How the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council May Vote on Bike Lanes Today

The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council has received 46 “Community Impact Statements” e-mailed in support of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s proposal to install bike lanes along Colorado Boulevard. Five letters opposing the plan have also been received by the ERNC.

The letters are expected to be part of the ERNC’s decision at its monthly board meeting at Eagle Rock City Hall at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night to vote for or against the proposed bike lanes. The scheduled vote follows a well-attended March 27 public forum at Occidental College during which dozens of community members made compelling cases both for and against the creation of bike lanes.

Here are excerpts from some of the letters supporting as well as opposing the plan:

Letters of Support:

• I am absolutely a guy who likes to get from place to place fairly quickly, so I'm not thrilled with the idea of a drive down Colorado taking longer. HOWEVER, I have also generally avoided walking along Colorado with my daughters and dog for the 7 years I've lived here, because it's so noisy and unsafe due to the three lanes of traffic. A few extra minutes of drive time seems like a very small price to pay for increased safety, quiet, and walkability. I think it will benefit local merchants as well. I realize many opponents say "where are the bikes?", but to me the increased space for bike riders is only a secondary benefit - it's the "road diet" through the center of our community that is the primary benefit of the plan.

• It is an issue of social justice as much as it is an issue of quality of life and the environment. … While some residents may complain that these plans will negatively impact their travel times, I humbly suggest that any such inconvenience pales in comparison to the "inconveniences" we are inflicting on our environment and future generations by not encouraging people to use other modes of transit.

• I am an Eagle Rock resident and landscape architect. What can I do to help get bike lanes along Colorado Boulevard? We need bike lanes, street trees, infiltration planters, stormwater management, wayfinding signage, interpretive kiosks, a par 5 synthetic turf golf course down the median, and a trolley that connects the Del Mar Gold Line Station in Pasadena with the Universal City Red Line Station via Colorado, Riverside Drive, and Cahuenga. But I will settle for bike lanes.

• I AM in favor of a "SHARROW" bike lane. I am NOT in favor of a dedicated bike only lane. By sharrow lane, I mean a full width traffic lane shared by cars and bicycles, in tandem, NOT side by side, with very clear signage and pavement markings that bicycles have the right of way. These exist in Hermosa Beach and on Verdugo Blvd. in Glendale. I see the following advantages:

1. If no cyclists are using the bike lane, it has no negative impacts on automobile traffic. Cars can use the lane as an ordinary traffic lane if there are no bikes.

2. Two cyclists can ride side by side.

3. When an automobile makes a right turn on to a side street, the driver must first consciously change lanes into the sharrow lane. This will reduce the number of collisions between bicycles and cars. With a dedicated bike only lane, motorists will tend to turn right cutting across the bike lane without looking.

I do not believe there will be a large number of people using bicycles as their primary mode of transportation, regardless of how many bike lanes are added to our city streets. I see very few cyclists using the existing bike lanes on Eagle Rock Blvd., for example. I drive this route to work everyday and see about 3 cyclists per week. With warm temperatures most of the year, it is not practical to cycle to work and arrive at the office drenched in sweat. Also, cycling on city streets is dangerous. I think bike lanes give a false sense of safety without actual improvements in safety. I think more crosswalks with traffic lights should be a higher priority for Colorado Blvd.

Letters in Opposition:

• As a person of 90041 I am opposed to the removal of traffic lanes to benefit a small number of bicycle riders who wish a voice far out of proportion to their numbers. Since the bike lane has gone into effect it has seriously hampered the traffic on York. I do not wish this to happen to Colorado or Figueroa streets.

• I want Colorado Blvd. to be safer. This is why I voice my opposition to a bike lane on Colorado Blvd. Bike riding in Los Angeles on busy streets is not safe. Creating a bike lane with no protection from traffic or parked cars is not going to make the Blvd. safer—it will put bicyclists at danger. The current plan does not take into consideration the safety of bicyclists from cars. A painted white line will not stop or hinder a car from hitting a cyclist. If safety is the goal the plan should include elements to make cyclists, pedestrians and drivers safer.

• If the community wants to build a stronger core of bicyclists, we can start with better education for drivers and riders. Improved signage, clearer lane markings, and educational campaigns to teach riders the importance of proper, reflective safety gear can be very helpful. Installing public bike racks along Colorado Boulevard can also encourage riders. In conclusion, I would strongly encourage the City of Los Angeles to hold off on choking off a lane of traffic on Colorado Boulevard. The costs are steep, and the benefits are intangible.