LACBC
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter

August 29, 2013 

In this issue
Los Angeles Bike and Pedestrian Count on September 10th & 14th - Volunteers Needed in the Valley and South L.A.
Sunday Funday: The Filipino Pride Ride Is this Sunday, September 1st
Bike Updates from Around L.A. County: Support Proposed Bike Lanes on Virgil Ave.
ACTION ITEM: Urge Governor Brown to "Give Me 3"
Join LACBC or Renew Your LACBC Membership to Score a Trip to Tour de Fat - San Diego!
Thanks for Attending "What Do Elected Officials Want to Hear?"
Thanks for Celebrating the Launch of Active Streets L.A.
Take a FREE Bicycle Safety Class this Summer
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Damian Kevitt Is Back on a Bike
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

Los Angeles Bike and Pedestrian Count on September 10th & 14th - Volunteers Needed in the Valley and South L.A.

BikeCounts

   

Who Gets Counted Counts!

 

Have you ever heard someone complain that they never see people on bikes on a certain street? Or that nobody walks in L.A.? Well, help LACBC and Los Angeles Walks collect data to see just how many people are really riding bikes and walking in the City of Los Angeles!

 

Volunteer for the 2013 Los Angeles Bike and Pedestrian Count! And get your friends and co-workers to join you.

 

The dates for the L.A. Bike & Ped Count are:

  • Tuesday, September 10, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
  • Tuesday, September 10, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, September 14, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
How you can help:
 

1. Sign Up to Volunteer!

We have over 100 locations (see map) all across the City of Los Angeles, and there are three counttimes for each one. We need hundreds of volunteers to make sure that people on bikes and people on foot are getting counted. Most locations only require 1 volunteer, so shifts will fill up fast. Sign up soon to get the location and time you want! Right now we especially need volunteers to sign up for shifts in the San Fernando Valley and South L.A.

 

Sign up for a count shift!

  

All volunteers will get a super fresh Bike & Ped Count t-shirt and an exclusive invite to our bumpin' post-count volunteer party!

  

1a. Sign Up to Attend a Volunteer Orientation!
After you've signed up for a shift, sign up for a Volunteer Orientation. We've changed the method for data collection for this count, so all volunteers are required to attend an orientation, even if you've done bike & ped counts with us in the past. Note that you don't have to sign up for an orientation in your count area. All orientations will be the same - just sign up for the location that is most convenient for you. 
  • Wednesday, September 4, 6:30 p.m.: Fire Station No. 89 - 7063 N. Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood, 91605 (Valley)
  • Wednesday, September 4, 6:30 p.m.: Glassell Senior Citizen Center - 3750 Verdugo Rd., 90065 (East)
  • Thursday, September 5, 6:30 p.m.: Westside Pavilion (Community Room A, Level 3, east end of the main mall behind the food court) - 10800 West Pico Blvd., Suite 312, Los Angeles, CA 90064 (West)
  • Thursday, September 5, 6:30 p.m.: LACBC Headquarters, Mezzanine Level - 634 S. Spring St., Downtown L.A.  (Central)
  • Saturday, September 7, 9:30 a.m.: TRUST South L.A. - 4331 S. Main St., South L.A., 90037 (South)
  • Saturday, September 7, 2 p.m.: Southeast L.A. - Watts WorkSource Center - 10950 S. Central Ave., Watts, 90059 (South)

2. Spread the Word.

Share this link or our Facebook event with your friends and encourage them to join in on the bike and ped count fun! Also, feel free to pass around this half-sheet flier.

 

3. Donate to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Count.

It takes time, energy, and resources to make the bicycle and pedestrian count happen! It costs roughly $25 to fund a count location, and we have over 120 locations this year. Make a donation to LACBC for a donation that really goes a long way and counts.

 

Thank you to our amazing sponsors: Pocrass & de Los Reyes, Fehr & Peers, Stantec, and Flying Pigeon.

 

Thank you to our individual donors who have sponsored an intersection: Bruce Chan, Kevin Burton, and John Hall!

 

Get your data collection on!

 

Quick Links:

Sunday Funday: The Filipino Pride Ride Is this Sunday, September 1st

 SundayFunday

Join us for a 20-mile, slow-paced Sunday Funday Ride through Historic Filipinotown and Eagle Rock. Led by LACBC board member Herbie Huff, this ride will explore some of L.A.'s Filipino neighborhoods and celebrate Filipino history and culture in Los Angeles. Stops include Filipino bakeries for snacks, Filipino-owned businesses, the Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamanamural in Unidad Park, and more, possibly with an optional late lunch at L.A. Rose Cafe

 

When: Sunday, September 1; meet at 9:30 a.m., ride at 10:00 a.m.

Where: meet at United Bread & Pastry (at Sunset Triangle Plaza) - 1515 Griffith Park Blvd, Silver Lake, CA 90026

 

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

Communications Director, at [email protected]. Or RSVP to the Facebook event.

 

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.

Bike Updates from Around L.A. County: Support Proposed Bike Lanes on Virgil Ave.
VirgilVillage 
Virgil Village: District 13 Council Office has scheduled a community meeting to hear feedback on the proposed bike and pedestrian improvements on Virgil Avenue, which includes bicycle lanes between Santa Monica and Melrose.

Councilmember O'Farrell needs to see that the community supports this project, this key linkage in the bike network (these Virgil lanes would connect to the Santa Monica and Sunset bike lanes), and a safer Virgil Ave. for all road users.

Virgil Village Bicycle Lane Proposal
When: Tuesday, September 10th; 7 p.m. (come after counting bicyclists and pedestrians with us)
Where: Lockwood Elementary School - Multi Purpose Center, 4345 Lockwood Avenue, 90029 (map)
RSVP to our Facebook event and help spread the word.

Valley: Folks in the Valley are invited to meet with LAPD and Orange Line officials on Tuesday September 3rd at 6 p.m. RSVP with Glenn Bailey for updates - [email protected].

When: Tuesday, September 3; 6 p.m.
Where: LAPD Van Nuys Division (exact location TBA very soon)

Meet with LAPD Deputy Chief Jorge Villegas and Metro Orange Line officials to discuss and improve the handling of:
  • traffic enforcement to ensure cyclist safety
  • hit and run collisions/crimes
  • bicycle thefts
  • improving safety on the Orange Line and other bicycle paths in the Valley 
  • safety education for motorists and cyclists 
  • and other topics of interest to bicyclists 
Pasadena: The City of Pasadena's Department of Transportation is seeking volunteers from all neighborhood associations to sit on a Bicycle Transportation Plan Advisory Committee as it begins to modify the Pasadena Draft Bicycle Transportation Plan. DOT was given direction from City Council to take a bold approach to our future bikeways. Interested individuals please contact Rich Dilluvio, Senior Transportation Planner, at 626-744-7254 or [email protected]. More info.
 


You can submit questions and comments by email ([email protected]) or through the online comment and question form.

 
Malibu: The City of Malibu, in collaboration with the Southern California Association of Governments, is conducting the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Safety Study along PCH to examine current road conditions, determine accident patterns, assess traffic conflicts, and develop strategies to improve safety. 
 
Be sure to provide input on PCH safety through Malibu's interactive online website by September 16th.
 
West Hollywood: If you live or ride in West Hollywood, take this short survey from our local chapter West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition to share your thoughts on biking and walking in WeHo! 
 
Marina del Rey: Do you live/play/work in Marina Del Rey? The County of L.A. wants to hear from you!  Contribute ideas on how to make Marina Del Rey more bike-friendly at http://www.envisionmdr.com.
ACTION ITEM: Urge Governor Brown to "Give Me 3"

AB 1371, the 3-foot passing bill, was passed by the California State Senate this week, and now heads to the Assembly for concurrence before another 3-foot passing bill heads to Governor Brown's desk. 

AB 1371, known as the Three Feet for Safety Act, establishes a buffer zone of at least three feet that motorists must maintain between their vehicle and bicycles they wish to pass.

 

Twenty-one other states already have laws that specify a minimum passing distance for drivers passing bicyclists.

 

Please contact Governor Jerry Brown, and tell him you support AB 1371!


Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173 
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-445-2841 office phone (call between 9 AM & 5 PM) 
916-558-3160 office fax
Emails may be sent here.

Join LACBC or Renew Your Membership to Score a Trip to Tour de Fat - San Diego

 

One more LACBC member! 

 

Join LACBC or renew your LACBC membership to help make L.A. County a healthy, safe, and fun place to bike and for a chance to score a trip for two to Tour de Fat - San Diego on September 28th!

 

Anyone who becomes an LACBC member or renews a membership now through September 12, 2013 will automatically be entered 5 times into a drawing to win a trip for two to New Belgium's Tour de Fat in San Diego. The winner and a guest, plus their bicycles, will travel on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train, enjoy two nights at the swanky Omni San Diego Hotel, and follow their folly at New Belgium's Tour de Fat - San Diego, a bike and beer festival that has no equal.

 

 

Tour de Fat - San Diego takes place on Saturday, September 28th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Golden Hill Park and benefits our friends at the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and the San Diego Mountain Biking Association.

 

Get more information about the sweepstakes here. Raffle tickets will also be sold at events where LACBC is present through September 12th.

 

Many thanks to Amtrak California and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition for sponsoring the sweepstakes.

Thanks for Attending "What Do Elected Officials Want to Hear?"

 

Thanks to everyone who came out to our latest Speaker Series event, "What Do Elected Officials Want to Hear?"

 

Thanks to the following people who took time out of their busy schedules to share their insights with us: Paul Backstrom, Transportation Policy Director for the Office of City of L.A. Councilmember Mike Bonin; Laura Friedman, City of Glendale Councilmember; Marlen Garcia, City of Baldwin Park Councilmember; and Justin Hager, Communications Director for the Office of CA Assemblymember Mike Gatto.

 

We had a great night and we learned a lot about messaging, the importance of running well-organized campaigns, what groups complement bike and pedestrian advocacy, and who we should be working more with.
 
Also, thanks to Angel City Brewing for coming and providing us with refreshments and the LACBC Planning Committee for bringing us this event!
 
You can see photos on the LACBC Facebook Page.
Thanks for Celebrating the Launch of Active Streets L.A.

Over 80 people gathered at Angeles Mesa Elementary this Saturday to celebrate the Couth L.A. launch of Active Streets L.A.! The day included hula-hooping, using science to make frozen yogurt, a bike ride, a walk, lunch, and other fun activities to help get South L.A. excited about being active.

The Active Streets L.A. partners of LACBC, TRUST South L.A., Los Angeles Department of Transportation, and the L.A. Department of Public Health were presented with a certificate commemorating the launch of the program by a representative from the office of 54th district Assembly member Holly Mitchell.

You can check out all of our photos on our Facebook page.

The next event will take place in October so stay tuned.
Take a FREE Bicycle Safety Class this Summer

For the summer of 2013, LACBC and Metro are proud to offer a series of FREE bicycle safety classes. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  
 
LACBC is offering two different classes to choose from. "Street Cycling Skills" is an in-depth 8-hour course that will teach you how to safely ride in all traffic conditions, check your bike for common mechanical problems, and covers a range of bicycle handling skills including emergency maneuvers. We recently added classes in Hawthorne and El Monte. "Bicycling on the Road: Need to Know" is a 3-hour class that covers the essentials of safe riding. We recently added classes in Gardena, Lawndale, and Beverly Hills. All classes are lead by certified instructors and include classroom instruction as well as instruction on the bike. All students will receive a free helmet, bike lights, and educational materials. Pre-registration is required for all classes.

Go to our Bicycle Safety Classes page for more details and to register for a class today! Check the website, as well as the "Need to Know" and "Street Cycling Skills" Facebook events, for updates.
 
For more information on classes offered through the OTS Grant awarded to METRO, please visit the following page.
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Damian Kevitt Is Back on a Bike

Last February, Damian Kevitt was riding his bike by the L.A. Zoo when a motorist in a Toyota Sienna minivan hit him and dragged Damian under his van for 600 feet before fleeing from the scene of the collision. As a result of this horrific hit-and-run collision, Damian spent four months in the hospital His leg was amputated, and his body is now covered in skin grafts and scars.

Damian, however, still manages to have a positive outlook on life. Damian's mother sent us this video from KABC7, which checked in on him and found that he is walking and biking with a prosthetic leg. He credits the support of thousands of strangers for helping him have the strength to walk again. "I actually really learned that a majority of people out there are actually good. It's one person in literally a thousand," says Damian. We're so glad to see that Damian is doing well!

Anyone with information related to the case was asked to call the CHP at (800) 835-5247.
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

  

232nd Birthday Celebration of the Founding of the City of Los Angeles - Walk & Ride
When: Saturday, August 31; pedestrians meet at 6:00 a.m. and leave at 6:30 a.m., bicyclists meet at 7:30 a.m. and leave at 8:00 a.m.
Where: Meet at Mission San Gabriel - 428 S Mission Dr, San Gabriel, 91776
Celebrate the 232nd Anniversary of the founding of the City of LA.  Annually, El Pueblo, and the Los Pobladores (descendants of the original townspeople) by re-enacting the walk made by the original 44 settlers and 4 soldiers from the San Gabriel Mission to El Pueblo (City of LA Birthplace) in 1781. This year, join us for an a new 9-mile bike ride component co-led by LACBC that will accompany the trek. We will be walking and riding the trail that the original settlers took to get to El Pueblo. More info.

  

Sunday Funday: The Filipino Pride Ride
When: Sunday, September 1; meet at 9:30 a.m., ride at 10:00 a.m.
More info in newsletter.

 

East L.A. Bicycle Ride 
When: Saturday, September 7; check-in at 9:30 a.m., bike ride at 10:00 a.m. 
Where: East Los Angeles Civic Center - 4801 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90063 
Supervisor Gloria Molina invites you and your family to the 2nd Annual East L.A. Bike Ride! LACBC is organizing and leading two rides for all ages and abilities. The 4-mile route is for children and families. The 8-mile route is for adults who want something a little longer. There will also be a bicycle decorating contest, and t-shirts will be given to the first 200 riders.. Bike helmets required for all riders. Afterwards riders are invited to enjoy the Taste of East L.A., which includes a beer and wine garden. Register for free at elabikeride.eventbrite.com

 

L.A. Bike & Ped Count
When: Tuesday, September 10; 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. & 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
More info in newsletter.
 
Virgil Village Bicycle Lane Proposal Meeting
When: Tuesday, September 10; 7 p.m.
More info in newsletter.
 
L.A. Bike & Ped Count
When: Saturday, September 14; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
More info in newsletter.
 
Hollywood Blvd. Bike Ride
When: Sunday, September 15; time TBA
Where: Meet at Sunset Triangle
Save the date! Join us on our ride down historic Hollywood Blvd.! We'll meet at the Sunset Triangle and roll down Hollywood to the Farmer's Market. There, you can go shopping, stop by our outreach table, (and even volunteer) and perhaps participate in a yoga class or cooking demonstration. The ride is about 3.5 miles and 20-30 minutes long. See Facebook event.
  
Tour de Co-ops
When: Saturday, September 28
Where: L.A.-area co-ops
Save the day for Tour de Co-ops, a bike ride to visit all of the local co-ops (including LACBC's own Bici Libre) and raise funds for them. See Facebook event.

  

New Belgium Tour de Fat - San Diego
When: Saturday, September 28; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Golden Hill Park, San Diego
Take a weekend trip down south to support our friends at the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and the San Diego Mountain Biking Association for beers, bikes, and bemusement for Tour de Fat. Remember, you can enter for a chance to win a trip for two to Tour de Fat if you join LACBC or renew your membership by September 12th!
Other Events Around Town

LACBC Local Chapters

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]

 

Let's be friends! 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