Councilmember Jan Perry, Jose Huizar, LADOT, and Downtown Community Celebrate Opening of the First Green Bike Lanes in Los Angeles
Downtown Bike Lanes to Promote Biking Downtown and Provide Important Safeguards for Bike Riders
LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, downtown Los Angeles officially became the home of the first green bike lanes in the city. Councilmembers Jan Perry and José Huizar joined the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) and community stakeholders to officially celebrate the opening of green bike lanes and thermoplastic striping designed to support safe biking in and around downtown.
“Downtown Los Angeles is the alternative transit hub for the region. From subway to light rail to bus and now the new ground-breaking green bike lanes, downtown continues to be the premier location for all modes of transportation. I am energized by the strong community support for the new bike lane and know that it will provide an important connection through our City’s historic core and beyond,” said Councilwoman Perry.
Perry and Huizar cut a green ribbon tied to the handles of two bicycles and then took the inaugural ride down the new Spring Street bike lane, which runs between Cesar Chavez Avenue and 9th Street. Similar green bike lanes were also installed along 1st Street between Boyle Avenue and Lorena Street in Boyle Heights.
“From Downtown Los Angeles to Boyle Heights to all parts of the City, the City of Los Angeles is committed to increasing bicycle uses and these first-of-their-kind green bike lanes are another step forward in our effort to make Los Angeles the premier bike-friendly city in the country,” said Councilmember Huizar. “From CicLAvia, to the City’s first-ever bike corral, I am proud of my work to support our bicycling community and I thank the Mayor, our local agencies, my colleagues on the City Council and, most importantly, the bicycling community for their hard work, diligence and commitment.”
LADOT installed the new bike lanes over the weekend, removed two traffic lanes, and installed a new buffered bike lane to support safety and promote biking downtown. A carefully selected traffic-rated green paint was used to delineate the bike lanes and enhance visibility. To further enhance safety efforts, the paint was treated and is non-slip, making it safe for both dry and wet weather conditions.
Green bike lanes have also been shown to increase both driver and bicyclist awareness of each other’s presence, promote better bicyclist positioning and provide an increased feeling of safety for bicyclists.
“LADOT is continuing to lead the way in the delivery of innovative and safe bicycle facilities in the City” said Deputy Mayor for Transportation Borja Leon. “The department has focused on public safety and outreach while accomplishing one of the Mayor’s primary goals – a robust transportation network.”
In September, LADOT joined the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) to engage the downtown community in visioning the future bikes in an urban setting through ThinkBike LA workshop. These workshops offered a platform for stakeholders to brainstorm and discuss creative ways in which to build a bike infrastructure that would serve downtown and provide safe and consistent transportation alternatives designed to connect surrounding neighborhoods. The green bike lanes were an integral part of this vision.
“Downtown Los Angeles is positively buzzing with excitement at this big step toward shifting the balance on our streets to more equitably serve people who walk, bike, drive, ride transit and do business here. Residents and businesses are eager to see how this green, buffered bike lane will start to transform a raceway into a neighborhood street, and look forward to increased traffic to our unique array of businesses as a result,” said Valerie Watson the Board Chair for DLANC’s Parks, Recreation & Open Space Committee.
DLANC and the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition (LACBC) also used the momentum to engage the community though a public information campaign about the installation of the new green bike lanes. As part of the campaign, businesses were encouraged to display signs in their windows showing support of the bike lane, seeing the lanes as a way of further driving traffic to local businesses to support the economic growth of downtown.
“We are excited to the see the city not just implementing the first bike lane in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, but implementing an innovative design that will enhance the visibility and safety of people riding their bikes to the many shops, restaurants, and galleries on Spring Street and will help encourage more folks to experience our dynamic historic core by bicycle,” says Jennifer Klausner, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. “Spring Street is also a central part of the CicLAvia route and we think the new bike lane will bring a little slice of CicLAvia to Spring Street everyday.”
Future installations of green bike lanes will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, subject to the results of this initial program.