| | Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter September 26, 2013 |
| Action Item: Stop the Hyperion Freeway, Make Hyperion Ave. Viaduct Safe for Biking and Walking  What we discovered is plain old car-centric engineering from start to finish. Caltrans and BOE are designing Hyperion Ave. to freeway standards with a design speed of 55 miles per hour. Based on that design speed, they are pursuing a median crash barrier, banked turns, and supersized car lanes. Those decisions leave no room for bike lanes and just a narrow sidewalk on only one side of the street. Simply designing the street to normal city street standards would leave enough room for everyone.
Subject: No Hyperion Freeway - Build a Safe Viaduct for All
As someone who bikes or walks between Silver Lake and Atwater Village, it is absolutely critical that Hyperion Ave. be made safe for people like me. Everyone's needs can be met if the project is designed for appropriate speeds through an urban community. Specifically, I would like the project to include:
- Bike lanes on Hyperion Ave.
- Wider sidewalks and well-marked crosswalks with wayfinding signs
- Narrower traffic lanes to provide more space for bicyclists and pedestrians and discourage speeding
- No crash barrier and banked turns that will make people drive even faster
- A complete crosswalk on the Atwater end of the viaduct to let people access the sidewalk from both sides of Glendale Blvd. and give bicyclists an alternative through the dangerous merge
There is no reason for this project to not be consistent with the bike plan and Caltrans complete streets policy. The viaduct is currently the greatest barrier to safe bicycle access across the 5 Freeway and the LA River. This project can change that and make all travelers benefit.
Sincerely,
your name your address |
| 3-Foot Passing Bill Signed by Governor Brown
The third time's the charm. On Monday, Governor Brown finally signed AB 1371 into law, and California will become the 22nd state to have a 3-foot passing law. Pennsylvania has a 4-foot passing law. The law goes into effect on September 16, 2014.
"I sincerely thank the Governor for signing this commonsense measure to protect cyclists on our roads," says Assmebly member Steven Bradford (D - Gardena), who introduced the bill earlier this year. "When cars and bikes collide, it often turns to tragedy. This bill is a great reminder that we all have to work together to keep our roads safe for all users." |
| L.A. Bike and Ped Count: Help Us Wrap Up with Make-Up Shifts this Saturday 
We are so close to wrapping our count shifts for the L.A. Bike and Ped Count! We just need your help to wrap up! - Did you count at a location? Thanks! Make sure you turn in your count forms. Not only will you help out our team in tracking what data we have, but if you turned in your forms by Friday, September 20th, then you'll be entered into a drawing for several electric bikes and other cool prizes for each shift you completed.
- Do you want to volunteer for a make-up shift this Saturday? 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 this Saturday, September 28th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., please email Martin Lopez-Iu at martin@la-bike.org with the following:
- Your name
- Your phone number
- Location you are available for. Choose from:
- York between Figueroa & Mt. Angelus (Highland Park
- Winnetka between Roscoe & Community (Winnetka)
- Van Nuys between Glenoaks & De Haven (Pacoima)
- Topanga Canyon between Burbank & Collins (Woodland Hills)
- Florence between Broadway & Grand (South LA)
- Century between Central & Clovis (South LA)
- Century between Budlong & Vermont (South LA)
- Central between 54th & 54th (South LA)
- 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.
Thank you! You are all amazing! |
| Celebrate Walktober with Walk to School Day and Other Walking Events October is Walktober, where we celebrate walking! 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 to celebrate Walk to School Day on October 9th (or any other day in October) at walktoschoolday-la.org.
Our friends at Los Angeles Walks also have a few Walktober events to look forward to:
Walktober Day of Action
When: Tuesday, October 1 Where: 8:00 a.m.: Hollywood and Vine, Hollywood
11:00 a.m.: 7th and Alvarado, MacArthur Park
3:00 p.m.: 7th and Flower, Downtown Join Los Angeles Walks for this Walking Day of Action, taking place in various intersections across central Los Angeles. Taking a page from Peatonito, the masked defender of pedestrians in Mexico City, we'll be serving as superheroes for walkers for the day: helping walkers get across the street, providing an exceptional pedestrian experience, and calling out motorists for being inconsiderate - Hey! We're Walking Here! If you'd like to join us, meet us at the following intersections, which we've targeted to make safer as part of our Safe Routes to Transit campaign. These intersections are all within a block or two of Red Line stations.
Walktoberfest
Every weekend in Walktober Los Angeles Walks and other walking groups are organizing easy walks all over L.A. County. 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 us for the beer part.
Heart of LA WalkLAvia with Los Angeles Walks When: Sunday, October 6; Meet at 10:00 a.m. Where: Mariachi Plaza - corner of East First and Boyle Streets in Boyle Heights Walk: Three miles along the CicLAvia route from Boyle Heights to Chinatown led by Los Angeles Walks steering committee (ride the Gold Line back to the start, or vice versa) Beers: 12:00 p.m. at the Chinatown Hub beer garden See who's coming and invite friends on Facebook When: Monday, October 14 (It's Columbus Day, so you might have the day off!); Meet at 5:30 p.m. Walk: Two mile loop of great architecture, public artworks and secret alleys in Beverly Hills led by Ellen Lutwak
Beers (and "These Boots Are Made for Walk-Ka" martinis!): 7:00 p.m. at Nic's Beverly Hills, 453 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills 90210 (plus happy hour specials all Monday evening for walkers!) See who's coming and invite friends on Facebook 2nd Annual Zombie Walk with Walk Bike Glendale When: Saturday, October 19; meet at 6:30 p.m. 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.) Santa Monica Walking Train with Santa Monica Walks
When: Saturday, October 26; meet at 3:30 p.m. 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 |
| L.A. County Elected Leaders Focus on Walking and Bicycling 
Last week, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition hosted a breakfast for Los Angeles County elected leaders and key staff from Metro, local cities, and school districts to discuss challenges and opportunities to make L.A. County more walkable, bikeable, and transit-accessible. It was a rare opportunity bringing in all three levels of government (Metro, cities, and school districts) to discuss these issues in one room. For more information on what happened during this meeting follow our blog post. |
| Share Your Transportation Ideas with LA/2B by Monday, September 30th 
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. |
Bike Updates from Around L.A. County: Construction Begins on Colorado Blvd. Buffered Bike Lanes and Other Improvements Eagle Rock: Bike lane installation has begun on a 3-mile stretch on Colorado Blvd. and should be completed in early October. Other improvements include new crosswalks, installation of 60 bike racks, modifying median striping, speed-feedback signs, and lighted crosswalks. Check out Councilmember Jose Huizar's flier for the scoop.
Green paint will be painted this weekend on the inside of the white stripes of the bike lanes and in potential conflict zones. Glendale: Our local chapter Walk Bike Glendale and the City of Glendale are conducting a bike and ped count this week. Yesterday, volunteers counted at 65 locations in the morning and afternoon. Volunteers once again will be counting on Saturday, September 28th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. WBG is set with volunteers, but if you would like to be a standby volunteer for Saturday (or possibly help with make-up counts next week), email Alek Bartrosouf at alek@la-bike.org. 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. 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 david.somers@lacity.org. Note that City Planning is looking for bike-friendly street candidate suggestions only. On the provided map, these are the "neighborhood network" yellow routes. |
| What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Pittsburgh Gets Fun and Creative with Bike Parking  | | Pittsburgh Bike Parking: Shipping Containers, Space Invaders and Good Restaurant Neighbors |
Check out this Streetfilm to see how previously underused parking garage space, shipping containers, and bike corrals are all spots you can park your bike at the Steel City.
(Bonus bike nerd trivia question: What state currently has a 4-foot passing law? If you were paying attention in this newsletter and/or noting the theme of this section, you'll know that it's Pennsylvania!) |
| | Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities Glendale Bike & Ped Count When: Saturday, September 28; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. New Belgium Tour de Fat - San Diego When: Saturday, September 28; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Golden Hill Park, San Diego CicLAvia - Heart of Los AngelesWhen: 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 Active Streets L.A. Community Event
When: Saturday, October 19; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Where: Budlong Elementary - 5940 Budlong Ave, Los Angeles Save the date! 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 improvements, we want your input - join us for a fun ride/walk, free snacks, and a raffle. Wolfpack Hustle: The HP Gran PrixWhen: 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. Loco Motion 10k Road Race Where: Start in Downtown L.A. On October 13, 2012, while training for her first Ironman triathlon, Marisela Echeverria was killed in a cycling collision on PCH in Malibu, CA. The Loco Motion 10K was created to raise awareness and advocate for bike safety, and ultimately to ensure that heartbreaking collisions like that this never happen again. Run, walk, and have fun in the inaugural Loco Motion 10K! A portion of the proceeds raised by the event will benefit the LACBC. Register at locomotion10k.com. |
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
carol@la-bike.org |
Let's be friends! Connect with LACBC: www.la-bike.org      |
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