Category Archives: Bicycle

A two-wheeled guide to Carmageddon

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By now readers have hopefully digested the hint: Avoid driving this weekend, particularly near the 405 freeway and instead enjoy some down time in your own neighborhood. There really is no better way to do the latter than on a bicycle. It’s faster than walking, provides some exercise and there’s usually ample parking.

So, for those looking to dust off the old 10-speed or just rent a bike for the weekend, here are some resources to help get you on your way.

Bike Rentals:

If you’re searching for a bike to rent, a good place to start is Yelp.com, which has local listings and reviews for over 30 bike rental options in the L.A. area. Just plug in your neighborhood and give a ring to the one that suits you best.

Many shops that sell bikes will also rent them for a daily fee, so it’s a good bet to call up your local shop and inquire about their policies and rental rates. Ironically, perhaps the most ubiquitous bike rental operations in L.A. are the beachfront shops that rent out beach cruisers by the hour; however, those shops will probably be hard to get to this weekend, unless you live close to the beach.

A lot more bike info after the jump…
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Proposed ordinance in city of L.A. aims to curb harassment of cyclists

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The LADOT Bike Blog reports that a new anti-harassment ordinance sponsored by Councilmember Bill Rosendahl will go before the Los Angeles City Council within the next two weeks. The ordinance would add a section to the Municipal Code to explicitly prohibit physical assault and threats and attempts to assault, intimidate, distract, and injure bike riders.

The law would also give cyclists the ability to prosecute harassment cases in a civil proceeding in addition to the typical criminal avenues. If passed, penalties for those found in violation of the measure would be three times the actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater, plus reasonable legal expenses and damages awarded by a jury or judge. Read the proposed language of the ordinance here.

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Metro interns ride the rails to spread word about new bike policy

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Metro’s Alice Tolar marshals her troops-in-training on the Gold Line platform. Photo by Office of Zev Yaroslavsky.

A nice story was posted today on ZevWeb — Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s website — about a new Metro intern program to help explain the agency’s new bike policy to the public.

The Metro Board in April changed the agency’s policy to allow bikes on all Metro trains at all times, including rush hour. The interns are on the trains and talking to customers to explain where to put bikes (some seats are being removed from rail cars) as well as other big items that people carry aboard. Excerpt:

Enforcers they’re not. Rather, the train ambassadors’ role is to “catch people being good,” said Alice Tolar, a Metro transportation planning manager who is overseeing the program.

“If I see you standing with your bike in the appropriate area, I’m going to thank you for that…We’re also letting non-cyclists hear what’s going on,” she said.

The story is a good read — check it out. The interns will start visiting trains this coming Monday, July 11.

 

 

Pair of studies released on use of bikes to access Orange Line and Metro Rail

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A Metro rider loads his bike on the Orange Line. Photo by Nate Baird, via Flickr.

Metro staff on Monday issued two interesting studies that attempt for the first time to quantify how many people are using bikes to access the Orange Line busway and Metro Rail. The studies also try to estimate the amount of greenhouse gases not being emitted because of people using bikes to reach Metro.

Here are the links: Orange Line study, Metro Rail study and a summary of both in a Metro staff report to the agency’s Board of Directors.

[UPDATE, 2:15 p.m. Please read the rest of this post, but also please leave a comment with any suggestions for Metro about helping cyclists get around].

The studies aren’t perfect — they’re based on surveys that had some limitations. But the studies are significant because in the past there hasn’t been any kind of real numbers on the relationship between bikes and Metro bus and rail service. The info the agency had was either anecdotal or very broad — estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau on the number of people who commute by bike in L.A. County.

The studies offer a mixed bag of good and bad news. On the plus side, over the course of a year, there are more than a million boardings by cyclists on Metro Rail. On the minus side, the amount of greenhouse gases spared by people pedaling to Metro instead of driving all the way to work are paltry compared to the overall number of vehicles on the road.

On both counts, there seems to be room for improvement. I don’t think cities around Los Angeles County have done much to help cyclists access the Orange Line or Metro Rail. Metro staff writes that there seems to be enough cyclists out there to warrant spending money on bike facilities to help people access Metro and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A few highlights taken from the studies:

•Approximately 1.2 million boardings on Metro Rail annually are by bicyclists (representing 1.3 percent of all annual rail trips).

•Bicycle-rail trips replace approximately 322,000 motor vehicle trips and reduce 3.96 million vehicle miles traveled each year, offsetting approximately 2,152 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) annually.  This would be equivalent to taking 422 motor vehicles off the road.
•Men greatly outnumber women when it comes to using bikes to reach Metro.
•Bicyclists are universally using the Metro Rail system, with bicyclists report starting or ending their rail trip at 71 out of 73 Metro Rail stations surveyed.

A push for the 7th Street bike lane in L.A.

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Nice video recently posted by the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition on the proposed bike lane along 7th Street and serve as an alternative to riding on very busy Wilshire Boulevard. The lane would eventually stretch from Catalina Street in Koreatown to Soto Street in Boyle Heights and is scheduled to be the first built under the city’s new bike plan.

It’s also a project that could benefit Metro passengers.  Seventh Street is one block south of Wilshire Boulevard, which the subway runs under to Western Avenue (and soon beyond with the Westside Subway Extension). Wilshire is also Metro’s busiest bus corridor — with rush hour bus lanes soon — and there’s Metro local bus service on both 6th and 8th streets and many of the major north-south streets that intersect 7th.

A useful bike lane on 7th could help Metro riders get to and from bus and rail stops in speedier fashion, particularly in a part of town transit ridership is already high.

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LADOT launches new bike program website

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Behold: A snappy new layout and up-to-date bike maps.

Bike Week is officially behind us, and Bike Month is drawing to a close. But for those of us who caught two-wheeled fever — or already had it — there’s no need to fret — lots of great bike projects are on tap for the city of L.A.

In March, the Los Angeles City Council approved a comprehensive new bike plan that calls for the creation of 1,600 miles of new bikeways, with a commitment to putting in 200 miles every five years. To keep track of upcoming projects and to better educate Angelenos about the bicycling rules of the road, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation has revamped its website, BicycleLA.org.

Chris Kidd at the LADOT bike blog has the details:

Along with our recently updated bike maps, and our continually updated maps of new bike infrastructure projects, the LADOT Bike Program is committed to getting ourselves 100% up-to-date.

Check out the new website and let us know what you think.

 

Open forum: what are some good road/commuting bikes?

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My current ride.

Bike Week is wrapping up today, so I thought I would throw this completely self-serving question out there to Source readers: what kind of bike should I buy?

Background: I was gifted a Diamondback Topanga mountain bike when I moved to California in 1994. I’ve had it ever since and it has served me well — mostly on roads, not mountains — but the bike is falling apart. Latest problem: the thingy that holds the back tire to the frame is occasionally not holding the back tire to the frame, which may also be bent. It’s kind of a problem when riding.

So I’m in the market for my first new bike since President Clinton’s first term. I plan on using it for some commuting and errands around Pasadena, fitness and light touring. I don’t plan on going off pavement with it; I do plan on taking it on Metro Rail. Lightweight is good. My budget: $400 to $800. I’m guessing it’s the same kind of bike that would also work well for other Metro riders interested in biking more.

Please leave a comment and share your bike knowledge. Assume I know nothing about bike brands and models and technology.

And Happy Bike Week!

Commuters roll out for annual Downtown L.A. Bike Ride

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Cyclists ride past Angel's Flight on Hill Street. Photo by Gary Leonard

Cyclists ride past Angel's Flight on Hill Street. Photo by Gary Leonard

On the third leg of cycling activities for Bike Week L.A., street-wise commuters took a spin through downtown L.A. under cloudy skies for Metro’s annual downtown L.A. bike ride. The two-wheeled tour attracted several dozen cyclists clearly bent on demonstrating their commute of choice. Riders took off from Union Station on a four-mile loop that took in Olvera Street, the historic district, civic center, Little Tokyo and a slice of Main Street.

Annual Downtown Bike Ride is part of Bike Week L.A.

Annual Downtown Bike Ride is part of Bike Week L.A.

There’s more. Thursday is Bike to Work Day. Some 40 bike pit stops will populate typical commuter routes throughout L.A. County, offering refreshments and giveaways to participating cyclists, who can also register for prizes. A complete list of pit stop locations is available online at www.metro.net/bikeweek. And, if you need a ride for at least part of the way, your bike and helmet will get you on Metro for free on Thursday.

Metro is promoting “Bike Week LA” by supporting a host of activities intended to get more Angelinos to ride their bikes to work, school and other destinations throughout L.A. County to reduce traffic and air pollution and save energy.

The Metro Human Powered Commuting Awards

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In celebration of Bike Week LA, Metro would like to show its appreciation of those who ride bikes as their primary way of getting around. Nominees were submitted through metro.net, and were selected by a committee of Metro staff who also ride bikes. These individuals are contributing to a more sustainable transportation system, and will receive trophies and gift certificates to local bicycle shops.

Octavio Orduño: The Well-Seasoned Rider

At 103 years of age, Octavio could very well be the oldest living cyclist in the United States. Switching from a bicycle to tricycle when he turned 100, the Long Beach resident rides nearly every day, including to destinations such as the beach and the farmer’s market.

Victoria Shupe: The “Step Away from the Car” Award

Learning to ride a bicycle when she was 26 years old, Victoria saw the use of a bike as a way to improve her health. She now cycles three or four times a week to work in Santa Monica from her home in Koreatown, limiting her car use to only a few times per week.

Bernie Hernandez: Highest Mileage Rider

Bernie covers 46 miles a day on his commute from Huntington Beach to the Long Beach Airport and back, taking PCH, the San Gabriel River Trail and local streets. On top of this, he frequently participates in weekend group rides. At 50, he is probably more fit than the vast majority of people half his age.

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