jeremygrant.com

from http://stephenbox4citycouncil.com/

LOS ANGELES – CALIFORNIA

Stephen Box takes citizenship and declares his LA City Council District 4 (CD4) campaign today, digitally on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. While he could have made a grand proclamation at the steps of City Hall Stephen chose to make the announcement June 23 shortly after taking the oath of citizenship at the Convention Center and released the tape on YouTube this morning. The website stephenbox4citycouncil.com lists his “VISION-driven” platform and dedication to providing “ACTIVE solution alternatives” as the foundation of his campaign for the March 8, 2011 election.

Box is well known for his blog soapboxla writing about his very public experience in the everyday minutia of LA CITY politics and services. Once you get to working with the CITY for a while you will hear the buck stops here line, “Now, let me tell you how ‘it’ works and why we cant do that.” BOX says, “Then ‘it’s’ not working the way it is.” He’s not the only one. Both the Mayor and the Police Chief(s) have made the headlines recently shown trying to improve and connect Los Angeles with the leading global standards of other major international cities. Our budget crisis is a national news mockery. All the while its the PEOPLE who suffer the consequences. Stephen demands “a city that works” and invites the people to participate (3.8 million residents: 1.5 million registered voters : 1/2 million participate ~ 13%). He calls for a collaborative customer service plan at City Hall — the complaint driven system is NOT working.

“Forward . . for a Change.”

His campaign is “not an issue based campaign” and in preference has a vision of connectivity, great city/urban plan aspirations, a sustainable budget (instead of entropic) and a progressive respect for the PEOPLE. Stephen squares off with Tom LaBonge, a decade long incumbent following the 35 year City Council term (longest ever) of millionaire, football star, conservative, southern strategist, police backer, insider John Ferraro. Box sees “LA as the ‘City of the Future’” and not one stymied by failures of the past or inaction of the present. When faced with the long history — difficulties in repairing the CITY — he challenges the impotent nature of the current General Plan and the fated sum rejection of the utopian vision lost eighty years ago. Today we are faced with a critical juncture between the next Great Depression or Great OPPORTUNITY and Box endeavors for a new community plan that endures.

Stephen Box is a first-time candidate, newly-minted American citizen and a veteran of civic engagement, community campaigns, and grassroots politics.

For more information,

Contact: Stephen Box, Candidate for District 4
Box4CityCouncil@Gmail.com
(323) 864-7586

LA Bike Working Group V

Saturday, March 6th
2pm till 5pm

Everyone is encouraged to attend and be involved in the LA Bike Working Group.
The focus of this meeting will be the finalization of the Backbone Bikeway Network.
Introductions and presentations will be followed by a work session and wrap up.

Ride, walk or drive through the back parking lot to the large multipurpose hall.
Bike parking is available inside.

Hollywood Adventist Church
1711 N Van Ness Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Unable to attend? Send an email to labikeplan.com

More information on the Backbone Bikeway Network and LA’s Best Bike Plan:

• The Vision of the Backbone at IlluminateLA
• Wayfinding & Signage on the Backbone Bikeway Network at JeremyGrant.com
• LA’s Best Bike Plan – A plan with a Backbone at SoapBoxLA
• The Backbone Bikeway Network – Valley Edition at JeremyGrant.com
• The Backbone Bikeway Network at BikesideLA.org

Backbone Bikeway Network, LA Bike Working Group

I had seen this story on Famke Janssen and her practical bike (complete with Brooks saddle) last year; but, I just found these comments made by some maniac driver after I made a search of “cyclist+fatalities+NYC”:

Famke Janssen knows how to ride a bike.

Famke Janssen rode around on a bike in NYC over the weekend while chatting on her headset which made it all the easier to get these upskirt shots without her knowing. Doesn’t Famke know that chatting and biking is the number one cause of bicyclist fatalities? That’s because people like me get so pissed that someone is biking at 5 mph in the middle of a busy street holding up traffic that we feel the need to speed up alongside them and open our side doors just before we pass.

maniac celeblogger wants to door cyclists
here’s the full pic

some facts:

It’s the selfish maniacs like these that keep people (especially women) from riding bikes. As we enter the new decade, the bicycle is increasingly being considered a vital part of integrated transport systems and solution to traffic congestion. The car is on its way out. (source)

94% of cyclist fatalities in New York are caused by driver inattention or a cyclist disregarding traffic controls. (source)

While it is unsafe and unwise to use a cell phone on a bike, it’s legal to ride and ‘chat’ in New York : “No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon a public highway while using a mobile telephone”(source)

Road rage is an aggressive response to overcrowding often triggered by traffic congestion and expression of a deeper frustration with oneself. (source)

We all know whats really going on:

Ride on Famke!

PS: Famke, I saw you run that red light last year. I may have done the same — the light takes so long at that intersection. I couldn’t believe how close that car came to hitting you tho. In fact, I think I nearly wrecked my bike you as you wooshed in front of me (wearing your sunglasses at night, no less!). I’m sure you saw the car and knew you could make it across in time (you’re quite fast, indeed). You almost gave me a heart attack; yet, I was fully impressed on how fast you can pedal that bike up a steep hill (even though you were dressed in all black and didn’t have lights).

how do women react to women on sexy bikes?

how do you react to HULKS on sexy bikes?

LA’s Best Bicycle Plan

Backbone Bikeway Network : Wayfinding and Signage

One great benefit of using a bicycle for transportation in Los Angeles is that you become highly aware of the topography and composition of the city. With unencumbered perception atop two wheels it becomes increasingly easy to navigate from one way point to the next. Listen, or follow a more experienced cyclist and you can learn even more tricks to plot your way or notice more landmarks to visit. Human infrastructure like this is priceless — especially when it results in increased safety and knowledge of all cyclists in general.

image (c) LA Bike Working Group

Unfortunately we’ve come to a time where this human infrastructure is just not enough to guarantee safety out there. We have to admit that the streets are mostly designed to exclude the bicycle and that there isn’t enough actual infrastructure right now to make a difference for cyclists, pedestrians or motorists. By focusing so much of our resources on the needs and wants of the car the people of Los Angeles have suffered a great loss when it comes to the quality of life. The Backbone Bikeway Network is dedicated to improving the streets and communities across the city: opening the streets to where people need to go and where they already commonly travel. While various forms of streetworks like bike lanes, sharrows and bike boxes will provide a safe environment for everyone to travel it would be worthless without a system of signage and wayfinding to navigate the Backbone.

Once the Backbone is in place it is essential for people to be able to use it in a very practical and almost effortless way. Signs informing cyclists of Backbone Bikeway Network direction changes and to confirm distance, direction, and destination allows cyclists and pedestrians (and even motorists) to know their location if they are not already familiar with the area. Wayfinding signage would encourage more people to use the Backbone and make bicycling integral to our daily life. It would bring together the neighborhoods that are left so disconnected today.

Q: I need to get from NELA to the beach.
A: Take the Fig Backbone and follow the directional signs.

Q: How far it is from the Harbor to the Valley?
Find and read the Backbone sign that indicates the distance.

Q: I’m on vacation and trying to find Hollywood.
A: Follow the Backbone signs pointing to the Hollywood Neighborhood Network.

Q: I’m in Hollywood and need to go to Venice.
A: Just follow the Backbone signs to the Venice Neighborhood Network.

Many cities have a strong wayfinding and signage program.
[ref. image : City of Oakland, CA]

Providing a Backbone Bikeway Network complete with wayfinding signage would benefit the City of Los Angeles in many more ways than just safety and ease of access. It would provide an alternate choice for people that have trouble with traffic congestion, inconsiderate drivers, and parking limitations. More people would find it easier to travel within and outside their immediate communities without the troubled use of a car. There are many people who are willing to use a bike in place of a car; yet, they have a valid excuse that it is “scary to ride” and there is “no clear space for bicycles”. The difficulty of choosing a route without knowing the streets would be solved by having a few well marked Backbone Bikeways to choose from. The danger of “trial and error” bike commuting would be eliminated for all but the most hardcore cyclist.

Many cities around the country have existing wayfinding and signage programs in place with their bicycling infrastructure: Oakland, San Francisco, Portland, and DC for example. The signage in these cities make them so much easier to experience than my own hometown of LA. Five years ago, when I was living Downtown, Los Angeles introduced a small wayfinding and signage program to assist navigation in the most dense and busy area of the city. Councilwoman Jan Perry spoke about the program that brought together the Downtown districts,

“This icon driven system will have the effect of transforming Downtown into a user-friendly series of neighborhoods. This will help both visitors and residents fully enjoy all that Downtown has to offer. The program’s success is the direct result of incredible teamwork from many different government and business organizations. Together, we are crystallizing the position that Downtown LA holds as the major business, tourist and residential destination in the U.S.”

The Backbone Bikeway Network and it’s supporting signage will be trans-formative to the whole city and reflect that all the neighborhoods are an important part of Los Angeles as a major international destination. It would give priority back to the people. It would finally make streets that work.

Next article: The Vision of the Backbone Bikeway Network
Previous Article: LA’s Best Bike Plan – The plan with a Backbone

The LA Bike Working Group was hard at work over the last few months working on what will be the Best Bicycle Plan. Not content with just spinning their wheels all over the city this group of cyclists decided to take steps in improving it as well. The Backbone Bikeway Network is the result of many public meetings, discussions and charrettes with a wide range of City staff, consultants, citizens, advocacy groups and bicycling experts. I attended nine out of the ten public meetings; coming back from those meetings I could recognize a few common notions people had about the LA Bike Plan:

1. There needs to be an easier way to get from one side of the city to the other using bike lanes.
2. There needs to be more road markings and signage to inform everyone.
3. Bicycle lanes and routes should connect to all places of commerce, education, recreation, etc.

Taking a hint from our past transportation history in Los Angeles, a “freeway” system similar to that used by cars should be implemented for bicycles to facilitate longer trips. While motorists are presented with an easy to use and efficient route for longer distances, cyclists have had to deal with a zig-zag, mish-mash of dead-end bike lanes, inadequate lane markings and poor signage. The LA Bike Working Group is not asking for multimillion dollar, specially elevated platform for riding — only improvement of road facilities and maintenance along specific bicycling arterials that are already commonly used.

The Backbone Bikeway Network was created by analyzing the current roadway situation and common bicycle routing solutions in conjunction with the proposed LA Bike Plan maps. There were many opinions on what streets should be classed as primary, secondary and tertiary. There was some debate about what streets were nearly ‘un-ride-able’ and were in most need of improvement. The goal was to find what streets could be used to facilitate the longest route of travel while also proving safe connections to popular destinations. Establishing these destinations as ‘hubs’, these were linked in a way to form a broader connective web across the many future neighborhood level networks of Los Angeles.

While the existing / proposed Bike Plan is myopic and presents development on a mile by mile basis, The Backbone gives cyclists a clear and recognizable route across the city. Gone will be the days of contemplating what string of streets to take while navigating nasty road and traffic conditions. One would simply be able to point to a sign and say “take the Backbone that direction” and enjoy their right to ride along a safe and well maintained bikeway. This is a big step in improving road safety that will increase ridership and eventually lead to health, environment and economic progress. A top level plan like this needs to be implemented along with a carefully planned and neighborhood approved plan — by focusing on the wide picture it will make it far easier to provide lower level bikeways that connect to The Backbone in a meaningful way.

Graphic courtesy of Mihai Peteu, L.A. Bike Working Group

The advantage of a powerful system such as this is that it provides transportation improvements for all level of road users. Sure, it will enhance the bicyclist’s experience; but, it will also mitigate the difficulty of sharing the road with motorists and pedestrians resulting in a safer road atmosphere for everyone. We all pay taxes. Why shouldn’t we all enjoy the benefit?

LAist – “Map: The Backbone Bikeway Network, Get Everywhere You Need to be in the City”

LA Times – “LA Activists Float Idea of Freeway System for Bikes”

I encourage you to offer your comments and criticism of this Bicycle Backbone Network.
To view the Central Backbone -click here-
Stay tuned for more information about this and other LA Bike Working Group tasks.

-UPDATE-
02.08.2010 – LABWG – release – Harbor Gateway map
02.05.2010 – LABWG – map revision – Reseda Bl corrected
02.04.2010 – LABWG – map revision – Cahuenga Bl corrected

02.02.2010 – Re: Draft Bike Plan, Feb 2010 BAC report
“Due to a lack of funding remaining in the Alta contract, the Final Draft is being revised by staff.”
– M. Mowery, Sr. Bicycle Coordinator, City of Los Angeles