| | Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Newsletter July 17, 2014 |
| Metro Directors Move to Create a Finance Strategy for Walking and Biking: Vote Next Thursday 
Great news! Yesterday, Metro Directors Mike Bonin, Pam O'Connor, John Fasana and Mark Ridley-Thomas introduced a motion to develop an Active Transportation Finance Strategy in response to concerns that the Short Range Transportation Plan under-invests in walking and biking. About 60 people from partner organizations, LACBC chapters and individual supporters came out for a Wednesday afternoon Metro committee meeting to support increased funding for walking and biking. This motion lays out a path forward for the agency to set performance goals for active transportation and identify how much investment it would take to make Los Angeles County truly walkable and bikeable for people of all ages and abilities. We greatly appreciate Director Bonin's leadership and the support from his colleagues on the board. |
| Councilmember Cedillo Puts North Figueroa Bike Lanes on Ice 
Late last week, 1st District Councilmember Gil Cedillo announced that he was putting planned safety improvements on North Figueroa on hold. In a letter to his constituents, he declared, "I will be deferring the implementation of any bike lanes on Figueroa until I can ensure all residents who travel along this corridor will be safe." Of course, delaying funded safety improvements in the name of safety left us utterly baffled, until the LA Times today reported on his reasoning, calling Figueroa 4 All proponents "a very microscopic percentage of people to set an agenda." As this LA Times graphic shows, North Figueroa is currently the most unsafe street in all of Northeast Los Angeles with 221 collisions involving bicyclists and pedestrians over 10 years, precisely the kind of street where a road diet and bike lanes can make a big difference for safety. Our 2013 bicycle counts showed that North Figueroa currently has the highest volume of bicyclists of any street in the Northeast, higher even than streets that currently have bike lanes. We may never know what caused Councilmember Cedillo to break his campaign promise and actively campaign against Figueroa 4 All, but we do know that-on the merits-a road diet remains the best option for North Figueroa. Through Mayor Garcetti's Great Streets Initiative, we are optimistic that the community will again demonstrate its support for making North Figueroa a complete street, including bike lanes. After all, the Highland Park, Cypress Park and Glassell Park Neighborhood Councils already have voted in favor of the bike lanes. That sounds like a lot more than just "a very microscopic percentage of people." For more, read the in-depth coverage in today's Los Angeles Times. |
| Come to New Local Chapter Walk Bike Burbank's 1st Meeting on Sunday  
Do you live, work, or play in the City of Burbank? Join our newest local chapter, Walk Bike Burbank, for its inaugural meeting! Topics for this first meeting include: establishing a steering committee, discussing rules of the local chapter, electing officers, and planning events. When: Sunday, July 20 at 4 p.m. Where: Romancing the Bean coffee shop - 3413 W. Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank (map) |
CicLAvia Unveils New Heart of L.A. Route on October 5th
This week, CicLAvia unveiled the new Heart of L.A. route which reaches new neighborhoods in Echo Park, the Historic Broadway District, and East L.A.
The route will feature a pedestrian zone in the Broadway Theater District, a kids zone at the East LA Civic Center and will cross paths with the Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture, which is being held in Grand Park.
When: Sunday, October 5; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Echo Park, Downtown L.A., Boyle Heights, East L.A.
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Updates from Around L.A. County: New Stretch of L.A. River Path Opens in Canoga Park and Winnetka
L.A. River: A new stretch of L.A. River path has opened at the river's headwaters in the Valley. The completed project includes 1-1/4 miles of bike and pedestrian path, as well as 5 acres of green space. The path begins at Owensmouth Ave. in Canoga Park (where Bell and Calabasas creeks meet to form the river) and stretches to Mason Ave. in Winn etka. The longterm goal of Greenway 2020 campaign is for the L.A. River to include a continuous 51-mile path along the entire river from Canoga Park to Long Beach by the year 2020. Read more about the new stretch of path at KCET Departures. |
New for LACBC Members: Basic Bicycle Skills Workshop Debuts on July 26th
 This 2-hour workshop will provide you with basic information you can use to safely ride your bicycle on the streets of LA County. The workshop for LACBC members includes a booklet and LACBC materials you can take home with you. Instruction is classroom only - we will not be riding. Bringing your bicycle is optional.
Topics include: - Proper helmet fit
- ABC Quick Check (checking your bicycle)
- Rules of the Road
- Riding Visibly & Predictably
- Traffic Principles for Bicyclists
When: Saturday July 26; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Where: LACBC Headquarters, mezzanine level - 634 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles 90014 RSVP: RSVP is required. To RSVP go here. |
| Join Us for the 4th Annual Lakewood Family Sunday Funday Ride  Where: Sunday, August 3; Meet at 9:30 AM, Ride at 10:00 AM Where: Del Valle Park - 5939 Henrilee St. (at Woodruff) Lakewood, CA 90713, by the airplane (map) Bring out your whole family for this ride around the Long Beach and Lakewood area! For the fourth summer in a row, LACBC Board Member and Lakewood resident Steve Boyd leads this mellow ride. We'll ride along the San Gabriel Bike Path and head south to PCH and back. Children on bikes and in trailers are welcome!
Ride Length: not more than 18 miles (riders will have the option of turning around for a 6-mile ride or riding for a longer 18-mile ride)
Ride Duration: 2 to 2.5 hours, including stops for rest when needed
Difficulty: easy, great for the whole family RSVP: To RSVP or volunteer as ride support, please contact Carol Feucht, Membership & Communications Director, at carol@la-bike.org. 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. |
| LACBC Calls on L.A. County Sheriff's Department to Stop Improper CVC21202 Citations for Riding Legally 
LACBC takes seriously our duty to defend bicyclists' rights to the road. We recently called on the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to stop improperly ticketing bicyclists who are legally controlling the lane and establish a Bicycle Task Force responsible for improving deputy training. Read our letter. If you have been improperly pulled over and/or cited for CVC 21202, please get in touch with planning & policy director Eric Bruins at eric@la-bike.org. View our full letter on the LACBC website. Also, a new County Sheriff will be elected this fall in a runoff election between Jim McDonnell and Paul Tanaka. Be sure to check out our candidate survey for Jim McDonnell (Paul Tanaka has not submitted one yet), and bike the vote this November. |
| LACBC's Bike Valet at Grand Performances Continues this Friday with Chop and Quench and this Saturday with Quetzal 
LACBC has partnered with Grand Performances for the third year in a row to bring you a series of "pedal pushers" performances this summer! Grand Performances hosts FREE concerts, film screenings, dance performances, etc. at the outdoor California Plaza in Downtown L.A. through September, and we'll be providing complimentary bike valet at several of them! Riding your bike and parking for free to a free show is the perfect way to spend a summer night. Check out the schedule of Grand Performances with bike valet below and head over to their website for more information. To find our bike valet, enter California Plaza off of Grand Ave. (map), walk up the steps south of Blue Cow, and find us in front of the Deloitte Building. |
What's Ringing Our Bike Bells: Bike Safety in Burbank and Glendale in the '50s
 | | Ride Your Bike - Safety on your Bike in Glendale & Burbank California |
In honor of our newest local chapter Walk Bike Burbank, we're digging into the archives for this oldie but goodie. Check out this bike safety video from the 1950s that was shot in Burbank and Glendale. In it, kids learn to practice the rules of the road by "driving" their bicycles to prepare for becoming auto drivers.
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| | Events, Meetings, & Volunteer Opportunities Grand Performances - Chop and Quench with LACBC Bike Valet When: Friday, July 18; 8:00 p.m. More info in newsletter. Touring L.A. County with LACBC and Where to Bike L.A.: Surf City USA When: Saturday, July 19; meet at 8:30 a.m., ride at 9:00 a.m. Where: Meet at Bixby Park - 130 Cherry Avenue, Long Beach (map) Mid-July is the perfect time for an awesome beach ride--it's too bloomin' hot to ride in many other parts of the County. So, dust off your passports because LACBC and Where to Bike Los Angeles be riding south, crossing the border into Orange County, on a 45-mile beach ride. More info. Active Streets L.A. Community Mapping Ride and Walk When: Saturday, July 19; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Maya Angelou Community High School - 300 53rd St., Los Angeles, 90011 Join LACBC, Trust South L.A., LADOT for a community bike ride or walk to help make improvements on 54th Street. Grand Performances - Quetzal 20th Anniversay with LACBC Bike Valet When: Saturday, July 19; 8:00 p.m. More info in newsletter. Walk Bike Burbank Local Chapter Meeting When: Sunday, July 20; 4 p.m. More info in newsletter. Roaring Nights at the L.A. Zoo with LACBC Bike Valet When: Friday, July 25; 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Where: Los Angeles Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens opens its doors for a series of summer after-hours events for adults to enjoy music, food and fun - and animals! - under the starry skies. This night features music from Kiven and DJ Caroline D'Amore. Food trucks includeCoolhaus, Komodo, Lobsta Truck, Mandoline Grill, The Grilled Cheese Truck, Umami Truck, and Urban Oven. Ride your bikes over, as LACBC will be providing complimentary bike valet for the series. More info. Culver City Bike-Walk-Scoot Festival When: Saturday, July 26; 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Where: Culver City Middle School- 4601 Elenda Street, Culver City, CA 90230 (map) Join Walk 'n Rollers for a fun day learning how to bike and walk safely in your community. All ages welcome and we'll even have bikes and helmets for those without (helmets are required on the course and group rides). More info. Basic Bicycling Skills for LACBC Members When: Saturday, July 26; 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. More info in newsletter. Lakewood Family Sunday Funday Ride When: Sunday, August 3; Meet at 9:30 a.m., Ride at 10:00 a.m. More info in newsletter. Los Angeles Arts Sustainability Tour with LACBC Bike Valet When: Saturday, August 9; 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Where: Electric Lodge - 1416 Electric Ave, Venice, 90291 LAAST is designed to be a fun, informative, neighborhood-based event featuring art, information and sustainable education. In addition to expert presentations, the event will feature breakfast, live entertainment, kids activities, compost pick-up, e-waste and battery recycling, sustainable giveaways (aerators and showerheads, LED lights), and complimentary bike valet from LACBC. More info.
CicLAvia - Heart of L.A. When: Sunday, October 5; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. El Grande Fondo de Los Angeles Crest When: Saturday, October 18 Where: Angeles Crest Save the date for the El Grande Fondo de Los Angeles Crest, which travels through the classic high country of the San Gabriel Mountains along scenic Angeles Crest Highway. This ride benefits the National Forest Foundation and LACBC. More info at grandefondoangelescrest.org. Firefly Ball Awards Dinner When: Thursday, October 30 Where: Downtown L.A. location TBA Save the date for our inaugural Firefly Ball Awards Dinner! California by Bike 2014 Surf 'N Turf When: Friday, October 31 to Wednesday, November 5 Where: Santa Barbara to San Diego Join the California Bicycle Coalition on its inaugural fundraising tour this Fall 2014 from Santa Barbara to San Diego. This phenomenal five-day fully supported tour will be the only in California to strictly raise funding to support advocacy groups. When you join the ride through this link, $250 of your total raised will be dedicated to LACBC. For more information, visit: calbike.org/surfnturf. |
LACBC Local Chapters - Join when you become an LACBC member or renew your membership!
Other Events Around Town |
| | | | 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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