City of Lynwood, and the LA County Department of Public Health will be conducting bike and ped counts this October in Lynwood in order to collect data to improve biking and walking. Thanks to all who have signed up  for the Bike Count. All the volunteer slots are full for Wednesday, October 24 from 7 AM to 9 AM and 4 PM to 6 PM, and Saturday, October 27 from 12 noon to 2 PM. If you were interested in volunteering, please sign up to volunteer for the Carson Bike Count instead (details above). We need YOU in Carson!
New Bike Crash Support Group to Start Meeting Soon, Call to Join

Have you been in a bicycle collision and not feeling quite the same?

 

Join us in a space for individuals who have been involved in a bicycle collision, and come together to learn, heal and support each other.

  • Share your experiences and resources with others who may be suffering from similar symptoms.
  • Gain insight and understanding about emotional and psychological trauma and grief. 
  • Develop new coping strategies.
  • Participate in a safe, supportive and nonjudgmental environment.
  • All are welcome.

When: This group meets Saturdays, 11:30 AM - 1 PM
Where: 6310 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 401, Los Angeles, 90048

Contact: Aurisha Smolarski, MFT Intern # 68603, at 323.203.1526 or [email protected] for more information.

 

This support group is brought to you by The Aten Group Comprehensive Psychological Services and LACBC.

 

Current LACBC members receive a discount.

 

The group will begin meeting soon, so call Aurisha to join!

Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition on Bike Talk this Saturday

Co-producers Nicholas Richert & Mark Elliot (of Better Bike Beverly Hills) invite you to listen to the new (and improved!) Bike Talk hour long podcast every Saturday from 10 AM - Noon (PST) via internet radio at killradio.org. Please visit the new Bike Talk audio & show notes site at biketalk.com

This Saturday, October 20th, local LACBC chapter Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition will be on the show and updating you all on what's happening in the Pomona Valley. Be sure to listen in at killradio.org, or find the archived show afterwards here.
LACBC Members: Save on Portuguese and Italian Cuisine at Euro Cafe in Claremont

Claremont is a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community and for good reason. In addition to supporting bicycle facilities, we've noticed that Claremont has bicycle friendly businesses like the Euro Cafe, which now offers a 10% discount off your entire bill if you are an LACBC member. Show your valid LACBC card, and save! Thank you to the Joey and Euro Cafe!

Also, remember to check out other member discounts at la-bike.org/discounts
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: A Four-Year-Old's Unbridled Joy in Mountain Biking 

Hellion First Ramp
Hellion First Ramp
Sometimes we have a tendency to watch online videos without any sound. (You know what I'm talking about: you're watching a video around other people--possibly at work--and you don't have headphones.)
 
For this video, please listen to the sounds of a 4-year-old kid biking with his dad, having the time of his life. "I did it, Dad!" Malcom yells. "I love this!"
 
We love this kind of enthusiasm, and watching this video just makes us more enthusiastic for life.
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

   

LA Bike Festival
When: October 20 & 21
Where: Pomona Fairgrounds
Come to the LA Bike Fest and check out the Bike Polo Westside Invite tournament, Spooky-Kross, Steeplecross Run, a Velo Swap, and more! Local chapter Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition is managing the Velo Swap meet and can use sellers and buyers. More info here and on the Facebook event page

Orange-A-Thon Walk/Run/Bicycle & Fund Raiser 
When: 
Saturday, October 20
Where: Chatsworth Train Depot - 10046 Old Dept Plaza Road, Chatsworth, 91311
The Orange-A-Thon, hosted by YES, Inc., provides an opportunity to introduce families to biking and walking to help lower emissions and improve the environment. Features 1.5-3 mile rides and walks, plus a 25-mile Fixie Ride. All participants receive t-shirts, THRIVE Water Bottles, and a raffle ticket for prizes. The registration fees: $20 for adults, $15 for teens ages 15-18, $5 for kids ages 10-14 and $0 for children ages 1-9, or a family package $25 for 2 parents and 2 children. All but $5 is donated to the school or Police Activities League of the register's choice. More info. 

Lynwood Bike & Pedestrian Count
When: Wednesday, October 24; 7 AM to 9 AM & 4 PM to 6 PM and Saturday, October 27; 12 PM to 2 PM
More info in newsletter.

Carson Bike & Pedestrian Count
When: Wednesday, October 24; 7 Am to 9 AM & 3 PM to 6 PM and Saturday, October 27; 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM
More info in newsletter.

 

Multicultural Communities for Mobility 3rd Annual Bicycle Awards
When: Wednesday, October 24; 7 PM
Where: La Fonda Supper Club - 2501 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90057

Join MCM (formerly the City of Lights program) to celebrate several years of empowering low-income cyclists! This fundraiser will celebrate the efforts of all of our honorees for making the city more bicycle friendly. Honorees include: Michelle Mowery from LADOT, super bicycle lawyer Howard Krepack from GEK, and John Jones III from Eastside Riders BC. Walk the green carpet at 6:00 PM and take pictures of yourself and friends! Dinner program will begin at 7 PM. Get your tickets here.

 
CicLAvia Pomona-Claremont Exploratory Ride 
When: Sunday, October 28; 9:30 AM
Where: Meet at Claremont Metrolink Station - 200 W. 1st St., Claremont, 91711
Come out to a CicLAvia Exploratory Ride starting in downtown Claremont. PVBC is supporting the CicLAvia sub-committee and helping them host a ride to explore the proposed route. The ride will start in downtown Claremont to South Pomona and back. It should take less then 3 hours to complete the ride. Did we tell you it's Halloween-themed? Come in your best bike-able Halloween costume and join us on this fun ride. More info here and on the Facebook event page.
 
Haunted Bike Ride (A Sunday Funday Ride Moved to Saturday)
When: Saturday, November 3; meet at 4 PM
Where: meeting location TBD
Our ED Jen Klausner wants to lead a fun and spooky nighttime ride, but she also wants to make sure that you don't sleep through yout alarm when you have to get to work the next morning. That's why we're moving our monthly Sunday Funday Ride to the first Saturday this November! We will be visiting some special haunted destinations. Dirt-worthy bikes are recommended though, especially for one of our most scary destinations. Be aware that there's some climbing and descending required for this route. Please bring front and back lights, as it will get dark. More details to follow in next week's e-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 Director
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

[email protected]

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