Tag Archives: bike

Transportation headlines, Wednesday, Feb. 13; Transpo & State of the Union, Aspen law would allow cyclists to yield at stop signs

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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 Headlines blog, which you can also access via email subscription or RSS feed.

ART OF TRANSIT: A cyclist on the beach bike path in Santa Monica this past weekend. Photo by Steve Hymon.

ART OF TRANSIT: A cyclist on the beach bike path in Santa Monica this past weekend. Photo by Steve Hymon.

If approved, the law would be similar to one adopted in Idaho 30 years ago and would allow cyclists to roll through stop signs in the same way that motorists can proceed at ‘yield’ signs. A survey found that 90 percent of cyclists in Aspen are running stop signs anyway, a study found that Idaho’s law has improved safety and advocates for the law say cyclists will no longer have to slam on the brakes, which can lead to loss of control. They also say that it will lead to better interactions with motorists who are never sure what a cyclist may do at a stop sign.
BART considers rebuilding two stations (San Francisco Chronicle) 
The two busy stations in downtown San Francisco would get a $900-million revamp in order to add platforms, staircases and elevators. The platforms would also have sliding glass doors that would open when trains arrive to prevent people from falling onto the tracks. The stations were designed in the late 1960s and BART’s ridership has grown to more than 393,000 average boardings on weekdays.
A rendering of BART's proposed station revisions. Image: BART.

A rendering of BART’s proposed station revisions. Image: BART.

Wendy Greuel attacks Eric Garcetti on Hollywood development (Daily News) 

Interesting story from the L.A. mayoral campaign that sort of involves transit. Greuel says Hollywood now has too much traffic and development, Garcetti says Hollywood’s turnaround is a success story. As reporter Dakota Smith notes, no skyscrapers have actually been built on Garcetti’s watch. She also writes that the dispute involves the city’s new zoning plan for Hollywood that would promote more development near housing. Some residents are suing over the plan, alleging it will allow too much development. Garcetti supports the plan, Greuel hasn’t taken a stance.

The State of the Union Speech (WhiteHouse.gov)

A few excerpts from President Obama’s speech last night that may be of interest to readers of this blog:

But for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change.  (Applause.)  Now, it’s true that no single event makes a trend.  But the fact is the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15.  Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods — all are now more frequent and more intense.  We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence.  Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science — and act before it’s too late.  (Applause.)

[snip]
In fact, much of our new-found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, the public, own together.  So tonight, I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good.  If a nonpartisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, then so can we.  Let’s take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices we’ve put up with for far too long.
[snip]
America’s energy sector is just one part of an aging infrastructure badly in need of repair.  Ask any CEO where they’d rather locate and hire — a country with deteriorating roads and bridges, or one with high-speed rail and Internet; high-tech schools, self-healing power grids.  The CEO of Siemens America — a company that brought hundreds of new jobs to North Carolina — said that if we upgrade our infrastructure, they’ll bring even more jobs.  And that’s the attitude of a lot of companies all around the world.  And I know you want these job-creating projects in your district.  I’ve seen all those ribbon-cuttings. (Laughter.)
So tonight, I propose a “Fix-It-First” program to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs, like the nearly 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country. (Applause.)  And to make sure taxpayers don’t shoulder the whole burden, I’m also proposing a Partnership to Rebuild America that attracts private capital to upgrade what our businesses need most:  modern ports to move our goods, modern pipelines to withstand a storm, modern schools worthy of our children.  (Applause.)  Let’s prove that there’s no better place to do business than here in the United States of America, and let’s start right away.  We can get this done.
My three cents: Not much overall on transportation or mass transit but certainly encouraging (in my view) to hear the President say “But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will.” It’s interesting to hear the President talk about more natural gas drilling on public lands to help the U.S. become more energy independent while also talking about reducing greenhouse gas emissions to stave off climate change. On the surface, those goals do not seem compatible, but the President argues that natural gas burns cleaner than other fossil fuels we would use otherwise.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s speech does not include the words “climate change,” “transportation” or infrastructure, although he did say, “When we point out that no matter how many job-killing laws we pass, our government can’t control the weather – he [the President] accuses us of wanting dirty water and dirty air.”
He did talk about energy:
One of the best ways to encourage growth is through our energy industry. Of course solar and wind energy should be a part of our energy portfolio. But God also blessed America with abundant coal, oil and natural gas. Instead of wasting more taxpayer money on so-called “clean energy” companies like Solyndra, let’s open up more federal lands for safe and responsible exploration. And let’s reform our energy regulations so that they’re reasonable and based on common sense. If we can grow our energy industry, it will make us energy independent, it will create middle class jobs and it will help bring manufacturing back from places like China.
If approved, the law would be similar to one adopted in Idaho 30 years ago and would allow cyclists to roll through stop signs in the same way that motorists can proceed at ‘yield’ signs. A survey found that 90 percent of cyclists in Aspen are running stop signs anyway, a study found that Idaho’s law has improved safety and advocates for the law say cyclists will no longer have to slam on the brakes, which can lead to loss of control. They also say that it will lead to better interactions with motorists who are never sure what a cyclist may do at a stop sign.
Good issue. I live in Pasadena, where the safest place to ride are quiet residential streets that also have frequent stop signs and little cross traffic. In fact, the city encourages cyclists to use those streets, seemingly unaware that frequent stop signs are a deterrent for cyclists. So, either get rid of some of the stop signs in some directions or discuss such a law here! Your thoughts?

Cycling adventures in L.A. – Climbing Palos Verdes

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Enjoying the ocean view from Palos Verdes

Enjoying the ocean view from Palos Verdes

Photo by Jonathan Osorio

Every Tuesday, The Source will highlight some of the many adventures Angelenos have with their bikes. So don’t forget to take your camera with you before you start pedaling throughout Los Angeles!

For this week’s featured cycling adventure, we feature Jonathan and his fellow group of riders. With a total of 15 cyclists, the group began their journey from La Brea and Rodeo, and from there ventured south to Palos Verdes for a fun climb. During the journey south, the group faced cold and tough headwinds, forcing them to make a stop at Hermosa Pier for a regroup.

After regrouping, the journey continued for the 15 riders, and soon they found themselves climbing the beautiful hills of Palos Verdes, where at one point they stopped to take the amazing photo above onlooking the Pacific Ocean from a cliff. The journey was in total distance, a grand 66 miles, and even with strong winds and cold temperatures, Jonathan states, “the view at Palos Verdes was well worth the mission.”

Great ride Jonathan and thank you for sharing your adventure!

Want to submit your own cycling adventure in Los Angeles County? Email us the photo at sourcemetro@gmail.com, tweet us @BikeMetro or post the photo to our Flickr group (in the description please give us permission to use it on The Source) — we’re especially interested in adventures that involve using transit for part of the journey. Safe Riding!

Transportation headlines, Monday, Jan. 14

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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 Headlines blog, which you can also access via email subscription or RSS feed.

ART OF TRANSIT: Metrolink train sets head into Los Angeles Union Station last Thursday afternoon. Click above to see larger on our Flickr page. Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

ART OF TRANSIT: Metrolink train sets head into Los Angeles Union Station last Thursday afternoon. Click above to see larger on our Flickr page. Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

How to solve traffic jams (Arch Daily) 

Jonas Eliasson, Director of the Centre for Transport Studies at Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology, says it’s pretty easy: tax the most popular routes and watch congestion suddenly melt away. Watch the video. Of course, there’s the little issue of where that congestion goes to.

CicLAvia 2013: Venice Beach, Fairfax Avenue and downtown L.A. (L.A. Streetsblog)

A detailed look at the three routes that will be used in the trio of CicLAvia’s to be held this year. The first is April 21 and will run along Venice Boulevard from downtown L.A. to Venice Beach — which is awesome — and also means the route will intersect with the Expo Line at the Culver City Station. The CicLAvia on June 23 will run along Wilshire Boulevard between downtown and Fairfax Avenue while the event in October will utilize the routes out of downtown previously used. All sound great.

Mixed-use project underway near future Expo Line station in Palms (L.A. Times) 

The 115-unit building on Motor Avenue will be five stories tall and have apartments and condo units the developer hopes appeals to young professionals. The building will be about one-quarter mile from the Palms station.

Cycling adventures in L.A. – New Year’s Eve Group Ride

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Posing in front of the USS Iowa

Posing in front of the USS Iowa

Photo by Khoren Edward Mirzakhanian

Every Tuesday, The Source will highlight some of the many adventures Angelenos have with their bikes. So don’t forget to take your camera with you before you start pedaling throughout Los Angeles!

For this week, we share a photo by Khoren, who took part in a large group ride on New Year’s Eve with two of top Los Angeles based cycling groups: Wolfpack Hustle and Cyclones. The ride started around downtown Los Angeles and stopped at San Pedro, where the group posed in front of the USS Iowa before heading to the nearby San Pedro Fish Market to grab a well deserved lunch. Yum! What a way to start the new year!

Want to submit your own cycling adventure in Los Angeles County? Email us the photo at sourcemetro@gmail.com, tweet us @BikeMetro or post the photo to our Flickr group (in the description please give us permission to use it on The Source) — we’re especially interested in adventures that involve using transit for part of the journey. Safe Riding!

Cycling: An addiction I won’t quit for the new year

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I’ll just come out and say it. One of my goals for 2013 is to bike 10,000 miles before this year comes to an end, which is almost double the distance of what I rode in 2012. Tommy Godwin, an English cyclist rode 75,065 miles in 1939, so I don’t think my goal is impossible. Of course, I’m no record-breaking Tommy Godwin, but I am — like him — a cyclist passionate about riding bikes.

Comically, some of those around me question such a goal. If you had approached and asked me two years ago what word would best describe me, ‘cyclist’ would have been the last answer I would have given. Back then, never in my wildest dream would I have imagined identifying myself as a cyclist, let alone riding in tight spandex, climbing up the freezing mountains of Santa Monica or the hills of Palos Verdes with other cyclists at seven in the morning on a Sunday. But here I am today, doing just that.

What in the world happened?

Well, what happened was I put my legs over a bike, rode it, and became addicted – badly.

Maybe it was the natural high from my body releasing endorphins during rides, the loving and supportive members of the cycling community whom I’ve come to respect and love, or the growing appreciation I now had for the beautiful culture behind cycling that had me addicted. Whatever it was, I was hooked.

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Hooked to the point where I found myself feeling irritable and agitated when I was unable to ride – loathing at the thought of going even a day without being on the bike. Hooked also to the point where the first thought that entered my head shortly after waking up was: a bike ride sounds good this morning.

It was a serious love affair with the bicycle.

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Bike-Escalators: Should they come to LA?

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Photo by Mikael Colville-Andersen

“GET OUT OF THE WAY!” A woman yelled at a cyclist while both were going up the escalator. The impatient woman was enforcing the unwritten rule that one side of an escalator should be cleared for those who wished to walk up it. The cyclist with his bike on his left side, now under the pressure from the woman, looked around on the crowded escalator for a way to clear a path for her to move ahead. No luck. The escalator was packed, and the woman would have to wait.

“YOU’RE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO BRING BIKES ON THE ESCALATOR!,” the woman yelled once more before exiting.

As uncivil the woman’s reaction was to the cyclist blocking the escalator, she was in some ways correct. Objects such as strollers and bicycles aren’t allowed on Metro escalators, and cyclists are asked to take the stairs and elevators instead. I have yet to see it done, but I’ve been told that failure to obey such rules can result in a citation.

And, more than a disruption to the flow of movement, bicycles aren’t allowed on escalators for safety reasons as well. There have been cases where bicycles were accidentally dropped on escalators, injuring the people below. And, I’ve witnessed a few times when cyclists walking their bikes up would accidentally hit the face of the person behind them with their bike’s rear wheel by accidentally swinging it sideways.

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Wolfpack Hustle: 2012 Midnight Drag Race

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From state-champions to local big shots, there are tons of super fast cyclists that claim to be fastest of the fast. However, there’s only one way to settle who’s fit to be throned with the title as the fastest cyclist amongst the chatter of the cycling community, and that readers is through this year’s upcoming Wolfpack Hustle’s Midnight Drag Race.

Wolfpack Hustle, the very same local bike group that raced one of JetBlue’s planes to come out victorious during last year’s Carmageddon, and held one of the biggest underground races in the West Coast of the United States by crashing the L.A. Marathon Course last March, is back in action to thrill the cycling community once more this year.

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The Orange Line Extension's new bike lane

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The view looking north toward the Santa Susana Mountains.

In addition to the new four miles of busway, the Orange Line Extension features four new miles of bike lane and walking path between Canoga station and the Chatsworth train station. Check out this story on Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s website.

The accompanying photos were taken by Metro’s Dave Sotero, an accomplished cyclist known for using his folding bike as part of his daily work commute.

The view south.

The view south from Nordhoff station.

Bike lockers at the Nordhoff station.

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New Contributor – Jung Gatoona

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Hello Source readers,

My name is Jung Gatoona. If you’ve been following this blog since its beginnings, you’ve probably seen my name a few times as I used to write about transit for a different blog, PlusMetro, which is no longer active.

Brief introduction: I’m currently an intern at Metro for its web team and I’ve been asked to write for The Source about the cycling community that’s continually growing in number and strength here in Los Angeles.

These are quite exciting times as people ditch vehicles — even hybrids — for an even greener alternative: the bicycle. It’s amazing to witness the positive commuting behavior changes in this city, as the number of bicycle and transit usage skyrockets in this once car-dominated city.

As a car-free cyclist myself, who vows never to own or drive a motorized vehicle for the rest of his life — and possibly even in the after-life — I’ll share with you my experiences, the adventurous tales, the challenges, and various other cycling related stories that will hopefully place you in the front row seat to L.A.’s exciting world of cycling. I’ll cover life-style topics that will range from how to best deal with aggressive drivers while on the bike, to uncovering various major underground cycling events that happen nightly throughout L.A. I’ll also share with you some helpful tips I’ve picked up from other fellow cyclists over the years on proper bike maintenance and lifestyle choices — tips that will be sure to keep both you and your bike happy.

So stay tuned readers, for the stories are pedaling your way soon.

- Jung

Technology + Bike = Secure Bike?

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Next time, lock up the entire bike

Photo by billaday via Flickr

In a recent NPR – Marketplace story, travel writer Patrick Symmes talks about an experiment he’s conducting with bikes and GPS trackers — you see Symmes has had seven bikes stolen, and he’d had enough! In a lengthy write-up for Outside magazine, the journalist attaches GPS trackers to ‘bait’ bikes planted across San Francisco and Portland (think LoJack). The man waits to catch his thief.

Full disclosure: I am by no means a biker, and I wouldn’t cry if my current bike got stolen (its a hoopty). But the story left me wondering if this isn’t a business opportunity for some brilliant, enthusiastic, bike entrepreneur? Necessity is the mother of invention, so I ask you Los Angeleno bikers:

  • How ‘high-tech’ have you gone to secure your bike?
  • What is the price point of a bike where you would invest in a ‘security’ system?

Though the author’s experiment leaves him with mixed results, he’s remains optimistic, stating – “This is a war of attrition.”

Like the police, we can and must resist, even when it’s futile. I’m still pimping around Portland on Bike Six, my little black IRO, with 11 pounds of chain wrapped around my waist and hex nuts on my wheels. All the partial solutions—a national bike registry, better serial numbering, more secure parking, GPS trackers disguised like bells and reflectors—are getting better. We aren’t going away.

Reminder: Metro offers Bike Lockers for rent in many Metro Rail and Orange Line stations. Check our Bike Metro section for full info on Locker Rentals, Bike Maps, and the Bicycle Roundtable.

Listen to the audio after the jump…

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