Pedal power challenges car culture as cyclists seize Los Angeles freeways

[IDemo]

Los Angeles, meet the bicycle.

Of all the least-expected consequences of soaring fuel prices, this has to be near the top of the list: swarms of cyclists are taking to the intimidating, multi-lane thoroughfares of Los Angeles, some even defying the law and whizzing between the stationary cars on the gridlocked freeways.

The result is a city of diehard motorists in need of some anger management. Criminal charges have already been filed against one driver accused of deliberately braking in front of two cyclists in the wealthy suburb of Mandeville Canyon — home of the world's most famous Hummer-driving road hog, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Both cyclists ended up in hospital.

Meanwhile, pedestrians are beginning to repeat the constant gripe of the modern Londoner: traffic-dodging cyclists are hogging the “sidewalk” and almost knocking them off their feet.

The city is so alarmed by this clash of car culture and pedal power that it has enacted an emergency plan, which so far consists of a Cyclists' Bill of Rights and a public “conversation” about how everyone can get along without killing each other. More meaningful developments are also afoot: the city has hired Alta Planning & Design, a planning consultancy, to revamp its haphazard and under-maintained cycle lanes and come up with cyclist-friendly initiatives.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/news/article4412809.ece

[JMackT]

1. Sounds to me like a good way to get hurt

There are some places a bike does not belong.

The interstate highway is one of them.

[Buzz Clik]

2. ... or dead.

[comtec]

3. OH GOD I hate critical mass with a fucking passion!

Anarchists, and hypocrites, well I wont say all of them, but enough.
besides... biking in LA?! That's a good way to die! (from the pollution)

and yes i know this isn't critical mess, but they're pushing that frame.

For the record I would LOVE to see bike lanes like they have here in Holland and a lot of places in Europe.
Keeps the cyclists off the main road, most of the time, and really promotes bike/scooter use.

[tinrobot]

6. Someone has to be the first...

biking in LA?! That's a good way to die! (from the pollution)

The way I see it is that, if more people in LA rode bikes, there would be a lot less pollution in LA.

Someone has to be the first to shun the automobile in this city and choose healthier forms of transportation, or else nothing is going to change.

[phantom power]

4. Least expected by whom?

[tinrobot]

5. Here's my ride from last weekend

We were riding down the coast from Orange County to San Diego county. For some reason, they diverted the bike path on to I-5 for about 7 miles. I would never choose to ride a bike in a lane next to a 70mph semi-truck, but that's what the highway dept. thinks is OK. Thank goodness the shoulder was really wide, but I think it illustrates how little regard the state has for bikes - they think of us as "vehicles" that can ride on any road right next to cars and buses. It's a wrong way of thinking. It's impossible to put a bike on the same road as a car and keep things safe because the bike always loses in a collision.

As someone who normally rides in the heart of Los Angeles, I can speak from experience. In some ways, riding on that freeway seemed safer because we at least had our own lane. In Los Angeles, you don't get your own lane -- the roads are just not set up for bikes, and that causes a lot of friction between everyone. The reason motorists get upset at the cyclists is because the cyclists have to ride in the street, there's no other option. If you think we like riding on the street in front of cars, then you're misguided. We don't like being next to cars. Some cyclists get upset at that situation and out of frustration, turn to organizations like Critical Mass. I don't agree with Critical Mass's tactics, because all it does it create more conflict, but I understand the frustrations that lead people to Critical Mass.

The solution is for the state/city to respect bikes and give them their own roads. They're doing this in London. Marin County and Portland both have an excellent network of separate bike paths, and it really does help. If LA put in some serious bike lanes (that didn't double as parking/bus lanes) and bike boxes like they have in Portland, it would go a long way to keeping the peace.