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2006 BICYCLE NEWS ARCHIVE 12/18/06 – A Santa Barbara assemblyman is fighting to implement a 3-foot passing law for California motorists. Read more. HELMET STUDY POINTS TO MOTORIST PSYCHOLOGY 12/10/06 - For years, cyclists who ride on city streets have cherished an unusual superstition: if they wear a helmet, they are more likely to get hit by a car... Read more OBERSTAR NAMED HOUSE TRANSPORTATION CHAIR 12/11/06 - Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) has been chosen by the Democratic Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives to chair the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the 110th Congress. Oberstar is considered Congress' leading bike advocate and is widely regarded as one of the top experts on transportation in either House of Congress. ROSENDAHL UNVEILS ANTI-GRIDLOCK PLAN Councilman Proposes $11 Million to Improve Traffic, including $200,000 for bicycle and pedestrian transit plans in Council District 11. Read the press release. DETAILS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2007 AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA Read the article for specific route and race details for the 2007 Amgen Tour of California, a Tour de France style cycling road race in which 16 of the world's top professional cycling teams will compete along a demanding 650-mile course from San Francisco to Long Beach, Calif. February 18-25. LESSONS FROM COLOMBIA On Monday, Nov. 13, Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, who is widely credited for setting that city of 7 million on a course of sustainable development, spoke to a rapt audience of politicians, planners and employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority at the agency's Downtown boardroom. Read the LA Downtown News article. CYCLISTS FIND OBSERVATORY FAR FROM STELLAR The reopened Griffith Park landmark is less than accommodating for those who bike up, some say. Read the LA Times article. 2006 GREAT ELECTION FOR BIKE CAUCUS Of the 157 House Bike Caucus members, 139 were reelected to their seats in the House, and three were elected to the U.S. Senate. Read more... CBC DENOUNCES PROP 1B When California voters passed Proposition 1B, the $20 billion dollar transportation bond, they unknowingly increased the risks and hazards on California roads. Read more... PLAYA DEL REY: BIKE PATH TO BE UPGRADED BETWEEN 62ND AVENUE AND CULVER BOULEVARD A half-mile section of the popular South Bay Bicycle Trail in Playa del Rey is set to receive a major upgrade next year that is expected to be ready in time for the summer. Read The Argonaut article. CYCLIST VICTIM OF HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER IN ECHO PARK Local bike commuter Jen Diamond was struck in the early hours of October 29 by a hit-and-run driver on Alvarado Blvd. She was hospitalized and has suffered a broken wrist. Witnesses reported a description and plate number of the driver and say that the collision appeared to be intentional on the driver's part. Thanks to calls from the cycling community and urging by Eric Garcetti's office, the LAPD has made this case a top priority and is currently pursuing the suspect on a felony hit-and-run charge. For more information on the incident, read here: alrs.livejournal.com/44975.html. LACBC is working with Garcetti's office and the LAPD Northeast Division to set up a community meeting to allow cyclists to air their grievances and begin a dialogue between the police and cyclists. Stay tuned for updates. BICYCLING TO WORK TAKES OFF Commuting by bike in enjoying a mini-renaissance as a smart way to travel. Meet five bicycle commuters who tell of the pitfalls and joys of the daily pedal. Is New York City the scariest place to ride? Cycling in Chicago in the winter? And more at environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentID=5480. THE NEW BUSINESS CYCLE: Makers Push Comfy Bikes Aimed at Commuters A radical idea is sweeping the world of American bicycle manufacturing: building bikes that people will use for actual transportation. Read the WSJ article. GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY TO ALLOW CYCLIST AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS After a year of lobbying by LACBC, the Griffith Park Observatory has agreed to give access to those arriving by bike or foot. The original plan required all visitors to use a fee-based shuttle from two remote locations. The subsequent reversal in policy is great news for cyclists and hikers, as well as for the park itself, as each person opting not to use motorized transportation to the park is helping to improve the environment. Special thanks to LACBC Board member Stephen Box for his persistent lobbying, and to Councilmember Tom LaBonge and the Rec & Parks Commission for listening! The Observatory reopens to the public on Friday, Novemeber 3, 2006. To make your free reservation, visit www.griffithobs.org/vshuttle.html. CITY OF BURBANK KILLS BIKEWAY PLAN Despite vocal support from area cyclists, proponents of the plan for a bike boulevard were outnumbered by residents afraid of increased traffic in their neighborhood. Burbank City Council voted on October 17, 2006, to kill an already-approved plan to create a Class III bike route along Beachwood Drive - including bicycle boulevards, shared-use markings ("sharrows") and traffic signal upgrades for bicycle detection - which would serve to connect the Chandler Blvd bikeway with the Los Angeles River bike path. Some members of the community expressed concerns that the ensuing increase of bike use in their neighborhood would invite crime, congestion and loitering. LACBC will continue to monitor bikeway activity in Burbank, and we sincerely hope that residents of Burbank will realize that, instead of stereotyping cyclists, we should all be lauding and supporting their efforts to utilize transportation alternatives and make our communities quieter, friendlier, more appealing places to live. REGIONAL NEWS PCH Safety Wall Planned in Dana Point.Following the death of a cyclist along Pacific Coast Highway in Orange County, a 3-foot wall will be installed along the highway to improve safety. Read the article. New Safety Program on Pacific Coast Highway beginning. In response to the deaths of two cyclists last year on Pacific Coast Highway, advocates have formed a task force to address cyclists' safety concerns on the well-traveled road. Eighteen new "Share the Road" signs have been put in place between Decker Canyon Road and Chautauqua Road, and plans are in place to increase public awareness and safety, including a new series of PSAs on safe cycling and road sharing, targeting both motorists and cyclists. The PCH Task Force includes LACBC, State Senator Sheila Kuehl, Velo Club LaGrange, Los Angeles Tri Club, City of Los Angeles Bicycle Program, Cal Trans District 7, Department of Motor Vehicles, the County of Los Angeles, Metro Bicycle Program, and the County Sheriff's Department. Chandler Bike Path completed in North Hollywood Eleven years in the works, the completed path along Chandler Boulevard affords cyclists a 17-mile ride through the San Fernando Valley from Warner Center to Burbank. This long-blighted stretch has been transformed into a landscaped parkway. Council member Tom LaBonge will hold a dedication ceremony on June 22. - Posted 21 June 06 LACBC issues statement in response to Tony Estrin's death. (See posting Popular Teacher...) Please read the statement. - Posted 27 April 06 Popular Teacher, Bike Rider Killed; Motorist Arrested Taking a morning ride on Sierra Highway, a popular member of the Santa Clarita Velo cycling club was killed by a car, and a drunk-driving suspect was arrested... (Daily News article no longer available 4/27/06) Read the SCV Signal article. - Posted 11 April 06 LACBC Executive Director Quoted in Los Angeles Alternative Los Angeles Alternative (a free weekly newspaper of people, arts and ideas) in their article Vicious Cycling - Struggling to ride on two wheels in a four-wheel city - by Laura Hauther, quotes LACBC Executive Director K. Lund. After reading the article, be sure to scroll down the page and read LACBC President Colin Bogart's response, and maybe leave your own...Read the article. - Posted 8 Mar 06 LACBC to Promote a Pilot Program For Shared Use Arrows (Sharrows) in L.A. Already successfully used in other cities like San Francisco, Sharrows are road markings placed in regular traffic lanes, away from parked cars. They are an effective way to provide a safer environment for cyclists and drivers to co-exist. They indicate where it's safe for bikes to ride, promoting awareness for both drivers and cyclists. Please help by taking the LACBC Sharrows Survey. - Posted 31 Jan 06 The Bicycle Times Winter 2006 - download (2.0MB PDF). | ||
| LOS ANGELES COUNTY BICYCLE COALITION - Building a Better, Bike-able LA County | |||
