LA Bike Plan - doomed?

Can you imagine bike lanes like the one below along Ventura Blvd? Call me naïve but I can. Notice the raised area.

This is how it should be done. Yes it would take away parking spaces but is that such a bad thing? Those metered spots are already charging a lot for the privilege of using them and you can’t use them at rush hour anyway. If you are skeptical that these bike lanes will ever take off, there is one of these already in Long Beach and now Temple City is planning on building one on Rosemead Boulevard and they are common in Europe. Why not one in Encino? When designed with additional sidewalk space, planter boxes, trees, seating and curb extensions, these protected bike lanes create a more pedestrian-friendly area and that boosts local merchants. Encino Commons would benefit significantly. Yes it is at the expense of the cars but they are not stopping anyway.

Compare this with the City’s LA Bike Plan (here), which insists that bikes share busy streets like Reseda Blvd. but not Ventura Blvd. The plan was ratified in March and implementation is proceeding, but sooooo slowly. Would you want to ride a bike on Reseda Blvd? No thanks. Click on the Bicycle Plan (with maps) - the map is on page 148 (it's a pdf and loads slowly).

Historically LADOT has favored cars and widening streets and they are not being imaginative here – as evidenced by the recent fiasco on Wilbur in Northridge (the LA Weekly discusses it here, along with the LA Bike Plan). LADOT need to start thinking about the photo above for Ventura Blvd. Not going to happen, right?

Photo (Europe): Federal Highway Administration