Feeding the Dream: Bike Blvds in Los Angeles

In anticipation of this weekends LA Bike Summit, I have begun to reflect – again- on just how fabulous, practical and possible it would be to have an interconnected network of bike blvds all across Los Angeles.

Why do I say this?

Because, quite simply, they already exist. Yes, the conditions for bike blvds in Los Angeles are the ripe, low-hanging fruit that somehow has yet to be picked by the LADOT. Although they certainly know about roads like the much traversed 4th Street Bicycle Blvd (4SBB) —- do they fully realize that any quiet street running parallel to a busy street is essentially a prime candidate?

Think about it: Planetizen – Bike Blvds —Embracing Free Bicycle Infrastructure – Rethinking Quiet streets as bicycle boulevards.

Alta Planning certainly has thought this stuff through. As does seemingly everyone in Portland. Yes, Portland. That paragon of bike friendliness – that small city to the North.  Let us now count the ways in which you are so fabulous:

BTA Alliance Portland – Bike Blvds

IBPI (Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation) is offering a course in May at Portland state called “Bike Blvd Fundamentals”

BikePortland.org

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There is also an unmistakable enthusiasm for bike blvds in Los Angeles, and not just coming from me. Although you can (of course) visit  The Bicycle Library for more information. The classic Streetfilms about bike boulevards may be found there as well.

Bike Blvds – I want to go there pined Bike Date Santa Monica.

Wiki-Wednesday: Bike Blvd recently passed through LA Streetsblog.

And wouldn’t you know it, the same Alta Planning involved in those bike blvds in Portland, are working on the Update to the LA Bike Master Plan.

Their public input session last year generated a lot of interest in bike boulevards, as you can see in  THIS PDF (download).

4th Street  received a worthy nod, as the street itself, in my view, is the ideal symbolic representation of the bike boulevard and why they should be widely implemented here in Los Angeles.

Others still have called for the liberation of 4th Street or continued with clever and creative DIY signage efforts, like those of 4th Street Bikeway.

Despite its potholes, spotty night lighting and dangerous intersection or two, 4th Street will always remain my symbolic refuge.

AND – despite the occasional freak traffic jam, as Rick points out in his liberation idea:

Blocking the street to through car traffic, but not to through bicycle traffic, would not only encourage more folks to start riding at rush hour–it would also make driving more pleasant for the folks that live there, who don’t need to traverse 4th in its entirety.

I say – 4SBB! LIVE THE DREAM!!

Tags: 4SBB, 4th Street bicycle boulevard, bike blvds, la bike summit, labikesummit, live the dream, los angeles, portland