Here's everything an L.A. cyclist like myself dreams of having in his own home town. New York seems to have become an oasis for urban cycling, at least when it's 78 degrees out and sunny.
Behold! a beautiful day clean air smooth pavement grand architecture green & lush landscaping dedicated safe lanes of travel for cyclists side by side with motorized vehicles and pedestrians
I still haven't been able to ride myself around this town, but I did get catch a ride tonight on the way to dinner with the Nelson brothers!
This past Tuesday I attended my local Night Out celebration, a nationwide series of events bringing together communities and law enforcement to "take back" neighborhoods from criminals and foster partnerships between police and the citizenry. When I heard there was going to be a bike ride with the LAPD, I couldn't resist hopping on my bike and riding straight to Chinatown to join in the fun!
I was reassured that any scofflaws that tried to steal my bike would have to deal with these people.
I was joined by many fellow cyclists, many of whom I had only met virtually on twitter including AliceStrongGraphikDeziner and Ohaijoe. The ride also had a celebrity drop mid way thru the ride, none other than the future council member of the 4th district, Stephen Box!
The ride was a microcosm for the way in which Los Angeles currently approaches cycling. The mere fact that the ride happened at all is a testament to the changing attitudes among the leaders of the city and police, and I am all for that. But the fact that the police felt they needed 2 bike cops, 2 squad cars and a fire truck to safely go on a bike ride says a lot about how "safe" cyclists are in this city. What message does it send that in order to safely ride thru town, you need that much "backup" to ride a 7 mile loop around the city core? I'd rather see a ride without motorized vehicles of any kind, a true "bicycle ride" in the purest sense.
In related news, I am very thrilled that my mayor has officially joined a fraternity of which I am also a member, that is to say he injured himself while riding on a bicycle. My injury was the result of poor road maintenance (thanks LADOT) and my own inattentiveness. His was the result of an inattentive driver. Hopefully the mayor will see the opportunity his injury presents. He can work to take this city away from cars and give it back to people. By reforming the LADOT and implementing proven urban planning reforms, Los Angeles can become the green city he speaks so eloquently about. But if it is to happen in our lifetimes, he'll need to turn the LADOT into a department of YES instead of NO. As I rode home on Tuesday, I took Fountain to avoid obnoxious Sunset traffic. I smiled as I rode over the fresh sharrows that were installed recently. I also wondered why it took over 2 years of fighting the LADOT for that paint to finally get laid down on the road. Mr. Mayor, seize the opportunity you have, if only that it may be your best chance to create a legacy.
I've stumbled across the Best Sandwich in Downtown Los Angeles! How do I know this? Because cop cars are parked outside at all hours of the day.
Welcome to Eastside Market Italian Deli is one of the last remaining true Italian deli in the Downtown Los Angeles area and surroundings. Eastside Market is considered a landmark and listed as a "must" of all the places to visit in Southern California. Don't wait! Come in and enjoy!
This past friday's Critical Mass was a big one with and estimated 800-1300 cyclists showing up to have a good time, assert their right to the road and to pay a visit to the scene of the most recent failure of justice for cyclists and people in general. We rode to the Beverly Hills Courthouse to protest the weak sentencing of Celine Mahdavi, the woman who drove drunk, struck cyclist Louis Deliz and fled the scene leaving him to die. Deliz spent 49 days in the hospital. Judge Elden Fox sentenced Mahdavi to 90 days of community service. BikesideLA covers all the infuriating details of this all to common example of cyclists being treated as second class citizens by our government. For the 2nd time, the LAPD was in attendance, escorting the Mass all over town, except when we entered Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. The ride is certainly more organized as a result of their efforts and there seems to be less antagonism between drivers and cyclists, though I did hear of one incident. Overall, it was a great display of humanity and one of the few activities that can unify the disparate and frequently isolated groups in this sprawling metropolis! AMEN!
