Bike Month Riding Tips: Make Your Community Bike Friendly

May 31, 2012 at 3:56 pm | Posted in Get Involved, Resources | 2 Comments
Tags: Bike Parking, get involved, local chapter, neighborhood bike ambassador program, potholes

More people would ride bikes if they felt welcome on the road, but bikes might be better accommodated if there were more of them. Here some ways to help get bikes rolling on your streets.

What helps make a community bike-friendly

1. Good roads that are safe for bikes and cars to share.
2. Educated drivers who respect bicycles as part of traffic
3. Educated cyclists who know how to ride smartly in the city
4. Well-planned neighborhoods that offer interconnected bike and mass-transit routes
5. Bike paths that offer a safe place for beginners or casual riders

Ways you can make it happen:

1. Start with yourself. Serve by example! Use your bike for commuting, errands, and recreation. Let others know, through your words and actions, that bicycling is a viable alternative to driving a car. Educate yourself on bike laws and the techniques of safe cycling.

2. Advocate in the workplace. Encourage your co-workers to join a “bike pool” and ride to work with you. Ask your employer to support biking to work by providing indoor bike parking, and installing showers and lockers.

3. Use local resources. Report dangerous road conditions–like potholes–to your city’s Department of Public Works. Ask your local Department of Transportation to install bike racks where you live and work. Stay informed on local planning and policy issues that might affect cyclists. Attend city and neighborhood council meetings to discuss your concerns.

Local meetings. These meetings occur monthly and are usually open for public comment. You can find locations and agendas on these websites:

City Council Meetings and City Council Committees Meetings: lacity.org

City of LA Bicycle Advisory Committee Meetings: labac.tumblr.com

Metro Board Meetings: metro.net/about/board/agenda

4. Politically inclined? Consider getting involved with your local Neighborhood Council. LACBC will also be launching a Neighborhood Bike Ambassador Program in the City of Los Angeles later this year to engage people concerned with bicycling issues with their Neighborhood Councils. Email Alexis Lantz, Planning and Policy Director, at alexis@la-bike.org to get involved. If you live outside of the City of Los Angeles, considering joining one of LACBC’s 10 local chapters or starting one of your own!

5. Keep up with state and national legislation. Larger legislative bodies can affect bicycle issues in your community. Pay attention to bills that determine bike laws, transportation policy and project funding. Keep up with the California Bicycle Coalition and League of American Bicyclists. Write your elected officials and tell them you support legislation that encourages bicycling.

6. Support a bicycle advocacy organization. Groups such as the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition advocate for your rights and safety. They serve as a liaison between individual cyclists and the agencies that determine bike policy and planning. And now, with 10 local chapters in LA County, our voice is becoming stronger than ever. If you are interested in becoming a LACBC member, you can learn more here!

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