LACBC
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter

September 19, 2013 

In this issue
Los Angeles Bike and Pedestrian Count: Thanks for Making Us Count!
Bike Updates from Around L.A. County: Count Bikes+Peds in Glendale Next Week
Share Your Transportation Ideas with LA/2B
Congratulations to Our Tour de Fat Sweepstakes Winner, Travis Johnson!
Hollywood Blvd. Bike Ride Recap
ACTION ITEM: 3-Foot Passing Bill and Hit-and-Run Bill Await Governor Brown's Signature
Take a FREE Bicycle Safety Class Before the Summer Ends
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Timelapse of a Bike+Ped Count

Los Angeles Bike and Pedestrian Count: Thanks for Making Us Count!

  

After three count periods and 400 volunteer shifts covered, and the LACBC- and L.A. Walks-led Bike+Ped Count team has been crowned champions of all things great. Last week, we counted at 120 locations across the City of Los Angeles three times, claiming key victories for people on bikes and on foot! With updated count data, we can analyze trends over times and get a better sense of how many people are biking on our streets.

 

The media took notice (CBS, LAist, Streetsblog, La Opinion were among the news outlets that took notice), and last week Councilmember Mike Bonin introduced a motion to update the method in which LADOT collects bike and pedestrian data.  and L.A. Walks have also been invited to present the results of the 2013 Count at a future City of L.A. Transportation Committee meeting. 

 

Thank you to all of our volunteers for stepping up to the plate for our most ambitious count yet! When we did our first count in 2009, we worried about getting 150 shifts covered at 50 locations. This year, we aimed for 438 shifts for 120 locations. 

 

We want to especially our all stars who counted at least three times or went above and beyond the call of duty:  Vanessa Gray, Wendy De Leon, Ronnie Parker, Jonathan Zimmerman, John Hall, John Jones, Jeremy Kitchen, Freddy Valdez, Edmundo Rea, Dennis Hindman, Chris Cameron, Robert Perkins, Drew Heckathorn, and Kevin Hopps!

 

The L.A. Bike & Ped Count was brought to you by our sponsors: Pocrass & de Los Reyes, Fehr & Peers, Stantec, and Flying Pigeon. Thank you for recognizing the importance of having accurate data and that what gets counted counts.  

 

Thank you to our partners: TRUST South L.A., Community Health Councils, Advancement Project, Pacoima Beautiful, Bikerowave, Bike Oven, CM Mike Bonin's Office, and CM Bob Blumenfield's Office. We couldn't have created the strong bike+ped count we did without your outreach and help. 

 

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

 

If you think the season is over, there is still just a little more to do!

  1. Did you count at a location? Thanks! Make sure you turn in your count forms by tomorrow, Friday, September 20th. Not only will you help out our team in tracking what data we have, but you'll be entered into a drawing for several electric bikes and other cools prizes for each shift you completed if you return forms by tomorrow.
  2. Do you still want to volunteer for the L.A. Bike+Ped Count? We're going extra innings with this count. In order to make up shifts that were missed or had incomplete data, we'll need your help to get all of our intersections. If you'd like to volunteer, please email Martin Lopez-Iu at [email protected] with the following:
    • Your name
    • Your phone number
    • Shift(s) you are available for. Choose from:
      • Saturday, September 21, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
      • Tuesday, September 24, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
      • Tuesday, September 24, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
      • Wednesday, September 25, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
      • Wednesday, September 25, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 pm.
    • Region of L.A. you would be willing to cover
  3. Additionally, if you want to put your bike+ped count skills to good in a different league, volunteer for the Glendale Bike+Ped Count next week. Join local LACBC chapter Walk Bike Glendale on Wednesday, September 25th (7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) and Saturday, September 28th (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.).
  4. Do you want to support the L.A. Bike+Ped Count? Donate to the L.A. Bike+Ped Count. Or become an LACBC member or renew your membership. Your financial support helps LACBC do things like make sure you get counted.
And now we sift through sheets of tally marks and numbers to really get our data collection on at LACBC Headquarters!
Bike Updates from Around L.A. County: Count Bikes+Peds in Glendale Next Week   
GlendaleCount
Glendale: Our local chapter Walk Bike Glendale and the City of Glendale are organizing a bike and ped count for next week! 
 

There are 65 locations in Glendale and there are three counts times for each one (use this map to find a location convenient for you). That means that 100+ volunteers are needed to make sure that people on bikes and people on foot are getting counted.

 

Count dates are:

  • Wednesday, September 25, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
  • Wednesday, September 25, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (only 2 locations near schools)
  • Wednesday, September 25, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, September 28, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
More information on the count (including information on how to volunteer) can be found on the Walk Bike Glendale blog.

Hyperion
Atwater:
Do you live/work/play in Atwater Village? Do you use the Hyperion/Glendale corridor to get around?

Caltrans and the City of LA will be hosting a community meeting to discuss their plans to rehabilitate the Hyperion bridge over river/freeway. Unfortunately their plans do NOT include bike lanes, even though the bridge is being widened and the 2010 Bicycle Master Plan calls for bike lanes on the bridge.

Hyperion/Glendale Bridge Meeting
When: Wednesday, September 25, 6:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where:Friendship Auditorium, 3201 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
See Facebook event to spread the word.

Anyone who has ridden on Glendale (or would like to) realizes the importance of a dedicated lane on this stretch where traffic moves so fast, especially as you are heading westbound towards Silver Lake. With the new addition of bike lanes on Glendale, bike lanes on the bridge will be an important next step.

The EIR document states, "The shoulder would facilitate a bicycle route as a transportation element in the 2010 Bicycle Plan." They go on to say, "though the proposed project will not include a bicycle lane on Hyperion Avenue, the project is consistent with the plan because cyclists can use the shoulder."

If you're looking for all the details, here is the notice about the community meeting: http://tinyurl.com/myvewrp. Here is the full EIR document: http://tinyurl.com/mfp72vz

MANGo 
Santa Monica: The Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway in Santa Monica is intended to create an inviting streetscape along Michigan Avenue and adjoining streets. The potential, three-mile Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway (MANGo) would connect residents to schools and community destinations via an inviting streetscape of sidewalks, calm roadways, increased trees and landscape.

The City of Santa Monica hosts Pop-Up MANGo (Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway) on September 21st, a fun, family-friendly event that will provide community members with a interactive understanding of the project and its many elements. You won't want to miss this exciting opportunity to take part in the planning of this beautiful new Greenway.

 

When: Saturday, September 21; 11:00 a.m. tp 3 p.m.
Where: Michigan, between 9th & Euclid, in Santa Monica
More information at SMSpoke.org.

Boyle Heights: Via Los Angeles Streetsblog, L.A. City Planning is currently taking suggestions for streets that could be made into bike-friendly streets in Boyle Heights. If you have any recommendations for bike-friendly streets, please forward them to City Planner David Somers at [email protected]. Note that City Planning is looking for bike-friendly street candidate suggestions only. On the provided map, these are the "neighborhood network" yellow routes.

Share Your Transportation Ideas with LA/2B

 

LA/2B is a project of the Los Angeles Departments of City Planning and Transportation to envision the City's Mobility Element and a new way of moving around the City. What should the City's streets look like, how should they function, and how do we get there from here?

 

LA/2B is looking for your input. Share your ideas on the interactive website by Monday, September 30th.

 

Our friends at Community Health Councils and the Coalition for an Active South LA (CASLA) have created a voters' guide, which focuses on six priority areas to improve the health and quality of life of the community: Safe Streets, Streets for Bikes, Pedestrian-Friendly Sidewalks, Fun & Engaging Sidewalks, Clean & Green Streets, and Better Bus Stops. 

Congratulations to Our Tour de Fat Sweepstakes Winner, Travis Johnson! 

   

One more LACBC member! 

 

Congratulations to the winner of the Tour de Fat Sweepstakes: new LACBC member Travis Johnson! Travis and a guest 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.

 

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

Hollywood Blvd. Bike Ride Recap
Photo: Wes High

On Sunday, LACBC and Central Bike Ambassadors went on a ride from Sunset Triangle in Silver Lake to the Hollywood Farmer's Market as a soft-launch for our Ride Hollywood campaign (details to come in next week's newsletter).

We were very popular at the Farmer's Market, where Yogaworks set up a stretch for our riders and the market let us table that day. Our Bike Ambassadors were able to engage local residents about making Hollywood more bike-friendly and speaking to the safety benefits of adding bike infrastructure on the strip. For more information or to get involved with the campaign, contact Alek Bartrosouf - [email protected].
ACTION ITEM: 3-Foot Passing Bill and Hit-and-Run Bill Head Await Governor Brown's Signature

3-Foot Passing Bill
 
AB 1371, the 3-foot passing bill, was passed by the California State Senate a few weeks ago, and now has been sitting on Governor Brown's desk, awaiting his signature. 

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.

 

In the next few weeks Governor Jerry Brown will consider a bill that will help make bicycling safer for millions of Californians. The California Bicycle Coalition is supporting Assembly Bill 1371 that will require drivers to give bicyclists at least three feet of clearance when overtaking them from behind in the same lane.

 

Send Governor Brown an email urging him to sign AB 1371 and make California the 22nd State to require three feet here.

 

Hit-and-Run Bill

 

Assemblyman Mike Gatto's hit-and-run bill, AB 184, heads to Governor Brown's desk and now awaits his approval!

 

The bill would extend the statute of limitations for hit-and-run crimes from three years to six years. Read more about it at KCET.

Take a FREE Bicycle Safety Class Before the Summer Ends

Through the end of September, 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. All classes are led 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: Local Bike Leaders Highlighted
 
The bike community in L.A. County is thriving, and people are taking notice. More and more of our local bike advocates are being recognized for their local and national contributions, but in the last few weeks we've especially seen some local faces being singled out: 
 
If you've taken one of our bike safety classes that we've been offering with Metro, you may have had the great Kellie Morris as your instructor! In addition to being a League Cycling Instructor (LCI), Kellie writes the "We All Ride Bikes" column for Women on Bikes SoCal. Check out the short Q&A with the Long Beach resident inthe latest Momentum Magazine!
 
Another LCI with us is LACBC and Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition's own Maria Sipin! Maria writes the "License to Ride" column for Women on Bikes SoCal. She is featured as a Woman on a Roll on the Women You Should Know website.

Lastly, our own LACBC board member April Economides in Bicycling Magazine as one of 14 innovative bike advocates to watch. April her bike and business savvy  together to make the case for why bikes are great for business. She started the nation's first bike friendly business  district in Long Beach.

Great job, ladies!
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

  

MANGo Pop-Up
When: Saturday, September 21; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
More info in newsletter.
 
Party for Pomona Valley
When: Saturday, September 21; 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: Sculpture Garden in downtown Pomona - 538. W. Second St., Pomona
Local chapter Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition thanks all of its supporters and volunteers by throwing a thank-you BBQ. It's not only a chance to party and hang out, but also a chance  to get excited for upcoming fall events, share ideas, and to continue building PVBC support. Free hot dogs and veggie dogs and snacks and drinks and for those 21+ we will be serving Pomona Queen Beer from Dales Bro Brewery. See Facebook event.
 
Glendale Bike & Ped Count
When: Wednesday, September 25; 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. & 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
More info in newsletter.

Hyperion/Glendale Bridge Meeting
When: Wednesday, September 25; 6:00 p.m.
More info in newsletter.  
  
Glendale Bike & Ped Count
When: Saturday, September 28; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
More info in newsletter.
 
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.

CicLAvia - Heart of Los Angeles
When: Sunday, October 6; 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Dowtown L.A., Boyle Heights, Chinatown, South L.A. MacArthur Park
CicLAvia returns to its original route to bring the streets back to people. Bike, walk, run, skate, play on L.A.'s streets, and celebrate this fine city. More info at CicLAvia.org

  

Walk to School Day - L.A.
When: Wednesday, October 9
Where: Across Los Angeles
Walktober kicks off with "Walk to School Day" on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013. The City of Los Angeles is joining the global community for  "International Walk to School Month."  The goal is to celebrate the benefits of walking and to educate kids about pedestrian safety. Register your school at walktoschoolday-la.org.

Wolfpack Hustle: The HP Gran Prix
When: Saturday, October 19; 5 p.m.

Where: Gage Ave & Pacific Blvd, Huntington Park, CA (map

Take it to the streets! Ready for some sprint racing? The City of Huntington Park and LACBC welcome Wolfpack Hustle to host a bike drag race with full support including barricades, emergency response teams, and police services. Registration is $10 and limited to the first 200 riders! Huntington Park residents race for free. See Facebook event for more details.

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]

 

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