Urban L.A.: I Like to Bike!

I hope you've been frequenting spin class at the gym because this week is Bike Week LA- time to hit the streets! In honor of Bike-to-Work Day, the L.A. Metro Transportation Authority will be offering free bus and train rides to bikers on Thursday. Metro has also announced that they are removing the ban that prevents bikers from bringing their two wheelers on Metro trains during rush hours. The Metro will also be conducting a survey of bike commuters over the next three weeks to gain insight on the impact of public transit on bike commuters. The survey should help the L.A. MTA 'develop sustainable transportation solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) for trips through Metro Rail facilities.'

This is a positive step in the right direction for Los Angeles and urban development. The future livability of L.A. hinges in large part on the city's commitment to provide readily accessible and affordable modes of public transportation. Though it may be wishful thinking to imagine an urban L.A. that favors mass transit to private automobile use, an integrated public transit system is the fulcrum around which a sustainable and thoughtfully planned urban environment can be realized.

If the Metro remains urgent in its efforts to expand and grow with the rest of Los Angeles, we can look forward to a transit infrastructure that will encourage a vibrant, compact, and diverse urban environment unlike any Los Angeles has experienced up to this point. Because Los Angeles has matured without the benefit of a solid public transit system, attempts at retroactively beefing up our current system are riddled with obstacles. Like anything worth having, there will be a huge amount of work involved, but the result will be a healthier, cleaner city with fewer disgruntled commuters who can live, work and play in L.A. without being tethered to their cars. For the sake of our future, I am hopeful that the powers-that-be here in Los Angeles will remain committed to this vision.

As for Bike Week, if it's been a while since you've taken your ten speed out for a spin, checkout one of my favorite bike shops- Flying Pigeon LA. They can help you get your bike in fighting form and they host weekly bike rides and tours throughout various areas of Los Angeles. Happy trails!