SMCM Storm the Bastille II
Thread started by
BunnyBubbles at 02.21.08 - 3:55 pm
Posted for my friend Jon who is organizing this ride:
Critical Mass is targeted for citation by the Police.
Fortunately, this is not a permanent situation. We can win the support of the local city council. We can have the police escorting us, not ticketing us.
Ride to City Hall on March 25th. Meet at the BikeRoWave: 1816A Berkeley Str, Santa Monica. Time TBA. Stay Tuned for Updates: http://tinyurl.com/357nps
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I'll be going to this. It's a good time to make our case to City Hall on bike infrastructure, which, like SMCM, is getting run over by the city right now.
Alex Thompson02.26.08 - 10:19 pm
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After last week's Bicycle Master Plan meeting, I saw a huge opportunity to make March 25th a whole lot bigger than Critical Mass. Marching and meeting with City Hall for the sole purpose of preserving Critical Mass is too small. While we have the City Council's audience, let's go big! March 25th will be about biker's rights and considerations in the City of Santa Monica. We will push for improvements in the bike-ability of the city.
The timing in front of us presents the opportunity to turn SM more bike-friendly. If we get Santa Monica on an even more bike-friendly program, this can set a model for Los Angeles to follow. (Right now, Los Angele is updating it's Bicycle Master Plan.) We'll start with Santa Monica, then Los Angeles, then the world.
New flyers at http://tinyurl.com/357nps that represent the new idea of the March 25th ride. Print these out. Pass them out. Spread the word. Get fellow riders to commit to coming. The more people we get on March 25th, the more consideration the City Council will give our requests.
--UPDATE--
I spoke Don Patterson, Assistant to the City Manager for Management Services, today. He will be presenting our agenda item for consideration. I need to have requests for improvements to him by the end of business week.
This means I need to know what you want for the city now. What does Santa Monica need to be more bike-able?
Personally, I noticed an insufficient number of racks for bike parking on Main Street and an absence of racks at the DMV on Colorado. (What if you have a DUI and have to bike to the DMV?) My brother pointed out a lack of racks on Montana Avenue.
What's been lacking in your experience while biking in Santa Monica? This is your opportunity to voice your opinion.
Peace & Love,
Jon Luskin
JonLuskin02.26.08 - 10:40 pm
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Call me old fashion, but just basic things. Not getting a ticket, harassed, or punished for riding. Having laws that our designed to protect cyclist, enforced. Allowing the most vulnerable on the road to have the 'right of way'. Education campaign, that enlightens people to share the road. SHARROWS.
This may be unpopular around here, but I do think that CityofLA's law that allows you to ride on the sidewalk, as long as you are not riding with disregard towards pedestrians, will not discourage those that might be new and scared to ride on the streets, to take up cycling. Even if they have to start on sidewalks, in a slow manner to get comfortable with cycling. Please no, arguments on this, we all been through it before.
sexy02.27.08 - 10:58 am
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there's little stuff too:
extend bike lane on broadway to ocean
require that whatever that 3rd street mall redevelopment occurs has a bike path so people can go from the main st area to broadway/3rd street, the mall shitheels will probably be against this so it's a chance for the city council to flex some muscle.
fix the bike lanes near the pier and along ocean
bike lane whole length of either pico and/or ocean park for SMC people
better signage and visibility on broadway.
connect broadway bike path to bergamot sta
covered bike racks on 3rd street or main st
this may not benefit us personally, but it integrates the bike path network and makes the more general biking community feel safer which means they'll bike more which is good
stevestevesteve02.27.08 - 1:00 pm
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there's little stuff too:
extend bike lane on broadway to ocean
require that whatever that 3rd street mall redevelopment occurs has a bike path so people can go from the main st area to broadway/3rd street, the mall shitheels will probably be against this so it's a chance for the city council to flex some muscle.
fix the bike lanes near the pier and along ocean
bike lane whole length of either pico and/or ocean park for SMC people
better signage and visibility on broadway.
connect broadway bike path to bergamot sta
bike path on montana whenever they resurface montana
bike path on 4th street
this may not benefit us personally, but it integrates the bike path network and makes the more general biking community feel safer which means they'll bike more which is good
stevestevesteve02.27.08 - 1:02 pm
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Hey all,
Here is a rough draft of the submission. Please critique as necessary.
Dear Mr. Don Patterson,
Thank you for the opportunity to expand upon a previous submission for agenda item consideration.
Below is a list of requests from Santa Monica cyclists. These requests come from both individuals who cycle regularly, (so as to commute to work), and those who do so recreationally. Improving the current cycling infrastructure would create a more bike-able environment for both types of riders. This will function to not only satiate the current ‘hard-core’ cyclists, but more importantly, these measures will encourage the occasional cyclist to travel via bicycle more regularly.
Why is it critical so encourage bicycling within the city of Santa Monica? Consider the following:
o Cycling takes up less space than driving a car. This reduces traffic congestion and the scarcity of parking spaces.
o Cycling does not consume any of the products used when operating a motor vehicle. This equates to cleaner air, yet doubly functions to keep money within the community. The majority of the money a cyclist’s will spend on their transportation can go to paying for bicycle maintenance. The bicycle technician is part of the local economy. An automobile driver, however, spends a portion of their salary on petroleum. This money not only leaves the local economy but goes to outwardly hostile regimes (Venezuela, Iran, etc.)
Based on input from a variety of area cyclists, the following infrastructure amends would promote cycling in the city of Santa Monica:
Bicycle Lanes: General
1) Create bicycle lanes on higher traffic streets: those with stop lights and not stops signs.
2) Create more bike lanes and/or create dedicated bicycle-only boulevards: a well-marked street for cyclists. Pearl, Arizona and Broadway are good candidates for this.
3) Create distinct, well-noted walking paths for pedestrians. This will function to keep pedestrians off the bicycle path. (This may entail making the current pedestrian paths more walk-able.)
4) Re-Position bike lanes between the side walk and the lane for parked cars. This creates a buffer zone between automobile traffic and bicyclists. Please see attached photo for example.
Bicycle Lanes: Specific Routes
5) Have Broadway continue on, and connect to, the beach. Create signage noting "BIKES OK" on the Broadway bus lane.
6) Create bicycle lanes that connect the various satellite campuses to Santa Monica College.
7) Execute greater coordination of bike paths so as to connect Santa Monica with neighboring cities via bicycle path, including West Los Angeles, Culver City and Mar Vista.
a. Create a route on Ocean Park that hooks up to West Los Angeles. The current eastward lane abruptly ends at 28th.
b. Create continuation of bicycle paths south of Pico. The current bike path on 11th Street cuts off abruptly.
8) Fix potholes, most notably on the Broadway bike lane.
9) Repair the bike lanes near the pier and along Ocean.
10) Create a bike lane the whole length of either Pico Boulevard and/or Ocean Park for Santa Monica College students.
11) Create better signage and visibility on Broadway.
12) Connect the Broadway bike path to Bergamot Station.
13) Create a bike path on 4th Street.
14) Create a bike path running from the 3rd Street mall redevelopment to the Main Street area.
Traffic Signals
15) Tweak signal timing: Make for longer yellows. This particularly notable at Stewart and Olympic. Run longer green lights at night.
16) Install push buttons for cyclists to change signals. An activated button would make for a longer green light. Push buttons for cyclists would function to keep cyclists off the sidewalk.
Cycling with Regard to Road Users
17) Create more bike capacity on Mass Transit. Buses currently have only two bicycle racks. Bicyclists get barred from entering a bus that already has a full rack.
18) Make for greater driver and bus driver awareness. This could be implemented through driver education programs. Big Blue Bus drivers would be mandated to take this education.
Miscellaneous
19) Prevent double parking on Main Street. Double parking spills over into the bike lane.
20) Install more bike racks on Wilshire, Montana, and Main Street. Install bike racks at the DMV.
21) Get rid of curb excursions.
22) Create a supportive Police presence. This includes support for the monthly bike ride taking place in Santa Monica, known as Critical Mass.
23) Manifest more bike valets.
24) Install covered bike racks on 3rd Street or Main Street,
Thank you for your time and consideration. By working together, we can make the City of Santa Monica a greater place for all residents.
Peace,
Jon Luskin
Santa Monica resident.
JonLuskin02.28.08 - 11:13 pm
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*UPDATE FOR THE EVENT*
There will be a group meeting up at Bikerowave at 9pm to ride to Santa Monica City Hall. 1816A Berkeley St, Santa Monica
If you just want to meet at City Hall, be there at 10pm.
1685 MAIN STREET
Santa Monica, CA 90401
We arent an item on the agenda, so we will be speaking at the end when they designate time for anyone to speak.
I'm not sure how to update the event for this on the event list. Anyone?
Is the person who initially posts it allowed to add information
moondance03.14.08 - 6:13 pm
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This is a little off the topic but those of you that want to see edited footage from two recent critical mass rides 12/7/07 and last friday's 3/7/08 here's the youtube link....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yxdpUwdHEE
Wild Johnny03.14.08 - 6:56 pm
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The way to teach these City Council numskulls that cyclists' rights should be high priority on their lists is for everyone to fill out a comment card in the beginning, so then they are forced to hear each of us out for 2mins a piece. Last time we did this, we talked their ears off for about an hour and some change, which is probably the amount of time they spend on a "agenda item". If we keep showing up and speaking out individually, they'll eventually put us on the agenda because it might turn out to be more time efficient for their punk asses.
jericho1ne03.15.08 - 1:10 pm
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Posted for Jon Luskin:
Sunday, March 16, 2008
For those of you unfamiliar with today’s ride, the premise is to conduct an informal survey of Santa Monica’s bikeways. Observations from today will be taken to the Santa Monica City Council meeting next week. The ride is entitled “Pot the Spot-Holes.” I’ll let you sit with that for a while.
The first-ever-in-the-history-of-the-world “Pot the Spot Holes” ride was an amazing success. Mihai and Brigitte created a route for us, with Brigitte leading the way and taking copious notes. Alex was on hand to take photos. (I’m looking forward to seeing those!) Barbara even showed us a closed-off walkway that, if properly utilized, would be perfect for cyclists. Other participants chimed in with thoughts while some simply came along for the ride.
What made this event so special was the diversity of participants – we had it all! We had young hipsters on their track-style bicycles as well as the tried-and-true cyclists that have been cycling before I was born. And while the riders may have differed in their approach, or style, the goal is the same: to create a better city to cycle in. Such union was truly an incredible sight to behold.
This ride was another step in turning Santa Monica from a city of incomplete bike lanes and poor cycling amenities into a cyclist’s paradise: with ample bike lanes and bicycle racks for all. With your participation, we can have this cyclist’s paradise.
Join us on Tuesday, March 25th, as Mihai will be spear-heading us to the Santa Monica City Council meeting to request, in-person, upgrades in Santa Monica’s current cycling amenities. Meet at the BikeRoWave (1816A Berkeley Str, Santa Monica) at 9:00 P.M. or at City Hall at 10:00 P.M.
A big thank you goes out to everyone who got involved today. It is from your participation that change is possible.
Peace & Love,
Jon Luskin
moondance03.17.08 - 9:14 am
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bump. i want to join. i think i will.
tomato03.24.08 - 5:39 pm
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check this tomorrow if you can yall
9pm bikerowave meet up to ride to santa monica city hall
or
10pm meet at city hall
moondance03.24.08 - 7:45 pm
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who's all going? is anyone riding back to bikerowave afterwards? (I'll probably drive and park my car there)- I'd ride but don't want to go alone
tomato03.25.08 - 9:35 am
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fear not, you won't be riding alone
I'm seizing this opportunity to make cycling what I want it to be in Santa Monica, with complete bike paths and bike racks galore!
Who's with me?
Peace & Love,
Jon
JonLuskin03.25.08 - 12:09 pm
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sad i had to leave early. how did it go??
tomato03.26.08 - 10:11 am
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