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The meeting started off with the introduction of Ayla Stern, who was recently appointed to represent Council District 2 (Paul Krekorian. Congrats Ayla!

The LA Planning Department joined by LADOT staff presented the Five Year Implementation Plan for the LA Draft Proposed Bicycle Plan and cited that the new plan was organized around destinations and a mix of bicycle friendly streets, arterial bikeways and bicycle paths. Immediately the presentation was met with criticism by the LABAC for it’s lack of consideration in time for input by neighborhood councils and the LABAC. The disorganization and mistakes of the plan and maps were highlighted by at least two of the appointees and members of the audience. This was met with an apology by Claire Bowin on behalf of the Planning Department who had hoped for a better plan. A list and index of proposed facilities for comparative review was requested multiple times and denied repeatedly with the statement “we just don’t have the time.”

Do whatever it takes — even if it means sleeping in the office or just not sleeping at all — that’s how we get things done in my world.

The next round of public hearings for comment before the planning commission review have been tentatively set:

Sept 2, 5pm-8pm, Marvin Braude Constituent Service Center, Van Nuys
Sept 11, 10am-1pm, Hollywood City Hall
Sept 14, 5pm-8pm, Felicia Mahood Center
Sept 16, 5pm-8pm, Constituent Service Center, South LA
Sept 16, 11am-1:30pm, Webinar

Later in the meeting it was stated that these may change.

Infrastructure and planning was lost in the language and citations of just how much bike planning there is or will be in the future. Is there 384 miles of bikeway existing or 600 miles? Is there 1633 miles of bike lanes or bikeways? Does a street designated for bike lanes get a lane or a sharrow? The presentation and misrepresentation by the politicos is akin to walking into a bike shop and asking for an “innertube” and walking out with a 18-700c tube when we need a 1.65-26″. Or asking for a “handlebar” and walking out with a 25.4mm cruiser bar when you need a 31.8mm os drop bar. You’ve just got to be specific and make no mistakes for things to turn out satisfactory. This lends to the theory that some advocates have that the plan is just a “ghost of plan that could be” to give face value to the general public that LA has a Bike Plan and its great to ride a bike and blah blah blah. More than a few appointees cited the numerous program areas lacking in the plan.

Meowery was there (a rare appearance) to offer one tidbit of advice that was very disheartening: federal monies (the big big amounts) provided for bike infrastructure is only spent on bike paths because of “how difficult the requirements” are and because “the money must be spent on projects that are over $500,000″. Meowery fell back on her old rhetoric that the feds need to change the standards and blah blah blah cant be done. She also revealed that some state money is spent on bike paths when the path coincides with structures like bridges that are governed by Caltrans. Claire Bowin was there to report that 100% of Measure R money will be spent on the street and not on paths. That’s a relief.

Isn’t there a way to make a project on the street cost over $500,000? If we only had some creative and cutting edge designers on staff at the City… heck; even an unpaid intern might be able to make it happen.

Blame was cast on the existing engineering standards — “car-centric standards”, says Claire Bowin. Meowery argued that the City’s engineers are held to standards and led us to believe that their hands were tied and keeping us from experiencing safe and top level bicycle planning. I disagree. If I was to design everything by the book (CALDAG, CBC, LAMC, Graphic Standards, etc.) without challenging myself in logic, reasoning, problem solving and creativity I would never get anything approved to build and I would lose my job. Relying on minimum standards as an excuse for saying things just won’t work is not good ethics. The most recent example is the new sharrows “pilots” and the failures resulting from mediocre performance and lowest rung implementation package.

If I am, as an Architect, forced to adhere to the requirements for parking, restroom fixture counts, fire rating and separation, property setbacks and easements, slump tests, shear walls, live loads, dead loads, exiting widths, clear heights, aesthetics, character, energy, water retention, space, function, heating and cooling, power, disabled access, fire risers, workspace lighting, landscape, budget, phasing, leasing, marketing, branding, etc. and still be able to design and construct an award winning, highly functioning and profitable project then why can’t the City produce the best LA Draft Proposed Bicycle Plan the world has ever seen? Is it not their duty to provide the public with the safest facilities? Why not?

Many other audience members and appointees pushed for a higher standard of care for bicycling infrastructure that would consider (at the very least) the livelihood of the vulnerable cyclist. To place the “speed efficiency” and the “mass queuing” of cars over sustaining life on our streets is a grave mistake. To place the blame on the status quo of “car as king” is a folly. If you were to hire an interior decorator to design the rooms in your home and you desired a bedroom designed around the aesthetics of a Nantucket seaside cabin and instead you got a room that was themed in a New England Patriots football team aesthetic replete with a football shaped bed wouldn’t you fire the decorator? Personal taste and the status quo has no place in the design of the LA Draft Proposed Bicycle Plan.

In other news Sgt Krumer of the LAPD / Cyclist Task Force was on hand to report on and answer questions about the current state of the relationship between the police force and cyclists. After the summer of 2010 started off on a bad foot with brutality and harassment at the LA Critical Mass in May the next step was showing kind support and mutual respect at the June and July LACMs. This show of support will continue in order to foster a healthy relationship between the law and cyclists in Los Angeles. To his credit, Sgt Krumer stayed for the full length of the meeting and allowed the LA Draft Proposed Bicycle Plan take precedence over his place on the agenda. Not to say that LADOT and Planning are not invested in the bicycing community; but, they left as soon as their presentation was over.

LAPD reported on the many operations notices that have been sent out to the officers working the field (cyclists right to the road, citing motorists impeding the bike lane, etc) and how 2/3rds of the force has taken the new online bicycling education module. From my experience the training has reached some officers and I’ve found some to be very helpful; but, there are still some problems out there. Of course making changes to a 9000 strong police force is a challenge.

Sgt Krumer mentioned the tour of the LAPD Emergency Dispatch Center that took place a couple weeks ago. One item of importance is the recent change in the last few years of 911 calls originating from cellphones be routed to LAPD on most of the city that is not on a freeway of LA. This was at the request of LAPD. Previously 911 calls from the street were routed to CHP and sometimes left the cyclist in a limbo of disconnected communication to the wrong service. I hope to publish more of my findings from this tour when I get a chance.

Los Angeles, California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the date and time of his bike summit today – Monday, August 16th from 9am-11am. The mayor’s staff, renowned for the extraordinary political acrobatics, completed a triple front FAIL in organizing the bike meeting.

Failure #1: The meeting takes place during work day, making it impossible for many of the city’s best bike advocates to attend. Had the mayor’s staff consulted with bike advocates ahead of time, it would have realized this.

Failure #2: The mayor’s staff did not coordinate with members of the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee – the official body focused on bicycle issues in Los Angeles. Members of this committee learned of the summit secondhand, from press.

Failure #3: The mayor’s staff titled the meeting the Bike Summit, disrespecting advocates who organized two previous bike summits in Los Angeles. More than 150 people attended each of the two previous bike summits – the Bike Summit in 2009, and the Street Summit (re-branded Bike Summit) in 2010. The Mayor’s event, early on a working day, can’t compete with the real Bike Summits, so his staff have set him up for a failure.

A summit is a bringing together of the most powerful energies on an issue. Bikeside endorses the good intentions of the Mayor and welcomes his energy and clout. We do not endorse the process or timing of this event. By positioning the Mayor’s staff as a daytime event that, the Mayor’s staff settled for third place. The Mayor’s staff sent a clear signal that convenience for city staff will continue to be a higher priority than engaging the community leaders who have been working on bike issues all along.

When the Mayor returned from Copenhagen he said “in the area of bicycling I’ve got to do a better job and the city’s got to do a better job.” Indeed. Mr. Mayor, you may begin by moving your bike meeting to a weekday evening, coordinating with existing leadership, and choosing another name.

For interviews or questions, contact Alex Thompson, President of Bikeside LA, at 323 620 8985 or alexcthompson@gmail.com
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http://BikesideLA.org
http://twitter.com/Bikeside

Thanks to Chief Beck, Commander Doan and Sgt. Krumer for this public service announcement. This comes after a lot of hard work by the many cyclist/citizens that have dedicated their time and effort lobbying the LAPD, LA Bicycle Advisory Committee and LA City Council to actively and visibly promote safety and responsibility on the streets. Kudos.

Have a safe Bike Week LA 2010!

Save the date! Saturday, May 22nd, 5pm Bikerowave (12255 Venice Blvd) will host Bikeside for Bikeside’s new bike talk series: Bikeside Speaks! Everyone is welcome, and we’ll have food and drink. Afterward we’ll have a film screening, the second of it’s kind at Bikerowave.

Bikeside Speaks is a lightning round of talks on current projects in bike activism, each of them followed by Q&A. We’ll also have several heavy hitters giving talks on their interface with cycling, to be announced! Here’s part of the lineup:

* Mihai Peteu: Winning with Data – Crowdsourcing & LA Bike Map
* Sara Bond: Personalizing Hit & Run
* Jeremy Grant: Connecting LA with the Backbone Bikeway Network
* Enci: Moving LA with The Greensters
* Stephen Box: Changing the world with Cyclists’ Rights
* Ron Durgin: Every street is a People Street – Sustainable Streets
* and a special presentation on Bikerowave, and it’s incredible progress as a bike co-op.

Alex Thompson will emcee, and may even give a short talk on the Bike Plan.

This is an easy way to see what Bikeside and our collaborators are up to, and to get involved. Come out and get engaged!

To RSVP via twitter visit http://twtvite.com/BikesideSPEAKS
To RSVP via facebook visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126622544017986

If you’d like to help out, email Alex at alexcthompson@gmail.com and we’ll plug you in.

(please note, Bikerowave will be closing earlier than usual in order to accommodate Bikeside. Stands will be available outside for emergency repairs only.)

Skylight Books and Downtown Farmers Market will offer the free pamphlet

Los Angeles, Ca. (May 13, 2010) – Yasmin, Richard, and Jackie of the Santee Debate Team announced today that they are making a pamphlet about their recent bike tour of the Backbone streets of Vermont, Wilshire, Crenshaw, Venice, Exposition, Figueroa, and La Brea. The pamphlet is a service project to increase awareness that fossil fueled vehicles cause climate change.

The Backbone streets are major traffic arteries extending to all parts of LA, and could be used for bikes as well as motor vehicles. However, the Global Debate Team and Jeremy (that’s me), their guide from the LA Bike Working Group, have determined that those streets are unfriendly to cyclists and need more bicycle infrastructure and traffic calming.

The pamphlet includes students’ views and a map of the Backbone. It will be available at Skylight Books, 1818 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA as of May 13.

The pamphlet will also be available at the City Hall Farmer’s Market at 200 North Spring Street.

THE GLOBAL DEBATES

As a result of their participation in the Global Debates, Santee Education Complex will be highlighted throughout the UN Foundation website and be eligible to win prizes that include a $2,000 UN Foundation school grant and a trip to the Open Society Institute’s Youth Forum in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND

Since their inception, the UN Foundation Global Debates have been held in more than 90 countries. From Moldova and South Africa to Los Angeles and Mississippi, this program continues to grow, educating and activating new communities of students and teachers from around the world. As Ambassador Susan Rice and other UN leaders remind us, young people are ready to serve and take action. By engaging students and their teachers on issues of poverty reduction, global health, climate change and more, the UN Foundation is inspiring young people to be a positive force for change in the world. More information is available online at http://www.unfoundation.org/our-impact/engaging-youth/the-global-debates.html

The United Nations Foundation is an advocate for the UN and a platform for connecting people, ideas, and resources to help the United Nations solve global problems.  www.UNFoundation.org

CONTACTS
Nick Richert, Santee Education Complex, English Teacher, Debate Advisor 310-428-4222
Amber Young, Santee Education Complex, Math Teacher, Debate Advisor 310-256-6267
Skylight Books (323) 660-1175

Last year an AIA survey revealed that there are at least 850 architects – more than one percent of total membership – who are serving in an elected or appointed role. The Architects serve as Mayors, Council Members, Comissioners and Board Members. They advocate for higher living standards, the creation of a sustainable environment, quality of life, and the greater good of the public. These Architects use insight, talent, training and experience to contribute meaningfully, beyond self, to the improvement of the community and human condition.

The AIA released a bulletin on these Citizen Architects and made some visionary statements to provide for the future of civic minded Architects:

Citizen Architect Program

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) believes that society and the profession benefit from civically engaged architects, and that these members should be actively supported at all levels of service.

“The Citizen Architect uses her/his insights, talents, training and experience to contribute meaningfully, beyond self, to the improvement of the community and human condition. The Citizen Architect stays informed on local, state and federal issues, and makes time for service to the community. The Citizen Architect advocates for higher living standards, the creation of a sustainable environment, quality of life, and the greater good. The Citizen Architect seeks to advocate for the broader purposes of architecture through civic activism, writing and publishing, by gaining appointment to boards and commissions, and through elective office at all levels of government.”

Most recently in the face of global financial crisis the AIA has been advocating for policies to revive the economy and and build a foundation for a sustainable community for long term growth. It’s Rebuild and Renew Blueprint for Long-Term Prosperity outlines goals to jump start the economy without making the same tragic mistakes that resulted in the failure today :

Make Financing Available for Design and Construction Projects

*Extend the Term Asset Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) through 2010.
*Allow Public Private Investment Programs to Finance Sound Construction Projects.
*Eliminate Disincentives on Global Investments in U.S. Commercial Real Estate.
*Encourage the Use of SBA Lending Authority to Help Small Owners Address Equity Issues.

Provide Relief to Small Businesses

*Allow Sole Practitioners to Claim the Deduction for Qualified Architectural and Engineering Firms.
*Streamline Onerous Recovery Act Paperwork and Reporting Burdens on Small Businesses.
*Reform Retainage Rules on Architects and Engineers.
*Repeal the Three-Percent Withholding Requirement.
*Extend COBRA Benefits.
*Hire Underemployed and Unemployed Design and Construction Professionals to Help Speed Recovery Act Implementation.

Make Tax Policies Work for Recovery

*Expand and Improve the Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction.
*Extend the First-Time Home Buyer Credit.
*Make Permanent the Shortened Cost Recovery Period for Retail & Restaurant Improvements.
*Extend and Expand the Five-Year Carryback of Net Operating Losses for Small Businesses

Rebuild our Infrastructure for the 21st Century

*Enact a Five-Year Reauthorization of the Federal Surface Transportation Program.
*Build 21st Century Green Schools.
*Invest in World-Class Labs and Classrooms at Colleges and Universities.
*Promote the Revitalization of Historic Properties.
*Reduce Delays by Streamlining Building Permitting.
*Help Communities Plan Their Futures.

Build the New Green Economy

*Create Incentives for Mixed-Use, Transit-Oriented Development.
*Promote Green Affordable Housing.
*Provide Innovative Funding Streams Funding for Green Retrofits.
*Educate the Workforce of Tomorrow in Sustainable Design.

Though I’m only an Associate AIA I’ve been committed to participating in my community and local government process to ensure that it will excel comparatively to other internationally ranked cities in the future. There is no reason for Los Angeles and it’s communities to fail when such a density of design professionals, schools and organizations exist to service outside locations. Why shape the futures of others when we need work on our own?

Some of the specific demands of the Rebuild and Renew Blueprint result in some tough battles ahead against staunch supporters of the status quo. I picked out a few that are important to me and my community:

**Despite the best efforts of many agencies, billions of dollars of Recovery Act funding has not been obligated because of the sheer size of the program. Worsening the problem is the fact that many agency contracting officers lack specialized understanding of design and construction procurement. Congress should encourage agencies to contract, on a temporary basis, with design professionals currently out of work or underemployed to help ensure that Recovery Act funding for infrastructure projects is distributed expeditiously and effectively.

**The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has released legislation, the Surface Transportation Authorization Act, that would make major strides in moving our country towards a 21st Century transportation system. Delaying action on comprehensive transportation reform traps our communities in a failed system that threatens our economic and environmental well-being. Congress needs to act now to make sure that federal transportation policy truly helps us rebuild and renew our country.

**In order to fully maximize the ability of citizens to shape their futures, Congress should require that metropolitan planning organizations and state DOTs hold interactive public design workshops facilitated by planning and design professionals as a part of their planning processes. Congress also should pass S.1619, the Livable Communities Act, to help communities of all types and sizes plan in ways that reduce congestion, promote transportation choice and ensure affordable housing.

**Slow building permitting processes unnecessarily delay projects and slow economic growth. Congress should provide incentives to communities that streamline their permitting processes, including the use of e-permitting, and allow Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant monies to be used for permit streamlining for green building projects.

**Investing in green building retrofits through innovative financing mechanisms not only improves energy independence and protects the environment; it also creates jobs. Congress should pass legislation that would allow the Department of Energy to use their existing bonding authority to back Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bonds, municipal bonds whose proceeds are lent to commercial and residential property owners to finance energy retrofits.