LA County Bicycle Coalition www.la-bike.org

Bike to Work Day Wrap-up

Thanks everyone for a stellar Bike to Work Day and Week! It was great to see so many folks out at the Bike To and From Work events.  Meeting first-time commuters and reconnecting with old friends brought smiles to our faces and reminded us all of the spirit and dedication of the Los Angeles bicycling community.

Downtown LA

The Bike From Work celebration at Angel City Brewery was packed with over a hundred smiling cyclists.  The Ben & Jerry’s Ice cream truck joined in the Bike From Work fun by handing out free cups of Cherry Garcia and Cookie Dough Ice Cream out front the Angel City Brewery. We couldn’t have asked for a better venue to enjoy the great weather, good crowd, and downtown art scene. One cyclist was struck by the cycling community’s diversity; she noted that the shared passion for bicycling breaks down societal barriers.  Bike Valet extraordinaire Bobby Gadda skillfully fit over a hundred bicycles in a corral which occupied the space of about four cars.

At the event and throughout the week we heard from a lot of folks who bicycled to work for the first time.  While most folks had a positive experience, some ran into problems regarding bicycle parking because there was no secure short-term bicycle parking outside their office buildings and bikes were not permitted inside.

We have been advocating for an update to the City of LA’s Bicycle Parking Ordinance to address this issue with new multifamily residential, commercial and industrial buildings.  However this ordinance does not address accommodating bicycles at existing buildings.  To address this, we are interested in pursuing a bicycle access and parking ordinance similar to one passed in New York City in 2009.  To learn more about how NYC is accommodating bicycles at existing buildings, click here.

Santa Monica

Good times were had by all at Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar in Santa Monica for our Bike From Work event.  Santa Monica Spoke manned the bike valet and attendees enjoyed a fantastic array of wines from near and far via Pourtal’s enomatic machines. Pourtal’s ever-expanding menu includes a new fave, fig and burrata pizza, and an awesome hummus plate favored by the SM Spoke vegans.  Stephen, the owner of Pourtal and Kasey were super hosts; their hospitality and the way they share their knowledge of wines is that personal touch that makes a visit to Pourtal memorable.

Pourtal is continuing to donate 15% of their Happy Hour tasting sales (all night Monday, 4-7pm Tues-Fri) to LACBC via their Angel Shares program through the 31st,. We encourage you to continue celebrating Bike Month by visiting Pourtal this week for some great food and wines!

Glendale

Two-for-one beers and portabella mushroom sandwiches were the drinks and food of choice for about 15 cyclists who gathered at the Tavern on Brand in Glendale for the LACBC’s first ever Bike FROM Work celebration.   A few cyclists stopped by for a quick “hello” and then rode on.  But most pulled up a chair, ordered a pint and some food, then enjoyed the sun and warm breeze entering from the Tavern’s large open façade. Attendees included Glendale residents, City employees, and a few of our most dedicated Safe & Healthy Streets volunteers.  Talk ranged from our daily bike commutes and this year’s Bike to Work Day in Glendale, to bike gear, to the Tour of California.  Everyone enjoyed the company of their fellow cyclists.  Several Glendalians who didn’t know each other previously exchanged contact information, further strengthening the ties among the Glendale bicycling community.

South Bay

It was great to see some of our loyal friends and supporters, as well as some new faces turn out to celebrate bike-to-work day at Rock-and-Brews in El Segundo.  From South Bay Bicycle Coalition board members, to Commissioners and hard pedaling commuters from Northrup Grumman, Aerospace, Boeing and Mattel a good time was had by all.  Our good times were followed by some important lessons; we had a chance to talk to some of our supporters who told us they had noticed a comparative shortage of bike commuters on the road in the South Bay during bike week.  The lessons: 1) the South Bay is long overdue for extensive and comprehensive bike infrastructure that will encourage increased bikeability, and 2) our prominent enthusiast and casual cycling populations have yet to cross-over from viewing the bike as recreational to using the bike as a utilitarian form of transportation.  In short; we have work to do!

Culver City

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition celebrated Bike to Work day at Joxer Daly’s Irish Pub owned by the Mayor of Culver City. Highlighting the benefit of a bicycle corral, the CCBC was able to park 17 bicycles in one parking space! They shared some good times with local cyclists – including Damien Newton from LA Streetsblog and signed up new members. Cyclists received a warm welcome, free food, and time to socialize, swap bike stories, talk advocacy & enjoy the evening at a great local pub. A big thanks to Culver City Mayor Mehaul O’Leary and his staff and all who came out!

We hope everyone enjoyed a fun filled Bike to Work Day, Week and are still enjoying Bike Month no matter where you are located in LA County! Keep riding!