LACBC
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter

November 21, 2013 

In this issue
Let's Talk About Health: The Public Health Approach to Walking and Biking Is Tonight
ACTION ALERT: Urge Councilmember Koretz to Study Bike Lanes on Westwood
Success on the Hyperion Bridge
Operation Firefly Returns with DTLA Light Distribution
Tour de Taste Teams Up with SoCal Cross on November 30th
Verdugo Mountains Fire Roads Sunday Funday Ride on December 1st
You're Invited to the LACBC Open House on December 5th
Welcome to Our New Volunteer Coordinator Marisa Spinella
Recap from the South L.A. Kids' Bike Festival
Support LACBC on Climate Ride California this May
ACTION ALERT: Urge Mayor Garcetti to Bring Cycletracks to L.A.
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: The L.A. Times Profiles Jennifer Klausner
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

Let's Talk About Health: The Public Health Approach to Walking and Biking Tonight

 PublicHealth

We all know that there are several benefits of walking and biking. For this Speaker Series, we're partnering with Los Angeles Walks to look at the public health benefits of biking and walking. 

 

When: Thursday, November 21; 7:00 p.m.

Where: The Edison Room, LACBC Headquarters (1st floor) - 634 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles 90014

 

Free for LACBC members and L.A. Walks donors. $10 for everyone else.

See the LACBC website and Facebook event to RSVP and spread the word.

 

Speakers:

  • Manal Aboelata, Managing Director, Prevention Institute
  • Jean Armbruster, Director, PLACE Program, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
  • Malcolm Carson, General Counsel and Policy Director for Environmental Health, Community Health Councils
Thanks to Angel City Brewery and O.N.E. Coconut Water for providing refreshments.

ACTION ALERT: Urge Councilmember Koretz to Study Bike Lanes on Westwood Blvd.

 

This week we put pressure on Councilmember Paul Koretz's office in response to confirmation that Koretz is reneging on his commitment to study bike lanes on Westwood Boulevard, connecting the future Expo Line Station to UCLA and Palms.

 

On Tuesday's Ride Westwood Day of Action, several LACBC members and bike advocates came to City Hall to provide public comment for CM Koretz to hear. Several of our members also placed phone calls to CM Koretz's office in support of pushing the study forward.

 

At the City Council meeting, CM Koretz stated he didn't hear from bike lanes supporters enough, so please make sure that your voice is heard! 


Please join us in calling on Councilmember Koretz to keep his word and study all options for Westwood Boulevard. (See sample email.)

 

Sample Email:

 

to: [email protected] 

cc: [email protected][email protected] 

bcc: [email protected] 

Subject: Study Westwood Bike Lanes

 

Dear Councilmember Koretz,

 

Westwood Boulevard is currently one of the most popular routes for people riding bikes in your district. It is also one of the least safe.  You've said before that, "I do not vote for things that kill people." I hope that you'll at least study how to fix a dangerous situation that has already killed and will likely again if it is not improved. As a community leader, it's your responsibility to convene people with differing views, seek out accurate information and make informed decisions that respect all stakeholders. I ask that you take this commitment seriously by studying alternatives for bike lanes along Westwood Boulevard and hosting an open and inclusive process to discuss the merits of the project.

 

Sincerely,

[your name]

[your neighborhood] 

 

Share this Action Alert with your friends!

Success on the Hyperion Bridge

 

Thank you so much for much for being part of our campaign to advocate for a safer Hyperion Bridge! Thanks to the letters you sent, the meetings you attended, and the pressure you placed on making this bridge safer for all users, the project timeline has been extended, a citizens' advisory committee has been formed to gain more input on the project, and several neighborhood councils have supported a safer and slower Hyperion Bridge that includes sidewalks and bike lanes.

Here's a summary on what has happened thus far: 
  • Trifecta: Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Board, Atwater Village Neighborhood Council Board, and Los Feliz Neighborhood Council Board passed our motion to support bike lanes and sidewalks
  • Our own planning and policy director Eric Bruins and Los Angeles Walks executive director Deborah Murphy are among those who have been appointed to the Citizens' Advisory Committee for the Hyperion Bridge retrofit
  • Glendale Councilmember Friedman and State Assemblymember Gatto came out in support of a complete-streets approach to the Hyperion Bridge rehab
  • Mayor Garcetti requested an extension of the timeline for the Hyperion Bridge

Operation Firefly Returns with DTLA Light Distribution

 OperationFirefly

LACBC re-launched Operation Firefly last night! We had our first light distribution in Downtown L.A. yesterday, where we handed out front and back lights and spokecards to 40 people, and educated folks about the importance of being seen when riding at night. We will continue distributing lights this winter. Thanks to all the volunteers that came out last night. Special thanks to volunteer Bruce Chan who helped distribute lights last night and also made a donation to provide 25 lights to riders through Operation Firefly last week.

 

You can check out photos of our first distribution on the LACBC Facebook page.

 

Operation Firefly (Operac�on Luci�rnaga) is an education and bike light distribution program intended to make sure people riding bikes in Los Angeles are riding safely at night. In California, front white lights with side, back, and pedal reflectors are required by law at night (CVC21201). More importantly, riding without lights and reflectors is dangerous. Our goal is to seek out people riding without lights for various reasons, especially riders who may not have the means or time to acquire lights on their own.

 

If you'd like to volunteer and join Team Operation Firefly, please contact Marisa Spinella at [email protected] or 213 629-2142, ext. 120.

 

We could not run this program without your support. To make a donation, purchase a set of lights, and for more information, please visit la-bike.org/OperationFirefly

 

Here's how far your purchase or donation can go:

  • Buy a set, give a set - $25
  • Give 25 lights - $250
  • Sponsor an intersection - $500
  • Single street distribution in your community - $1,000
  • One month sponsorship - $4,000
Tour de Taste Teams Up with SoCal Cross on November 30th
TourdeTaste

LACBC's Tour de Taste & Beer Garden combines three of our favorite things: biking, eating, and drinking!

 

Join us on Saturday, November 30, for our 3rd Tour de Taste! We're teaming up with Southern California CycloCross to bring you an event where you can catch the excitement of fierce CycloCross competition and enjoy some of the best food that Downtown L.A. has to offer!

 

There will be kiddie cross, cross clinics for those new to cross racing, intermissions in the cross races that will allow anyone to jump on the track and give it a try, plus elite races.  Once it is dark, the lit up bikes will be out in full force! Get your bike dirty then wash it at the bike wash. Get good and hungry and enjoy tastes. 

 

When: Saturday, November 30; 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: L.A. State Historic Park

 

Tickets include food and drink, and are $10 for LACBC members and CycloCross racers, $20 for the general public. Tickets are on sale here, under the"Saturday Races" section. See the SoCalCross website for more information.

 

Participating restaurants so far include:

  • Pete's Cafe
  • Tony's
  • Dr. J's Vibrant Cafe
  • Badmaash
  • Blossom
  • Sustain Juicery
  • Big Man Bakes
  • Localita Badasserie

Verdugo Mountains Fire Roads Sunday Funday Ride on December 1st

Verdugo

Led by LACBC board member Scott Moore, this ride will take us on surface streets to fire roads through the Verdugo Mountains with, weather permitting, views of the Crescenta Valley, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, Palos Verdes and Catalina. The ride is approximately 16.5 miles long and will have an elevation gain of 2,577 feet, with most of the climbing on trails. The ride is approximately 50% trails, so bring your mountain bike (or gravel bike with low gears)!

 

When: Sunday, December 1; meet at 9:30 a.m., ride at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf - 3701 Ocean View Blvd. (corner of Honolulu Ave. and Ocean View Blvd.), in Montrose (north Glendale).
Find more information on the LACBC website and our Facebook event.

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.

You're Invited to the LACBC Open House on December 5th 
OpenHouse
You're invited to learn all about what LACBC is up to! 
 
Learn about LACBC's victories of past and future from our local chapters, Neighborhood Bike Ambassadors, campaigns, programs, and more! Mingle, enjoy refreshments courtesy of New Belgium and Pete's Cafe, dance to the sweet sounds of DJ Skramble, have your photo taken in our photobooth, and party the night away!
 

LACBC Open House

When: Thursday, December 5; 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Where: LACBC Headquarters at the Historic Banks Huntley Building, Ground Floor - 634 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Free for LACBC members, $10 general admission
More information on the LACBC website and Facebook
 
Welcome to Our New Volunteer Coordinator Marisa Spinella

We would like to welcome to our new volunteer coordinator Marisa Spinella! She grew up and continues to live in Northeast L.A., where bike lanes and safer streets are becoming commonplace. In the past, she has worked with the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association and the Northeast Los Angeles Riverfront Collaborative. She sees bikes and biking as a fun and effective way to connect with neighbors, support local and small business, build community, and improve the urban experience overall. She also enjoys aimlessly wandering on foot and the chance for discovery that comes with exploring urban centers this way. Marisa graduated from USC with a degree in Environmental Studies and has strong interests in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning and design.
 
Marisa can be reached at [email protected].
Recap from the South L.A. Kids' Bike Festival

Walk 'n' Rollers, LACBC, and USC hosted a Kids Bike Festival in South LA at the Foshay Learning Center on Sunday, November 17, 2013. Over 50 children and their parents enjoyed the festival, which included bike handling skills stations, a helmet fitting, a short group ride in the neighborhood, an obstacle course, crafts, a quick tune-up from El Maestro Bicycle Shop, and ice cream from Peddler's Creamery. Two new bicycles were given away, along with helmets, bicycle lights, and t-shirts. We want to thank all the volunteers, League Cycling Instructors, El Maestro, Trust South LA, East Side Riders Bike Club, everyone who helped spread the word, and the folks at Foshay for making the festival such a success. The festival, which was the first of two planned between now and next spring, was made possible by the USC Good Neighbors Campaign, an employee-giving program that supports university-community partnerships.
 
For photos of the festival, check out the LACBC Facebook page.

Support LACBC on Climate Ride California this May

 

You're invited to join Team LACBC on Climate Ride California! We are once again a beneficiary and you can join the brand-new epic 4-day pedaling adventure in Northern California through wine country.

 

Right now, we're recruiting members for our new Team LACBC on the California ride. You can be part of the fun and raise funds for LACBC at the same time! Team LACBC was the top team in last year's California ride. Let's bring the trophy (OK, pint glasses) back home this year! If you join our team by December 4th, you'll be invited to our exclusive donor appreciation party on December 5th.

 

Climate Ride California (May 17-20, 2014) is a 4-day, fully-supported cycling adventure that begins in San Francisco, heads north up the coast and through Wine Country to California's Capitol in Sacramento. 

Action Alert: Urge Mayor Garcetti to Bring Cycletracks to L.A.

 

Please sign our petition to Mayor Garcetti to Bring Cycletracks to L.A. and read more on our blog.

 

Mayor Eric Garcetti recently invited Gil Pe�alosa of 8-80 Cities to address city staff on the need to make Los Angeles healthy, vibrant and livable for people of all ages. LACBC could not agree more with this imperative, and strongly urges the City to refocus its transportation efforts on universal design so that all people can safely and comfortably move around Los Angeles, whether on bike, on foot, on transit, or in a car.

 

Now that the low-hanging fruit of bike plan implementation has been picked, it is time to turn our attention to the next generation of bikeways in Los Angeles. Just as we need to connect the fragments of our bike network, we also need to connect the dots among many complementary policies and programs at different agencies. In 2014, we call upon the City of Los Angeles to:

  • Adopt an "8 to 80" design standard for the Mobility Element's Bicycle-Enhanced Network (BEN) and 2010 Bicycle Plan's Neighborhood Network,  
  • Appoint a new LADOT General Manager who is committed to innovative street design,  
  • Accelerate implementation of cycletracks by incorporating the BEN into the Mayor's Great Streets Initiative,  
  • Install LA's first cycletracks on Figueroa in 2014,  
  • Apply for round 2 of the Green Lane Project to receive technical assistance from the nation's leading bikeway design experts,  
  • Ensure adequate staffing of the bikeways and pedestrian groups at LADOT to satisfy pent-up demand for these improvements across the city, and  
  • Work with Metro to increase investments in next generation bikeways and pedestrian infrastructure across Los Angeles County, concentrated around transit stations and schools.

These steps will expand the reach of L.A.'s bicycle network both geographically and demographically to attract the kind of ridership growth we've seen in other cities around the country that have made similar investments. We must invest and innovate to reach L.A.'s bicycling potential.

What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: The L.A. Times Profiles Jennifer Klausner

Our very own executive director Jennifer Klausner recently stopped by the L.A. Times offices to sit down for a short interview with editorial writer Carla Hall as part of the paper's Road Share series. In the profile, Jennifer talks about how she started riding a bike, why she loves L.A., and how she got started at LACBC.

Check out the video and read the full article here.
Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities

 

Let's Talk About Health: The Public Health Approach to Walking and Biking
When: Thursday, November 21; 7:00 p.m.
More info in newsletter.

  

Touring Los Angeles County with LACBC and Where To Bike Los Angeles: Mt. Wilson

When: Saturday, November 23; Meet at 8:30 a.m.; ride at 9:00 a.m.

Where: Sport Chalet at the corner of Angeles Crest Highway and Foothill Boulevard in La Canada Flintridge. Meet at the roundabout at the eastern end of the Sport Chalet parking lot.

Our November Tour takes us into the San Gabriel Mountains again, this time to Mount Wilson, one of the highest points in Los Angeles County accessible by bicycle. Our route follows the famous Angeles Crest Highway, which offers unparalleled vistas of the L. A. Basin below. We'll then turn onto Mt Wilson Red Box Road, a quieter country road leading to the Observatory area. We'll begin in a very urban setting, but by the time we arrive at the top, we'll be in a magnificent pine forest. Don't be surprised if we see alpine critters-black bears, coyotes, deer, or hawks. Once we reach the Mt Wilson Observatory, we'll take a few minutes to visit the Cosmic Caf�, probably the highest place in the County to buy a snack! The return trip is all down hill-no kidding! More info.

 
Tour de Taste and Beer Garden
When: Saturday, November 30; 2:00 p.m. to 9 p.m.
More info in newsletter.
 
Sunday Funday Ride
When: Sunday, December 1; meet at 9:30 a.m., ride at 10:00 a.m.
More info in newsletter.
 
NELA Holiday Parade
When: Sunday, December 1; 1 p.m.
Where: Parade begins at N. Figueroa and Avenue 60
We are reigniting our Ride Figueroa campaign in partnership with Flying PigeonEast Side Bike Club, and Bike Oven at the 2013 NELA Holiday Parade onDecember 1st! Join us and many local supporters in showing Councilman Cedillo that support for calming traffic and creating livable corridor is strong. If you would like to help with planning and behind the scenes action, consider joining our Facebook group. We are looking to make outfits, signs, and posters - remember one key objective is to have fun! If you would like to participate in the event, you must RSVP with Alek Bartrosouf at [email protected].
 
LACBC Open House: Victories of Future Past
When: Thursday, December 5; 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
More info in newsletter.

  

Pomona Holiday Parade with PVBC 
When: Saturday, December 7; meet at 9:00 a.m.
Where: meet at Locus and 3rd St. in Pomona
Ride the Pomona Christmas Parade with PVBC and your bike! The Parade will go through downtown Pomona. Check out the PVBC Facebook event!
 
Los Angeles Eco-Village 20th Anniversary Fundraiser
with LACBC Bike Valet
When: Saturday, December 7; 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: Los Angeles Eco-Village - 117 Bimini Place, Los Angeles 90004
Happy 20th Anniversary to the Los Angeles Eco-Village, which is celebrating this occasion with plenty of good food, wine tasting, music and fun. As some of you may be aware, that LACBC was founded by former Eco-Village residents Joe Linton and Ron Milam 15 years ago! Other Eco-Villagers have also been a part of LACBC history such as Aurisha Smolarski, Bobby Gadda, and Johnny Green, and currently Josey Sarria. The LAEV has always been happy to host LACBC meetings and retreats over the years. The LAEV will be honoring Jackie Goldberg, who as a former board member of the LAUSD, City Councilmember, and State Assembly representative, saved the LAEV neighborhood from being bulldozed three times in the past 30 years. Suggested donation is $25 to $100, which benefits the nonprofit Urban Soil/Tierra Urbana Limited Equity Housing Cooperative in the Los Angeles Eco-Village. Please RSVP: [email protected]
m
 or 213-738-1254More info
 
Dale Bros. Brewery Hoppy Holidays Fundraiser for PVBC
When: Saturday, Dec. 14; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: Dale Bros. - 2120 Porterfield Way, Upland
PVBC is excited to be part of Dale Bros. Brewery's Hoppy Holidays fundraiser this year. There will be live music, tacos and tamales, and fun raffle items of bike gear and Dale Bros. gift baskets. $5 entrance fee. Take the Metrolink and ride out to this holiday fundraiser! More information can be found on the Facebook event.

  

Larchmont Holiday Caroling Ride
When: Sunday, December 15; meet at 4:30 p.m., ride at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Where: Meet at Rotary Club Christmas Tree Lot - 568 N. Larchmont Blvd.
Save the date for our annual caroling ride! Kids young and old look forward to this special magical time all year, and now that it is here. Our  family-friendly 2-mile ride combines cycling fun with caroling, cookies, and cocoa in beautiful Larchmont Village.
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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