The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday adopted a new plan to expand the network of bike lanes and bike-friendly streets in the nation’s second-largest city to 1,680 miles — about 1,000 more miles than contemplated in the previous bike plan adopted in 1996. Officials held a news conference today at City Hall to talk about the plan.

The city is setting aside 10 percent of its local return money from Measure R to pay for the new bike routes. Cyclists should benefit, whether or not they’re traveling to or from mass transit — which, of course, is also being expanded with Measure R funds.

After the jump is a press release from L.A. Councilman Ed Reyes that spells out details of the master plan, along with comments from L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a member of the Metro Board of Directors. And here’s a link to the city of L.A.’s bike plan website, which has links to maps, pdfs and spreadsheets with the new bike routes.

Reyes, City Leaders, Cyclists Celebrate L.A. Bike Plan

LOS ANGELES, March 2, 2011 — Councilmember Ed P. Reyes gathered with City leaders and bicyclists at the City Hall south steps today to celebrate the adoption of the City’s Bicycle Master Plan.

“With this Bike Plan, we’re paving the way for a more bike-friendly L.A.,” said Reyes, who has spearheaded bike projects along the Los Angeles River. “Approval of the City’s Bicycle Plan is a critical milestone to support bicycling as a viable and safe transportation alternative. It’s a cultural shift on how we view transportation, and opens up more opportunities for bicyclists, of all levels of ability and comfort, to ride in an urban environment.”

Reyes was joined by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilmembers Bill Rosendahl, Eric Garcetti, Tom LaBonge, Jose Huizar, Controller Wendy Greuel, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck, the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition and dozens of bicyclists who pedaled from communities throughout L.A. to City Hall for this morning’s press event.

The City’s Bicycle Plan, approved unanimously(12-0) yesterday by the City Council, lays the framework for a Citywide 1,680-mile bikeway system. The plan calls for 200 miles of new bikeways every five years. The plan can be viewed at www.labikeplan.org.

“The City’s New Master Bicycle Plan is another great example of Measure R funds at work—we are investing in bicycling as a viable transportation option and in the process encouraging Angelenos to lead healthy, active lifestyles,” Mayor Villaraigosa said.  “With the addition of over 1,600 miles of bikeways, Los Angeles is on the path to becoming a world-class city for bicycling.”

The City originally adopted a plan in 1977 that envisioned a 600-mile Citywide bikeway network. A second plan in 1996 designed a 673-mile network. The new  Bicycle Master Plan designates a Citywide network of 1,680 miles—673 miles from the 1996 plan plus an additional 1,007 miles.

The plan includes three main bikeway networks—the Backbone Network, the Neighborhood Network and the Green Network.  When completed, the three networks will give a vast majority of Angelenos access to a City bikeway within one mile of their home.

The 707-mile Backbone Network, comprised primarily of bicycle lanes, will enable access to major employment centers, transit stations and stops, and educational, retail, entertainment, and recreational resources.

The 834-mile Neighborhood Network includes local streets with low traffic volumes and slower speeds where bicyclists of all experience levels can feel comfortable. The Neighborhood Network will enable all bicycle riders, including children, families, young adults, and seniors, to access neighborhood facilities including schools, libraries, shopping districts, parks and open space.

The 139-mile Green Network enhances access with bicycle paths and shared use paths to the City’s green open spaces, particularly river channels like the Los Angeles River.

The Bike Plan will be funded by Measure R Local Return Funds, local funds from the Transportation Development Act, Federal grant funds from the MTA’s Call for Projects, the State’s Bicycle Transportation Account and Federal and State Safe Routes to Schools.