LACBC
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter

October 17, 2013 

In this issue
Get Active with Next Active Streets L.A. Community Event this Saturday
Celebrate Bicycling at the Huntington Park Gran Prix this Saturday Night
ACTION ITEM: Stop the Hyperion Freeway
Bike Updates from Around L.A. County: Downey Moves Ahead with Bike Master Plan and Bike Committee
Bringing Bikeshare to Los Angeles County
Ride Lankershim 2.0 in Support of Bike Lanes on October 27th
Ride Colorado and Celebrate on October 26th
Walktober Continues with a Zombie Walk in Glendale and Walking Train in Santa Monica
Final Update on Bike-Related California Bills
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: The Walkable City
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities
Get Active with the Next Active Streets L.A. Community Event this Saturday
ActiveStreets
 
Join LACBC, Trust South LA, and L.A.'s Department of Transportation for our next Active Streets community event. When it comes to South L.A. bike and pedestrian improvements, we want your input - join us for a fun ride/walk, free snacks, and a raffle. More info.
 
When: Saturday, October 19; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Budlong Elementary - 5940 Budlong Ave, Los Angeles
RSVP and spread the word through our Facebook event or our website.
 
Active Streets L.A. empowers communities to create safe walking and bicycling routes to parks, schools, and local businesses along their neighborhood streets.
Celebrate Bicycling at the Huntington Park Gran Prix this Saturday Night
HPGranPrix
 

Come celebrate bicycling by watching a Wolfpack Hustle bike race on Pacific Boulevard and giving your input on the Huntington Park Bicycle Master Plan.

 

Look for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) booth at the race. Free bike lights for HP residents!

 

When: Saturday, October 19; 7 p.m. (Race starts at 8 p.m.) 
Where: Gage Ave & Pacific Blvd, Huntington Park, CA (map)
See our website for more information.

 

Volunteer! Do you speak Spanish? We're looking for a few Spanish-speaking volunteers for the Huntington Park Grand Prix this Saturday, October 19th, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. We need help collecting input for the Huntington Park Bike Plan and giving out bike lights! Email [email protected] if you're up for it.

  

About the HP Bicycle Master Plan: The City of Huntington Park is working to make Huntington Park a great place to ride a bicycle. The City wants to hear from you where you ride: to school, to work, to stores, or just for fun. What kinds of bike projects do you want to see? What kinds of programs will help make it easier for you to ride a bike? We want to hear from you!

 

See Facebook event for more details about the HP Gran Prix race. Also, join Treats 'n' Beats for a ride from Downtown L.A. to the event!

 

Action Item: Stop the Hyperion Freeway

 Hyperion

Thanks much for being part of our campaign to advocate for a safer Hyperion Bridge. This issue has received tremendous media attention and we now have Glendale Councilmember Friedman and State Assemblymember Gatto on our side asking for a more complete-streets approach to the Hyperion Bridge rehab.  

 

Here is an update on what you can do to support a safer, slower Hyperion Bridge:
 
1. Send an email as outlined in the action alert. The official deadline has passed, but your emails will still be sent to elected officials who can push the discussion further.
 
2. If you live in or near Atwater, attend the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council's Public Safety Committee meeting and voice your concerns. Share this meeting on Facebook.
 
Atwater Village Neighborhood Council's Public Safety Committee 
When: Tuesday, October 22; 7:30 p.m.
Where: Atwater Crossing Kitchen - 3245 Casitas Avenue, Atwater, 90039
 
3. Save the date for the the upcoming Hyperion Avenue-Glendale Boulevard Public Hearing:
 
Hyperion Avenue-Glendale Boulevard Public Hearing
When: Monday, October 28; 6:00 p.m.
Where: Friendship Auditorium - 3201 Riverside Drive, Los Feliz, 90027 
 
4. Mark your calendars for a walking tour led by The Big Parade's Dan Koeppel over the Hyperion Bridge on Sunday, November 3rd at 10 a.m. More details to come soon.
Bike Updates from Around L.A. County: Downey Moves Ahead with Bike Master Plan and Bike Committee

Downey: The City of Downey is developing a bike master plan after receiving a $225,000 Caltrans grant in late September and providing $25,000 in matching funds. Earlier this month, the City Council agreed to form a Bike Downey committee. The committee will explore ways to implement bicycle infrastructure improvements and will work with our very own local chapter, the Downey Bicycle Coalition. Read more about the bike plan.

Support the work of the Downey Bicycle Coalition by becoming a DBC member when you sign up for LACBC membership!

Downtown L.A.: The Spring Street bike lane has finally had its complete emerald makeover. The lane has been re-painted emerald in conflict zones and along the white striping between Cesar Chavez and 9th Street.
Bringing Bikeshare to Los Angeles County

This week, bikeshare is back on the agenda for Los Angeles County. LACBC participated in a meeting at the Westside Cities Council of Governments on Tuesday hosted by Assemblymember Richard Bloom and will be supporting a motion at Metro today by Mayor Garcetti and Directors Yaroslavsky, Knabe, Bonin, and O'Connor to coordinate a countywide bikeshare program.Streetsblog covered these developments on Tuesday. For over a year, LACBC chapters Santa Monica Spoke and the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition have been advocating for bikeshare in their respective communities. As a result of their efforts, Santa Monica stands to lead on the issue with a grant in hand to fund the launch of a system, while entrepreneurs are still seeking to bring privately funded bikeshare to West Hollywood. In the meantime, bikeshare in the City of LA has all but floundered.

In an effort to coordinate local efforts, Metro will now prepare an industry review and business case analysis for bikeshare in L.A. County, potentially resulting in a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to select a single countywide vendor. As local cities make progress and Metro decides whether to step into its natural role as a regional transportation agency, LACBC will continue to support whatever process results in a bikeshare system that serves L.A. County's needs.

 

We believe any system should adhere to several principles that we've outlined on the LACBC blog.

Ride Lankershim 2.0 in Support of Bike Lanes on October 27th
Lankershim

Many of you rode with us last December in an effort to get bike lanes on Lankershim. Since then, our Valley Bike Ambassadors have been advocating for a safer Lankershim - with their outreach efforts we have received support of almost 2,000 locals, and 30 Noho businesses.

Now nearly a year later, Ride Lankershim is ready for another round of riding with a splash of advocacy. Join LACBC, our Neighborhood Bike Ambassadors, and Metropolis Bikes on October 27th to tour Noho on a short/easy ride and take the opportunity to convince Councilman Krekorian and Mayor Garcetti that Lankershim should be prioritized as a "Great Street" that includes bike lanes to calm traffic and make Lankershim more people-oriented.

Ride Lankershim 2.0
When: Sunday, October 27; Meet at 11 a.m.
Where: Meet at Metropolis Bikes - 4660 Lankershim Blvd., NoHo
RSVP to our Facebook event and spread the word. Or RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to attend.

Take action! Lastly, if you have not yet signed our online petition, please do so here.  Complete info about the campaign can be found at our Ride Lankershim page.
Ride Colorado and Celebrate on October 26th

Colorado

The recent changes along Colorado Boulevard in Eagle have been documented. A buffered bike lane, zebra-striped crosswalks, 60 bike racks, modifying median striping, speed-feedback signs, and lighted crosswalks are some of the improvements that will make the street more community-oriented and safer for all road users.

Join Councilmember Jose Huizar, Take Back the Boulevard, LADOT, the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council, Safe Moves, and LACBC in celebrating the new road improvements on Colorado Boulevard. Now that they are in, we are coming together to throw a party and ride. There will be food, prizes, giveaways, a kid-friendly ride, a bike-friendly business raffle, and more. Also learn who LACBC's new business partners will be in Eagle Rock, to be showcased at this event. Can you make it?

Ride Colorado + Celebration
When: Saturday October 26; 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Eagle Rock City Hall - 2035 Colorado Blvd.
Spread the word on Facebook or through our website and join us!
Walktober Continues with a Zombie Walk in Glendale and Walking Train in Santa Monica

Walktoberfest

Every weekend in Walktober, Los Angeles Walks and other walking groups are organizing easy walks all over L.A. County for Walktoberfest. Each walk will end at a great place to have a beer. Here are details for all four events. Can't make the walk? You can still join for the beer part. 

 

ZombieWalk 

2nd Annual Zombie Walk with Walk Bike Glendale

When: Saturday, October 19; meet at 6:30 p.m. 
Where: Glendale Central Park - 201 E. Colorado Street, Glendale, 91205
Walk: One-mile walk down Brand Blvd (but at a very slow, zombie pace) with a large group of fellow undead pedestrian advocates. ZOMBIE ATTIRE ENCOURAGED!!!

Beers: 7:45 p.m. at Far Niente, 204 1/2 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203 (The walk ends nearby at the Alex Theater on Brand Blvd.)

See Facebook event.

 

Santa Monica Walking Train with Santa Monica Walks

When: Saturday, October 26; meet at 3:30 p.m.

Where: in front of the new library in Virginia Avenue Park - 2200 Virginia Avenue, Santa Monica, 90404

Walk: Three miles, checking out Expo Line construction and the brand-new Tongva Park led by Gary Kavanagh (you can take the Big Blue Bus #7 back to the start, or vice versa)
Beers: 6:30 p.m. at Chez Jay, 1657 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401  

Final Update on Bike-Related California Bills

The time period for Governor Brown to sign any bills is up. As we mentioned last week, this has been a busy year for bikes in Sacramento. LACBC, in partnership with the California Bicycle Coalition, has been has been working to pass many bike-related bills. Here is our final update on how these bills fared.

Approved:
  • AB 184: Extends statute of limitations for hit-and-run from 3 years to 6 years
  • AB 417: Exempts bike plans from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
  • AB 1371: Requires drives to give 3 feet when passing bicyclists
  • SB 99: Creates the Active Transportation Program and increases funding for walking and biking by 35%
  • SB 743: Replaces auto-oriented Level of Service with a better multi-modal traffic measurement in "transit priority areas"
Vetoed:
  • AB 1290: Reforms California Transportation Commission to better represent sustainable transportation stakeholders
  • SB 811: Requires Caltrans to include community benefits in I-710 project, including walking and biking facilities
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: The Walkable City
Jeff Speck: The walkable city
Jeff Speck: The walkable city

Several years ago, when we were celebrating the passing of the 2010 L.A. Bike Plan, our Executive Director Jen Klausner said that riding bikes were the solution to "just about everything." It's because we know that making our streets better for people who ride bikes makes streets in better in general. Riding bikes makes streets safer, quieter, and more people-oriented.

The same could be said about making cities more walkable. Jeff Speck, author of The Walkable City, recently gave a Ted Talk on the importance of making cities more walkable and thereby improving the overall quality of life.
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

   

Active Streets L.A. Community Event
When: Saturday, October 19; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
More info in newsletter.

 

The Huntington Park Gran Prix
When: Saturday, October 19; 7 p.m. (Race starts at 8 p.m.) 

More info in newsletter.

 

2nd Annual Zombie Walk with Walk Bike Glendale

When: Saturday, October 19; meet at 6:30 p.m. 
More info in newsletter.

 

Touring L.A. County with LACBC & Where to Bike L.A.: Mulholland Drive
When: Sunday, October 20; Meet at 8:30 a.m., ride at 9:00 a.m.

Where: Metro's Culver City Expo Line Station, Meet at the western end of the station, closest to Higuera Street/Robertson Boulevard, by the security building and the ticket kiosks. (map)

On this 44-mile ride, we'll continue exploring famous Mulholland Drive/Mulholland Highway, the serpentine road that winds through the Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica Mountains from the Hollywood Bowl to the Pacific Ocean. On this tour we will explore this legendary road's eastern end as it runs through L.A.'s Westside, along the way experiencing glitter (Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive), rainbows (West Los Angeles), canyons (Nichols, Sepulveda), dramatic overlooks (all along Mulholland Drive), history (West LA Veterans Center, taking care of the Nation's vets since 1888), and finally the Pacific Ocean (Santa Monica and Marina del Rey). We'll return inland to Culver City from using the Ballona Creek bike path. More info. 

 
Pomona Pumpkin Patch Pedal
When: Sunday, October 20; Meet at 10:30 a.m., ride will leave promptly at 11 a.m.
Where: Thomas Plaza - S. Thomas St., Pomona CA 91766 (At S. Thomas St. and West 2nd St.)
Join local chapter Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition on this CICLE-led ride sponsored by L.A. Metro. Ride from downtown Pomona to the Cal Poly Pumpkin Patch to check out the farm and pumpkins. Head back for some hot cider and cookies. View Facebook event.

 

Found L.A.: Festival of Neighborhoods
When: Sunday, October 20
Where: throughout Los Angeles
Join L.A. Commons to explore several neighborhoods for the third annual Found LA: Festival of Neighborhoods. This year's theme, "The River of Your Imagination," invites Angelenos to explore the range of ways they interact with the L.A. River through several tours. LACBC will be leading a bike tour at 3 p.m.! More info.
 
Atwater Village Neighborhood Council's Public Safety Committee
When: Tuesday, October 22; 7:30 p.m.
More info in newsletter.

 

Ride Colorado and Celebration
When: Saturday, October 26; 9:30 a.m. to 1 :30 p.m.
More info in newsletter.

 

Ride Lankershim 2.0
When: Sunday, October 27; 11:00 a.m.
More info in newsletter.

 

Hyperion Ave-Glendale Boulevard Bridge Public Hearing
When: Monday, October 28; 6:00 p.m.
More info in newsletter.

 

Sunday Funday: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Ride
When: Sunday, November 2; Meet at 8:00 a.m., ride at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Meet at the Federal Building parking lot in Westwood 
Explore the architectural gems of Bel Air on the 26-mile ride led by LACBC Board President Alex Amerri! Celebrity homes and rarely seen government buildings are all part of these medium-paced ride that features 2,000 feet of climbing. Bring your road-worthy bike! More information in next week's e-newsletter.
 
Save the Hyperion Bridge Mini-Walk
When: Sunday, November 3; 10:00 a.m.
More info in newsletter. 
 
Let's Talk About Health: The Public Health Approach to Walking and Biking
When: Thursday, November 21; 7:00 p.m.
Where: The Edison Room, LACBC Headquarters - 634 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, 90014
Save the date! Join LACBC and L.A. Walks for the 4th installment of our speaker series that includes a panel discussion with several local public health professionals.
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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