Safe & Healthy Streets

Volunteers at Honolulu and Ocean in 2009

Volunteers are still needed for the second annual Glendale Bicyclist and Pedestrian Count on Wednesday September 22 and Saturday September 25, 2010. Each volunteer will be asked to report to a chosen intersection for two hours and record all the bicyclists and pedestrians who pass by. Detailed instructions and counting materials will be sent to each volunteer prior to the count dates. This year all volunteers will receive a t-shirt! We also have thank-you gifts courtesy of the Alex Theatre and Glendale Massage Envy.

The information gathered will help the City to track biking and walking trends in Glendale as well as to determine where there might be greater need for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. The count data will also be used for the City’s upcoming Bikeway Master Plan update.

This year we’re using VolunteerSpot.com to organize all the volunteers. If you can help with the count on September 22 or 25, please click on the button below. You’ll be asked to input your e-mail address, then you will receive an e-mail with instructions and a link to pick the date, time, and location you want.

Thank you!

T-shirt design

BIKING WITH BIXI IN MONTREAL

Ardy with a Bixi bike

Glendale City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian recently traveled to Montreal where he used the Bixi bicycle sharing system and offered us the following article upon his return. We thank Ardy for his contribution! Next time we’ll be posting a piece about Denver’s B-Cycle program, but for now, here’s what Ardy has to say about Bixi.

Recently, National Geographic’s Traveler Magazine voted Montreal one of the most “Bike Friendly” cities in North America and with good reason. Part of the reason was that it was the first city on the continent to introduce a public bike sharing program. Bixi (as the program is called) was designed to take cars off the road and put bicycles back on the streets. During a recent visit to Montreal, I witnessed firsthand how it’s done just that and more.

Summer is a great time to visit Montreal. The weather hovers around the mid 70s and makes it ideal to explore the downtown area on foot or by bicycle. Montreal offers visitors a variety of outdoor activities during the summer months from concerts, endless choices for patio dining to a variety of outdoor festivals. Montrealers appreciate summer and with good reason. Winters can be pretty harsh here. So much that they’ve built a vast underground city of malls and shopping centers attached to their subway system with the purpose of staying out of the debilitating cold. But when the sun is shining, nothing can keep Montrealers indoors. And you see plenty of people out and about and many of them – sometimes entire families – on bikes.

Bixi stand with secure bike docks

Outside any of the city’s multiple metro stops you will find a Bixi stand. The stands consist of an automated kiosk for renting a bike. Next to the kiosk you’ll see about a dozen bicycles lined up and ready to rent out. They are conveniently placed within blocks of each other so you have a choice of any one of 400 solar-powered facilities sprinkled around the city. Renting one of their bikes costs just $5 a day. The individual bikes are locked into special docks which have a keypad where you input your unique code linked to your specific credit card. You can drop off your bike at any location during the day and when you’re ready to leave, grab another bike by inputting another code using your credit card. Each bike is uniquely designed with lights that flash in the front and rear; a basket with bungee cord to secure items; an adjustable seat; a small ringer; and three speeds. Their unique design makes them hard to steal and easy to spot. And for the small price (less than the cost of a day metro pass) you have limitless access to these bikes. Many people we saw used them to run errands, meet friends for a quick bite or just to get some exercise. I used them to work off the plates of poutine I ate. Poutine is Montreal’s ubiquitous national snack and consists of French fries covered in cheese curds and topped off with gravy. And it’s as delicious as it sounds. But I digress…

Bixi payment kiosk

Aside from the health benefits that shared biking provides, there are other considerations that make Montreal such a successful test area for this type of program. Montreal has truly embraced a culture of bicycling and it’s evident in its roadway and sidewalk designs. The city has sharrows and designated bike lanes throughout the downtown area and both riders and drivers observe good road etiquette. In other mixed-use neighborhoods, bikes have their own lanes separated by a smaller sidewalk area giving them unfettered pathways to ride on parallel to the streets used by cars. This separation helps everyone know where they belong and probably reduces the number of crashes. You can see a detailed picture of the different types of safety features Montreal has implemented on the Bixi “Code of Conduct” website.

But most important, what makes the Bixi system work so well is its proximity to metro stations. Although conveniently placed throughout the city, having them next to such a widely used public transit system makes them the ideal companion for people who commute into the downtown from the suburbs and want to use the bikes to get around the heart of the city. I kept thinking how great this system would be for Los Angeles where we have metro stations but the city is so spread out that it’s difficult to get off at a particular stop and then walk many blocks to your final destination. This system is a very convenient go-between alternative to waiting for the bus or walking.

From Montreal to Boston and even in LA where Mayor Villaraigosa has become an advocate, biking is becoming a more accepted form of getting around. In a place like Southern California where we pride ourselves on good health and environmentally conscious practices, it seems like a shared bike program would be a natural fit. And if rumors are true, a program may be around the corner. But if you can’t wait for your own community to adopt shared biking, then travel to Montreal and check out Bixi.

Ardy and his wife Courtney, enjoying the sites of Montreal by bike

Volunteers at Mountain & Verdugo during the 2009 count

Volunteers are needed for the second annual Glendale Bicyclist and Pedestrian Count on Wednesday September 22 and Saturday September 25, 2010. Volunteers will count at 26 locations city-wide during two-hour windows in the morning and evening. The information gathered will help the City to track biking and walking trends in Glendale as well as to determine where there might be greater need for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. The count data will also be used for the City’s upcoming Bikeway Master Plan update.

This year we’re using VolunteerSpot.com to organize all the volunteers. If you can help with the count on September 22 or 25, please click on the button below. You’ll be asked to input your e-mail address, then you will receive an e-mail with instructions and a link to pick the date, time, and location you want.

Thank you!

Let’s Collaborate for More Bike Racks

This could be outside wherever you shop, dine, etc.

Guest contributor and Cruise Night bike wrangler, “Cave” Jen, was inspired by Justin Klein’s efforts to get a bike rack installed by Chase Bank. Jen realized that she and Justin had a similar goal in mind – get a better rack installed at Whole Foods. What if other people are trying to do the same thing? What about other businesses in town? So, Jen sent the following idea and we encourage all of you Glendale cyclists to join in!

In the last Safe & Healthy Streets blog post, guest contributor Justin Klein wrote about his (eventually successful) effort to get a bike rack installed at his bank. He’s already initiated a similar effort to get Whole Foods to upgrade their rack to something more secure.

I appreciate hearing Justin has rekindled efforts for this particular location. Approaching Whole Foods now can serve to amplify his effort. BUT WHY STOP THERE? I’ve been asking Virgil’s for a bike rack, too. Maybe we can all help each other out here. Send your pet peeve locations to glendalesahs@gmail.com and we’ll post the list of places. Let’s help each other get it done! Kumbaya, peace out, and safe riding.

Jen,
The Cave

Bicycle Safety Awareness Event with L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa

Mayor Villaraigosa, in partnership with the LA County Bicycle Coalition and Midnight Ridazz.com, will be announcing the winner of the bike safety slogan contest and unveil the the much anticipated Bicycle Awareness & Safety Campaign poster designed by Geoff McFetridge at a press event on Tuesday, August 24th at 10 am.

Come and be part of the celebration as the Mayor, just after the Bike Summit, continues his efforts in creating safer streets for cyclists.

Wanna Be in a PSA? You are invited to stay after the press event and take part in the filming of the Bicycle Awareness and Safety PSA, educating motorists that cyclists do have the right to the lane. The filming will take place immediately following the press conference at the same location.

Where: 1st/Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90012
across from new LAPD building map
When: Tuesday, August 24th, 10 am

Please RSVP and bring a helmet!

Chevy Chase sharrow looking north

Sharrows have been installed on Chevy Chase Drive from the intersection at Adams to the intersection at Wilson. Chevy Chase is in the Glendale Bikeway Master Plan as a class III bike route and installing the sharrows establishes the class III status. Wilson is listed in the plan to be striped with bike lanes at Chevy Chase, so the possibility of a future connection is high. The sharrow installation on Chevy Chase is part of a pre-existing, shovel-ready resurfacing project that was funded by Federal Stimulus money. The new sharrows on Chevy Chase brings the number of Glendale streets with sharrows up to six. It’s also the first four-lane street to be painted with sharrows. As with all new bike infrastructure in Glendale, if you like the sharrows on Chevy Chase, please be sure to tell the City and also the Glendale News-Press!

Bike Rack Added in Glendale 

Location of the new bike rack

Not all infrastructure for cyclists is installed by the City. Guest writer Justin Klein explains his effort to get a bike rack installed at his bank. Take it away Justin…

After many months of requesting a bike rack at Chase Bank on the corner of Glendale and Doran, a double U-Line bike rack has been successfully put in.

My move from San Francisco to Glendale has given me a ‘car’ culture-shock and this was my motivation to make the LA area more bike/pedestrian friendly. My weekly routine requires me to bike errands to places that usually have no place to lock up my ride, which I resort to using sign posts and, even less convenient for pedestrians, hand rails.

This is how it went down.

Every time my errand put me inside the building, I would always ask for the manager, who was a different person every time, and ask, “Do you have bike rack?” Of course their reply was always, “No.” And my prepared follow-up was always, “Can you get one?” Eventually the message got through, and the managers said they had placed a request to corporate.

Voila! There it was in all it’s glory.

Justin and the rack!

I went back to interview the manager. They mentioned that the bike rack was put in because of a “customer request” and they implied I was that customer. They’re proud to be the only bank branch with a bike rack in Glendale. I offered to take a picture with them standing near the rack but they were a little camera shy. Still working on Whole Foods (across the street) to replace their ‘rim benders’ — Join the lobby and request a new bike rack that can accomodate several bikes the next time you need to buy expensive produce. Better yet, request bike racks at your favorite businesses, too!

Justin makes a great point. If you frequently visit a business by bicycle and there’s no bike rack, ask them for one. You’re a valuable customer and the cost to install a bike rack is minimal. With a little time and persistence, the business may install a rack, just like Chase Bank did. Keep in mind, the business can’t install a rack in the public right of way (the sidewalk). They can only do it on private property. By the way, if you are a Chase Bank customer, be sure to thank them for the new rack!

Justin Klein is a resident of Glendale and a graphic designer. In addition to getting one more bike rack for Glendale, Justin has donated his time and talent to Safe & Healthy Streets on numerous occasions. You can see his work at www.JustinKleinCMI.com

Last Chance for the Bicyclist and Pedestrian Survey

We will be shutting down the online survey for bicyclists and pedestrians in Glendale on Monday, August 16. This is your last chance to take the survey and help us to make Glendale better and safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Don’t delay, take the survey today!!

Glendale Bicyclist and Pedestrian Count #2 – September 2010

The Safe & Healthy Streets team and the City of Glendale are going to conduct our second Glendale bicyclist and pedestrian count on September 22 and 25, 2010. We’re going to count at the same locations and same times as last year and we need your help! Mark your calendars and keep your eyes open for a notice to sign up (coming soon). This second count will give us a chance to compare data from last year and further develop a baseline of information about walking and biking in Glendale. Four of the count locations are on streets that have seen bike lanes or sharrows installed since last year. We’re interested to see if there will be an increase in bicycling at those locations, among others city-wide.

Park(ing) Day is Friday September 17, 2010

Park(ing) Day was launched in 2005 by a group in San Francisco called Rebar. They transformed a metered parking space into a temporary park to illustrate the lack of open space in our cities. Since then Park(ing) Day has spread to other cities where it’s also become part of a growing effort to reclaim streets for people, not just for cars. Here in Glendale, Osborn Architects have installed their own Park(ing) Day space for several years. Who else might install a Park(ing) Day space in Glendale this year? For more information about Park(ing) Day, you can go to the Park(ing) Day LA site here or Rebar’s Park(ing) Day site here.

Other important links

Mayor Villaraigosa’s Bike Summit, Monday August 16, 2010

Damon Boyd, Colin Bogart, Nathalie Winiarski and the recumbent woody 4-wheeler

For Cruise Night 2010, Safe & Healthy Streets and a group of volunteers set up a collection of great bicycles for the crowd to look at. Guest Contributing writer Jen (No, the other Jen) inspired us to do this and dedicated her time and energy to corral the bikes. She summarizes the night’s activity this way.

My first (grown-up) bicycle was a white Sears Free Spirit 10-speed. I rode it to school every day and through the lemon groves every afternoon, aimlessly. Those lemon groves are now condos. That was when I fell for bikes, when autonomy, freedom, speed, light, scent and pedaling took hold of me and never let me go. And maybe I’m old fashioned, but I still like lemons better than condos.

I don’t know when cars became “better” than bikes, or why. I don’t know why bikes have been pushed aside, trivialized, demoted, reduced and snubbed. What a thing of beauty, this simple machine. They’re so pure. They’re so accessible. And endorphins are way better than gas fumes.

So my sincere thanks to you, my fellow crazy Glendalians or Glendalites or whatever you people call yourselves, for both staffing the Glendale Safe and Healthy Streets booth and for bringing your classic old bikes to this car-centric event. It’s necessary to occasionally remind people the scope of pleasant memories.

You can see all the bikes on Photobucket here. [There were also some really nice bikes at the Library booth which you can see here too – ED]

Kristen Shadburn and her Free Spirit 10-speed

Thanks to the good people whose bikes made this a successful evening! Kristen Shadburn brought the Sears Free Spirit, Phil and Bill brought five bikes, including a blue mini low-rider, a classic Schwinn and a tandem mountain bike, and Damon Boyd of Nomad Cruisers brought one of his amazing custom bikes, a recumbent woody. Erwin of Roadrunner Bikes in Atwater brought four bikes including a very popular-with-the-crowd chopper. Bill from as-seen-on-TV Bicycle Mart down Brand Boulevard brought two beautiful road bikes. (That sentence was sponsored by the letter “B.”) Also, thanks to Babz Rowe, resident cheerleader, Nathalie Winiarski, Matt Clark, and Hannah Lazarus who helped staff the booth.

Update for Two Cases Involving Cyclists

We have continued to stay in contact with the Glendale Police Department and the District Attorney’s office for updates on the arraignment of Naira Margaryan, the driver charged with the tragic death of cyclist Gerardo Ramos. The arraignment was set to take place on June 2, but was re-scheduled for July 14. The arraignment has again been re-scheduled, now for August 18. We’ve been told the defense has requested more time to collect information. As promised before, we will keep you informed of all important dates and developments in the case.

Some of you may have seen a recent Glendale News-Press article mentioning a cyclist who was the victim of a hit and run collision on July 1. We have confirmed with Glendale Police that they are investigating the case and fully intend to file hit and run charges against the motorist, whom they caught in Sun Valley. We will keep you informed about this case as well.

Mayor Villaraigosa’s Bicycle Crash

By now you’ve probably heard about Mayor Villaraigosa’s bicycle crash. A taxi driver pulled out in front of him on Venice Blvd., leading to a fall that broke the Mayor’s elbow. We at Safe and Healthy Streets and the LA County Bicycle Coalition saw this event as unfortunate (we wish the mayor a speedy recovery) and as an opportunity to encourage improved safety efforts for cyclists, as well as more and better bicycle infrastructure. You can read about the LACBC’s response at the LACBC blog here.

Sharrow on Dunsmore Ave.

More sharrows have been painted on Glendale streets! As part of a slurry seal project in North Glendale, Dunsmore Ave., New York Ave., and Markridge Rd. haven been painted. Dunsmore is in Glendale’s 1996 Bikeway Master Plan as a north/south bike route for the area and New York was suggested by residents during several community meetings in the fall of 2009. Markridge was added at the north end to connect the two streets and help with access to Deukmejian Wilderness Park. Foothill Blvd. and Santa Carlotta are slated to be striped with bike lanes. Combined together, the streets with bike lanes and sharrows will provide potential riding loops in the area as well as encouraging bike access to multiple schools and parks. At this time, there are five streets in Glendale with sharrows: Grandview Ave., Stocker St. (between Pacific and Louise), Dunsmore, New York, and Markridge. The Safe & Healthy Streets team is excited about the new sharrows and we look forward to seeing more of them on Glendale streets soon.

Special Meeting for LA County Bike Plan

We wanted to remind you that there will be a special meeting in Altadena on Monday, July 12 regarding the LA County Bike Plan update. The meeting will be held at the Altadena Community Center from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. A significant portion of North Glendale is bordered by LA County and this is your chance to discuss what and where bicycle infrastructure is to be planned for the area. You can click on the flyer for a larger view or you can visit the LA County Bike Plan website by clicking here.

Arraignment for Driver Charged with Killing Glendale Cyclist Re-scheduled for July 14

We have been in contact with the District Attorney’s office for updates on the arraignment of Naira Margaryan, the driver charged with the tragic death of cyclist Gerardo Ramos. The arraignment was set to take place on June 2, but is now scheduled for July 14. We will keep you informed of all important dates and developments in the case. In the meantime, one thing is clear: safety for cyclists will be ensured only where there is accountability on all sides and the rules of the road are clear and understood.

Cruise Night reminder

We’re still looking for classic, custom, or vintage bikes to display at Cruise Night on Saturday July 17, 2010. Cruise Night is a huge car show in Glendale that attracts about 35,000 visitors. We want to show those visitors that bikes are also beautiful, artistic, and collectible. If you or someone you know has a show-stopper bicycle that we can display, please contact Jen at glendalesahs@gmail.com Thank you.

Bicyclist and Pedestrian Survey Reminder

Quick reminder that we still need more people to take the Glendale Bicyclist and Pedestrian Survey online. If you haven’t done it yet, please complete the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GlendaleBikePedSurvey . If you participated in the Safe & Healthy Streets Community Meetings in the Fall of 2009, we really need your survey! Thank you.

Thank you Mayor Najarian, Council Member Friedman, and Dan Evans

At a recent Glendale City Council meeting, Mayor Ara Najarian took time to announce that while in Vancouver, Canada, he rented a bicycle and went for a ride. We’re happy to learn from his comments that he had a great experience and that he’s seen first-hand how great a bike-friendly community can be. We thank Mayor Najarian for taking that ride and for telling us about it. You can watch video of his comments by going to the City of Glendale video archive here and fast forward to 32 minutes, 19 seconds.

At another recent City Council meeting, Glendale Council Member Laura Friedman talked about her participation in the 10th Annual L.A. River Ride which benefits the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition. We thank Ms. Friedman for her participation in the event, both as a speaker and a rider. You can watch a video of Ms. Friedman’s comments by going to the City of Glendale video archive here and skip to 21 minutes. We’d also like to thank the Glendale Community Services and Parks Department and the Glendale Management Association for their sponsorship of this year’s L.A. River Ride!

Finally, Glendale News-Press editor Dan Evans recently wrote a nice editorial about his experiences riding his bicycle to work in downtown Glendale. We enjoyed reading his positive account of riding from Burbank to Glendale in which he discussed the details of his route. He closed by inviting his readers to tell him about their routes by bicycle. You can read Dan’s editorial in the Glendale News-Press by clicking here and you can e-mail your favorite routes to Dan at Dan.Evans@latimes.com

Glendale’s “Cruise Night” will be on Saturday, July 17th and we want to display some super cool, custom or vintage bikes to show that bicycles are also historical, collectible, and beautiful. If you or someone you know has a two-wheeled beauty that will wow the crowds, we need your bike! Please contact Jen at glendalesahs@gmail.com for details. Thanks!

Deukmejian Park Re-Opens, Art from the Ashes Opens

On Saturday June 19, 2010, the Glendale Community Services and Parks Department will celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of Deukmejian Wilderness Park. For more information about the day’s activities, go to the online flyer here. The evening of June 19th will also be the opening reception for “Art from the Ashes.” The Glendale Parks & Open Space Foundation and ART from the Ashes present an art exhibition for the benefit of Deukmejian Wilderness Park. Over 60 artists have created more than 100 works of art out of natural and man-made materials burned during the Station Fire. For details, go to the Glendale Parks & Open Space Foundation website.

Please Take the Glendale Pedestrian & Bicyclist Survey

The Glendale Pedestrian & Bicyclist Survey has been online for several months and we’re going to shut it down by the end of July. We still need more surveys from anyone who lives, works, goes to school or just visits Glendale. The information gathered by the survey will give us a clearer picture of bicyclists and pedestrians in Glendale and will supplement the information gathered at the community meetings in the fall of 2009. All information gathered will be used to help draft the Safe & Healthy Streets Plan and its stated goals for improving biking and walking conditions in Glendale. Even if you don’t ride a bike, we’re all pedestrians some of the time and the Safe & Healthy Streets Plan is about pedestrians as well as bicyclists. If you haven’t taken the survey yet, please complete it today by going to the online survey here. Please encourage your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or classmates to take the survey too. Thank you.

Safe Routes to School Threatened

Republican House Whip Eric Cantor recently attempted to eliminate Federal funding for Safe Routes to School as part of his “YouCut” program. Safe Routes to School (SRTS) funds projects that encourage and support children walking or biking to school. The benefits include our children growing up with healthier, more active lifestyles, reduced pollution and congestion, and safer conditions around schools thanks to better infrastructure and a reduction in car traffic. While Cantor’s attempt was not successful this time, his office has vowed to put Safe Routes to School back on the YouCut list again in the future.

The threat to SRTS should be of concern to all Glendale residents with school-age children since the City of Glendale and GUSD is receiving SRTS funding from applications sent in last year and is in the process of completing new applications which are due in July of this year. Ultimately, all elementary and middle schools in the district are to receive funding for improvements such as better crosswalks, repairs to sidewalks if needed, installation of bike racks, etc. This will happen as long as the applications continue to be approved and Cantor is not successful in cutting the SRTS program. We encourage you to keep an eye out for continued attacks from Cantor and others in Congress who don’t seem to understand the importance of the Safe Routes to School program. You can sign up for e-mail alerts from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership here and we intend to keep an eye on this issue (and alert you when there’s another attack) as well.

In the meantime, take a look at a report that the Federal Highway Administration released this week. Here’s a key graph from that report.

Notice that bicycle and pedestrian projects make up only 2% of the total Federal Transportation Budget and keep in mind that Safe Routes to School is only a part of that 2%. While we’re not sure what percentage is SRTS, it seems clear that cutting the program doesn’t represent a significant savings. It’s also worth noting that although 2% is a 15-year high, we’re still spending very little of the overall transportation budget on bicycle and pedestrian projects, even though 11.9% of all trips are now made on foot or by bicycle. Wouldn’t it make sense to spend at least 11.9% of the budget on bicycle and pedestrian projects? Imagine what a difference the increase would make!

Pedestrian Safety Around the World – a FREE webinar

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is offering a FREE webinar entitled “Pedestrian Safety from Around the World” on Wednesday, June 30 2010 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. The webinar will be presented by Charlie Zegeer, director of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center at the UNC Highway Safety Research Center

In this presentation, Zegeer will discuss pedestrian safety from an international perspective. From China to Dubai to New York City to India, Charlie will lead us on a quick tour of pedestrian safety design and treatments from around the globe. For more information and to register for the webinar, go to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center website.

Community Meeting November 2009

Many of you who attended our community meetings last fall, volunteered for us, or attended Safe & Healthy Streets events may be wondering what’s going on with the Safe & Healthy Streets Plan – the policy document we’ve been talking about for some time. Well, now that we’re done with Bike Month events, trips to Berkeley and Long Beach, the Safe & Healthy Streets team is hard at work crafting the policy document. Our plan is to present a draft of this document to you this fall, so please be on the lookout for announcements in September. In the meantime, there’s going to be another bike/pedestrian count in September and there are some other exciting developments we’d like you to know about. Read on….

R.D. White Elementary Pilots New “Park & Walk” Program

In keeping with efforts to align R.D. White Elementary School with the Safe Routes to School philosophy, R.D. White is piloting a new after-school pick-up process for their students – “Park & Walk” – a safer and healthier way for children to depart school! Effective June 1st to June 18 – all students will be dismissed out the front of the school to designated classroom assignments on the front lawn of the school (Doran Street), awaiting pick-up by their parent/caregiver.

Parents/caregivers will park away from the school, in the surrounding neighborhood, and walk to the front of the school to pick up their children. The school side gates on Everett and Geneva will be no longer be open—they will be locked—no dismissals via the side gates, no pick-up directly by car.

Parking and walking eliminates the unsafe car pick-up lane, road rage, and noise and air pollution that endanger our students. This pick-up and departure process is safer and healthier for all students and parents, and will help to ensure increased pedestrian and traffic safety around R. D. White.

The first day of this pilot program was a big success! You can read about it in the Glendale News Press by clicking here. A special thank you to the Glendale Police Department Traffic Division for their amazing support and presence! Thanks also to Vons Grocery Store (Glendale Avenue) as they graciously allow families to park in their lot.

For more information, contact Kara Sergile at 818-637-2872 or kysergile@sbcglobal.net

Glendale Bikeway Master Plan Update to Begin This Summer

During the Glendale Transportation and Parking Commission meeting on Monday, May 24 2010, Glendale’s Traffic and Transportation Administrator Jano Baghdanian announced that the process of updating the Glendale Bikeway Master Plan will begin this summer, possibly as soon as July, and should result in a draft document by January 2011. You can watch Mr. Baghdanian’s presentation as well as the presentation of Safe & Healthy Streets Coordinator Colin Bogart by going to the City’s online video archive. Stay tuned for more announcements about the Bikeway Master Plan update! Community input will be welcome and encouraged as part of the update process.

L.A. County Bike Plan Update Meeting July 12

Speaking of Bike Plan updates, Los Angeles County has been holding meetings for an update of its bike plan. For those of you following this process, you know that the meetings for the County Plan have been somewhat far from Glendale. Thanks to a request from the Altadena Town Council, there will be a special meeting to discuss the County Plan update on Monday, July 12, 2010 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the Altadena Community Center, located at 730 E. Altadena Dr. Altadena, CA 91001. For those of you who live, work, or ride in North Glendale, this is the ideal chance to talk to County officials about bike improvements in the County sections of La Crescenta. For more information about the County Bike Plan update, you can go to their website.

This Sunday, June 6, is the 10th Annual L.A. River Ride. This is the biggest annual fundraising event for the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition, a non-profit bicycle advocacy group and the non-profit partner (with Glendale) in the Safe & Healthy Streets project. Thanks to a sponsorship from the Glendale Community Services and Parks Department, all children 12 and under can ride for free! All rides start and finish at the Autry Center in Griffith Park. Come support the LACBC and ride your bike! For more details go to the L.A. River Ride website. See you Sunday!

Bike Month Thanks

Thanks to everyone who participated in Glendale Bike Month this May!! It all started with a formal City Proclamation for Bike Month in Glendale. We had two great history rides, a pre-Bike to Work Day bike fair, a festival on Foothill Blvd., 5 Bike to Work Day pit stops, multiple documentary screenings, presentations by Gil Garcetti and Charlie Gandy, and free bike related movies on Tuesdays. Thanks to everyone who helped make all the events possible: the Glendale Public Library, Community Services and Parks, Public Works Traffic and Transportation, the Glendale Historical Society, Glendale TMA, The CV Town Council, The Bicycle Mart, and Montrose Bike Shop,  as well as numerous volunteers including Nathalie Winiarski, Scott Lowe, Arlene Vidor, Paul Rabinov, Steve Pierce, Robbyn Battles, Corey Keizer, and Rye Baerg. We’re working on compiling more photos and the Charlie Gandy presentation was videotaped by GTV6 so we hope to provide you with a link for viewing that soon. In the meantime, here are some pics from the Historic Parks of Glendale Ride on May 22.

Group photo at Chess Park

Nathalie Winiarski and friend enjoy a moment at Verdugo Adobe Park

Scott Lowe addresses the group at Heritage Garden Park

Illustration & design courtesy of Justin A. Klein, www.SketchCandy.com

Glendale Bike Month continues! Don’t miss this special month of free documentaries, movies, lectures, and rides. There are only a few events left!

For the full calendar listing of Bike Month activities, go to http://la-bike.org/glendale/bikemonth/ Download the Bike Month flyer here.

Glendale Bike Month is a collaboration of the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition, Glendale Community Services and Parks, Glendale Public Library, the Glendale Historical Society, Glendale Traffic and Transportation, the Glendale Transportation Management Associates, The CV Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition, and the CV Town Council.

Here are pictures from more Bike Month events.

The “Discover Foothill” festival included free bike checks courtesy of Montrose Bike Shop, a bicycle safety talk given by CHP, information from the Crescenta Valley Town Council, and a short bike ride on the new Foothill bike lanes led by Safe & Healthy Streets Coordinator Colin Bogart. Local businesses up and down Foothill participated by offering discounts and gift items to attendees. There was also a History Walk led by Mike Lawler. Thanks to everyone who volunteered at the event, the participating businesses, and especially to Steve Pierce, Robbyn Battles, and Paul Rabinov for putting it all togeher. You can read an article about the event in the Glendale News-Press by clicking here.

Bike to Work Day Glendale included a pit stop at City Hall (pictured) as well as 4 other locations around the city. Twenty-two cyclists visited the City Hall stop and enjoyed coffee, donuts, fruit, juice, and a goodie bag containing patch kits, maps, and other items. Michelle from Clif Bar joined us, promoting their 2 Mile Challenge as well as handing out Clif Bars and super cool bandanas, buttons, and key chains. We don’t have all the totals for Glendale yet, but as soon as we do, we’ll let you know.

Illustration & design courtesy of Justin A. Klein, www.SketchCandy.com

Glendale Bike Month is rolling! Do not miss this special month of free documentaries, movies, lectures, and rides.

For the full calendar listing of Bike Month activities, go to http://la-bike.org/glendale/bikemonth/ Download the Bike Month flyer here.

Glendale Bike Month is a collaboration of the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition, Glendale Community Services and Parks, Glendale Public Library, the Glendale Historical Society, Glendale Traffic and Transportation, the Glendale Transportation Management Associates, The CV Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition, and the CV Town Council.

Here are pictures from some of the events so far.

Historic Neighborhoods of Glendale Bike Ride, May 1, 2010

Dahon Booth at Pre Bike to Work Day Fair, May 4, 2010

Gil Garcetti at Central Library, May 5, 2010