The Cyclists' Bill of Rights #12: The 1st Amendment

In the two days since the release of the Cyclists' Bill of Rights, (formerly the Bicyclist Bill of Rights) discussion, discourse and debate have ensued. The title of the document, the content, the purpose, the audience, the inappropriate use of an exclamation point in the conclusion and the cavalier absence of an apostrophe in the title were all and still are topics on the table as the cycling community evaluates the document that lays down the basic rights cyclists possess when they take to the streets on a bike.

Of the 12 rights articulated in the CBR, the 12th right seems to leave the largest number of people scratching their heads and wondering how to apply it to cyclists basic right to ride. After all, it’s the free speech amendment. As much as riding a bike, solo or with a group, can be construed as a statement of sorts, the intent of the authors was to exercise the 1st Amendment right to assemble peaceably in the public place as a deterrent to law enforcement attempts to intimidate, harass or break up groups of cyclists riding together.

• Cyclists' Bill of Rights #12: Cyclists have the right to peaceably assemble in the public space, as guaranteed by the 1st Amendment.”

Simply put, if on a group ride, law enforcement approaches and instructs the cyclists that the group is an illegal assembly because they have no parade permit, the response is “We’re exercising our right to assembly peaceably in the public space, in this case the streets.”

When cyclists ramp up the interaction into a 1st Amendment protected claim of the “right to assemble,” law enforcement is now bound to address the “right to assemble” issue, not the traffic issues that they usually focus on.

Law Enforcement’s appropriate response is to call for a Supervisor. (Cyclists should have already done this once the patrol officers initiated contact)

Law Enforcement must then:

• Identify themselves and declare the gathering an illegal assembly.

• Identify the media observation zone. (Everybody follow DJ Chickenleather!)

• Give the instruction to disperse and the amount of time the group has to disperse.

• Give instructions on the route the group should take to disperse. (Never toward the massed Law Enforcement officers. Probably in the direction the cyclists were headed before they were stopped by the police!)

Witness the MacArthur Park incident last year when the LAPD failed to clearly articulate their claim that the gathering was an illegal assembly, their failure to give the group the opportunity to leave and their failure to provide safe refuge for the media. This failure on the part of the LAPD had significant ramification for the department and resulted in policy revisions, additional training and a codification of the appropriate responses to an “illegal assembly” incident)

Witness the most recent USC incident when the streets were filled with people sitting in the street. LAPD arrived, clearly articulated that it was an illegal assembly, clearly gave a three-minute warning and a demand to disperse and then clearly gave the route for exit and offered those in the streets the opportunity to leave.

The catch-22 for law enforcement officers is this:

If they pull over a group of cyclists for an “illegal assembly” then their response is limited to addressing an illegal assembly and they must then go through the illegal assembly steps concluding with the instruction to disperse aka “keep riding!”

If they pull over a group of cyclists simply to lecture, ticket for minor violations, ticket for fictional violations, misapply “impeding traffic” and “leaving the bike lane” restrictions or any of the myriad tactics commonly applied to discourage group rides, cyclists simply claim 1st Amendment protection and ask for a supervisor which stops the hassle patrol and starts the illegal assembly process, all of which concludes with the instruction to disperse aka “keep riding!”

This may seem a bit obtuse and it may seem a bit extreme but consider the environment in which we ride, not just physically as we dodge potholes, opening doors and other obstacles innumerable but also the social and political climate that still finds it shocking when two or more cyclists simply ride in the same direction at the same time and at the same speed.

Cyclists are expected to share the lane with buses, trucks, SUV’s, minivans, motorhomes, automobiles and motorcycles. But when a cyclist shares the lane with another cyclist, the typical response is “you’re impeding traffic!”

Last year two cyclists were riding on PCH along a stretch that had no shoulder. They were riding in tandem in the outside lane. The cyclists were hit from behind by a catering truck and killed instantly. The driver explained to deputies that he did not step hard on the brakes because his passenger was standing behind him and cooking hot food.

Most disconcerting about the incident was the significant discussion spent on the fact that the cyclists were riding in the lane. Apparently the cyclists didn’t know each other but they either met up and were riding in sync (a common habit that occurs throughout the city when one cyclist comes across another cyclist going the same direction) or one was passing the other within the lane. Nevertheless, it’s amazing that the community’s shock at the deaths was tempered by the repeated observation that “they shouldn’t have been riding in tandem like that.”

Just this past week, four cyclists riding 2 by 2 in the #2 lane of Virgil, on the approach to a red light at Melrose, signaled and took control of the #1 lane and then continued into the left turn lane. The car in the #1 lane continued to accelerate toward the red light, (distracted, drunk, we never found out) and had to stop abruptly when he found himself behind cyclists executing a vehicular left turn on the approach to a red light.

An LAPD Supervising Sgt. Assigned to the Rampart Division witnessed this and promptly pulled over the cyclists because they were “impeding traffic and it was unsafe.” (All on the approach to a red light? The motorist accelerating at the red was of no interest to him. The reason it was unsafe to the Sgt. was based on the fact that cyclists are smaller and more vulnerable than automobiles, therefore cycling on the streets is unsafe.)

This incident included lectures on everything from helmets, illumination, CVC requirements of cyclists and even group rides! Three additional squad cars arrived backed up by a helicopter. The back-up officers, none of whom witnessed the incident, still felt more than comfortable explaining what’s wrong with group rides. (Riding as a group with no permit is wrong but Rampart allows it as long as there are no problems.)

The stories of inequities on the street abound but the bottom line is that the police still get calls from the community consisting of “There is a large number of cyclists all riding on the street and in the same direction!” Instead of dismissing these calls, law enforcement jumps.

“Tactical Alert! There are cyclists on the street, all riding in the same direction. Let’s stop them, lecture them on safety, threaten them with multiple tickets for pedal reflectors and bicycle licenses and then demonstrate how cool we are by only ticketing the ones we really don’t like. All available officers! Get the helicopter!”

(It gets worse physically. Last year a CHP officer chased the Montrose riders on Mulholland because a motorist called in the group ride. The cyclists were flying. The CHP officer used his car to cut off the cyclists while at speed, forcing them to a stop and causing some to crash including the leader who hit the CHP car.)

(It gets worse legally. Last year Pasadena attempted to pass a law restricting the rights of cyclists on the streets on Pasadena only to encounter CVC section 21 which restricts a municipality from regulating bicycling on non-freeway roads.)

Imagine if pedestrians and motorists were treated the same way.

“Officer, there is a large number of pedestrians on Colorado Blvd. They have filled the sidewalks, sometimes spilling onto the street. They mass at the intersections, making it difficult to get through the crowd. It must be organized because they are all carrying shopping bags. I saw a flyer and it seems that the merchants have organized an event. A shopping event. I think they call it a “Sale.” The pedestrians don’t seem to actually know each other but they are definitely going into the same stores so it must be organized. Do something!”

or,

“Officer, there are a large number of motorists massing on Hollywood Blvd. They do this every day at 5 pm. They fill the streets, they honk, they rev their engines and then they race through the green light and then they quickly stop and wait behind the car in front of them and then they honk and rev and then they race onto the 101 Freeway ramp where they wait and rev and honk. They do this everyday at 5pm. They’re obviously organized! They must be stopped! Can’t you find their leader? I see the same cars, I see the same drivers. Do something!”

Absurd? Yes! That’s the point.

It’s not only absurd to hassle or restrict a group of people based on their mode of transportation, it’s a violation of our basic civil rights and it’s unacceptable.

“While riding a bike for transportation is a tribute to many of the basic ideas upon which this country was founded - common sense, self-reliance, and closeness with the land, to name a few - it is also, in many ways, a slap in the face to contemporary American culture.” Robert Hurst in “The Art of Urban Cycling”

"I think people are entitled to march without a permit. When you have a few hundred thousand people on the street you have permission." -- Tom Hayden

***********************************************************

From The Police Commission MacArthur Park hearings:

The Dispersal Order:

Once a decision is made that an assembly is unlawful, law enforcement present at the scene must then announce to the crowd that the crowd must disperse. According to the LAPD Emergency Operations Guide, Volume 5, “Prior to dispersing an unlawful assembly, officers shall give the following Dispersal Order to those participating in the unlawful assembly. The Dispersal Order shall be read verbatim:”

"I am (rank and officer’s name), a police officer to the City of Los Angeles. I hereby declare this to be an unlawful assembly and, in the name of the people of the State of California, command all those assembled at (give specific location) to immediately disperse, which means to break up this assembly. If you do not do so, you may be arrested or subject to other police action.

Other police action may include the use of less lethal munitions, which could cause significant risk of serious injury to those who remain. Section 409 of the Penal Code prohibits remaining present at an unlawful assembly. If you remain in the area which was just described, regardless of your purpose in remaining, you will be in violation of Section 409. The following routes of dispersal are available: (give the most convenient route(s) of dispersal) You have __ minutes (give a reasonable amount of time – take into consideration the number of participants, location of the event and number of exit routes) to disperse."

A proper dispersal is necessary to ensure that all present are aware of the fact they are to leave the area; that they know what routes to take. Without such an order, any arrest for unlawful assembly will be legally insufficient.

Bicyclist Bill of Rights

Last night cyclists from San Pedro to Lincoln Heights to the Westside met in the center of Hollywood for a "Storm the Bastille" bike ride to the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting in order to deliver the "Bicyclist Bill of Rights."

The BAC is a "Council and Mayoral appointed body" and acts in an advisory capacity to the Mayor, the City Council Members and to the various agencies of the government of the City of Los Angeles.

The cyclists challenged the BAC members to truly represent the cycling community, to take the BBR to the Mayor and the Councilmembers and to use the BBR to inform and direct the City Departments.

Alex of Westside BikeSIDE urged the BAC to truly engage the committee in the upcoming Bicycle Master Plan workshops and advised the committee that the current schedule hardly services the City of Los Angeles. (4 two hour meetings to engage the community in the process, none in Hollywood/Silver Lake/Echo Park!)

Josef of the Bike Oven urged the BAC to fight for a new definition of traffic that counts people, not single occupant vehicles, and that recognizes all modes of travel when evaluating funding. He also urged the BAC to fight for a more comprehensive "livability index" as a tool for evaluating transportation which would factor in noise, pollution, safety for peds and cyclists and other quality of life issues that impact our communities, not just relying on the number of vehicles moved through the intersection.

Russell pointed out that San Pedro is still waiting for arrival of the long-promised bike racks that would go a long way in encouraging cycling as a transportation solution in our congested neighborhoods.

Other cyclists spoke of the need to communicate and educate and advise our law enforcement departments on California Vehicle Code and the need to support cyclists on the road, not simply to segregate and harass.

With much fanfare and as the highlight to the meeting, MikeyWally took to the podium and read into the record the Bicyclist Bill of Rights!

Counterpoint to this climactic and historic moment was our experience as we left the meeting and rode to Pure Luck for some sustenance and camaraderie.

Four cyclists riding on Virgil executed a "Vehicular left turn" on the approach to the red light at Melrose. A car in the #1 lane accelerated up to the cyclists (approaching a red!) and stopped suddenly behind the cyclists who were merging into the left turn pocket. A LAPD Sgt. from the Rampart division pulled the cyclists over (letting the motorist go) and called in backup consisting of three squad cars and a helicopter. Excellent use of our tax dollars.

After a severe round of safety lectures and threats of citations for impeding traffic including the appearance of the "ticket book" and the gathering of ID's, all because we dared to speak up for our rights and to suggest that it might be more appropriate for him to address the reckless behavior of a motorist who accelerates at cyclists on the approach to a red light, the Sgt. wrote Mikey a ticket for not having the appropriate reflectors.

Sarge from Rampart did us a service by demonstrating his bias toward automobiles and against cyclists. He demonstrated how far the cycling community must go. He demonstrated how important it is for us to claim our rights, first by articulating them, then by exercising them. He demonstrated that item #3 on the BBR is worth fighting for!

"See you on the Streets!"

Riding a Bike Improves Intelligence

People ride bikes for many reasons. Some ride recreationally, some socially, some for exercise and some as a transportation and environmental solution.

Through it all, the average cyclist is usually able to explain to their non-cycling friends why riding a bike in the city is an appealing, liberating, rewarding and positive experience.

Missing from these conversations is an over-looked benefit to riding a bike in the city and that is simply the elevation of intelligence that occurs as a cyclist starts getting in some serious mileage.

Witness the "Bike the Vote" event this past Saturday when a motley crew of cyclists gathered at the Eco-Village for a bike ride to Marsh Park in Elysian Valley. A simple ride turned into a conversation with City Council President Eric Garcetti on the significant ramifications of an Obama for President vote and ranged from transportation to health care to Iraq to the power of the people to speak up and to make national politics personal and to have meaningful input on the outcome. "Hey, cyclists, it's time to change the world!"

Witness the "Storm the Bastille" ride this evening when cyclists will gather for a ride to the Boardroom of the DWP where they will challenge the Mayor's reps and the City Council reps who gather for the Bicycle Advisory Committee to truly represent the cycling community. "Storm the Bastille" rides take place throughout the County and cyclists have Stormed the Pasadena City Council, the Beverly Hills City Council, the Santa Monica City Council and with great regularity, Los Angeles at many levels, always discussing with great eloquence the issues of the community.

These simple rides bear wintess to the fact that in taking a ride the average cyclist usually ends up discussing law ("Hey! CVC Section 21 restricts a local authority from enacting or enforcing any ordinance unless expressly authorized in the CVC. You can't restrict cycling on this street!") politics ("Well, Obama has actually uttered the word "Bicycle" in public. Let's look at his record on the Environment.") physics ("Actually, torque is measured in pound-feet, not feet-pound which is the unit of measure for energy/work.") math ("Is Alex really a professor? Maybe he can help me decide between a 39/14 and a 53/19.") economics ("Actually, street calming measures that benefit cyclists also benefit local merchants as demonstrated in the Valencia Street improvements in SF.")

Ultimately, in going for a ride, cyclists connect. They connect to the street, the community, the environment and with each other. Through it all, cyclists develop an acute sensitivity to their surroundings, borne out of pure survival instincts and that sensitivity inevitably leads to the Battle Cry, "Hey, I've got rights!"

That's right, cyclist have rights. We have the right to ride these mean streets and we have the right to ride safely and with the support and respect of our community, our leadership and our law enforcement.
This is the Year of the Cyclist and this is the year that we claim and proclaim the Bicyclist Bill of Rights!

Villaraigosa's Plan for a Car-Free City Hall

In an effort to cut the budget deficit, LA’s Mayor San Antonio has announced plans to reduce the City motor pool and eliminate the “home garage” perk that a significant number of City Hall staffers currently enjoy.

Opponents to the plan argue that this would mean that staffers would have to rely on personal cars, many of them gas-guzzling SUVs, minivans and sedans.

Sadly, none of our City’s leadership looked at this situation and realized that this is an opportunity to get our City staff onto the streets, literally, on foot, on a bike or on mass transit.

How far have we NOT come in our march to becoming the “greenest and cleanest big city in America” if it’s simply not an option for our leadership to get out of the car and go for a walk!

This is a good time for the Mayor and the City Council to act aggressively, not only to cut costs, but to really lay down a city-wide commitment to supporting and promoting alternative transportation.

SoapBoxLA proposals:

Hire local – The City of Los Angeles could reduce congestion as well as its travel expenses simply by hiring local and encouraging city employees to walk, ride or use transit.

How is it that the Mayor’s first rep to Hollywood lived in Palmdale and commuted to Hollywood in order to represent the Mayor. Are there no people living in Hollywood qualified to work for the Mayor? (No word yet on the new rep)

Hollywood is on the Red Line. If the Mayor sends out the signal, his reps can jump on the Metro and be at City Hall faster than those traveling by single occupant vehicle. (SOV)

Take it all the way through the departments! A City Council motion to requiring the General Managers of City Departments to live in the city has been floating for years with no success. Not even GM’s are required to live in the city?

At one point, LADOT had a GM who commuted from home in San Jose to work in Los Angeles.

How great would it be if City Staff actually walked the same streets, used the same bus stops, shopped at the same stores and could actually relate to the issues of our unique communities from the inside, not just from workshops and discussions and hearings.

Hiring locally will also force us to confront the housing shortage. Staffers currently explain that their choice to live in other communities is based on a lack of affordable housing. We need to be talking about this and the answer is not to have City staff live in surrounding communities, it’s to grab the bull by the horns, confront the housing issue and get busy dealing with the shortage.

Once we’ve got staff out of the SOV’s and living in the neighborhoods they serve the next step will be:

Accessibility - Hold all meetings at locations that are accessible for peds, cyclists and transit users. This simple step will go a long way in reducing congestion in our neighborhoods. It will also go a long way in enlightening our City Staff on the issues faced by those who live in the neighborhood. Staff will truly experience first hand the lack of amenities for those who walk, pedal and ride transit.

For example, the Griffith Park Master Plan Working Group holds its meeting at the Ranger Station in Griffith Park. There is no evening bus service, it’s a long walk with minimal amenities for peds and it’s dark, way dark.

This commitment to meeting locations with full access should be complemented by full promotion on all meeting announcements of pedestrian access, bike parking locations and transit routes that service the locations. Current meeting information typically promotes parking directions as if parking is a birthright! Stop giving away “free parking” as if it’s free!

Once we’ve got the community out of the SOV-only paradigm, the next step will be:

Car Pool – Get the “City Family” to car pool with the other Agencies that hold meetings in our communities. In fact, hold the meetings together and perhaps even start to work together!

Our communities currently host meetings held by the LAUSD, the CRA, the Metro, SCAG, Caltrans, LAPlanning, LADOT, DWP, RAP, CERT, our NCs, our City Council, our City Council Committees, and it goes on and on. We’re getting met to death.

It is impossible to attend all the meetings of all the departments and agencies that have a piece of the neighborhood. It requires full time focus just to monitor, forget about participating and advocating and attempting to affect the process and the outcome.

If these departments and agencies held meetings in the communities together, perhaps they would get to know each other and perhaps they would start to work together.

For example, the LAUSD is coming to the neighborhood but they are unaware of the NC structure in the neighborhood, they are unaware of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. The community organizers were even unaware of the City’s early notification system!

Why is it up to the community to point out conflict and disconnect between departments and agencies?

Why is it up to the community to chase from one department to the next when the “Community Family” has a mandate to work together, represent the people and improve the quality of life in our community?

Three weeks ago the LACounty Transportation Funding Collaborative held an all day session entitled “It’s Time to Move LA!”

Two weeks ago SCAG held hearings on its Regional Transportation Plan.

Last week the LA City Council held an all-day session to present its Strategic Transportation Plan.

The Metro is currently holding Westside Extension Transit Corridor hearings.

The LA Planning Department and LADOT will be holding Bicycle Master Plan Workshops in the next few weeks.

All these meetings on transportation and traffic congestion relief and solutions (complete with free parking!) will wear out even the most committed of community activists.

Is this the intention?

If not, let’s consolidate, work together, bring the whole “Community Family” together and get back to the business of improving the quality of life in our community!

Ultimately, the Mayor’s simple proposal to get rid of some of the City’s motor pool has in it the ability to create significant connectivity in our city.

By hiring local city staff, by holding meetings that are accessible to all modes of travel and by getting the “Community Family” to carpool, literally as well as figuratively, we will have gone a long way to better representing our communities and improving the quality of life for all.

Good For Bikes! Good For Business!

Several years ago, the City of Los Angeles embarked on an ambitious campaign to provide bicycle parking throughout the city in order to encourage cycling as a form of transportation. Cyclists were grateful!

In 2004, the LADOT installed over 800 Inverted U Bike Racks bringing the Citywide total to 2500 bike racks in the City of Los Angeles.

In 2005, the LADOT promised to install another 600 Inverted U Bike Racks, all on city-owned property, usually sidewalks of adequate width. Cyclists were pleased!

Somewhere along the way the Bicycle Parking Program became low priority for the Bikeways Department of the LADOT and the bike racks began collecting dust in a warehouse in Van Nuys. Cyclists didn’t say anything.


In 2006, the Bikeways Coordinator for the LADOT Bikeways Department explained that the Bike Parking Program was on hold because of staffing issues. (The Department consists of a Coordinator, a Lead Engineer and 9 other Engineers!) Cyclists still didn’t say anything.

In 2007, the Bicycle Advisory Committee for the City of Los Angeles met for its regular bimonthly meeting in the Board Room of the DWP Building. Cyclists spoke up!

As part of a ride called “Storm the Bastille” the cyclists gathered at the Santa Monica/Vermont Red Line Station and rode to the BAC meeting, this time prepared to focus their Public Comment energy on the subject of Bike Parking in LA. Representing communities from San Pedro to Highland Park to Hollywood to the San Fernando Valley, the cyclists asked the LADOT to revive the dormant Bike Parking Program. Cyclists called on the LADOT to act!

The City of Los Angeles currently has an average of 6 bike racks per square mile. Cyclists complain that in spite off all the talk, the City has failed to offer the most basic support for the cycling community; safe and secure parking facilities. To make it worse, it’s still illegal to lock your bike to a parking meter in the City of LA.

The Inverted U Rack is simple, it doesn’t take up much room, it’s cheap, it’s effective and it works.

If you’d like to see more of these bike racks in Los Angeles send an email to bikeracks@illuminateLA.com with the following info:

Name of business:

Contact name:

Telephone:

Email:

Street address:

Nearest Cross Street:

LA Council District:
(Council District Map)


If you’d like to know more about Bicycle Parking take a look at the recommendations from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.

www.bfbc.org/issues/parking/apbp-bikeparking.pdf


See you on the Streets!

"The Year Of The Cyclist!" - Halfway

Six months ago, in a fit of “Oh Yeah?” one-upsmanship, I committed to recognizing the “Year of the Cyclist” (Chinese Year 4705) by riding 4705 km during the upcoming year.

Today is the halfway point on that journey and I’m proud to report that so far I’ve ridden 3735.7 kilometers toward my goal of 4705.

It’s been a great year for riding. Because I work with Neighborhood Councils throughout the city, I’ve had the opportunity to ride to the four corners of Los Angeles on a regular basis. I’ve taken long serendipitous tours of neighborhoods from San Pedro to Chatsworth and from West Adams to Eagle Rock, all in the spirit of adventure and discovery.

Along the way, my trusty Marin gave out. I was riding down Vermont one day when I became aware of the Marin’s extremely comfortable ride. In the 5000+ miles I’d put on the Marin, I’d never fully noticed how smooth it rode, especially over a rough road such as Vermont. Then I realized that the amazing flex I experienced in the frame was due to the two significant cracks, one at the seat post and the other at the bottom bracket! I was sad. The Marin served me well.

I replaced the Marin with a LeMans Centurion, rescuing it from its retirement in a dusty garage. I cleaned it up and I think it enjoys being back on the road. I certainly enjoy riding it.

I also built up a nice UniVega frame at the Bicycle Kitchen. This was a first time thing for me. Prior to this, my only experience was reviving or repairing but never starting from scratch. The Kitchen was great and I love riding the UniVega.

And so, as I survey the remainder of the year, I have to admit that the most annoying aspect of my challenge has been the pesky miles-to-kilometers conversion. Grrrr! With so many kilometers under my belt and with so much of Los Angeles yet unexplored, I’m going to give up the Kilometer challenge and up the ante to a Mileage challenge.

As of today, the “Year of the Cyclist” challenge is 4705 miles in the Chinese Year 4705.

At 2321.3 miles on a goal of 4705 I’m all of a sudden behind the pace!

See you on the Streets!

How The West(side) Was Won

In 1930 the Sepulveda Boulevard Tunnel opened beneath Mulholland Drive, providing a short cut from the San Fernando Valley to the Westside via the “Sepulveda Pass.”

Shortly thereafter, the first “If you lived here, you’d be home!” sign appeared.

Three quarters of a century later our leadership is still grappling with the problem of moving people vehicles through the Sepulveda Pass. (360,000 vehicles per day!)

The idea of reversible lanes has been floating about for decades. The concept is simple; a dedicated lane that operates during rush hour in the direction with the most traffic. (southbound in the morning and northbound in the evening)

In 2001, the LADOT funded an $11 million “Sepulveda Reversible Lane” project through the MTA’s Call for Projects. The plan called for a 3.5 mile-long reversible lane down the center of Sepulveda Boulevard.


The plan met with huge opposition from both cyclists and residents.

Nobody disputes that the Sepulveda Pass is congested or that it is overwhelmingly directional. Up to nine times more vehicles travel in one direction at rush hour compared to the opposite direction.

At issue was the residents’ claim that an increase in capacity would immediately fill to the same level of gridlock by attracting traffic from the 405. Cyclists argued that the increase in capacity would come at the expense of their safety.

“This plan will actually induce traffic, cause even more congestion and make it virtually impossible for residents in the area to get in and out of their homes,” said Brentwood resident Patricia Bell Hearst.

“The Department of Transportation is putting bicyclists in grave danger by not including a bicycle lane on the southbound side of Sepulveda,” said Aaron Kirsch, a member of the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition.

Ultimately, the project died when City Councilmember Jack Weiss listened to concerns from the stakeholders of the area and then declared his opposition to the project.

Weiss voiced his concern that the project would increase hazards without significant improvement in travel time and then requested that all work on the Sepulveda Reversible Lane project stop.

Almost three years have gone by. The LACBC lists the termination of this project as one of its crowning achievements. Kirsch reports that he and “a host of others worked to kill this project a few years back.”

Everyone involved seems to think the project is dead…

Except for the LADOT. Three years is a long time and $11 million is a lot of money. They have been hard at work. Without a reversible lane element, the DOT can’t use that money on the Sepulveda Pass. Which brings us to the new and improved, LADOT re-scoped…

“Sepulveda Boulevard Reversible Lane, Bike Lane & Intersection Improvement Project.”

The “reversible lane” element is now limited to 1800 feet between Skirball Center Way and Dartford Way and including the tunnel. (1800 feet) The project is now “in the money!”

The “bike lane” element consists of adding a northbound bike lane between Bel Air Crest Road and Skirball Center Drive (1 mile) but no bike lane for the southbound side of Sepulveda. Southbound cyclists get a striping for a wider shoulder “as cyclists traveling downhill at high speeds would be able to merge with traffic…and would not be confined to a designated bike lane.”

Listed as “No Impact” on the Environmental Review Document is the fact that the existing southbound bike lane between the tunnel and Skirball Center Drive would be removed to accommodate a new third southbound traffic lane.

Alleviating peak hour congestion, reducing travel delays, and enhancing safety for recreational and commuter are admirable goals but this project is not the solution.


The funding for the Sepulveda Boulevard improvements is contingent on a “reversible lane” element. Selecting the tunnel as the location for the minimal implementation of the “reversible lane” requirement without providing any accommodations for cyclists is dangerous. At the least, signage and a demand actuated “cyclist in tunnel” warning system would provide some safety support for cyclists in a high conflict area. Anything less is unacceptable.

The City of Los Angeles Transportation Plan designated Sepulveda Boulevard as a Class II Bikeway. Any roadway improvements to this boulevard that do not bring the boulevard up to standard are unacceptable.

The project calls for a Class III Bikeway on the southbound side of Sepulveda which is at odds with the City’s route selection criteria which states that routes should NOT be designated on streets carrying traffic volumes of over 10,000 vehicles daily or with curb lane volumes of over 150 vehicles/hour. Swapping out a Class II Bike Lane for a Class III Bike Route is pure sleight-of-hand and it is unacceptable.

Bike Lanes come in pairs. A Bike Lane on one side only encourages wrong way travel. This is also in violation of the LADOT Bikeways standard. Placing a northbound bike lane between Bel Air Crest and Skirball without a southbound bike lane is unacceptable.

Roadway improvements should be…improvements. Removing a bike lane to accommodate a new third southbound traffic lane is not an improvement and it is unacceptable.

While the logic of not placing restrictive bike lanes on a downhill is established in the MUTCD, expecting cyclists to merge with speeding traffic is simply cavalier and irresponsible. Two cyclists died on PCH last year when they were forced to merge into 50 mph traffic. Unless there are guarantees that vehicular traffic speeds will be restricted on the downhill, this plan is pure folly and it is unacceptable.

The City of Los Angeles claims that the “Sepulveda Boulevard Reversible Lane, Bike Lane & Intersection Improvement Project” will alleviate peak hour congestion (ie. increase capacity), reduce travel delays (ie. speed up traffic), and enhance safety for recreational and commuter bicyclists (all this while removing a bike lane, creating an inconsistent environment and leaving cyclists to fend for themselves in the tunnel without so much as a shoe-horn for assistance or protection.) The LADOT’s plan communicates loudly the place of cyclists on the transportation food chain.

Ah, Attack, Parry, Riposte.

SEPULVEDA BLVD REVERSIBLE LANE, BIKE LANE, AND INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

The Environmental Document is available for a 30-day public review and comment period beginning on Friday, February 16, 2007 and ending on Monday, March 19, 2007.

The Year Of The Cyclist!

A thousand Bicycles shall bloom – Chris Orr

It wasn’t really a challenge and that made it all the more difficult to ignore.

It was simply a statement. A resolution. A New Years Resolution made 5 days before the New Year, no less! Yeah, it was a challenge!

On December 26, 2006 Will Campbell went public with his commitment to pedal 2007 miles during the year 2007.

I thought about it for a bit. I did the math. I put it out my head. I ignored the silent taunting. Before I knew it, it was mid-January.

Phew!

Saved from the pressure of resolutions and challenges by procrastination.

But it nagged at me. Especially when I racked 335 miles during BikeWinterLA 2007. Aarrrgggghhh.

Then I realized the game was not over.

Today is February 18, 2007. This is the Chinese New Year. Aka the Spring Festival.

This is 4705, the “Year of the Cyclist!”

I am going to celebrate by pedalling 4705 in the year 4705.*

Forty-Seven-Oh-Five in “05” has a nice ring to it!

See you on the streets!

*I’m also gonna be the first one on my block to go metric! 4705 km is equal to 2924 miles.

City Council And Mayor Recognize BikeWinter!

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Support Your Local Bikeshop!

LOS ANGELES, CA – On Friday night Jim C, proprietor of Orange20 Bikes and a Bicycle Kitchen cook, was hit by a car and severely injured as he rode his bike on Franklin Avenue in Los Feliz.

Jim went down hard sustaining injuries that include broken ribs, a cracked vertebrae, a punctured lung and some internal bruising and bleeding.

TJ, Jim’s business partner, expressed confidence that Jim will recover but says that it will take some time and that Jim is currently required to stay in the hospital for observation because of the significant internal injuries.

As of Monday morning, neither LAPD Northeast nor LAPD Central Traffic could even confirm that there was a motorist/cyclist collision on Franklin this past Friday night.

This lack of information illustrates the inequity cyclists experience when riding on the streets of Los Angeles.

When a motorist hits another motorist, two insurance companies go to work. They know the drill, they pull traffic reports, initiate investigations, offer the injured parties support and they advocate on behalf of their clients.

When a motorist hits a cyclist, the cyclist goes down, hard! The cyclist is left to navigate a system that is at best obtuse and does little to encourage or support a cyclist as they fight for appropriate medical and legal attention.

There are two things cyclists can and should do.

The first is to reach out to Jim and offer encouragement and support.

Visit him at the hospital. (take a healthy treat or two for the nurses and thank them for taking care of yet another grumpy, sore cyclist) Jim is in County Hospital, room 10820, and the visiting hours are from 11am to 8 pm.

Drop by Orange20 and relay the message through TJ. (extend the Capitalist Get-Well Greeting and make a purchase, thereby contributing to Jim C’s economic health)

The second is to use your phone. Call Councilmember Tom LaBonge at 213-473-7004 and advocate for Equal Access for cyclists.

Identify yourself as a cyclist and let Tom know that you consider safe access and mobility to be a basic Civil Right and that you expect the full support of the Police Department providing a safe environment for all modes of travel.

A Good Idea Gone Astray

A moderately sized shuttle NOT used by Rec & Park(ing)

GRIFFITH PARK, CA – Locals celebrated when the Department of Recreation and Park(ing) announced that they were going to ban automobiles from the Griffith Observatory and instead use shuttles to move people up and down Mt. Hollywood.

In hindsight, the public erred in assuming that a Rec & Park(ing) commitment to shuttles was synonymous with a commitment to moderation, sustainable technology, traffic mitigation, noise reduction and other purported benefits of the shuttle access plan.

Instead, Rec and Park(ing) demonstrated a completely cavalier attitude to the delicate balance of nature as it took the largest buses available (the 18-wheelers used to move cattle were not available on such short notice) and lined them up with engines idling, filling our urban paradise with a noxious reminder that when given a small piece of rope, Rec & Park(ing) will find a way to flog the community.

Large shuttle buses wreaking havoc on the environment

When asked why the buses were always idling one driver responded that it was to ensure that the air conditioning could continue to run.

Another driver confided to SoapBoxLA that the motivation for leaving the buses idling was that they didn’t consistently start and that a stalled bus would mess up the schedule.

SoapBoxLA watched the buses both arrive and depart, some full and some with as few as 6 passengers.

How long will it be before we ditch the tour buses, ransack the LACity motor pool, pull out a couple of dozen Council Deputy hybrids, load them up like Eastern Bloc taxis and send them up the hill?

Tap, tap. Anyone? Cough, cough. Hello?

The shuttle concept is a good idea. Cough. It is just in the wrong hands. Speak up. Call Tom LaBonge at 213.485.3337 and ask him to put people first. Cough. Ask him to join you for a ride.

Be.
The.
Change.

The Birth of a Great Idea!

LOS ANGELES, CA – “Hey, let’s hook up with SurviveLA and ride our bikes to the Museum of Jurassic Technology!”

Join us?

The World's Shortest Bike Path

HOLLYWOOD, CA – On Fountain Avenue, right in front of the Hollywood Field Office for the City of Los Angeles, sits the World’s shortest bike path.

It has no beginning, it only has an end. It literally exists only at the point at which it ceases to exist.

As SoapBoxLA prepares to pick up the phone and call the LADOT Bikeways Department the words of a well-meaning but so-far-off-base leader of a local cycling advocacy group come to mind.

“It’s better than what we had before and if you complain they might just take it all away.”

How sad! To think that some cyclists might tolerate Transportation Malpractice because they think bad service is better than none at all.

Whoof! With a shake of the head SoapBoxLA picks up the phone…(this is a group activity, pick up your phone) dials 323-845-9835 and tells Jeannie L. Shen of the Hollywood-Wilshire District of the LADOT that we can’t find the beginning of the Fountain Bike Path.

Thank Jeannie for her good, hard work and invite her to go on a ride.

"Take care to get what you like or you will be forced to like what you get." - George Bernard Shaw

The Toyota Observatory!

MT. HOLLYWOOD, CA – Toyota parks display cars (2) in front of the Griffith Observatory in a sad display of “We don’t get the whole car-free concept!”

The two display automobiles are parked at the red curb in front of the Observatory. This is as close to the Observatory as one can get without leaving the parking lot.

Meanwhile bicycle parking is relegated to the area behind the rest rooms in the same parking lot but in the opposite direction.

LA Muni Code requires bicycle parking to be placed as close as the closest parking space for automobiles. There are two areas, to the east and west, that are close, visible, open to the eyes of the public, safe, and do not interfere with the movement of pedestrians. These would be an ideal location for bicycle parking.

And yet, the Department of Recreation and Park(ing) placed the Marquis de Sade bike rack behind the dumpster area and behind the bathrooms.

Meanwhile, Toyota enjoys front row (in the red zone) parking.

The Griffith Observatory exists today because many years ago, Colonel Griffith J. Griffith stood on top of Mt. Wilson and gazed through a telescope at the night sky. He was so moved by the experience that he decided then that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the place of humanity in the vastness of space and time.

The Colonel came down from Mt. Wilson and said “Man’s sense of values ought to be revised.”

SoapBoxLA looks at the Toyota sponsored displays in front of the Observatory and agrees with the Colonel, adding “Now, more than ever!”

Griffith Observatory

MT. HOLLYWOOD, CA – The Griffith Observatory celebrated its reopening with a ribbon cutting ceremony that served as a literal salt-lick for politicians and power. The Feds were represented as was the U.S. Military, NASA, our State Government, our County Government, our City Government, our Retired Government and even some local cyclists.

Mayor Riordan greeted SoapBoxLA by asking “Did you ride your bike up the hill?” to which SoapBoxLA proudly replied “Yes I did!”

The ride to the Observatory for the Ribbon Cutting was especially gratifying in light of the long and contentious battle to include cyclists and hikers in the access plan.

While the battle for EQUAL ACCESS continues, Mayor Riordan’s question serves as a reminder that when it’s all said and done, the most important question is;

“Did you ride your bike?”

For all the letters, emails, phone calls, meetings, hallway lobbying and elevator speeches, the most significant action the cycling community can take is to ride, ride some more and then keep riding.

Be.
The.
Change.

Ride on!

WPA Supports Public Art

LOS ANGELES, CA – In 1940 WPA workers built a retaining wall at the corner of Sunset and Happy Feet. Their names are long forgotten but their deed is memorialized with a small brass plaque on the face of the wall.

Local cyclist and artist Caché has chosen this retaining wall as the canvas for his “Ride Forever” mural memorializing “fallen riders” everywhere.

In accepting the “support” of the long gone WPA, Caché joins the ranks of artists such as Jackson Pollack, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko, just a few of the thousands of Federal One starving artists that sought artistic and economic refuge in the WPA.

The WPA was a New Deal relief program designed to put people to work until the economy recovered and it resulted in the construction of a significant number of public facilities such as dams, parks, airports, and a significant number of highway, street and roadway projects.

Within the WPA was Federal One, a program to support artists through the Writer’s Project, the Historical Survey, the Theatre Project, the Music Project and the Art Project.

While the debate roils on about the current Federal program for starving artists, step outside, go for a ride, take a different route and discover some of the art gifts that can be found in your neighborhood.

This scene from The Magnificent Seven is part of the Hollywood Shadow Project. It’s installed on top of Rocky Mountain Camera and for 90 minutes each day it casts a shadow on the wall of the building across the street, returning for a short spell to the site of its production company.

Sometimes you’ve got to take your eyes off the road, go for a wander, get lost, “Stick your neck out!*”

*From Casablanca, high atop the 2nd Stage Theatre, Santa Monica and Wilcox

Movin' And Shakin'

LOS ANGELES, CA – Community Leaders, educators, parents and students came together to forge an African American education agenda at Saturday’s “Education is a Civil Right” forum held in South Central Los Angeles.

Bill Cosby was the keynote speaker for the event, which drew a standing room only crowd. No punches were pulled, the dialogue was raw, direct, confrontational, troubling but, most of all, inspiring.


City of Los Angeles Councilmember Bernard Parks was in attendance and he took a moment to discuss transportation issues with SoapBoxLA. Councilmember Parks sits on the City Council Transportation Committee. He has heard SoapBoxLA testify twice on the Bikeway deficiencies found on the Santa Monica Boulevard Transit Parkway.

“Hey! Did you ride your bike?”

“As a matter of fact, I did!”

The relevance of this exchange became clear as Bill Cosby exhorted the 2000 people to stop asking for help and to start demanding it. “Jesus is not going to mow your lawn! Stop waiting for help and make it happen!”

Jimmy Lizama said it best when he proclaimed to those gathered at the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Awards Gala;

“When I ride, I AM the bike lane.
See the sign?
It says ONE WAY. That’s right!
MY way!”

And so, to paraphrase Bill Cosby, Jesus isn’t gonna come and paint my bike lane. He’s not gonna come and put up my signs. He’s sure not gonna come and ride my bike!

With that in mind, the SoapBoxLA cycling team hopped on their trusty steeds and pedaled off to Hollywood.

BE the lane. Go YOUR way. Rinse. Repeat.

If These Halls Could Talk...

LOS ANGELES, CA – SoapBoxLA worked City Hall this week, advocating for completion of the Bikeways element of the Santa Monica Boulevard Transit Parkway.

Formal requests for help were presented to the City Council Transportation Committee on Wednesday, to the Transportation Commission on Thursday and to the Board of Public Works on Friday.

The message:

“The Santa Monica Boulevard Transit Parkway is the largest roadway improvement project in the City of Los Angeles. At a cost of $95 million, the SMBT Parkway sets the standard for multi-modal transportation.

The bikeway element of the Parkway is unsafe.

The bike lanes run 80% of the Parkway stopping just short of Century City, the most congested and conflicted stretch of the route.

The bike lanes include over a dozen “engineered conflict” ingress/egress points that are unsafe for cyclists.

The striping is inconsistent, creating a confusing environment for cyclists and motorists.

The signage support that could clarify any right-of-way confusion is non-existent.

The Oversight Committee just held its last meeting, there are no more community meetings scheduled, the SM Blvd office is closing next week, Mr. Ganaja (1 of 2 project mgrs.) retired last Friday and those responsible for the project are referring to it as "complete" or "almost finished."

Please intervene to ensure the completion of a safe and effective bikeway element for the Santa Monica Boulevard Transit Parkway.”

The Responses:

Transpo Committee: Wendy Greuel asked for the notes, said she would follow up. SoapBoxLA spoke to Glenn Ogura in the hallway and Gloria Jeff after the meeting. (Michelle Mowery & Michael Uyeno were there but quietly slipped out) Gloria said she would follow up. Borja Leon of the Mayor’s office also said he would follow up.

Transpo Commission: Two of the Commissioners asked questions about the striping, lane width, etc. Commissioner Frierson (retired LAPD Traffic Officer) pointed out that motorists have right-of-way when driving across the bike lane to turn right (they don’t) demonstrating the need for "Yield to Cyclist" signs "Bicycle Warning" signs. Again, I had the opportunity to speak with Gloria Jeff, this time at length, and she assured me and the commission that John Fisher would respond to my requests.

Board of Public Works: Commissioner Sickler indicated that in response to the SoapBoxLA written request of last week he had surveyed the Parkway on Wednesday and that he agreed with the points that have been raised. He indicated that he would address this with the Mayor's office and the DOT.

Board President Cynthia Ruiz is the highest ranking Native American in the Villaraigosa administration and she invited SoapBoxLA to join the Red Nation Celebration on the City Hall Terrace.

Lt. Governor ”Cruzzzz” Bustamonte, Deputy Mayor Larry Frank and San Antonio all joined Cynthia in kicking off American Indian Heritage Month.

Trekking downtown to fight City Hall can be a bit of a grind and sometimes it even seems futile. But then moments like this occur and serve to remind that this City truly belongs to the people.

The Halls are ours to walk and they are ours to work.

Ride your bike, dump some tea, celebrate!

Public Displays of Affection

LOS ANGELES, CA – Union Station, with its eclectic mix of Aztec and Moorish architectural influences, played host to LA’s most exclusive new nightclub this past Wednesday night. The cavernous ticket lobby filled to overflowing with a crowd that came from all over LA, in all shapes and sizes and styles and ages and sensitivities but with one huge, significant thing in common; nobody arrived in an automobile.

No amount of money could buy entrée into Global Inheritance’s “Public Displays of Affection.” Patrons were required to show their Metro tickets in order to gain admittance. No exceptions.

Proving to be as cold and heartless as the best Door Hosts in Hollywood, the PDofA staff were brutally efficient as they separated the transit guests from the motorists.

“But I’m with the Band!”

“I’m afraid not, you smell like an automobile. Next!”

Union Station is a stunning environment on any day and under any conditions but especially so when filled with music, people, energy, all creating a sense of destination.

Even the energy on the Red Line was ramped up as revelers rode to the exclusive party. Gone was the subdued anonymity of the traditional commuter and in its place was the spark of expectation.

People came together to show public transportation a little love, to celebrate freedom, to create community, to demonstrate a new sensibility and to demonstrate a commitment to a sustainable lifestyle.

Oh, yeah! They came to party!

Local cycling whacktivists gathered in Union Station’s Traxx Restaurant and Bar to solve the world’s problems and to discuss the futification© of Los Angeles.

(Note: To discuss the future is to “discussify.” To create the future is to “futify.” To do it well is to “gratify.”)

Mike Alive, Futurist, teased those within earshot with details of his upcoming public art installation to be held in Hollywood sometime in the near future. (left)

Jason Saunders, Cultural Affairs, brought us back to the Santa Monica Boulevard Transit Parkway by discussing the upcoming public art installations that are a part of the large and unsafe roadway project. (center)

The theme of the SMBT Parkway is Route 66. The landscaping will transition from the east to the west, reflecting the natural flora one would experience on a Route 66 journey from Santa Monica all the way to Illinois.

The Public Art element of the SMBT Parkway consists of large “medallions” hung from streetlight fixtures, each one representing a different State found on Route 66.

Throughout the evening, the venue, the event, the people, the mode of transportation, the conversation, the public art, the gestalt, everything came together to remind us that “getting there” is just as much a part of the adventure of life in Los Angeles as “being there.”

Slow down, look around, you may already be where you need to be!

The Cellophane Cyclist

LOS ANGELES, CA – It has been suggested that the cycling community is the invisible constituency in the Los Angeles Transportation Community.

It’s worse than that.

Cyclists are the INSIGNIFICANT constituency. The IRRELEVANT constituency. The “give them some signs and they’ll go away” constituency.

It’s bad to be ignored but it’s even worse to be dismissed.

The LADOT doesn’t just ignore the cycling community. The LADOT makes a little noise, gives a few gestures of acknowledgement to the cycling community and then a hearty dismissal.

The LADOT’s response to the cycling community has gone from “WHAT?” to “WHAT NOW?”

The LADOT’s cavalier and casual attitude to the details of traffic management and communication only serves to render bikeways, signage and even cyclists as irrelevant, insignificant and absolutely ignorable.

How does the LADOT explain the bike lanes on Olympic? (pictured above, bike lanes signs in both directions with no bike lanes in sight! This just trains motorists and cyclists to ignore the signs as irrelevent.)

How does the LADOT explain the bike route signs on Chandler? (pictured below left and right)

The bike route signs on Chandler are supported by a Bike Lane!

Isolated incident? Ah, yeah, until the next one. (pictured below, the bike route/lane hybrid)

Is Chandler a bike lane?
Is Chandler a bike route?
Does the LADOT even care?

Fountain (pictured below left and right) is a bike route with BIG PLANS! This narrow and congested street goes from bike route to bike lane, this time with no striping support. Hmmm! Who's confused?

Shame on the LADOT for not knowing or for not caring about the difference between bike lanes and bike routes.

Shame on us for not demanding better from the LADOT.

Pick up the phone. Ask the LADOT to send somebody down to their parking garage, have them climb in their Cadillac Escalade, fire up the GPS unit and have it spit out an inventory of the City's Bikeways. Ask them to take this list and then have somebody ride a bicycle on each Path, Lane and Route in Los Angeles to ensure that the system makes some kind of sense.

How long could it take to inventory the Bikeways of Los Angeles? How long would it take to ride the Bikeways of Los Angeles?

Heck, on the LA Wheelmen's 2006 Grand Tour, there were two cyclists that rode 400 miles and 28 cyclists that rode 300 miles, all within 24 hours. Do we even have 400 miles of Bikeways?

The LADOT must partner with the cycling community. The LADOT must treat the local cycling community with respect. The LADOT must treat cyclists not a problem but as a transportation solution.

How can we respect ourselves if we don't even demand that our environment makes sense? How can we respect ourselves if we aren't willing to raise our voices and say to the LA DOT "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

The