Eagerly Awaiting CARmageddon 2011

(image via lonut lordache)

In Los Angeles, where the weather is a constant 73 degrees, conversations revolve not around the temperature but the traffic:

Best Shortcut (Crescent Heights, 6th Street, Benedict Canyon)
Bottlenecks (101/110 interchange, 405 at Wilshire,)
The exact time when rush hour begins and ends (7:25am-10:45am and 3:30pm-6:45pm)
Record paces across town (18 minutes from Ocean Ave to Broadway)
Childhood memories of sailing along the 10 freeway (Once upon a time)
That band that's going to jail for doing a concert on the 110 (Not worth mentioning their name)
Fastest route over the hill: Sepulveda, 405 or Laurel Canyon (I won't say except that it's not listed)
PCH or 101 to get to Malibu on a Sunday morning (101 if your headed to Zuma beach or beyond)
Are Saturdays just a congested as weekdays? (Yes)
Surface Streets or Freeway (Depends. See rush hour times)
I would go see Dudamel if not for the 10 freeway at 6pm (Rich man's problem)
Fastest route to LAX (La Cienega or Lincoln)

So when the city announces that a major freeway will be closed for 48 hours, the whole city goes nuts. Well not the whole city. Some see it as an event worthy of celebration, CARmageddon Weekend!



The few, the brave, the cyclists of Los Angeles relish in this proverbial sabot being tossed into the machine that is the broken L.A. transit network.



They see a test case for exposing the gridlock caused by a failed strategy going on 70 years, and celebrating how viable the alternatives could be. In general, transit experts agree that a better city can be realized with a mix of transportation options, rather than the outdated obsession of favoring private automobiles over all other forms of travel.



Cyclists could not agree more.

Many cyclists (myself included) are thrilled with the gains made recently by cycling advocates, including the adoption of a robust bicycle plan that promises to bring unprecedented and comprehensive bike facilities to this auto-centric metropolis. Perhaps this city is slowly starting to realize the potential of this shift away from automobiles. For example:


The aforementioned Los Angeles Bicycle Plan (image via Damien Newton, LA Streetsblog)


CicLAvia #1 & #2, with #3 on the way (image via CicLAvia)



The success of Critical Mass, now rated one of the country's largest rides (Europe reigns on this count), where June's ride saw 1300+ cyclists participate peacefully in a 30 mile tour of L.A. with the full support of the LAPD (image via Barleye)



The expansion of mass transit rail and subway projects (image via rjmcconnell)


The passage of Measure R and Mayor Villaraigosa's 30/10 proposal to gain federal support for accelerating those transit projects (image via Damien Newton, LA Streetsblog)

As the top ranking US city for the worst traffic, and air pollution, L.A. is literally at a crossroads: whether to continue building out our automobile infrastructure to accommodate an ever growing population of cars, or to shift to a new paradigm of that embraces the quality of life of each and every resident through a balanced mix of transportation methods.

So if you have a bicycle sitting in your garage, pump some air in those flat tires and ride it everyday, but especially the weekend of July 16th and 17th, when 600,000 drivers will try to figure out how to make their way across town, by any means necessary. This small action will remind your fellow citizens trapped in their cars that there is another way to get from point A to point B.

Los Angeles Critical Mass June 2011

After a terrible incident that sent nearly a dozen cyclists to the hospital, the June edition of Los Angeles Critical Mass was a much needed affirmation of cyclists' right to the road, as well as the support of law enforcement.

During the ride, an estimated 1000 cyclists were escorted by a squardron of smiling and supportive police officers on a 26 mile route throughout Los Angeles.

However, when collisions occur involving cyclists and motorists, it seems a separate police force arrives with the assumption the cyclist must somehow be at fault. With seemingly strong laws on the books, too many times we see perpetrators either charged with minor offenses or not charged at all, while cyclists lay in hospital beds with life threatening injuries.

People continue to debate the value of Critical Mass, with some believing that the disruption and delays give motorists a negative view of cyclists. Others argue that is exactly what is needed, for motorists to understand that we are not blocking traffic, we are traffic.



Los Angeles cyclists also debate whether the involvement of the LAPD has fundamentally changed the nature of the ride. Certainly, there are now less negative interactions with angry motorists. And the ride no longer performs acts of defiance such as the circle of death.



Also, the ride sticks mostly to larger streets, has fewer turns and sticks to a set route. All that said, I left the ride believing that Critical Mass is a positive force for change in perception of law enforcement and the greater community.

Note: For cyclists eager for a more authentic mass experience, try checking out the Santa Monica Critical Mass, which meets the first friday of every month. The ride numbers in the dozens of riders, not hundreds. Also, check the Midnight Ridazz calendar of group rides happening throughout Los Angeles. There's one nearly every night of the week, with different themes and flavors.

Find Love, In & Out of the Saddle

Team Wedding Spin!
(No, I will NOT take down this photo.)

In case you haven't heard, Heather and I are making it official tomorrow and part of that celebration was an early morning "Wedding Spin" with our friend and the most amazing spin instructor, Tevia. To our delight and amazement, 9 of our bravest friends and family joined us for an hour of sweat, music and pedaling. Some have spun before and for some it was their first time. And though there were a few people we would have loved to see in class, it was nonetheless an amazing part of our wedding weekend that we will never forget. Thank you Amelia for making this happen and thanks Tevia for inspiring us with your unmatched integrity and your mildly perverted sense of humor.

Crop Circles by Skull Tape

This music gets me amped to ride my bike. How about you?



Well done Skull Tape!

via BuzzbandsLA

A Whole Nother Level of Hit & Run

If you're the kind of guy that's likes to get drunk, commit multiple hit and runs, kill a cyclist in the process, and then barricade yourself in your house, obviously your vehicle of choice is going to be a Hummer H3. As improbable as it sounds, that's exactly what Satnam Singh is accused of, and if there is any justice in this world, he will be going to jail for a very long time. My heart goes out to the family of Nick Haverland, the 20 year old cyclist killed by Singh during his drunken rampage thru Ventura yesterday. My hope is that prosecutors and police will pursue this crime completely. A drunk motorist is a weapon of mass destruction.

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.

Laugh Factory, 2011

Morning walks in Los Angeles always provide a taste of the random.

Taylor De Cordoba Presents: Frohawk Two Feathers: Crocodile Company, Part I. La Guerre Des Machettes Danseuses (The War of The Dancing Machetes)

Taylor De Cordoba Presents: Frohawk Two Feathers: Crocodile Company, Part I. La Guerre Des Machettes Danseuses (The War of The Dancing Machetes)
Originally uploaded by Alex de Cordoba

PRESS RELEASE - For Immediate Release

Frohawk Two Feathers: Crocodile Company, Part I. La Guerre Des Machettes Danseuses (The War of The Dancing Machetes)
February 19 – March 26, 2011. Opening Reception: Sat, February 19, 6-8pm

Taylor De Cordoba is pleased to present Crocodile Company, Part I. La Guerre Des Machettes Danseuses (The War of The Dancing Machetes), a new series of mixed media paintings and drawings by Los Angeles-based artist Frohawk Two Feathers. The exhibition will run from February 19 through March 26, 2011, with an opening reception for the artist on Saturday February 19 from 6-8pm. This is his third solo show with the gallery.

Frohawk Two Feathers continues to demonstrate his skill as a master storyteller, spinning tales of colonialism, imperialism and conquest with his wholly unique iconography. Blending his obsession with the history of conflict and pop culture influences from video games, films and TV shows, the artist tells a wartime narrative starring an imagined cast of fascinating characters. Using two classic traditions of both painting and map making, Two Feathers communicates a tragic, yet often humorous story that, through a slight of hand and bristle of the brush retell and reshape historical roles of race, class, and gender. Originally trained in photography, the artist uses elaborately staged photographs of friends and family as the source material for the final portraits on view.

As with his previous bodies of work, each series functions as a chapter in a never-ending tome. Set in 1789 in the Caribbean, “The War of the Dancing Machetes” is a story of assassination, slavery and the fight for power. Deadly clashes between the black ruling class and "The Crocodile Company" (the newly propertied "mulatto" soldiers), drive this story. While these themes of unrest are familiar in art history, Two Feathers approaches his subjects with a keen eye, creating a unique and memorable visual language. And as a viewer immersed in his storytelling, one cannot help but question whether the specifics come from the artist’s mind or straight from the history books. The artist loosely based this series on the actual "War of Knives" that was fought as a precursor to Haitian independence.

Taylor De Cordoba is located at 2660 S La Cienega Blvd in Los Angeles, CA and is open from Tuesday – Saturday, 11am-6pm. For additional press information, please contact Heather Taylor at heather@taylordecordoba.com or (310) 559-9156.