Doing Bike Lanes the Right Way

They are doing bike lanes the correct way in New York. We need these in Encino. I was struck by a story that appeared in blogging.la and I’d like to quote the author, Sean Bonner, describing his photo, shown here:

"The order of things, from left to right, is: Sidewalk, Bike Lane, Car Parking, Moving Car Traffic.

In Los Angeles, the order of things, from left to right, is: Sidewalk, Car Parking, Bike Lane, Moving Car Traffic."

As he points out, the New York layout is common in bike-friendly European cities. Having myself biked in the Netherlands, I can confirm that the social changes are profound. Many more people ride bikes – all ages too – and it soon becomes a way of life. Car traffic is significantly reduced and it’s healthier and community-oriented. A recent Ipsos study (here) concluded the Dutch were the happiest with their neighborhoods of any country.

There’s a very strange phrase used in urban design called “traffic calming” (good Wikipedia explanation here). It sounds like it ought to apply to the drivers, not the cars. Do you want to see traffic calming on Ventura and Burbank Boulevards? We have a few median islands around Encino Commons and a few speed humps elsewhere but that’s it. Bike lanes New York-style would be much better. The point is, even if Encino isn't New York, we already have congestion and traffic is only going to get worse if we do nothing, and bike lanes would actually reduce congestion.