We're looking at how to make North East Los Angeles (NELA) a more bike-friendly place. We've got some ideas on what might make sense.

Published November 17, 2009 by C.I.C.l.E.
By Joe Linton

Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange is excited to announce a new campaign: our North East L.A. Campaign! C.I.C.L.E. was founded in and is based in Glassell Park. We commonly lead workshops out of the community center at Glassell Park. We've collaborated with the Bike Oven in Highland Park, and with the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College  in Eagle Rock. We've lead Urban Expeditions rides out of the River Center in Cypress Park. We see our calling as working for change in the broader Los Angeles County (and even more broadly: wherever bicyclists pedal in the known universe), but our base of operations does tend to favor our work in North East Los Angeles and, of course, adjacent Pasadena.

We're looking at how to make North East Los Angeles (NELA) a more bike-friendly place. We've got some ideas on what might make sense (see our list below), but the first step is to put the word out to you - our communities. We'd like to build a campaign team of volunteer stakeholders - bicyclists and non-bicyclist supporters - who will brainstorm campaign ideas, and narrow them down to a few priorities where we think we can really make a difference. We'll be convening this brainstorming/prioritizing process in the next month or so, then launching into campaign mode early in 2010. We plan to reach out to other bike groups, Neighborhood Councils, non-profits, schools, businesses, residents, etc. - and form a broad coalition for positive change in our streets.

Below are some ideas for campaigns that we've been thinking about. We're interested in hearing what you think of these, or what else you're interested in building a campaign for:

- Bike Boulevard: implement a bicycle boulevard in NELA.

- Bike Parking: implement innovative bike parking in NELA, possibly bike corrals (proposed in this council motion.)

- Colorado: implement bike lanes on Colorado (east of Figueroa approved in 1996 bike plan,  interest in additional stretches from TERA  and others)

- Eagle Rock: extend the Eagle Rock Blvd bike lanes (in the draft 2009 bike plan)

- Figueroa: implement bike lanes on Figueroa (north of Ave 60 approved in 1996 bike plan)

- Fletcher: implement bike lanes on Fletcher Drive (approved in 1996 bike plan)

- Sharrows: implement sharrows in NELA, in appropriate places, possibly including the Eagle Rock Blvd bike lane gaps for right turns at York and Avenue 36.

- York: implement bike lanes on York Boulevard (approved in the 1996 bike plan)

If you're interested in getting involved in C.I.C.L.E.'s NELA campaign, make a comment below (which includes giving us your email address) or email us at info@cicle.org (include NELA in the title of your email). If you like the work we do and you want us to be able to put more time into this campaign and others like it, please contribute your time or money to become a member of C.I.C.L.E.