Irwin Chen via StreetsblogLA
Streetsblog’s Damien Newton recently highlighted a concern with the northbound Sepulveda Blvd. bicycle lane as it approaches National Blvd. During the evening rush hour period, parking along the east side of Sepulveda just south of National is permitted but frequently underutilized. Right-turning motorists have been driving in the bicycle and parking lanes – well before the legally permitted advance distance of 200 feet – to bypass the queue of through traffic.
Bicycle Program staff verified that motorists are regularly driving in the bicycle lane and will be implementing some measures to address the issue. In order to update the design to discourage motorists driving in the bicycle lane, LADOT will install diagonal white lines in the parking lane adjacent to the bicycle lane, as well as Botts’ dots along the diagonal lines. The striping aims to provide visual deterrence, while the dots, those white plastic bumps you may have seen dividing travel lanes on roadways in the region, should provide physical deterrence.
Botts’ dots via ftt-a.com
If you see motorists engaging in this activity, please don’t hesitate to call the LAPD. Sergent Christopher Kunz is the bicycle liaison for the West Traffic Division, and his email address is 26315@lapd.lacity.org. If you know of any other bicycle lanes that motorists are illegally driving in, let us know so we can address the design issues.
What exactly is calling the LAPD supposed to accomplish? When we complained to the Sheriffs about the constant blocking of the bike lane on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood, their response was “yeah, sometimes drivers block the bike lane, that’s just the way life is, no big deal.” My experience has been that the LAPD isn’t aware (or doesn’t care) that blocking the bike lane is a problem.
Sorry to be so negative — and I’m very grateful to see the striping on dots on Sepulveda. Thanks for your attention & for refining this trouble spot.
If money permits, removing one of the underutilized parking spaces to build a bulbout/parklet that extends to the edge of the bike lane would be a good physical barrier, especially it it were placed reasonably close to the intersection with National.
I don’t ride in this area, but I’m grateful that you’re taking action.
As far as the LAPD, I’m honestly very surprised they haven’t taken to pulling people over for driving in the bike lane. It would be a great source of revenue. Has anyone considered pitching it this way to them?
My experience with LAPD is that they are not particularly interested in pulling people over as a source of revenue (which is a good thing!) but they are also not particularly concerned about threats to cyclist safety. I’ve been told by cops that if you’re not injured, there’s not much they can do. Obviously that’s ridiculous, but it’s the mindset we’re dealing with.
Now can LADOT address the hazardous conditions of Sepulveda as a designated “Bike Route” through the Sepulveda Pass? It has a Bike lane on the SFV side that abruptly ends at Skirball. Then you are on your own until you get to Santa Monica Blvd. Yes, I know that part of the 405 widening project is going to extend the bike lanes down to the new on-ramp near Mountain Gate. This only further lulls an inexperienced cyclist into a false sense of security. Then it is a stripped lane that looks like a bike lane, but really isn’t. It varies in width from 6″ to 10′. This is all with traffic traveling 50-60 m.p.h. I have unsuccessfully tried to get LAPD to do some speed enforcement on the West LA side of the pass. LADOT is placing itself at risk for liability by designating this as an official Bike Route.