Sunday, June 29, 2008

LA County Tests Bicycle Donor Program

LA County Public Health is so committed to encouraging physical activity that it has constructed an innovative Bike Donor facility on Melrose Avenue.

The program consists of several bike racks, on County property, hidden from those on the street by the wall, and as far from the building entrance as possible so that Security can't interfere with the Bike Donor program.

Unsuspecting County Health clients enter the Disabled entrance (they're not driving a car = handicapped) and lock their bikes to the bike racks. They leave and walk around the building to the entrance and conduct their business.

Those in need of a bike simply crouch behind the wall, take their time liberating the bike from the rack, walk through the gate and ride away, courtesy of the County Health Bike Donor Program.

By the way, LAMC 12.21 requires City Facilities to provide parking for bicycles (2% of required automobile parking and as close as the closest off-street automobile parking) but this is County Property. They have their own rules!

See you on the Streets!

Bike racks accessible from the sidewalk but not from the parking lot.

Wheels are wheels!


A sidewalk with little activity and little interference from passersby.

Again, a sidewalk with little activity and little interference from passersby.

The "people hole" in the side of the imposing Public Health fortress.


Thursday, June 26, 2008

Yawn...another lame bike lane in Los Angeles...


Riding my bike north on Reseda Boulevard, I'm nestled into the doorzone comfort of a typical LA Bike Lane when, all of a sudden, no bike lane. Just the ass end of a White SUV!

For some strange reason the bike lane simply ends. There's no signage to indicate that the bike lane has ended but the right side stripe simply ends, the lane to the left moves to the right and there you have it...another entry in the Lamest Bike Lane Contest!



I find it hard to believe that the LADOT would pull such a trick on the cycling community. The SUV must be parked illegally. If only there were a Police Officer in the vicinity, I could ask for clarification.

It's then that I notice a police car cruising the Park. It entered on the North side and drove across the lawn...

past the pint-sized children chasing soccer balls...


past the families watching the children play...

past the duck pond and the little ducks and more little children.

What kind of Community Policing consists of driving through the park without even getting out and saying hey to the children or without saying quack to the ducks or without slowing down long enough to notice that people are laughing and shaking their heads at the drive-thru law enforcement?