Safe & Healthy Streets

The Bicycle Film Festival is coming to Los Angeles August 26-30, 2009. Visiting Los Angeles for the fifth year, the Bicycle Film Festival is a celebration of bicycling in its many forms. Kick-off events include a performance by Deerhunter in Eagle Rock and a bicycle art exhibit in East Hollywod. The films screen on Friday and Saturday in downtown L.A. followed by a closing party in East Hollywood on Sunday. For details, go to the Bicycle Film Festival website.

Walking Tour of Foothill Blvd.

The Glendale Planning Department will be conducting a walking tour of Foothill Blvd. this Saturday, August 29, 2009 starting at the Vons parking lot, corner of Foothill and Pennsylvania. The start time is 9:00 am. The tour is part of the North Glendale Community Plan and will include all aspects of potential changes to the streetscape – from potential bike lanes to landscaping. Planning Department staff will be conducting the tour with the North Glendale Community Plan Advisory Committee and the public is welcome to attend. No rsvp is necessary. For questions or additional information, please contact Laura Stotler in the Glendale Planning Department, LStotler@ci.glendale.ca.us or by phone at (818) 937-8158.

Volunteers Still Needed for Bicyclist and Pedestrian Count

We need your help counting bicyclists and pedestrians in September! As part of the PLACE Grant: Safe & Healthy Streets project, we will be counting bicyclists and pedestrians at multiple locations throughout Glendale. The count will establish a baseline of information to help determine how many people are walking and biking in Glendale and where. Determining the number of bicyclists and pedestrians will help make the case for why the City of Glendale should invest funds in more bike/ped projects and also help demonstrate an increase in cycling/walking over time as the City makes bike and pedestrian-friendly improvements.

Volunteers are needed to record the count during 2-hour shifts on Wednesday September 16, 2009 (7 – 9 am & 5 – 7 pm) and Saturday September 19, 2009 (10 am to 12 noon). If you can help with one or more shifts, please contact Colin Bogart at colin@la-bike.org or call (818) 334-9731. Thank you.

Assistant Majority Leader Krekorian to Hold Free Traffic and Speeding Forum
Safe Streets Forum will offer residents a chance to talk about traffic safety

Assembly member Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank/Glendale) is set to host a free forum to address safe streets on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 in Burbank. The Safe Streets Workshop will give residents an update about Krekorian’s AB 766, the Safe Streets Bill, and what lies ahead for ensuring local control over speed limits.

AB 766, legislation to give local municipalities greater control over setting their own speed limits, was held in the Assembly Transportation Committee in May after registered opposition from statewide groups derailed support.

Despite that setback, Krekorian is pressing ahead with a public forum to elicit suggestions for ways to make streets safer throughout the San Fernando Valley and Glendale and the next steps toward local control over speed limits. The forum will include information from state officials and an update from local law enforcement on street safety.

Where: Buena Vista Library, 300 N Buena Vista St., Burbank
When: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 from 7 to 8 p.m.
Note: While free parking is located in the adjacent lot and on the street, there are a number of bicycle racks and the library is accessible via Metro’s multiple bus lines that run through the area. Light refreshments will be provided, but a limited number of seats are available. To RSVP, please call Krekorian’s District Office, (818) 558-3043 or email Anita.Avakian@asm.ca.gov with “Safe Streets Forum” in the subject line.

Glendale City Council Member Laura Friedman requested the installation of a bike rack at City Hall so that she and other council members can occasionally ride a bike to work instead of drive. A rack was installed on August 6 in the Civic Center parking structure area reserved for the mayor and council members. Council Member Friedman rode her bike to work on August 10. When asked about the new rack, Friedman said, “I hope that seeing a council person using a bike rack will inspire more people to bike to work or for day-to-day errands.” We’re excited to see the rack installed and thank Council Member Friedman for requesting it.

Also on the subject of bike racks, we know that racks for the City’s libraries are coming very soon. Keep your eyes/ears open for that. Also, locations are being reviewed for bike racks in the Montrose Shopping District.

We’ve asked for your suggested locations for bike racks city-wide and so far we haven’t received very many. We’re still interested in your recommendations, so if you haven’t sent in your suggested bike rack locations, please do. You can e-mail them to colin@la-bike.org    Thank you.

Reminder – Bicyclist and Pedestrian Count in Glendale

We need your help counting bicyclists and pedestrians in September! As part of the PLACE Grant: Safe & Healthy Streets project, we will be counting bicyclists and pedestrians at multiple locations throughout Glendale. The count will establish a baseline of information to help determine how many people are walking and biking in Glendale and where. Determining the number of bicyclists and pedestrians will help make the case for why the City of Glendale should invest funds in more bike/ped projects and also help demonstrate an increase in cycling/walking over time as the City makes bike and pedestrian-friendly improvements.

Volunteers are needed to record the count during 2-hour shifts on Wednesday September 16, 2009 (7 – 9 am & 5 – 7 pm) and Saturday September 19, 2009 (10 am to 12 noon). If you can help with one or more shifts, please contact Colin Bogart at colin@la-bike.org or call (818) 334-9731. Volunteers will also be asked to attend an instructional meeting on Saturday September 12 (10 – 11 am) or Tuesday September 15 (7 – 8 pm). Thank you.

Free Screening of “Crime Wave”

The Glendale Historical Society, in cooperation with the Glendale Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department and the Glendale Police Department, is proud to sponsor a screening of “Crime Wave” which was filmed almost entirely in Glendale in 1952. The movie was directed by Film Noir auteur director Andre de Toth (also famed for “House of Wax” with Vincent Price). “Crime Wave” stars Sterling Hayden and Phyllis Kirk. A very young Charles Bronson also appears briefly.

The film will be screened in Brand Park on the lawn adjacent to the Doctors House Museum. Attendees can park for free in the Brand Park lot and the event is free and open to the public. No reservations are required. The screening will begin at 8:00 pm on Sunday August 23, 2009. For more details about the screening and other activities that day, go to the Glendale Historical Society website.

Community Outreach Meetings for the Safe & Healthy Streets Policy Plan

October 8, 2009 Central Library 6:30-8:00 pm
October 21, 2009 Brand Library Recital Hall 7:00-8:30 pm
October 29, 2009 location TBA
November 4, 2009 Sparr Heights Community Center 7:00-8:30 pm
November 18, 2009 Central Library 6:30-8:00 pm

Mark your calendars and tell your friends. We want to hear from you! These meetings will be held to give you an opportunity to tell us about your experiences as a bicyclist or pedestrian (good or bad) in Glendale. The information collected from these meetings will help us to draft the policy recommendations for the Safe & Healthy Streets Plan. We want as many community members to participate as possible so please spread the word. Thanks.

The dates have been set for bicyclist and pedestrian counts and we need your help! As part of the PLACE Grant: Safe & Healthy Streets project, we will be counting bicyclists and pedestrians at multiple locations throughout Glendale in order to establish a baseline of information. The information gathered will help to tell us how many people are walking and biking in Glendale and where. Determining the number of bicyclists and pedestrians will help make the case for why the City of Glendale should invest funds in more bike/ped projects and also help demonstrate an increase in cycling/walking over time as the City makes bike and pedestrian-friendly improvements.

Volunteers are needed to record the count during 2-hour shifts on Wednesday September 16, 2009 (7 – 9 am & 5 - 7 pm) and Saturday September 19, 2009 (10 am to 12 noon).  If you can help with one or more shifts, please contact Colin Bogart at colin@la-bike.org or call (818) 334-9731. Volunteers will also be asked to attend a one-hour instructional meeting on Saturday September 12 at 10 am or Tuesday September 15 at 7 pm. Thank you.

“Out of Gas” Report

A recent Senate Report titled “Out of Gas” questions whether or not transportation funds should be spent on pedestrian and bicycle projects, among others. It implies that bicycling and walking are not viable transportation modes, therefore transportation funds should not be spent on bicycle or pedestrian projects. The League of American Bicyclists has posted information about the report. So has Streetsblog Los Angeles.

It’s important to note that only 1% of all transportation funds are spent on bike and pedestrian projects. While the raw numbers may look huge, the actual percentage of funds spent on bicyclists and pedestrians nationally, is clearly very small. We actually need to increase funding of bicycle and pedestrian projects (as well as transit, rail, etc.) to improve the transportation options in this country. The National Center for Safe Routes to School, the National Complete Streets Coalition, and Transportation for America, among others, are seeking to do that on a national level. The PLACE Grant: Safe & Healthy Streets project is part of a local effort to improve transportation options and safety while also increasing physical activity and improving the overall public health.

The data to support more transportation options is ever growing. For example, the Center for Disease Control recently released a report that includes bicycle and pedestrian projects as key elements to addressing our nation’s obesity problem. The Rails to Trails Conservancy published a report months ago called “Active Transportation for America” that quantifies the costs and benefits of bicycling and pedestrian options in our transportation system. These are just two examples of the many published reports/studies that support transportation options that include bicycling and walking.

Bike Valet at the Americana

We’ve heard about Bike Valet at the Americana in the past few months. Glendale resident and Tropico Station blogger, Scott Lowe, has posted a photo of the valet service that may warm the hearts of cyclists everywhere. Talk about Royal treatment…

North Glendale Community Plan Advisory Committee

Don’t forget, the Glendale Planning Department has been working with the community on a North Glendale Community Plan. The Community Plan is going to address multiple issues and an Advisory Committee has been formed to refine input already collected during past meetings. Two of the subjects to be reviewed by the Advisory Committee on September 14 will be Street Design and Mobility. Potential bike lanes on Foothill Blvd. are under consideration, among other possible amenities for bicyclists and pedestrians. Although it’s not formally part of the North Glendale Community Plan, the Glendale Bikeway Master Plan, Phase 2, recommends bike lanes on Honolulu from the northwest border of the city (near Lowell) to Rosemont (just shy of the Montrose Shopping District). Letters of support for bike lanes on Foothill as well as other bike/ped amenities should be sent no later than Septermber 14th to:

North Glendale Community Plan Advisory Committee
Attention Laura Stotler, Glendale Planning Department
633 East Broadway, Room 103
Glendale, CA 91206
or LStotler@ci.glendale.ca.us

More details about the North Glendale Community Plan .