On the horizon for the L.A. River Bicycle Path

New L.A. River bike path segment recently opened in Reseda; the Daily News has a great photo of Councilman Zine riding the new path.

City officials and residents recently celebrated the latest addition of L.A. river bike path in the city, in the West San Fernando Valley. The new 1 mile portion of bicycle path between Winnetka Ave. and Vanalden Ave. was officially opened to the public on November 16th. The official ribbon cutting ceremony drew over 60 supporters, including Mayor Villaraigosa, Councilman Dennis Zine, and Friends of the Los Angeles River founder Lewis MacAdams, among others. Phase 2 of this project is currently under construction and expected to be completed soon. It will extend the path 1 mile further, from Winnetka Ave. to Mason Ave.

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Mapping Out What MAP-21 Will Mean for Local Bicycling

The newest stretch of Los Angeles River bike path, in Elysian Valley, was funded by federal transportation dollars allocated via the Metro Call For Projects.

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) is the newly- passed Federal Transportation Bill, signed into law last month. This bipartisan piece of legislation was passed under a quickly-approaching deadline due to the expiring former bill: Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The new bill is an attempt by Congress to reduce federal spending, as MAP-21 is estimated to cut costs by $16.3 billion over the next ten years. The Act included part of the America Fast Forward program initiated by Mayor Villaraigosa in an effort to accelerate thirty years of infrastructure projects into a ten-year period. Senator Boxer spearheaded the addition of this component of the bill. Federal funding will be provided via the Transportation Infrastructure Financial and Innovation Act (TIFIA) to channel funds toward public transit options, in particular light rail and subway lines. The inclusion of America Fast Forward will help provide both significant economic and environmental benefits.

Despite the praises accumulated for attempting to cut federal expenditures and improving the financing options for transit development, many have deemed MAP-21 a step backwards in transportation policy for bicyclists and pedestrians. Even Ray LaHood, the US Secretary of Transportation, has called this new bill “highway-centric.”  Partisan politics had a big factor in the final formation of the bill, as  portions of the Act regarding environmental protection and bicycle safety were removed via a mutually null-ing trade with Republicans, who had wanted the Keystone XL oil pipeline approved via the bill.

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Car Free is the Way to Be

The mayor’s office has created a new YouTube video that showcases CicLAvia’s transformative effect on how we use our streets. The event has helped Angelenos discover that life without a car is not only possible, but preferable. CicLAvia encourages Angelenos to experience their city through alternative forms of transportation–including transit, walking, and bicycling. The next CicLAvia will take place on October 7th, 2012 from 10AM – 3PM. There will be lots to look forward to, including a new route that takes participants into South L.A., Exposition Park, and Chinatown. Be sure to check out CicLAvia’s main site and L.A. Streetsblog for more information on this fall’s CicLAvia event.

Oct 7, 2012 CicLAvia route map

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LADOT at CicLAvia

Handing out reflector straps and other items at Hollenbeck Park.

Another awesome CicLAvia event is now in the books and we have a lot of fond memories to look back on. We thought we’d take some time to thank  and acknowledge our LADOT co-workers who help make the big day possible. It takes a small army of LADOT staff to make sure that large events like CicLAvia go off without a hitch. LADOT is responsible for managing the logistics of street closures – or in this case, street openings for bicycles and pedestrians.

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Bike Share coming to Los Angeles

Automated kiosks and docking stations allow for Bike Nation members to check out bicycles via Bike Nation USA

You may have heard at this morning’s CicLAvia press conference that the City of Los Angeles will soon be launching its very own bike share system. Details are still being worked out but we can confirm that Bike Nation USA - a local Southern California based firm – will launch and operate the system in collaboration with the city. The entire system will be privately launched and operated, and will not require any public funding. L.A.’s Bike Nation bike share system will be comprised of 400 kiosks, 6,500 docking stations, and 4,000 bicycles.

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Update: Don’t trash the bike lane

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for your input on the poster design. We have redesigned the poster based on your recommendations.

Rendering of the poster on a Collection Vehicle

Last night, you may have heard if you follow @ladotbikeprog and/or @lacbc on twitter, that the LADOT Bike Program has been working with the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation to develop a campaign to educate the public regarding the illegality of blocking bike lanes with trash receptacles. The campaign will be comprised of three parts; advertisements on the side of Bureau of Sanitation vehicles, language to be included in print materials distributed to the Bureau of Sanitation’s customer base, and staff training to ensure that after pick up, trash receptacles are not deposited in bike lanes.

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Businesses <3 CicLAvia

A shot from last years CicLAvia event

Mayor Antonio Villraigosa’s Office of Environment, Energy, & Sustainability has produced a video that highlights what local businesses think of CicLAvia – the ever popular event that closes several miles of streets to automobiles and opens them up for bikes and pedestrians, including segments through Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) the last few dates.

The video asks, “What happens when bikes take over the streets of Los Angeles?” A few local businesses provide their own unique perspectives. It turns out that businesses enjoy the event just as much as everyone else does.

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