Nov 17 '09 - 553 W, 2 I - Vote Good + 7 :: Bad - 7 Announcing C.I.C.L.E.'s North East L.A. Campaign!
Published November 17, 2009 by C.I.C.l.E.
By Joe Linton
Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange is excited to announce a new campaign: our North East L.A. Campaign! C.I.C.L.E. was founded in and is based in Glassell Park. We commonly lead workshops out of the community center at Glassell Park. We've collaborated with the Bike Oven in Highland Park, and with the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College in Eagle Rock. We've lead Urban Expeditions rides out of the River Center in Cypress Park. We see our calling as working for change in the broader Los Angeles County (and even more broadly: wherever bicyclists pedal in the known universe), but our base of operations does tend to favor our work in North East Los Angeles and, of course, adjacent Pasadena.
We're looking at how to make North East Los Angeles (NELA) a more bike-friendly place. We've got some ideas on what might make sense (see our list below), but the first step is to put the word out to you - our communities. We'd like to build a campaign team of volunteer stakeholders - bicyclists and non-bicyclist supporters - who will brainstorm campaign ideas, and narrow them down to a few priorities where we think we can really make a difference. We'll be convening this brainstorming/prioritizing process in the next month or so, then launching into campaign mode early in 2010. We plan to reach out to other bike groups, Neighborhood Councils, non-profits, schools, businesses, residents, etc. - and form a broad coalition for positive change in our streets.
Below are some ideas for campaigns that we've been thinking about. We're interested in hearing what you think of these, or what else you're interested in building a campaign for:
- Bike Boulevard: implement a bicycle boulevard in NELA.
- Bike Parking: implement innovative bike parking in NELA, possibly bike corrals (proposed in this council motion.)
- Colorado: implement bike lanes on Colorado (east of Figueroa approved in 1996 bike plan, interest in additional stretches from TERA and others)
- Eagle Rock: extend the Eagle Rock Blvd bike lanes (in the draft 2009 bike plan)
- Figueroa: implement bike lanes on Figueroa (north of Ave 60 approved in 1996 bike plan)
- Fletcher: implement bike lanes on Fletcher Drive (approved in 1996 bike plan)
- Sharrows: implement sharrows in NELA, in appropriate places, possibly including the Eagle Rock Blvd bike lane gaps for right turns at York and Avenue 36.
- York: implement bike lanes on York Boulevard (approved in the 1996 bike plan)
If you're interested in getting involved in C.I.C.L.E.'s NELA campaign, make a comment below (which includes giving us your email address) or email us at info@cicle.org (include NELA in the title of your email). If you like the work we do and you want us to be able to put more time into this campaign and others like it, please contribute your time or money to become a member of C.I.C.L.E.
Would you like to contribute to C.I.C.L.E.? Do you a have bike-related article, news story, event, idea, suggestion, etc...? Check out our submissions page.
Excellent news! Absolutely excellent news! I can’t believe Huizar proposed bike corrals on York…what happened to that motion? Rejected like Reyes’ bike pilot project? I want to see something on Yosemite, connecting Eagle Rock High School, Yosemite Park, and Eagle Rock Elementary all together; these roads are a nightmare in the mornings and afternoons and I know that the majority of those cars come from no more than 3 miles away and are only dropping kids off. We can put a majority of kids on bikes, make it easier for the cars that do have to get through, healthier for the students getting to school, more social, more fun, it’s a no brainer. There’s a “teen center” called the Rock on the corner of townsend and yosemite that would be a perfect place to do bike stuff out of—that is if we can’t get any room at these schools: how bout a learn to ride to school ride, for parents and kids, and then once they get to school we do learn how to change a flat? Aww man, this is really exciting you guys, I know this is going to be a huge success and that the NE is in no time going to be LA’s cycling epicenter.
ramonchu (Email) (URL) - November 17 '09 - 19:10
I’ve lived in and ridden from Eagle Rock for 22 years, and am excited to see this happen. Thanks for leading the charge!Steve Messer - November 17 '09 - 22:47
How about an Eastside Extension Access campaign?Damien Newton (Email) (URL) - November 18 '09 - 08:59
@Ramon – The Huizar motion hasn’t been rejected. It will need to be heard by the council and approved before it’s acted on. The NELA Campaign may need to push for its adoption. Yosemite is a good idea… Let’s work on this and make it all happen!Joe Linton (Email) (URL) - November 18 '09 - 11:24
(1) I am on board, as are most at the Bike Oven, to help. If you’ve got the staff time, please contact Ramon Martinez or Veronica J. at the Oven. These two have been hustling to do this sort of thing and need some help/networking effect on their efforts.(2) Matt from Cafe de Leche is trying to install L.A.’s first bike parking corral in front of his cafe. Councilman Huizar has found some money, but he needs some support to bring the bike corral to fruition.
(3) Get all the traffic survey data possible! It turns out that most of NELA’s busiest streets are actually BELOW their minimum requirements as Major Class I, Class II or Secondary Class I or ClassII highways! This means that the roads are not being used by enough cars – which also means that degrading peak hour auto throughput to LOS D by putting in traffic calming and bike/ped/and transit facilities is totally okay, and only faces political hurdles (not legal hurdles as the LADOT likes to claim).
(4) I would use the 1996 bike plan only so much – because people around here will respond better to “slower cars”, “safer streets”, “better for business” over “Yay! Bike Lanes!”. Maybe bike lanes aren’t what is needed in every case, but it’s a good starting point.
ubrayj02 (Email) (URL) - November 18 '09 - 12:28
I’m affiliated with two organizations interested in your efforts: TERA http://www.tera90041.org and the LA Community Garden Council http://www.lagardencouncil.org.. CICLE, I’m so glad that we’re on the same page and look forward to working with you!Mary Tokita - November 18 '09 - 12:39
We need Broadway to become our access to and from Downtown, west side etc, after all, it is 4 lanes with parking, and a center turn lane all the way from the bridge to Alpine. There is no reason that it can’t have at least sharrows!! At Least!! Better if it had bike lanes!Steve I. (Email) - December 10 '09 - 19:40
What about continuing the bike path in the Arroyo that currently runs from Monterey Rd/York Blvd inside the Arroyo to Ave. 43 and completing it all the way to the L.A. river confluence by San Fernando Rd? This is a project that needs to be completed. How can we help make this happen? Go with the flow.William Fernandez
Eagle Rock Bicycle activist/revolutionista
William - December 10 '09 - 22:42
This is fantastic! So awesome!Dorothy Le (Email) (URL) - January 14 '10 - 10:29
Come to CICLE’s NELA Campaign meeting – Tuesday February 9th 7pm at Cafe de Leche – corner of York Avenue and Avenue 50.Joe Linton (Email) (URL) - February 02 '10 - 00:56