Metro spokesman Dave Sotero took this shot on one of Metrolink’s new bike cars today. I’ll be posting some other pics later on Metro’s Twitter account and we’ll post some more photos here later today.
Category Archives: Bicycle
Go Metro to CicLAvia this Sunday
Click above to see larger image.
Below is the news release from Metro on how to get to Ciclavia. Please note that normal fares apply on Sunday.
12 Metro Rail Stations provide service on/near CicLAvia event route. Metro bus lines impacted by street closures.
Go Metro and continue your car-free experience to and from CicLAvia in Los Angeles this Sunday, October 9.
L.A.’s third official CicLAvia event is designed to open 10 miles of city streets to pedestrians, bicyclists, joggers, skateboarders and others for a day of recreation and social integration. The free public event will take place between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
With an expanded north/south route, even more people can enjoy the event via 12 Metro Rail stations on or near the event route.
While the route will include 18 crossing points for vehicular traffic, street closures will impact Metro Bus routes beginning 9 a.m. until approximately 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Metro bus lines impacted by the CicLAvia route are: Metro Line 2, 4, 10 (Rte. 48), 14 (Rte. 37), 16, 18, 20, 28, 30, 33, 40, 42, 53, 55, 60, 70, 71, 76, 78 (Rte. 79), 81, 83, 84 (Rte. 68), 90 (Rte. 91), 92, 94, 96, 460, 487, 603, 720, 733 and Silver Line.
Metro patrons should anticipate bus detours and delays to service, as well as the temporary relocation of bus stops along the route. Temporary stops will be located as near to original stops as possible.
Metro Rail can transport attendees on foot or bike without driving. Metro Red/Purple Line stations at Civic Center, Pershing Square, 7th St./Metro Center, Westlake/MacArthur Park and Wilshire/Vermont are on or within three blocks of the route. On Vermont Avenue, the Metro Red Line Station at Beverly is one block east of the route, and Vermont/Santa Monica Station is less than three-fourths of a mile from the northern point of the route at Melrose and Heliotrope. The Metro Gold Line Little Tokyo/Arts District Station is one block east of the route as it passes from Downtown L.A. to Hollenbeck Park in East Los Angeles and back. Both the Mariachi Plaza and Soto Metro Gold Line Stations also are within three blocks from Hollenbeck Park.
The north spur route also travels along Main Street and passes near Union Station, Los Angeles’ main transportation hub that provides Amtrak, Metrolink, Metro Red Line, Metro Gold Line and numerous Metro and municipal bus services serving L.A. County and beyond. Additionally, the Washington Metro Blue Line Station is within four blocks of the southernmost part of the route at Central and 14th Street.
CicLAvia attendees can also utilize 10 newly retrofitted bike cars on Metrolink trains. Metrolink bike cars will be able to accommodate 20 bicycles, allowing more people to enjoy regional travel without their cars.
For more information on Metro services, visit Metro’s web page www.metro.net or call 1 (800) COMMUTE. For more information on CicLAvia or to view a route map, visit www.ciclavia.org.
Metrolink introduces 10 bike cars in time for CicLAvia
Here’s the news release issued today by Metrolink, the commuter rail agency partially funded by Metro:
Los Angeles – Metrolink will roll ten “bike cars” into regular service just in time for CicLAvia. Bike cars are passenger railcars outfitted with space for between 18 and 24 bicycles, instead of two slots like other railcars. The agency hopes this will encourage more Southern Californians to take the train to their destination by giving them a way to get to and from the train station by accommodating more bicycles.
To create the new bicycle cars, Metrolink crews removed 29 passenger seats on the bottom level of one of its railcars that traditionally seats up to 149 people. Bicycle cars can be identified by yellow decals located on the outside of the rail car.
Metrolink used in-house resources to design and retrofit existing cars with additional storage for bicycles. The agency coordinated with bicycle advocates on the design, which was ultimately approved by the Federal Railroad Administration.
While talking CicLAvia, a nice video from Portland
The above video from the office of Portland Mayor Sam Adams was posted online a couple of years ago. But it’s so nicely done, featuring a couple of bold ideas on separating bikes and cars on Portland streets. I figured it would be fun to post now that we’re T-minus three days from the next CicLAvia.
The city of Los Angeles has a good bike blog through its Department of Transportation explaining how it’s trying to improve bike infrastructure in the city — the lead item today explains that 20 miles of L.A. streets were marked with sharrows to encourage cyclists and vehicles to share the roadway.
Of course, there are 88 cities in Los Angeles County and many — like L.A. — are pursuing serious cycling upgrades. It will be interesting to see how many of these ideas take hold here.
Mayor Villaraigosa, organizers promote CicLAvia Oct. 9
Oct. 4 CicLAvia Press Conference
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, flanked by a host of city, Metrolink and CicLAvia officials, held a press conference this morning at Union Station to promote Sunday’s CicLAvia event, calling it an opportunity for Angelinos to reclaim L.A.’s public space from the automobile.
“We are reclaiming public space that we paid for that we never really use in its full offering,” the mayor said.
With an expanded north/south spur that adds three miles to the route, the mayor predicted that Sunday’s event would be even bigger than the last two, although he did not speculate as to how much bigger it could be.
The event generates a lot of economic activity, the mayor said, and that could be used to encourage future philanthropic support to fund future CicLAvias in the L.A. region. “This is becoming a brand. We will see a lot more economic support for it.”
Sunday’s CicLAvia will benefit from lessons learned on the prior two events. For instance, organizers are now urging cyclists to slow down and create a safer environment for everyone. They have also created “CicLAvia Walks” to encourage slower movements along streets so that people can more fully enjoy the architectural and cultural attractions and frequent local businesses.
While talking about the City of L.A.’s Bicycle Master Plan, Villaraigosa said the city will make good on its goal of building 40 miles of bikeways per year. “This city is going to be a leading city for bicycles…We’ve got to do it.”
Officials also used the press event to announce that Metrolink will be ready with its new bicycle train cars in time for Sunday’s CicLAvia. Ten retrofitted bike cars will be introduced into regular service this weekend. Each bike car accommodates 20 bikes.
The bike cars will be placed into permanent service and circulated on all routes throughout the Metrolink System starting next week.
Metrolink retrofitted 10 train cars with special railing to accommodate bikes on the train car's lower level.
Metro is also encouraging Metro Rail to access the CicLAvia route. There are now 12 Metro Rail stations on or near the Ciclavia route.
Long Beach ready to shine in national bike and pedestrian spotlight
The Pro Walk/Pro Bike and Bikestation crew in front of the Long Beach Bikestation. All names are at the bottom of the post.
As The Source’s Kim Upton reported two weeks ago, the Long Beach Bikestation recently reopened with a striking new look. I decided last week to check out the new digs for myself. The trip from the Westside was surprisingly straightforward: one Big Blue Bus ride to 7th/Metro Center, a transfer to the Blue Line, and a trip south to the Long Beach Transit Mall Blue Line station. The bike station is literally across the street.
First, a bit of fawning editorial commentary: The Bikestation is awesome. If I had a magic wand, I’d put one at every busy Metro rail and bus station in L.A. County. To me it represents a model for how to make that bike-to-transit connection even easier. Bike mechanics are on hand to provide commuters with repair help and there’s 24-hour secure bike parking for members.
Complementing the new facility are a slew of bike lanes that Long Beach has rolled out in recent years, including Southern California’s first Dutch-style protected bike lanes.
But checking out Bikestation was just the preview to the main event. That afternoon I had the opportunity to sit down with four national leaders in the bicycle and pedestrian advocacy movement:
- Mark Plotz, Director of the biennial Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference
- Gary Toth, Senior Director of Transportation Initiatives for Project for Public Spaces
- Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists
- Charlie Gandy, Mobility Advisor for the City of Long Beach
The four convened as members of the host committee charged with planning the September 2012 Pro Walk/Pro Bike Summit, a biennial conference organized by the National Center for Bicycling & Walking (NCBW) and the Project for Public Spaces (PPS).
Our half-hour conversation covered a lot of territory, so here’s a distilled summary of the key topics.
What did NCBW see in Long Beach that made it want to hold Pro Walk/Pro Bike here?
Andy Clark said that when he visited Long Beach for the first time last year, he saw change happening right in front of him. “It’s going to be a great place to host the conference,” Clark noted, precisely because “it’s not Portland, it’s not Minneapolis, it’s not Davis. It’s Long Beach,” a city that’s not really on the map when it comes to cycling.
So when conference attendees see what Long Beach has done, they’ll be “blown away and surprised and it will inspire them to go back to their community” with the attitude that Long Beach is doing it and there’s no reason we can’t do it too.
Mark Plotz added that “in Long Beach it feels like we’re in the first few seconds after the Big Bang and all these things…are creating the context in which a bicycle culture can grow and thrive.”
Citywide bicycle network planned for South Pasadena
Existing and proposed South Pasadena Bikeway Network Map
The city of South Pasadena has made big plans to become more bike-friendly. The city just announced that it intends to build more than 24 miles of connecting bikeways that will create a citywide bicycle network to connect schools, library, parks, shops, the Metro Gold Line and Metro bus stops.
At a community event planned for Tuesday afternoon, the city will talk about its planned network and newly approved Bicycle Master Plan that also includes roadway markings, way-finding signage, bike racks and lockers and safety programs.
The bikeway network will begin with the construction of a bike lane on El Centro Street near Arroyo Vista Elementary School. The construction of bike facilities will be prioritized to first provide increased public safety and connections to, among others, public venues and public transportation. When completed, the 24-mile network will consist of lanes, routes and paths — it should make getting across the city much easier in all directions and provide much better cycling linkages to the Gold Line, even for those riding from outside South Pasadena.
Transportation headlines, Thursday, Sept. 22
Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.
Can lawsuits bring down California high-speed rail? (Infrastructurist)
It seems that everyone wants infrastructure projects but no one is willing to compromise to make them happen. And so like many massive endeavors these days, California’s high-speed rail project is not exactly moving as quickly as a speeding locomotive. What could certainly delay, if not destroy it could end up being a flurry of lawsuits. Here’s a brief rundown on what’s happening in the courts these days.
Gold Line alternatives could be less pricey and more popular (Whittier Daily News)
New estimates for competing Gold Line extension light-rail lines to either South El Monte or Whittier show increased ridership and decreased costs for both options.
We’re 17th worst! And that’s (sort of) a good thing (Los Angeles Times)
Bring out the Champagne! Los Angeles commutes aren’t all that bad. L.A.-Long Beach-Santa Ana drives had only the 17th worst commute in the country, U.S. Census report finds.
One year in, capital bikeshare shatters expectations (StreetsBlog Network)
America’s largest public bike sharing system turns one this week, and by all accounts, it’s been a spectacular start.
Bikestation redux
Photo via Bikestation Washington D.C.
After our Thursday post on the new Bikestation Long Beach, someone commented that the Washington D.C. Bikestation is a beauty so we rounded up a couple of images. As you can see, he was correct.
Several of you also asked when the next Bikestation would open in our area. Among your suggestions were Century City, Westwood, Compton, Hollywood/Vine and downtown L.A.
Bikestation Long Beach CEO Andrea White-Kjoss tells us that several are in the works — although nothing is firm enough to announce. But a likely spot for the next will be somewhere in downtown L.A. Note to David Murphy who suggested it: She didn’t say Union Station is up next but she did say it was a top contender and a great idea because of its proximity to transit.
To encourage building of a Bikestation near you, White-Kjoss said it’s best to send ideas to local entities with funding capabilities. For example, the Long Beach Bikestation is supported in part by the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency. And if you have questions or comments, send them to info@bikestation.com or head for their website.
And yes, IT Guy in Irvine, Bikestation Long Beach will gladly park electric bikes. But leave those Harleys at home.
Bikestation Washington D.C., via Flickr
Grand 'ol opening for Long Beach Bikestation
Bikestation Long Beach exterior at night.
This morning was the grand opening of Bikestation Long Beach, which has moved to fashionable new digs just a block from the Metro Blue Line Transit Mall Station. The new state-of-the-art public bicycling center, 223 East 1st St., is an interesting modern structure of glass and vertical beams with surrounding ramps for easiest possible bicycle access.
The First Street building is another incarnation of Bikestation Long Beach, which opened in 1996 — the first in the U.S. There now are others in Southern California in Claremont, Covina and Santa Barbara.
Bikestation Long Beach interior ramp.
The new building has amenities that include 24-hour indoor bike parking, bike rentals and repairs, free air for tires, a retail bike shop, plus lots more space and cool amenities for members, such as shower and changing room facilities. Bike riders know how important that can be.
Bikestation will be good for Long Beach residents who commute into L.A. and would prefer to leave their cars at home and ride their bikes to the Blue Line. And located so near the Blue Line and the prettyLong Beach coast with its tourist hot spots and dedicated bike paths, it’s kind of the perfect weekend destination, don’t you think?
