CicLAvia!

Yesterday marked the first CicLAvia event in Los Angeles. Ciclovia is a concept that started in Bogota, Columbia over thirty years ago. The concept is to close streets to cars and open streets for people to bicycle, walk, run, and overall enjoy our streets from a different perspective. This event was arranged through a dedicated steering committee that worked for 2 years and partnered with Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and Mayor Villaraigosa's office among others. Estimates range from 50,000 - 100,000 people enjoyed the 7.5 mile route from East Hollywood to Boyle Heights.

Expanding access to "green"

From the LA Times:

"Green revolution comes to urban neighborhoods

Low-income can also be environmentally friendly, with a little help."

excerpt: 

"There's a tendency to not seek out communities like these," said Jeffrey Richardson, chief executive of solar installer Imani Energy Inc., one of the few companies that have been actively working on projects in South Los Angeles. "There's the idea that people here don't get it, don't want to get it and can't get it when it comes to green."

Read the article here.

Mayor's Bike Summit

This morning Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa held his first (and hopefully not last) bike summit.  The Mayor's recent bike accident seems to have sparked his sudden concern for bicyclists in L.A. and served as the impetus for putting together the bike summit.  Although several advocates criticized the timing of the meeting--Monday morning is not a great time for most people--the summit seemed to be a step in the right direction. 

Bicyclists packed the Metro board room for the two hour meeting, which was lead by the Mayor and a panel including LADOT General Manager Rita Robinson,...

Ryan Bradley Runs... err Walks the City

Writer and editor of the World Policy Journal, Ryan Bradley, has recently walked more than 70 miles through Los Angeles and has started writing a miniseries on his journey. His writing is more than a journal of his experience, instead he take his uses his personal experiences to expose larger transportation problems and then takes an in depth look at those issues. Some of the issues include development patterns, transit use, race, and sidewalk maintenance. Each part of the series is a good individual read so you can read one part or the whole series. Click here to read the story.