BruinPlanners.com - UCLA's Urban Planning Virtual Lounge

Fire your ad department

2011-04-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

The typography and animation reminds me of a Saul Bass title sequence, which I like. But did anyone really need to encourage drivers to be more aggressive? Although maybe it's just honest advertising.

Unconventional Race/Ethnicity Map for LA County

2011-02-23T01:01:00.000-08:00

The map above is a fairly unconventional depiction regarding race and ethnicity in Los Angeles County. Demographically, race and ethnicity are hard to map because the way that people identify themselves may be different than how the data are formally collected...read more about the methodology below.

In the 2000 and 2010 census the race/ethnicity questions were asked in the following manner and order:

- Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?

- What is Person 1's race?

For people in Los Angeles, 50% of those who said they were of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin marked themselves as white in the following race question. The other half of people marked themselves as 'some other race' and then self-identified which race.

To prepare the map above, the American Community Survey 2005-2009 estimate data was used. The race categories are first separated by Hispanic origin. Therefore, the White, Black and Asian are all in non-Hispanic (NH) categories. These are then compared to anyone in a race category who first identified themselves as of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin.

After calculating percentages of each category in each census tract, an index was calculated.The index labeled each census tract with the category (NH white, NH black, NH asian, and Hispanic) that had the highest percentage in that census tract.

I do not think this pattern is terribly surprising to anyone. However, it was an interesting graphic to put together and from one map geek to another, enjoy.

If you would like a PDF copy of the graphic, click here. If you are going to use this for anything or have any questions, please leave a comment. Thanks!

♥ Lovebirds ♥ to LAX: A Sweet Bikeride/Party

2011-02-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

By our very own!! Go Omari!

A great event conceived and organized by UP 2nd year, Omari Fuller, to take place this Sunday (2/20/2011) is attracting attention for its inventiveness. The ride from Westwood to LAX will raise awareness of bike access and infrastructure issues all while escorting his long-distance sweetheart, Aileen, to LAX. What a brilliant combination!
(I ♥ that it's in the name of l♥ve)

Details and route for the event

Media coverage:
Post on GOOD magazine
Post on NBC Los Angeles
Post on Streetsblog
Post on bikingla

Reflections on LA's New Planning Director

2011-02-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

This morning the Westside Urban Forum hosted "an interview with a planner." New planning director Michael LoGrande was interviewed by the Ventura Mayor, Bill Fulton (UCLA Urban Planning Alum!) with a short time for questions and answers. The conversation included thoughts on operating the planning department with a varying budget, his past experience and plans for the future. This was the first time I had heard from the new director and left with mixed feelings. LoGrande may be what LA city planning needs at the moment - however, it's hard not to long for the visionary ideas of former directors like Gail Goldberg.

LoGrande was formerly the zoning administrator. This is seemingly a largely procedural body, and he appears to bring that same mentality to planning. He brings a new organizational structure, which is being implemented this weekend, in fact. Now, some planners will be staffing a "one-stop shop" for planning documents. This way, developers and others will not have the run around between city hall and the planning department. This physical re-organization is something that Janette Sadik-Khan has employed in NYC. She found that if you office the planners and engineers together, they are forced to talk to each other. This department integration could be a great thing. We've seen some failures because LADOT and Street services do not communicate with each other. LoGrande has also been having monthly meetings with the heads of Bureau of Engineering, Building and Safety, Department of Transportation, the CRA and Department of Housing. There are many federal applications that require these departments to coordinate with each other. This re-organization and coordination is a definitely a positive.

This is an example of LoGrande being a manager rather than a visionary. He expressed that in these difficult budget times, that is largely the role of the planning director. Since the city council did not pass the parking lot privatization, planning is faced with finding $1 million to cut from their budget. Under the former administration, there was a big push to update all the community plans. I did not catch which specific plans are slated to be updated in the next 2 years. After that, the department will switch focus to Measure R planning on station plans for the 17 new stations. A lot of the talk centered around transportation planning. He hit all the points about having TOD's, density, parking, SB1818, and site specific design. However, there was no context about how these specifics fit into his larger vision for Los Angeles.

LoGrande was appointed by Mayor Villaraigosa. His rhetoric reflects that appointment and he is implementing the Mayor's vision and legacy. He seems to share the "get things done" attitude that Measure R reflects. He wants to accomplish the things he sets out to do. He is focused on implementation and plans not sitting on shelves collecting dust. I guess we will just have to wait 2 years and see how that all pans out. This could be great for transit future in Los Angeles and development with a half mile from these 17 new stations. However, it will leave a great deal of the city left behind, and many other issues still to be tackled. Hopefully, when the UCLA urban planning class which will enter this fall is coming upon their graduation, they will be able to report great things about LoGrande's blueprint.

To read more about LoGrande's blueprint for the City Planning Department, the PDF can be found here

What is the relationship between education policy and urban/suburban form?

2011-01-28T10:05:00.000-08:00

[Editors note: The author has no background in education policy. This is a purely speculative inquiry interested in exploring these questions]

At the end of the Transportation Research Board conference, I found myself at a wonderful reception at ITDP, graciously invited by an UCLA urban planning alumni. The room was filled with great food, great people and great conversation. One of my research idols, Todd Litman arrived and I was happy to get a chance to pick his brain. Todd, I and another person I had met earlier at the conference, began an enlightening conversation on a topic I had not considered previously:

What is the relationship between education policy and urban/suburban form?

The National Association of Home Builders[1] recognizes there is demand among millennials for walkable communities and they are willing to pay a premium for this lifestyle. However, there is a certain question that remains: As that generation ages, gets married and liking has a child or two, are there going to be quality public educational opportunities for their children within the urban core? There will always be private schools that can offer high quality education. Some families who live in high cost of living cities will likely be affluent enough to afford these schools. But what happens when a family cannot afford private school education? A common answer is they will move to the suburbs where the public education may likely be higher.

Now, this could be perception rather than reality. However, the reality is that there is a disinvestment trend in urban public schools. There is the debate around charter and public schools. I’m sure this complicates the urban education issue even more, but is outside my knowledge base.

Back to the issue at hand, there is a monetary trade-off here which speculatively works in this hypothetical family’s favor. The cost for a more auto-oriented lifestyle with lower housing costs could be less than private education. Financially, it could pencil out in the suburbs favor. This is a pull for many families because education quality is a direct future investment. Beyond financial incentives, I believe people would willingly trade an auto-dependant life for this future investment. The other benefit for the suburban lifestyle is the allure of larger lots typically offering private green/open space which is less available in the urban core.

Maybe this isn’t a problem, per say. United States household demographics are shifting. The largest growth is in two groups: aging baby boomers whose children are grown and in young professionals who are having children later in life and family size is decreasing. As the hypothetical family referenced above moves outward, it is likely that there will be demand for their inner city housing.

However, if municipal/state governments focused on inner city education and it was reflected in their budgets, could this cycle all be towards city life?

This brings this argument to the affordable housing problem. Finding affordable multi-bedroom housing/apartments in the city can be a difficult task. This may be another reason families would flock to the suburbs. If planners want cities to maintain people for a variety of goals including sustainability, infrastructure, etc, I contend the following barriers to city life need to be removed/dealt with:

- Increase investment in public education
- Increased green space/pocket parks/open space
- Decreasing/removing parking requirements to spur infill development

These are large barriers and I am unsure how feasible the first two will be in these tight fiscal times. However, these are important issues for cities future development. As a transportation planner, I would like to believe that creating dense urban areas with a variety of non-car transportation alternatives would lure people to live in cities. However, after thinking through the barriers for families, the suburban/urban appeal just became a lot more multi-faceted than I had previously thought.

[1] http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2011/01/13/no-mcmansions-for-millennials/

Eternal Thanks to the Luskins

2011-01-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

On behalf of BruinPlanners, I would like to extend our utmost gratitute to Renee and Meyer Luskin for their generous donation to UCLA and specifically the School of Public Affairs.
Being a public university student has not been an easy task over the last decade. Receiving an email from the Chancellor or Dean typically was not filled with good budget news.

This week's news broke that trend. Not only did UCLA get a huge boost, the School of Public Affairs (soon to be the Luskin School of Public Affairs) was honored to receive $50 million of this $100 million donation. This is more than an investment in our school. This is a direct investment in student's futures and public policy in the region.

If you are interested in more details, please see these links:
LA Times
Daily Bruin
Video: Luskin Gift on KCAL and KABC

Once again, thank you to the Luskins.

Sincerely,
Bruin Planners

GETTING AROUND LA WITHOUT A CAR

2010-11-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

GETTING AROUND LA WITHOUT A CAR:

The basics of riding transit, biking, and other alternative transportation

Wednesday, November 10. Week 7.

5 to 7 PM

Public Affairs 2232

Join us as we explore different ways to get around Los Angeles--yes, without a car! Learn about different transit options, purchasing passes, your rights as a bicyclist in the city of LA, and more!

Refreshments and raffle prizes will be available!

Please RSVP so we have an idea of who you are, and what you want to get out of this workshop!

For more information, contact Malina Tran (malina.tran@ucla.edu) or

Michelle Go (michellego@ucla.edu)

Funded by the Undergraduate Students Association Council. Co-sponsored by USAC Facilities Commission, Bruins for Transit, UCLA Bicycle Coalition, Sustainable Resource Center, Sustainable Urban Network and UCLA Transportation

a cooler bike helmet

2010-10-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

innovative thinking. instead of hair helmet, it's air helmet!

two swedish design students came up with this idea 5 years ago and, after extensive design & testing, are going into production. right now they are taking pre-orders for spring 2011, selling for about $350 in swedish kronor... keep an eye out - this could take off and become affordable.

so far their website is only in swedish (thank goodness for google translator).
concept to product
FAQ
testing videos

discovered on planetizen.com via core77 design magazine & resource

Reaction from a Shoup-ista

2010-10-17T23:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, Dr. Donald Shoup hit column 1 in the LA times. Shoup was the feature in an article titled "He puts parking in it's place." In 2 days, the online version has received over 100 comments and over 500 "likes" on Facebook. The comments range from support from the Shoupista army, to attacks on Shoup personally as a hippie and socialist, his ideas and even his jokes. I guess I missed the part in the bill of rights where car owners were given the right to free parking, all the time.

(UCLA Planning Professors Shoup and Crane from last springs 40th anniversary celebration)

From a comment on the article:
"We paid for that 'free' parking - we paid gas taxes to build the roads, and paid for spaces in our houses and condomiums to park our cars. We (the people) own the streets and should be allowed to park on the streets that we own."

This common belief that the gas tax covers the price of roads is incorrect. The link is evidence from the Texas Highway Department which shortly states how roads do not pay for themselves through the gas tax. California has the third highest gas tax and still CalTrans local road maintenance and rehabilitation budget comes only about 25% from gas taxes (1). This is only for Caltrans owned/operated roads, which as one comment point out, is only 1 authority among many who actually own Los Angeles roads and highways.

Another common comment from the article points at biking, walking and public transit's role in mobility in Los Angeles.

"Bicycles, walking, mass transit -- those are not viable options in southern California. These pinhead planners do not live in the real world."

Okay, I get it. The public transit rail infrastructure in Los Angeles does not cover much of the region geographically. The people commenting obviously do not believe that the bus system in LA counts as public transit. Most people do not feel comfortable (or make many excuses why they can't) commute via bicycle. But there's really an economic argument here people are missing. If free parking is offered everywhere, and that "free" cost is reflected in the prices of goods and services, why wouldn't I take the free parking spot?

Personally, it's a choice. I choose to bike/walk/bus to school because I don't want to pay for parking and can park my bike closer to the Urban Planning department than any parking lot. I choose to take the bus to the valley because I don't want to pay for gas in my car very often. Until the gas tax/fees sufficiently reflects the true cost of driving, I am choosing to let drivers and free parkers receive a subsidy every time they get in their car. A paper (2) suggests that the ideal gas tax for California is three times the current price. Suffice it to say, I'm not going to be holding my breath for that moment.

Developers are required to build too much parking, and we are all paying for it. Shoup likes to park at the top of parking structures to observe the pristine nature of spots that are rarely used. (At this year's Street summit, I carpooled with Shoup and he did in fact make us go to the top floor of the parking structure and check to see if anyone was parked up there.) I took this opportunity to learn more about his life, and found he has no children. My question was, "Who then is going to carry on the parking legacy," to his reply, "Well all of you of course."

Lastly, to all commenters, please get your political ideologies correct and stop calling Shoup a socialist. A socialist would not be asking individuals to pay for parking. He is calling for market rates, a capitalist ideology.

From a proud member of the Shoupista Army - or one of those pinhead planners.

1. Road maintenance fact sheet
2. Lin, Cynthia and Prince, Lea. "The Optimal Gas Tax for California" Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis, California. Accessed from the Transportation Research Board.

5 planning events in 2 days, oh my!

2010-10-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

There are so many great planning events happening Thursday and Friday! Unfortunately, many overlap, but hopefully you can make it to some of them. All are totally accessible by public transit. Participants are encouraged to take transit, walk, bike or at the very least carpool. In planning, I feel like being an SOV is equivilent to being an SOB. (My apologies for the crassness.)

Please read more to see the list!

Thursday (today!)
Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative Fund raiser
Come celebrate the introduction of the LASC and learn about ongoing research projects with the board of directors and fellows.

Thursday October 15, 2010, 7:00
La Cachette Bistro
1733 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica

Downtown Art Walk
Thursday, October 15, 2010
Last month, there were many rumors around that the Downtown LA art walk would be canceled/changed. Luckily, it was all just a rumor and Art Walk lives! Come experience 20,000 people enjoying art, the historic core of Los Angeles, food trucks and culture. The event runs from 6- whenever.

Friday - The westside forum has a small cost, and the last two do not. However, all events require registration so please follow the title link

Westside forum: What to do with closed auto dealerships?
The Regency Club
(Westwood/Wilshire)10900 Wilshire Blvd
October 16, 2010
Registration/breakfast at 7:00am
Panel discussion 8:00am

Join the Westside Urban Forum and our panel representing a former city official, the director of the auto division of the country's largest real estae services firm and a Westside auto dealer as we explore the multitude of issues surrounding the land use patterns of auto dealerships in the auto-dominated Los Angeles.

Oil and Water: UCLA Law 1 day Katrina social and policy forum
October 16, 2010 8:00am - 5:00pm

Five years after Hurricane Katrina and in the wake of the BP oil spill, a diverse group of scholars, advocates, and other experts will explore the interconnectedness of environmental, economic, and cultural damage and recovery on the Gulf Coast. This program will examine the role of law and social forces in constructing the vulnerability of ecosystems and communities, the ways in which these events have impacted Gulf Coast communities, and the prospects for a sustainable, community-based recovery.

This program will include two panel discussions, and a special screening of the award-winning documentary Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans and conversation with the film's writer, producer and narrator Lolis Eric Elie.

And last but not least...
UCLA Rally with Bill Clinton, Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown
October 15, 2010 6:00pm
UCLA Dickinson Court

With so many critical races taking place in California, Democrats have been busy getting the word – and the vote – out this year.Let’s get together to make some noise and spread the word about how important it is that every Democrat vote. Whether you vote by mail this month or if you come out to the polls on November 2 – we need your vote.

(Bruin planners does not hold/represent any particular party/view point. We are not endorsing this rally, just notifying of the event)

blank walls

2010-10-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

another way of looking at how to fill up giant blank sides of building other than giant supergraphics....

tehran, iran.

(via woostercollective)

CicLAvia!

2010-10-12T02:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the first CicLAvia event in Los Angeles. Ciclovia is a concept that started in Bogota, Columbia over thirty years ago. The concept is to close streets to cars and open streets for people to bicycle, walk, run, and overall enjoy our streets from a different perspective. This event was arranged through a dedicated steering committee that worked for 2 years and partnered with Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and Mayor Villaraigosa's office among others. Estimates range from 50,000 - 100,000 people enjoyed the 7.5 mile route from East Hollywood to Boyle Heights.
As I am experiencing a hiatus from cycling, I enjoyed the route as a pedestrian. I found that cyclists were respectful of my space. I have seen a few complaints to the contrary, however I have not seen any reports of collisions between cyclists and pedestrians. The most remarkable part of the event was that the participants represented the diversity of Los Angeles. I saw people of all ages, races, abilities, genders enjoying the streets.

The smiles and positive energy was incredible. I saw a young boy biking down hill yelling, "This is awesome!" As I walked through downtown, another pedestrian approached me and said "I love this!"

The majority of people were cycling. There were pedestrians, rollerbladers, skateboarders, speed walkers, segways, and runners. I walked down the street without feeling intimidated by the cyclists. Sometimes it would be a little crazy to hear a bunch of people coming up behind you, but I never felt at risk from being hit. I did hook up with one of the 3 pedicabs for a short bit. Maybe there's only 3 pedicabs in LA? I kinda doubt that, so to encourage more pedestrians, it would be cool to see more in the future.

Two other suggestions for improvements. More interaction with the businesses to encourage people to spill out their store or restaurant onto the street. I think businesses that were open along the route, especially in downtown had more business than a typical Sunday. Dodgeball was great! It brought kids and adults into a fun game. I think more sports/games along the streets on the route. I loved the dumpster pool idea from New York City's summer streets this year.

The overwhelming conclusion is that Los Angeles needs more cicLAvia's. The future plans include hosting 5 events next year, and more to come after that. It was great to see that a city with such a strong car culture embraced their removal from the streets for a day outside. Congrats to all the organizers and to Los Angeles!

Links to other coverage:
Streetsblog
Video interviews and coverage
Photos from LAist
Southern California Public Radio

Neon Art: "Recycled, reclaimed, Reinvented"

2010-10-07T01:44:00.000-07:00

I never knew that Los Angeles has a Neon Art Museum... but it does, and this month it is hosting an exhibit entitled " Recycled, Reclaimed, and Reinvented: The Neon Art of Bill Concannon." I am always fascinated by art that uses found and recycled objects... and now that neon is in the mix, I am intrigued.

The Museum is located in DT LA at 136 W 4th st, between Spring & Main. It is $5 for students, closed Monday and Tuesday, but open all the other days from noon - 6 (5pm on Sunday). I encourage you to go explore it!

A short quote from the artist himself to entice you:

In reference to our consumeristic culture, Concannon says "for a long time, it's tickled me that glass is at once a very precious (pound per pound) fine art medium and also a thoughtless, throw-away material: no deposit - no return."

Many of Concannon's sculptures also form a narrative collage where he comments about consumerism, politics, and the erotic psyche. Examples are the swirling neon man stuck in a jar with the phrase "Pickled Punk," the GWH Bush as arcade fortune teller with a button to press that switches neon lights from the words "White In Men Power" to "WIMP", or the subliminal erotic installation called "Gump's Peony," "Sausage," and "Hoop," that has neon tubes covered in plastic shopping bags. Concannon comments, "let's face it, on some level neon is trash, or at least comes from a trash culture. One of the few 'reuses' of plastic shopping bags is to hold your garbage. No one loves plastic bags, but when you look at them in this piece they're strangely beautiful."

Highway Puppetry

2010-10-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

Sat. Oct. 2, 1pm at the Hammer: Superclogger, Super Public

"...Performed out of the back of his pick-up truck for unsuspecting drivers, this project unveils the temporary communities and specific urban conditions affecting Angelenos every day. In this panel, the artist Joel Kyack will discuss with arts writer Andrew Berardini and LAXART Curator of Public Art and Programs, Cesar Garcia, the complexities of ..." (more)

Streets for Feet! this weekend in Hollywood

2010-09-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

Corner Plot

2010-09-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Came across the trailer below on the DC Shorts Festival site--I'd love to see this! Also an AFI/Discovery Channel SILVERDOCS Documentary Festival Selection. In Silver Spring outside of DC, the rural landscape around this man's farm slowly changed into a decidedly urban one. All the while Charlie Koiner continues to farm.

Other Articles
- Silver Spring's Koiner Farm focus of D.C. duo's documentary
- Silver Spring farmer hits Silverdocs screen in "Corner Plot": Charlie Koiner's Easley Street farm aims to inspire home gardeners everywhere

"Amid the tangle of commuter traffic, shopping malls and office buildings that define life inside the beltway rests a one-acre piece of farmland under the care of 89-year-old Charlie Koiner. With the help of his only daughter, Charlie continues to work his land, share his produce, and enjoy the farm life he’s always known. Corner Plot explores one man’s steadfast authenticity in a changing world."

Corner Plot: A documentary short by Ian Cook and Andre Dahlman

Corner Plot Trailer from Ian Cook on Vimeo.

Expanding access to "green"

2010-09-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

From the LA Times:

"Green revolution comes to urban neighborhoods

Low-income can also be environmentally friendly, with a little help."

excerpt:

"There's a tendency to not seek out communities like these," said Jeffrey Richardson, chief executive of solar installer Imani Energy Inc., one of the few companies that have been actively working on projects in South Los Angeles. "There's the idea that people here don't get it, don't want to get it and can't get it when it comes to green."

Read the article here.

Metro's Westside Subway–Unsuprisingly–Will Do Little For Congestion

2010-09-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

Metro's Draft EIS/EIR for the Westside subway extension reveals that the subway will--perhaps unsurprisingly--do little to cure congestion on arterials and freeways on the Westside, although it will add another option for traversing the Westside and will increase accessibility to employment centers. The subway study area generally extends east from downtown LA--through some of the densest parts of LA--to Santa Monica, and includes pieces of several jurisdictions. Furthermore, as the draft EIS/EIR notes, Westwood and Century City have higher employment than many mid-sized downtowns elsewhere.

Served by already congested road networks, both Westwood and Century City, along with other major activity centers in the corridor are projected to grow, further straining the transportation network. The corridor already has highest number of bus boardings in Southern California and, in existing traffic congestion never mind future conditions, even the "Rapid" lines along Wilshire (the 720 and 920) prove to be misnomers. The EIS/EIR projects that by 2035 buses may slog down the corridor at 8 to 11 mph. As buses become increasingly unreliable and slow due to congestion, they become less and less competitive with private vehicles. The EIS/EIR concludes that, "The improved capacity that would result from the subway extension is the best solution to improve travel times and reliability and to provide a high-capacity, environmentally-sound transit alternative."

However, although the subway extension will provide a more reliable transit connection to and from the Westside, it will do little to alleviate congestion. Traffic volumes through the corridor are expected to increase, while roadway capacity will remain more or less static. Thus as VMT and vehicle hours traveled (VHT) increase drastically over the next 25 years or so, even a high-capacity transit system won't be able to keep pace. SCAG's performance indicators (above) include measures of mobility in terms of average daily speed and average daily delay per capita. The 2035 objective, based on building the subway extension, keeps these measures closer to the 2003 base year measures, also slightly increasing accessibility and improving reliability. So the subway will help move more people than currently live and work on the Westside today, accommodating increased activity, with less deterioration of travel times than a no-build scenario. Still, the pertinent question of whether the subway's benefits justify its price tag remains.

Environmentally Conscious Kid's Songs

2010-09-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

The car in the video also appears to be biodegradable. I appreciate the disclaimer of sorts on the YouTube video for this: "There is no such thing as clean coal, and bikes are even more environmentally friendly than cars."

via thecityfix.com

AB 909: Reducing Penalties for Rolling Rights on Red

2010-08-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

A bill by Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo seeks to reduce the base fine for drivers who roll through red lights to make right turns. Assembly Bill 909 would reduce the base fine for such violations from $100 to $35 (the fines are considerably higher after all assessments are made). Hill and supporters are defending the California stop and claim the existing law was not intended to target rolling right turns, but drivers running red lights through intersections. They contend that red light cameras and ticketing rolling stops are not about increasing safety, but about raising revenue.

The existing law requires drivers to come to a complete stop at a red light; failure to stop is punishable by a $100 fine. (However, drivers who come to a complete stop, then proceed to make an unsafe right turn are only subject to a $35 fine.)

Reducing the fine also reduces the disincentive to drivers, possibly increasing the number of violations. A driver who makes a rolling RTOR can endanger anyone in a crosswalk. However, the California Bicycle Coalition has an interesting analysis of the bill, pointing out that a lower fine will reduce resistance to the fine. This could mean a greater number of convictions, eventually getting repeat offenders off the road. But until offenders are off the road, you probably don't want to be in the crosswalk.

Mayor's Bike Summit

2010-08-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

This morning Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa held his first (and hopefully not last) bike summit. The Mayor's recent bike accident seems to have sparked his sudden concern for bicyclists in L.A. and served as the impetus for putting together the bike summit. Although several advocates criticized the timing of the meeting--Monday morning is not a great time for most people--the summit seemed to be a step in the right direction.

Bicyclists packed the Metro board room for the two hour meeting, which was lead by the Mayor and a panel including LADOT General Manager Rita Robinson,...
MTA CEO Art Leahy, City Planning General Manager Michael LoGrande, and LAPD Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese. One of the first orders of business was former Mayor Richard Riordan's presentation of training wheels to Mayor Villaraigosa and his encouragement to get back on his bike and make L.A. the bikeable city it could be.

The Mayor and panelists took questions and comments on a range of bicycle issues, including the City's Draft Bike Plan, poor or non-existent bicycle facilities, aggressive and careless drivers, the police department's enforcement of safe driving, the PD's need to continue to improve its relationship with bicyclists, and the MTA's intentions to better integrate bicycling into its bus and rail network.

The Mayor and other panelists also highlighted the draft Bike Plan, which sets a goal of 1,600 miles of bikeways, with 200 miles built in the next five years. Several comments from the audience challenged the Mayor to keep his word on this iteration of the Bike Plan, since much of the 1996 plan has remained on a shelf gathering dust. The Mayor discussed making progress reports of projects available online to provide greater transparency and to keep the departments involved accountable.

Other comments focused on the need for outreach and education for motorists and bicyclists. The Mayor will be putting together public service announcements and said he hoped to encourage other agencies and organizations to also promote bicycle awareness and safety.

Councilmember and Transportation Committee chair Bill Rosendahl spoke in support of a law that would require drivers to allow three feet on the road when passing cyclists. His proposal, which is the law in many other states, garnered loud applause and the Mayor said he would lobby in support of a three-foot passing law. Councilmember Rosendahl also spoke about better enforcement of vehicle laws and creating a private cause of action for cyclists involved in collisions.

While most of the comments and many of the Mayor's (brief) responses drew applause, I got the sense that many people in the audience, myself included, won't really believe it until we see it. Besides calls for more and better bike infrastructure, many of the comments boil down to the need for more awareness and education--something the Mayor says he'll work to promote.

The Mayor's only proposal that prompted boos from the audience was his intention to lobby for an across-the-board state helmet law. Citing his own accident, he argued that it should be a part of safer cycling in Los Angeles. For my part and what I sense is the prevailing opinion--although a couple of people stated their support of his proposal--I think a helmet law hurts making bicycling more prevalent and more viable as transportation. And as Roadblock noted, Copenhagen, which the Mayor visited recently and cited as a part of his inspiration to make LA better for cycling, has much lower rates of accidents and very low helmet use.

The Summit was successful overall, although a number of audience members and the Mayor and panelists spoke of the red tape that has stifled bike projects. In order for this Summit to be the start of moving LA towards being a bicycle-friendly city among the ranks of Long Beach, Portland, Seattle, and New York, the consensus is that this must be the first of many summits and progress reports. To promote the cultural shift the Mayor spoke of, he needs to lead by example.

The Mayor also opened the Summit by saying that he is not a cyclist. This was a mistake. In order for LA to join the ranks of bicycle-friendly cities, he needs to identify himself as one. As someone pointed out at the Summit, Mr. Mayor, if you ride a bike, then you are a cyclist. LA doesn't need a fearless road warrior or spandex-clad weekend racer for Mayor, because those people will continue to ride whether or not LA becomes more bike friendly. LA needs a Mayor who advocates for bicycling and for making it safe for everyone who isn't comfortable riding in LA's streets today. LA needs a Mayor who can safely ride his bike with training wheels (courtesy of former mayor Riordan) and promote a cultural change that makes LA a place where kids grow up able do the same. Stay tuned to see if the Mayor's broken elbow has transformed him into the advocate LA needs for that to become reality.

I'd also like to thank everyone involved with the bike corral at the Summit. Usually when I go to Union Station I end up locking my bike to a railing thanks to the dearth of bike racks (not exactly promoting multi-modal transportation).

A cheaper way to start bike sharing?

2010-08-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Bike sharing programs, which offer people an alternative to driving and helps fill the gaps in transit networks, have been increasing in popularity in Europe and are now catching on in the US with programs such as Denver's B-cycle and Nice Ride in Minneapolis. SoBi--short for Social Bicycles--is attempting to build the bike share momentum by cutting capital costs for modern bike sharing.
While European and, now, North American bike-sharing typically use specially designed, proprietary bicycles, the SoBi design incorporates a GPS system and a locking mechanism in a compact box/rear rack that can be attached to any bicycle, also allowing members to lock the bike up at any bike rack. The design is being touted as a way to significantly cut the capital costs of starting a bike sharing program. SoBi is entered in Pepsi's Refresh Project for a chance to test drive the program in NYC.

amazing vintage tokyo subway manners posters

2010-08-11T00:29:00.000-07:00

these are just a couple from an amazing set at pinktentacle of vintage subway manner posters from tokyo between 1976 - 1982.they type of subway riders everyone despises

let people exit before entering jerk!

see entire set here

Ginormous Chinese BRT

2010-08-06T02:14:00.000-07:00

By now, its likely that many readers have already seen links to the "ginormous" Chinese BRT proposal. But sadly, a lot of those links are to US based blogs that lack the video and/or the translation of the full presentation. You can find all of that at the original source of the information. And for those who have yet to see the video, here you go:

Shoup 101: SFPark's great introductory video

2010-08-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

As many already know, SFPark, thanks in part to a sizable Federal grant, has been transitioning San Francisco parking spaces in 8 neighborhoods to a performance parking model. For those who haven't yet seen it, their site has a terrific video introduction to this concept on a new and improved website.

SFpark Overview from SFpark on Vimeo.

Or, take a look at the full SFPark.org.