Category Archives: Bicycle

Bike Week LA is on its way May 16-20

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For the 17th straight year, Metro will be participating in Bike to Work Day (Thursday, May 19) as part of Bike Week LA from May 16 through May 20. The events take place in May, but you can gear up for Bike Week by signing up now for the following programs:

  • Pledge to ride on Bike to Work Day. By signing up through the California Bicycle Coalition, you show that cyclists count. You will also be entered for a chance to win some great prizes.
  • Commuting Awards: Get around by bike? Nominate yourself or your friends and colleagues for an award. Metro will be rewarding those who take the longest and hilliest commutes as well as those who have demonstrated a commitment to getting around without the use of a car. Just fill out the online form between now and the end of April.
  • The Bike Buddies program on Bike to Work Day gives inexperienced cyclists the opportunity to ride with cycling veterans. If you are interested in getting some on-road experience, or you are an experienced cyclist who wants to help out, please register on our website.

Both fun and healthy, riding your bike is a great way to get around and avoid the pains of traffic and paying for gas. For more information about Bike Week, please visit our website.

 


Streetfilms asks: What is CicLAvia?

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The latest dispatch from Streetfilms — a member of the Streetsblog family — attempts to answer the fundamental questions of Los Angeles’ newfangled open streets event: What is CicLAvia? Why is it important? And what can you do when the streets are turned over from automobiles to people? Check out the video and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

 

Bikes make tracks on Metro trains

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Bikes at the Little Tokyo Gold Line station during Sunday's CicLAvia event. Photo by Waltarrrr, via Flickr.

Here’s a good post on Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s website about the effort to make room for more bikes on Metro Rail.

Excerpt:

Sunday’s CicLAvia ride through Los Angeles streets was not just a test of the city’s ability to embrace a car-free existence for a few hours. It also was a test of Metro’s ability to cope with the largest congregation of bicycle commuters it’s ever faced, as thousands turned to public transportation to get them to and from the 7.5 mile route.

And—while it’s certain that many riders encountered delays, crowded train cars or both—it’s clear that the event was a milestone in the agency’s evolving track record of accommodating bicycles aboard its subway and light rail trains.

I encourage cyclists to read the entire post — there’s a lot of good perspective from cyclists.

Yaroslavsky is a member of the Metro Board of Directors, which next week will begin to consider a new policy to lift the ban on bikes on Metro Rail during peak hours.

Metro proposes removal of peak-hour ban for bikes on rail

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Metro plans to remove the peak hour restrictions for bikes on Metro trains, and will present a recommendation to the Board of Director’s Operations Subcommittee on April 21.

The committee item, available here, recommends the removal of the weekday 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. bike ban on Metro Rail lines for some high-demand trains. Bicycles could be brought on all trains in all directions at all times if the ban is removed. If approved by the Board of Directors, changes would go into effect immediately.

The recommendation would better accommodate riders who use a bicycle for both the first and last segments of their trips, and overall, meet the expected growth in cyclists using Metro. The issue has been under study for the past year.

The current Bike-on-Rail policy has been on the books since September 2002and has, according to the Metro staff report to the Board, “impeded the full use of bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation.” From the report:

“Elimination of the time restrictions would allow unfettered access to the rail system. This would encourage more people to ride transit knowing that they would be allowed to begin and end their trips using bicycles; reduce their carbon footprints as more cars come off the road and increase MTA ridership leading to a more sustainable environment.”

Also part of the committee item is a recommendation to remove seats in light rail vehicles on the Blue, Gold and Green lines to accommodate more bikes. Seat removal is expected to improve accommodations for bikes and other large items on trains. At this time, only seats on the Red/Purple Lines have been removed to create extra space. Due to train car availability issues, seat removal would likely be completed by mid-2013.

Following consideration of the item in the Operations Committee, the item would then go to the full Metro Board April 28.

If the Board approves the new policy, an amendment would also be submitted for Metro Board approval reflecting the change to the agency’s Customer Code of Conduct, which establishes public rules for utilizing the Metro system.

CicLAvia, v. 2.0!

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Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

From the saddle of my 17-year-old mountain bike, it sure looked like the second edition of CicLAvia was a big success on Sunday. The crowds seemed larger than the premiere event last October and the weather was perfect. It also looked like plenty of people, including yours truly, used Metro to reach the CicLAvia route.

The only hitch I saw was that just as the event was ending, the Red and Purple Line station at Union Station was closed for a couple of hours due to a suspicious package found on the tracks. Precautions, of course, had to be taken, although the package turned out to be harmless.

CicLAvia also has events planned for July and October. L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tweeted Sunday that the next ride on city streets will be July 10. As someone who as a reporter once egged on the city to close streets for cyclists and pedestrians — just as many other cities around the world do — I think the city of L.A. deserves a lot of credit for pulling off two CicLAvias in just six months with more on the way.

I took the above photo from MacArthur Park looking west down 7th Street. Below are some photos posted today to Flickr.

Photo by Waltarrrr, via Flickr.

Photo by srd515, via Flickr.

Photo by srd515, via Flickr.


Metro Tips for Attending CicLAvia This Sunday

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photo by lasubwayblog, via Flickr

CicLAvia is this Sunday, April 10, and although more than three dozen Metro Bus Lines will be detoured along the nearly eight-mile route that day, Metro is an enthusiastic supporter of the event.

L.A. streets will be closed to cars except for key intersections, and will instead be open to walkers, bicyclists, skateboarders and anyone else looking for car-free street fun.

Metro is no doubt a great way to get to CicLAvia, with eight rail stations along or near the route. Metro will add capacity to the Metro Red Line and Gold Line throughout the day to accommodate attendees. Regular Sunday schedules will apply, which means trains will run at approximately 12-15 minute headways. To plan your trip on Metro Bus (or Rail) lines, use the Metro Trip Planner.

Metro does anticipate this event will be highly popular and there will be instances when trains are full. The agency recommends that riders plan accordingly by allowing more time to get to the event by transit.

If you’re with a large group and within a good riding distance to the CicLAvia route consider joining the many “Feeder Rides” to CicLAvia.

For those of you taking the train please keep in mind the safe operation of the transit system and follow these simple rules and tips when taking your bike.

  • Riding a bicycle in station areas and platforms is prohibited.
  • Stand with your bike in designated areas not blocking train aisles or doors (including operator’s door) and be prepared to vacate the designated wheel-chair area should a wheel-chair user board.
  • Bikes not permitted aboard Metro Rail include tandem, 3-wheeled, gasoline-powered, and bike trailers.
  • If trains are at standing room only, please wait patiently for the next available train with your bicycle.

See you at CicLAvia!


Second CicLAvia This Sunday, April 10

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Cyclists enjoy first CicLAvia Oct. 10, 2010.

The time has come for L.A.’s second CicLAvia.  This Sunday, April 10, bicyclists, pedestrians, joggers and skateboarders are expected to converge in the Downtown L.A. area for the nearly eight mile ride between Boyle Heights and East Hollywood. The event route will be the same as the first CicLAvia last October.

Metro Rail will be the best option for L.A. County enthusiasts to attend Ciclavia without driving.  Continue reading →


Spurring L.A. bicycle use one route at a time: Metro releases bikeway data for 88 cities

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Bikeway data now available Metro developer site.

Here’s some awesome news for anyone who wants to include bikeways in new or existing transportation, trip planning and geographic analysis tools in L.A. County.

Metro has officially released all of its bikeway data gathered from 88 cities at http://developer.metro.net.  The data, following on the agency’s previous release of its transit data last year, is designed to help web and app developers create their own bike map information and show the geographic location of bikeways in L.A. County.

The bikeway data includes, among others, designated bike paths, lanes and routes. By releasing the data to developers, Metro hopes to encourage broader awareness for the region’s overall bikeway network and to further promote cycling as a viable multi-modal option for traveling to destinations throughout the county.

The data comes from Metro’s Bicycle Planning team, which collected, refined and standardized the info for the new Metro Bike Map published last spring. The agency says it now plans to update the bike map every two to three years. Continue reading →

Metro bicycle program undergoes management change

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Metro’s Bicycle Program has recently undergone a management change that is designed to bolster agency efforts to make L.A.’s transit system friendlier to bicycle commuters.

Metro’s Bicycle Program is now under the leadership of Diego Cardoso, an executive officer within the planning department who also directs Metro’s pedestrian, transportation demand management, transportation enhancements and sustainability planning efforts. Metro’s Bicycle Program will still be managed by Lynne Goldsmith, with support from Planning Deputy Executive Officer Shahrzad Amiri.

Those of you who have participated in the Bicycle Roundtables this year know that former Caltrans District 7 Director Doug Failing was hired at the agency as interim chief of Metro’s Planning department.

One of the first actions Doug spearheaded was the formation of the new Bicycle Roundtable series, which meets regularly with members of the L.A. bike community to share and discuss bicycle issues within the agency’s purview. Doug presided over the Roundtable series until last September.

With the hiring earlier this year of architect and urban planner Martha Welborne as Metro’s new planning chief — the formal title is Executive Director of Countywide Planning — Doug now leads Highway Project Delivery at Metro.

In debating whether the Bicycle Program should be placed under the planning or highway departments at Metro, management at the agency decided to put bikes under planning because the agency’s other non-motorized and sustainability modes were also under Planning. Bike projects, by the way, are mostly funded in the bike and transportation demand management categories in Metro’s Call for Projects.

What does that mean for the future of the Bicycle Program and the Roundtable series? Work continues on several fronts. See the most recent Bicycle Program update given to the Metro Board in November.

Doug Failing has not lost his interest in bicycle issues and remains committed to the effort.

“I plan to follow the Bicycle Roundtables closely and lend my voice to championing bicycle issues at Metro.” Doug said.

Metro’s planning department is now actively managing an aggressive bicycle agenda generated both from input from the bicycle community and the Metro Board of Directors. A report is going to the Board of Directors as part of their Dec. 9 meeting. The 10 bicycle program directives from the Board are:

  1. Recommend increased bicycle funding in Metro’s 2011 Call For Projects (tentatively increasing the bicycle modal category from 7% to 15%, pending MTA board approval).
  2. Develop a phased plan to install triple racks on all buses.
  3. Develop a cost estimate, implementation schedule and funding sources to retrofit subway and light rail  cars for bicycles.
  4. Propose a revised Customer Code of Conduct to be more bicycle friendly and create a “how to ride metro” document for large packages, bicycles, strollers, etc.
  5. Identify the feasibility of adding bike racks to vanpool vehicles.
  6. Provide estimated costs and potential funding sources to install improved way-finding signage at all Metro stations.
  7. Include bicycle mode messages in all Metro marketing materials and provide updates on Metro’s Bicycle Safety Advertising Campaign.
  8. Work with LA County Sheriff to track bicycle theft and crime at all Metro stations and suggest safety improvements.
  9. Include ramp designs for stairs at all new Metro stations so bicyclists can wheel their bikes up the stairs.
  10. Incorporate robust bicycle facilities in all new transit project designs to facilitate first/last mile transit access.

Next Bicycle Roundtable meeting Friday, Nov. 5

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Don’t forget Metro’s next Bicycle Roundtable meeting is Friday, Nov. 5, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Metro headquarters, which is adjacent to Union Station.

This roundtable will introduce new program staff, provide a status report from earlier subcommittee meetings on policy and planning and the discuss the bike parking situation at the Hollywood/Vine Red Line station.  The full agenda is below.